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Betty Hutton

Betty Hutton (born Elizabeth June Thornburg; February 26, 1921 – March 11, 2007)[1] was an American stage, film, and television actress, comedian, dancer, and singer.

Betty Hutton
Hutton in 1947
Born
Elizabeth June Thornburg

(1921-02-26)February 26, 1921
DiedMarch 11, 2007(2007-03-11) (aged 86)
Resting placeDesert Memorial Park
Years active1938–1983
Spouse(s)
Ted Briskin
(m. 1945; div. 1951)

Charles O'Curran
(m. 1952; div. 1955)

(m. 1955; div. 1960)

(m. 1960; div. 1967)
Children3
RelativesMarion Hutton (sister)

Early life and education

Hutton was born Elizabeth June Thornburg on February 26, 1921, in Battle Creek, Michigan. While she was very young, her father abandoned the family for another woman. They did not hear of him again until they received a telegram in 1937, informing them of his suicide. Betty and her older sister, Marion, were raised by her alcoholic mother, who took the surname Hutton. Marion was later billed as the actress Sissy Jones.

The three started singing in the family's speakeasy when Betty was 3 years old. Troubles with the police kept the family on the move. They eventually landed in Detroit, where she attended Foch Intermediate School.[2] On one occasion, when Betty, preceded by a police escort, arrived at the premiere of Let's Dance (1950), her mother, arriving with her, quipped, "At least this time the police are in front of us!" Hutton sang in several local bands as a teenager, and at one point visited New York City hoping to perform on Broadway, but she was turned away.

Early career

A few years later, she was scouted by orchestra leader Vincent Lopez, who gave Hutton her entry into the entertainment business.

She appeared in several musical shorts for Warner Bros., Queens of the Air (1938), Three Kings and a Queen (1939), Public Jitterbug No. 1 (1939), and One for the Book (1940).

Broadway

Hutton was cast in a Broadway show, Two for the Show (1940), which ran for 124 performances.[3]

The show was produced by Buddy DeSylva, who then cast Hutton in Panama Hattie (1940–42). This was a major hit, running for 501 performances.[4] It starred Ethel Merman; despite rumors through the years that Merman demanded from envy that Hutton's musical numbers be reduced from the show, more careful reports demonstrate that producer Buddy DeSylva chose to cut just one song of three, "They Ain't Done Right by Our Nell", due to Hutton's "always in overdrive" performance style.[5]

Paramount

Early films

When DeSylva became a producer at Paramount Pictures, Hutton was signed to a featured role in The Fleet's In (1942), starring Paramount's number-one female star Dorothy Lamour, alongside Eddie Bracken and William Holden. The film was popular and Hutton was an instant hit with the moviegoing public.[6]

Hutton was one of the many Paramount contract artists who appeared in Star Spangled Rhythm (1942). The studio did not immediately promote her to major stardom, but did give her the second lead in a Mary Martin film musical, Happy Go Lucky (1943). The response was positive, and Hutton was given co-star billing with Bob Hope in Let's Face It (1943). During that year, she made $1250 per week.[7]

 
With American sailors and marines in the Marshall Islands, December 1944

The Miracle of Morgan's Creek

In 1942, writer-director Preston Sturges cast Betty as the dopey but endearing small-town girl who gives local troops a happy send-off and wakes up married and pregnant, but with no memory of who her husband is, except that a few "z's" were in his name. This film, The Miracle of Morgan's Creek, was delayed by Hays Office objections and Sturges' prolific output, and was finally released early in 1944.

The film made Hutton a major star; Sturges was nominated for a Best Writing Oscar, the film was named to the National Film Board's Top Ten films for the year, and the National Board of Review nominated the film for Best Picture of 1944, and awarded Betty Hutton the award for Best Acting for her performance. The New York Times named it as one of the 10 Best Films of 1942–1944.

Critic James Agee noted that "the Hays office must have been raped in its sleep"[8] to allow the film to be released. And although the Hays Office received many letters of protest because of the film's subject matter, it was Paramount's highest-grossing film of 1944, playing to standing room-only audiences in some theatres.

Paramount kept Hutton busy, putting her in And the Angels Sing (1944) with Fred MacMurray and Dorothy Lamour, and Here Come the Waves (1944) with Bing Crosby. Both were huge hits.

On the strength of Hutton's success, she signed a recording contract with the newly formed Capitol Records (she was one of the earliest artists to do so).

