Renee Godfrey (born Renee Vera Haal; September 1, 1919 – May 24, 1964) was an American stage and motion picture actress and singer.

Early life

Godfrey was born September 1, 1919, in New York, with Dutch and French ancestry as the daughter of Emil Haall, a Dutch diamond merchant, and his wife.

Career

Beginning at age 11, she worked as a model, and as a sophomore in high school she switched to night classes so that she could model during the day. She posed for artist John La Gatta and photographers

Edward Steichen Edward Jean Steichen (; March 27, 1879 – March 25, 1973) was a Luxembourgish American photographer, painter and curator and a pioneer of fashion photography. His gown images for the magazine ''Art et Décoration'' in 1911 were the first modern ...

, Victor Keppler, John Hutchins, and others. She appeared in advertisements that were published nationally, and she had the most-photographed hands and legs in New York. When a film executive saw her image on a billboard, that led the way to her work in motion pictures. Godfrey was featured on both radio and television programs in Britain. She initially entered films at RKO, working as Renee Haal, and made her début in

Sam Wood Samuel Grosvenor Wood (July 10, 1883 – September 22, 1949) was an American film director and producer who is best known for having directed such Hollywood hits as ''A Night at the Opera (film), A Night at the Opera'', ''A Day at the Races (fi ...

's '' Kitty Foyle'' (1940). Also in 1940, she was selected by RKO as that studio's actress most likely to succeed in a film career. Her work in ''Unexpected Uncle'' resulted in her signing a long-term contract with RKO early in 1942. She began working as Renee Godfrey in '' Up in Arms'' (1944). During World War II, she and her husband entertained troops with amateur magic shows that they put on through the

USO The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed F ...

. She continued working in small roles, such as Vivian Vedder in '' Terror by Night'' (1946) and Mrs. Stebbins in Stanley Kramer's '' Inherit the Wind''. She worked into the 1960s, appearing in ''

Can-Can The can-can (also spelled cancan as in the original French /kɑ̃kɑ̃/) is a high-energy, physically demanding dance that became a popular music-hall dance in the 1840s, continuing in popularity in French cabaret to this day. Originally dance ...

'' and '' Tender Is the Night''. For the most part, however, Godfrey was out of view. Her director-husband, who had flourished on 1950s TV, was in ill health by the end of the decade. Taking secretarial and real estate classes to help support the family income, Godfrey tried making a comeback of sorts, finding bit roles in the films. She was also a guest player on such shows as '' Perry Mason'', ''

Hazel Hazels are plants of the genus ''Corylus'' of deciduous trees and large shrubs native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The genus is usually placed in the birch family, Betulaceae,Germplasmgobills Information Network''Corylus''Rushforth, K ...

'', ''

The Donna Reed Show ''The Donna Reed Show'' is an American sitcom starring Donna Reed as the middle-class housewife Donna Stone. Carl Betz co-stars as her Pediatrics, pediatrician husband Dr. Alex Stone, and Shelley Fabares and Paul Petersen as their teenage childr ...

'' and ''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western television series that aired for eight seasons, first on the NBC television network (1957–1962) and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and reached the top of the ...

''.

Personal life

In 1938, she went to

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

for a singing engagement and met actor/director/screenwriter Peter Godfrey, who was almost 20 years her senior. They married on August 6, 1941. With primary focus on raising her three children (which included a set of twins), she was seen only sporadically on TV during the 1950s with guest roles on programs hosted by

Loretta Young Loretta Young (born Gretchen Michaela Young; January 6, 1913 – August 12, 2000) was an American actress. Starting as a child, she had a long and varied career in film from 1917 to 1989. She received numerous honors including an Academy Awards ...

and

Jane Wyman Jane Wyman ( ; born Sarah Jane Mayfield; January 5, 1917 – September 10, 2007). was an American actress. A star of both movies and television, she received an Academy Award for Best Actress, four Golden Globe Awards and nominations for two Pr ...

Death

She died in Los Angeles, California, on 24 May 1964 from the effects of

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...

. She was 44 years old. Her final performance, in the film ''

Those Calloways ''Those Calloways'' is a 1964 American family drama film, adapted from the 1950 children's novel ''Swiftwater'' by Paul Annixter. The film was produced by Walt Disney and directed by Norman Tokar. It was the last credit for veteran film composer ...

'', was released posthumously. Her body was buried at Glendale's Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery.

