Sally Forrest (born Katherine Feeney; May 28, 1928 – March 15, 2015) was an American film, stage and TV actress of the 1940s and 1950s. She studied dance from a young age and shortly out of high school was signed to a contract by

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

.Sally Forrest, Actress in 1940s and '50s Film Musicals
. (March 27, 2015).

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...

. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

''. Retrieved 2015-03-29.

Early life

Forrest was born in

San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

to Michael and Marguerite (née Ellicott) Feeney. Her father was a

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...

career officer who moved his family to various naval bases, finally settling in San Diego. He and his wife later became ballroom dancers and taught dance classes, where their daughter began learning her lifelong craft.

Career

Forrest began her film career in the 1940s as a chorus dancer in MGM musicals. She made her acting debut in ''

Not Wanted ''Not Wanted'' is a 1949 American drama film directed by Elmer Clifton and an un-credited Ida Lupino and starring Sally Forrest, Keefe Brasselle and Leo Penn. A few days after shooting started, Clifton suffered a heart attack. Lupino stepped in ...

'' (1949), written and produced by

Ida Lupino Ida Lupino (4 February 1918Recorded in ''Births Mar 1918'' Camberwell Vol. 1d, p. 1019 (Free BMD). Transcribed as "Lupine" in the official births index – 3 August 1995) was a British actress, director, writer, and producer. Throughout her 48-y ...

. Its controversial subject of unwed motherhood was a raw and unsentimental view of a condition rarely explored by Hollywood at the time. Forrest starred in two more Lupino projects, '' Never Fear'' (1949) and '' Hard, Fast and Beautiful'' (1951), as well as other films noir, including ''

Mystery Street ''Mystery Street'' is a 1950 American black-and-white film noir featuring Ricardo Montalbán, Sally Forrest, Bruce Bennett, Elsa Lanchester, and Marshall Thompson. Produced by MGM, it was directed by John Sturges with cinematography by Jo ...

'' (1950), directed by

John Sturges John Eliot Sturges (; January 3, 1910 – August 18, 1992) was an American film director. His films include '' Bad Day at Black Rock'' (1955), '' Gunfight at the O.K. Corral'' (1957), ''The Magnificent Seven'' (1960), '' The Great Escape'' (19 ...

, and the star-studded '' While the City Sleeps'' (1956), directed by

Fritz Lang Friedrich Christian Anton Lang (; December 5, 1890 – August 2, 1976), better known as Fritz Lang (), was an Austrian-born film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in Germany and later the United States.Obituary ''Variety Obituari ...

. Her musical background and training as a jazz and ballet dancer brought roles in the transitional musicals that rounded off the golden age of MGM; most notable '' Excuse My Dust'' and ''

The Strip The Las Vegas Strip is a stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada, that is known for its concentration of resort hotels and casinos. The Strip, as it is known, is about long, and is immediately south of the Las Vegas city limits ...

''. In 1953, after moving to New York with her husband, writer and producer Milo Frank (who was hired to be head of casting for

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

), her film work transitioned to theatre and TV. She starred on Broadway in ''

The Seven Year Itch ''The Seven Year Itch'' is a 1955 American romantic comedy film directed by Billy Wilder, who co-wrote the screenplay with George Axelrod. Based on Axelrod's 1952 The Seven Year Itch (play), play of the same name, the film stars Marilyn Monroe ...

'', and appeared in major stage productions of ''

Damn Yankees ''Damn Yankees'' is a 1955 musical comedy with a book by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop, music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. The story is a modern retelling of the Faust legend set during the 1950s in Washington, D.C., d ...

'', ''

Bus Stop A bus stop is a place where Public transport bus service, buses stop for passengers to get on and off the bus. The construction of bus stops tends to reflect the level of usage, where stops at busy locations may have shelter (building), shelters ...

'', ''

As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral Shakespearean comedy, comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wil ...

'' and '' No No Nanette''. Later she returned to Hollywood and continued working at

RKO RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, is an American film production and distribution company, historically one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Kei ...

and

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Columbia Pictures, is an American film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution company that is the flagship unit of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group ...

. Her final film was RKO's ''While the City Sleeps'' in 1956, a film noir co-starring

Dana Andrews Carver Dana Andrews (January 1, 1909 – December 17, 1992) was an American film actor who became a major star in what is now known as film noir and later in Western films. A leading man during the 1940s, he continued acting in less prestigio ...

Rhonda Fleming Rhonda Fleming (born Marilyn Louis, August 10, 1923 – October 14, 2020) was an American film and television actress and singer. She acted in more than 40 films, mostly in the 1940s and 1950s, and became renowned as one of the most glamor ...

Vincent Price Vincent Leonard Price Jr. (May 27, 1911 – October 25, 1993) was an American actor. He was known for his work in the horror film genre, mostly portraying villains. He appeared on stage, television, and radio, and in more than 100 films. Price ...

and her frequent collaborator Ida Lupino.