Buddy DeSylva, one of Capitol's founders, also co-produced her next hit, the musical Incendiary Blonde (1945), where she played Texas Guinan. It was directed by veteran comedy director George Marshall and Hutton had replaced Lamour as Paramount's top female box-office attraction.

Hutton was one of many Paramount stars in Duffy's Tavern (1945), and was top billed in The Stork Club (1945) with Barry Fitzgerald, produced by DeSyvla.

Hutton went into Cross My Heart (1946) with Sonny Tufts, which she disliked. She did however enjoy the hugely popular The Perils of Pauline (1947), directed by Marshall, where she sang a Frank Loesser song that was nominated for an Oscar: "I Wish I Didn't Love You So".[9]

Hutton's relationship with Paramount began to disintegrate when DeSylva left the studio due to illness (he died in 1950). "After he left I started doing scripts that I knew weren't good for me."[10]

Hutton made Dream Girl (1948) with MacDonald Carey, which she later said, "almost ruined me."[10] She did Red, Hot and Blue (1949) with Victor Mature, which she also disliked.[10]

Annie Get Your Gun

Hutton's next screen triumph came in Annie Get Your Gun (1950) for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, which hired her to replace Judy Garland in the role of Annie Oakley. The film, with the leading role retooled for Hutton, was a smash hit, with the biggest critical praise going to Hutton.[citation needed]

She was billed above Fred Astaire in the 1950 musical Let's Dance.

 
Hutton in 1952

Hutton was one of several stars in The Greatest Show on Earth (1952). She made an unbilled cameo in Sailor Beware (1952) with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, a remake of The Fleet's In, in which she portrayed Dean's girlfriend, Hetty Button.

She made Somebody Loves Me (1952), a biography of singer Blossom Seeley, with Ralph Meeker.

Hutton then clashed with Paramount. The New York Times reported that the dispute resulted from her insistence that her husband at the time, choreographer Charles O'Curran, direct her in a film.[11]

In April 1952, Hutton returned to Broadway, performing in Betty Hutton and Her All-Star International Show.

In July 1952, she announced her husband and she would form a production company.[12] She left Paramount in August.[10]

Television and theatre

Hutton got work in radio, and appeared in Las Vegas, where she had a great success.[13]

She had the rights to a script about Sophie Tucker, but was unable to raise funds.[10]

In 1954, TV producer Max Liebman, of comedian Sid Caesar's Your Show of Shows, fashioned his first "Color Spectacular" as an original musical written especially for Hutton, Satins and Spurs.[14]

Hutton's last completed film was a small one, Spring Reunion (1957). It was a financial disappointment. She also became disillusioned with Capitol's management and moved to RCA Victor.

In 1957, she appeared on a Dinah Shore show on NBC that also featured Boris Karloff; the program has been preserved on a kinescope.

The Betty Hutton Show

Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz took a chance on Hutton in 1959, with their company Desilu Productions giving her a CBS sitcom, The Betty Hutton Show. Hutton hired the still-blacklisted and future film composer Jerry Fielding to direct her series.[15] They had met over the years in Las Vegas when he was blacklisted from TV and radio and could get no other work, and her Hollywood career was also fading. It was Fielding's first network job since losing his post as musical director of Groucho Marx's You Bet Your Life in 1953 after hostile questioning by HUAC. The Betty Hutton Show ended after 30 episodes.[16]

Hutton continued headlining in Las Vegas and touring across the country. She returned to Broadway briefly in 1964 when she temporarily replaced a hospitalized Carol Burnett in the show Fade Out – Fade In.[17]

She guest-starred on shows such as The Greatest Show on Earth, Burke's Law, and Gunsmoke.

In 1967, she was signed to star in two low-budget Westerns for Paramount, but was fired shortly after the projects began.

Life after Hollywood

After the 1962 death of her mother in a house fire,[18] and the collapse of her last marriage, Hutton's depression and pill addictions escalated. She divorced her fourth husband, jazz trumpeter Pete Candoli, when she discovered he had fallen in love with Edie Adams (who would become Candoli's second wife). She declared bankruptcy the same year.[19]

After losing her singing voice in 1970, Hutton had a nervous breakdown and later attempted suicide. She regained control of her life through rehabilitation, and the mentorship of a Roman Catholic priest, Father Peter Maguire. Hutton converted to Roman Catholicism, and took a job as a cook at a rectory in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. She made national headlines when it was revealed she was practically penniless and working in a rectory. After an aborted comeback in 1974, she was hospitalized with emotional exhaustion.[20] Later that year, a well-publicized "Love-In for Betty Hutton" was held at New York City's Riverboat Restaurant, emceed by comedian Joey Adams, with several old Hollywood pals on hand. The event raised $10,000 for Hutton and gave her spirits a big boost, but steady work still eluded her.[citation needed]

Hutton appeared in an interview with Mike Douglas and a brief guest appearance in 1975 on Baretta. In 1977, Hutton was featured on The Phil Donahue Show. She was then happily employed as hostess at a Newport, Rhode Island, jai alai arena.