Filmography

Films roles

* '' Kitty Foyle'' (1940) - Shopgirl in Elevator (uncredited) * '' Let's Make Music'' (1941) - Helen, Chorus Girl (uncredited) * ''

Citizen Kane ''Citizen Kane'' is a 1941 American Drama (film and television), drama film directed by, produced by and starring Orson Welles and co-written by Welles and Herman J. Mankiewicz. It was Welles's List of directorial debuts, first feature film. ...

'' (1941) - Nurse (uncredited) * '' Hurry, Charlie, Hurry'' (1941) - Josephine Whitley (as Renee Haal) * '' Unexpected Uncle'' (1941) - Carol West (as Renee Haal) * '' Wedded Blitz'' (1942) - (as Renee Haal) * '' Framing Father'' (1942) - Mary Adams (as Renee Haal) * ''

Highways by Night ''Highways by Night'' is a 1942 American crime drama film directed by Peter Godfrey from a screenplay by Lynn Root and Frank Fenton, based on the story ''Silver Spoon'', by Clarence Budington Kelland. The film stars Richard Carlson and Jane ...

'' (1942) - Ellen Cromwell * '' Up in Arms'' (1944) - Goldwyn Girl (uncredited) * '' Bedside Manner'' (1945) - Stella Livingston * '' Terror by Night'' (1946) - Vivian Vedder * ''

Winter Wonderland "Winter Wonderland" is a song written in 1934 by Felix Bernard and lyricist Richard Bernhard Smith. Due to its seasonal theme, it is often regarded as a Christmas song in the Northern Hemisphere. Since its original recording by Richard Himb ...

'' (1947) - Phyllis Simpson * '' Down Missouri Way'' (1946) - Gloria Baxter * '' French Leave'' (1948) - Mimi * '' The Decision of Christopher Blake'' (1948) - Sheila, Actress in Play (uncredited) * ''

'' (1960) - Dowager (uncredited) * '' Inherit the Wind'' (1960) - Mrs. Stebbins * '' Tender Is the Night'' (1962) - Nurse (uncredited) * ''

'' (1965) - Sarah Mellott (uncredited) (final film role)

Television roles

* ''

Duffy's Tavern ''Duffy's Tavern'' is an American radio programming, radio sitcom that ran for a decade on several networks (CBS, 1941–42; Blue Network, NBC-Blue Network, 1942–44; and NBC, 1944–51), concluding with the December 28, 1951, broadcast. The ...

'' (1 episode, 1954) - Renee * '' Dr. Hudson's Secret Journal'' (1 episode, 1955) - Nurse * '' The Star and the Story'' (1 episode, 1956) - Miss Harrington * '' Buffalo Bill, Jr.'' (2 episodes, 1956) - Linda Abbott * '' Letter to Loretta'' (1 episode, 1956) - Andree Chartaud * '' Jane Wyman Presents The Fireside Theatre'' (2 episodes, 1957) - Dorothy / Mrs. Dioso * ''

Zane Grey Theater ''Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre'' is an American Westerns on television, Western anthology television series broadcast on CBS from October 5, 1956 until May 18, 1961. Synopsis Many episodes were based on novels by Zane Grey, to all of which ...

'' (2 episodes, 1960) - Alicia * ''

The Ann Sothern Show ''The Ann Sothern Show'' is an American sitcom starring Ann Sothern that aired on CBS for three seasons from October 6, 1958, to March 30, 1961. Created by Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf, the series was the second starring vehicle for Sothern, wh ...

'' (1 episode, 1961) - Martha Newton * ''

Frontier Circus ''Frontier Circus'' is an American Westerns on television, Western television series about a traveling circus roaming the American West in the 1880s. Filmed by Revue Productions, the program originally aired on CBS from October 5, 1961, until Sep ...

'' (1 episode, 1962) - Stella * ''

'' (1 episode, 1962) - Miss Lewis * ''

'' (1 episode, 1962) - Gloria * '' Perry Mason'' (2 episodes, 1960–1962) - Lady Librarian / Miss Winslow * ''

General Electric Theater ''General Electric Theater'' is an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations. Radio After an audition show ...

'' (1 episode, 1962) - Ethel * ''

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, airing on CBS and NBC, alternately, between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. Between 1962 a ...

'' (1962) (Season 1 Episode 5: "Captive Audience") - Hartman's Secretary

References

External links

*
Renee Godfrey at weblo.com

Biography at New York Times online
{{DEFAULTSORT:Godfrey, Renee 1919 births 1964 deaths Deaths from cancer in California Actresses from New York (state) Singers from New York (state) American stage actresses American television actresses American film actresses 20th-century American actresses 20th-century American singers 20th-century American women singers Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)