Personal life

Forrest married Milo Frank in 1951. They had no children and remained wed until his death in 2004. Forrest and Frank were owners of the former Benedict Canyon home of

Jean Harlow Jean Harlow (born Harlean Harlow Carpenter; March 3, 1911 – June 7, 1937) was an American actress. Known for her portrayal of "bad girl" characters, she was the leading sex symbol of the early 1930s and one of the defining figures of the ...

and

Paul Bern Paul Bern (born Paul Levy; December 3, 1889September 5, 1932) was a German-born American film director, screenwriter and film producer, producer for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), where he became the assistant to producer Irving Thalberg. He helped la ...

on Easton Drive in Beverly Hills. They rented it to

Jay Sebring Thomas John Kummer (October 10, 1933 – August 9, 1969), known professionally as Jay Sebring, was an American celebrity Haircut, hair stylist, and the founder of the hairstyling corporation Sebring International. Sebring was Tate–LaBianca mur ...

prior to his murder at the nearby home of

Sharon Tate Sharon Marie Tate Polanski (January 24, 1943 – August 9, 1969) was an American actress and model. During the 1960s, she appeared in advertisements and small television roles before appearing in films as well as working as a model. After receiv ...

. Forrest died of cancer on March 15, 2015, aged 86, at her home in

Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. A notable and historic suburb of Los Angeles, it is located just southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Beverly Hills ...

Filmography

*''

Till the Clouds Roll By ''Till the Clouds Roll By'' is a 1946 American Technicolor musical film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and a fictionalized biopic of composer Jerome Kern, portrayed by Robert Walker (actor, born 1918), Robert Walker. Kern was involved with the ...

'' (uncredited showgirl) (1946) - Showgirl (uncredited) *''

The Unfinished Dance ''The Unfinished Dance'' is a 1947 American musical film, musical drama film directed by Henry Koster and starring Margaret O'Brien, Cyd Charisse and Karin Booth. The story centers around the members of a ballet company, and is a remake of the 193 ...

'' (1947, chorus) *'' Fiesta'' (1947, choreography assistant) *''

Are You With It? ''Are You with It?'' is a 1948 American musical comedy film directed by Jack Hively. The plot is about a young insurance man who quits his job to join a traveling carnival. The film is based on the 1945 Broadway musical of the same name and the ...

'' (1948) - Dancer (uncredited) *'' The Pirate'' (1948) - Fiesta Specialty Dancer (uncredited) *'' The Kissing Bandit'' (1948, choreography assistant) *''

Easter Parade The Easter parade is an American cultural event consisting of a festive strolling procession on Easter Sunday. Typically, it is a somewhat informal and unorganized event, with or without religious significance. Persons participating in an East ...

'' (1948, uncredited dancer) *''

Take Me Out to the Ball Game "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is a 1908 waltz song by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer which has become the unofficial anthem of North American baseball, although neither of its authors had attended a game before writing the song. The song' ...

'' (1949) - Dancer at Wharf Party (uncredited) *'' Mr. Belvedere Goes to College'' (1949) - Miss Cadwaller, Dr. Gibbs' Secretary (uncredited) * ''

'' (1949) - Sally Kelton *'' Scene of the Crime'' (1949) - Minor Role (uncredited) *'' Flame of Youth'' (1949) - Miss O'Brien (credited as Katherine Lang) *''

Whirlpool A whirlpool is a body of rotating water produced by opposing currents or a current running into an obstacle. Small whirlpools form when a bath or a sink is draining. More powerful ones formed in seas or oceans may be called maelstroms ( ). ''Vo ...

'' (1949) - Minor Role (uncredited) *'' Dancing in the Dark'' (1949) - Secretary (uncredited) *'' Never Fear'' (AKA '' The Young Lovers'') (1950) - Carol Williams *''

'' (1950) - Grace Shanway *'' My Blue Heaven'' (1950) - Minor Role (uncredited) *''

Vengeance Valley ''Vengeance Valley'' is a 1951 American Technicolor Western film directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Burt Lancaster, with a supporting cast featuring Robert Walker, Joanne Dru, Sally Forrest, John Ireland and Ray Collins. It is based o ...

'' (1951) - Lily *'' Hard, Fast and Beautiful'' (1951) - Florence Farley *'' Valentino'' (1951, choreography assistant) *'' Excuse My Dust'' (1951) - Liz Bullitt *''

'' (1951) - Jane Tafford *''The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Story'' (1951, MGM promotional documentary) *'' Bannerline'' (1951) - Richie Loomis *''

The Strange Door ''The Strange Door'' is a 1951 American horror film, released by Universal Pictures, and starring Charles Laughton, Boris Karloff, Sally Forrest and Richard Stapley. Karloff's role is actually a supporting one but his name carried significa ...

'' (1951) - Blanche de Maletroit *'' Code Two'' (1953) - Mary Hartley *''

Son of Sinbad ''Son of Sinbad'' is a 1955 American adventure film directed by Ted Tetzlaff. It takes place in the Middle East and consists of a wide variety of characters, including over 127 women. The film was shot in 1953 and planned to be released in 3 ...

'' (1955) - Ameer *'' While the City Sleeps'' (1956) - Nancy Liggett *'' Ride the High Iron'' (1956) - Elsie Vanders

Television

*''

Schlitz Playhouse ''Schlitz Playhouse of Stars'' is an anthology series that was telecast from 1951 until 1959 on CBS. Offering both comedies and drama, the series was sponsored by the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company. The title was shortened to ''Schlitz Playh ...

'' (TV series) "Barrow Street" (1952) *''

Lux Video Theatre ''Lux Video Theatre'' is an American television anthology series that was produced from 1950 until 1957. The series presented both comedy and drama in original teleplays, as well as abridged adaptations of films and plays. Overview The ''Lux Vi ...

'' (TV series) (1953) *''

The Ford Television Theatre ''Ford Theatre'', spelled ''Ford Theater'' for the original radio version and known, in full, as ''The Ford Television Theatre'' for the TV version, is a radio and television anthology series broadcast in the United States in the 1940s and 195 ...

'' (TV series) "The Life of the Party" (1953) *''Suspense'' (TV series) "The Darkest Night" (1953) *''

Studio One in Hollywood ''Studio One'' is an American anthology drama television series that was adapted from a radio series. It was created in 1947 by Canadian director Fletcher Markle, who came to CBS from the CBC. It premiered on November 7, 1948, and ended on Sept ...

'' (TV Series) "Letter of Love", "The Edge of Evil" (1953) *''

The United States Steel Hour ''The United States Steel Hour'' is an anthology series which brought hour-long dramas to television from 1953 to 1963. The television series and the radio program that preceded it were both sponsored by the United States Steel Corporation (U.S. ...

'' (TV Series) (1953) *''

Armstrong Circle Theatre ''Armstrong Circle Theatre'' is an American anthology drama television series which ran from June 6, 1950, to June 25, 1957, on NBC, and from October 2, 1957, to August 28, 1963, on CBS. It alternated weekly with '' The United States Steel Ho ...

'' (TV Series) (1953) *''

Screen Directors Playhouse ''Screen Directors Playhouse'' (sometimes written as ''Screen Directors' Playhouse'') is an American radio and television anthology series which brought leading Hollywood actors to the NBC microphones beginning in 1949. The radio program broadca ...

'' (TV Series) "Want Ad Wedding" (1955) *'' Front Row Center'' (TV Series) "The Teacher and Hector Hodge" (1955), "Guest in the House" (1956) *'' Celebrity Playhouse'' (TV Series) "They Flee By Night" (1956) *''

Ford Star Jubilee ''Ford Star Jubilee'' is an American anthology series that originally aired monthly on Saturday nights on CBS at 9:30 P.M., E.S.T. from September 24, 1955, to November 3, 1956, (With a summer hiatus). The series was approximately 90 minutes long ...

'' (TV variety show) "You're the Top" musical number (1956) *''

The Red Skelton Hour ''The Red Skelton Show'' is an American television comedy/variety show that aired from 1951 to 1971. In the decade prior to hosting the show, Richard "Red" Skelton had a successful career as a radio and motion pictures star. Although his telev ...

'' (TV Series) "The Magic Shoes", "Valentine's Day Double Date" (1956) *''

Climax! ''Climax!'' (later known as ''Climax Mystery Theater'') is an American television anthology series that aired on CBS from 1954 to 1958. The series was hosted by William Lundigan and later co-hosted by Mary Costa. It was one of the few CBS pro ...

'' (TV Series) "Burst of Fire" (1958), "The Man Who Stole the Bible" (1957), "Child of the Wind/Throw Away the Cane" (1956), "Pink Cloud" (1955) *''

The Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York City, New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the ''CB ...

'' (TV variety show) Episode #11.2 (1957) *'' The Dinah Shore Chevy Show'' (TV variety show) Episode #1.8 (1957), Episode #2.27 (1958), Episode #2.31 (1958) *''Pursuit'' (TV Series) "Epitaph for a Golden Girl" (1958) *'' The Millionaire'' (TV Series) "Millionaire Emily Baker" (1959) *''

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 ...

'' (TV Series) "Strictly Solo" (1960) *''

Rawhide Rawhide may refer to: *Rawhide (material), a hide or animal skin that has not been tanned * Whip made from rawhide Entertainment * ''Rawhide'' (1926 film), a Western directed by Richard Thorpe * ''Rawhide'' (1938 film), a Western starring baseball ...

'' (TV Series) "Incident of the Swindler" (1964), "Incident of the Widowed Dove" (1959) *''

Family Affair ''Family Affair'' is an American sitcom starring Brian Keith and Sebastian Cabot that aired on CBS from September 12, 1966, to March 4, 1971. The series explored the trials of well-to-do engineer and bachelor Bill Davis (Keith) as he attempt ...

'' (TV Series) "Our Friend Stanley" (1967) (final appearance) *''Howard Hughes: His Women and His Movies'' (television documentary) (2000)

References

External links

* *
Sally Forrest profile
afi.com; accessed August 14, 2015.

at Glamour Girls of the Silver Screen
Sally Forrest dance profile
artsmeme.com; accessed August 14, 2015. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Forrest, Sally 1928 births 2015 deaths Actresses from San Diego American film actresses American female dancers 20th-century American dancers American stage actresses American television actresses Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players 20th-century American actresses Deaths from cancer in California 21st-century American women