She also appeared on Good Morning America, which led to a 1978 televised reunion with her two daughters. Hutton began living in a shared home with her divorced daughter and grandchildren in California, but returned to the East Coast for a three-week return to the stage.

Annie

In 1980, she took over the role of Miss Hannigan during the original Broadway production of Annie while Alice Ghostley was on vacation. Ghostley replaced the original Miss Hannigan actress, Dorothy Loudon (who won a Tony Award for the role).[21]

Hutton's rehearsal of the song "Little Girls" was featured on Good Morning America. Hutton's Broadway comeback was also included in a profile on CBS News Sunday Morning about her life, her struggle with pills, and her recovery.[22]

A ninth-grade drop-out, Hutton went back to school and earned a master's degree in psychology from Salve Regina University in 1986.[23] During her time at college, Hutton became friends with singer-songwriter Kristin Hersh and attended several early concerts of Hersh's band, Throwing Muses.[24] Hersh later wrote the song "Elizabeth June" as a tribute to her friend, and wrote about their relationship in further detail in her memoir, Rat Girl.[25]

Hutton's last known performance, in any medium, was on Jukebox Saturday Night, which aired on PBS in 1983.[citation needed] Hutton stayed in New England and began teaching comedic acting at Boston's Emerson College. She became estranged again from her daughters.

 
Hutton's headstone with epitaph "Loved by All", Desert Memorial Park, Cathedral City, California

Final years

After the death of her ally, Father Maguire, Hutton returned to California, moving to Palm Springs in 1999, after decades in New England. Hutton hoped to grow closer to her daughters and grandchildren, as she told Robert Osborne on TCM's Private Screenings in April 2000, though her children remained distant. She told Osborne that she understood their hesitancy to accept a now elderly mother. The TCM interview first aired on July 18, 2000. The program was rerun as a memorial on the evening of her death in 2007, and again on July 11, 2008, April 14, 2009, January 26, 2010, and as recently as March 18, 2017.[26] as part of TCM's memorial tribute for Robert Osborne.

Hutton lived in Palm Springs until her death March 12, 2007, at 86, from colon cancer complications.[11][27] She is buried at Desert Memorial Park in Cathedral City, California.[28]

Marriages and children

Hutton's first marriage was to camera manufacturer Ted Briskin in 1945. The marriage ended in divorce in 1951.[29] Two daughters were born to the couple:

  • Lindsay Diane Briskin, born in Los Angeles, California, on November 23, 1946
  • Candice Elizabeth Briskin, born in Los Angeles, California, on April 14, 1948

Hutton's second marriage in 1952 was to choreographer Charles O'Curran.[11] They divorced in 1955.[29] He died in 1984.

She married husband Alan W. Livingston in 1955, weeks after her divorce from O'Curran. They divorced in 1960.[29]

Her fourth and final marriage in 1960 was to jazz trumpeter Pete Candoli. They divorced in 1967.[29] Hutton and Candoli had one child:

  • Carolyn Candoli, born on June 19, 1962

Hutton was once engaged to the head of the Warner Bros. makeup department, makeup artist Perc Westmore, in 1942,[30] but broke off the engagement, saying it was because he bored her.[31]

Legacy

For her contribution to the motion picture industry, Betty Hutton has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 6259 Hollywood Boulevard.[32]

Hit songs

 
Introduced by Hutton in The Perils of Pauline (1947) and released on Capitol Records, "I Wish I Didn't Love You So" received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song
Year Title Chart peak Catalog number Notes
1939 "Old Man Mose" with Vincent Lopez Orchestra
"Igloo" 15 Bluebird 10300 with Vincent Lopez Orchestra
"The Jitterbug" Bluebird 10367 with Vincent Lopez Orchestra
1942 "Arthur Murray Taught Me Dancing in a Hurry"
"I'm Doin' It For Defense"
1943 "Murder, He Says"
"The Fuddy Duddy Watchmaker"
1944 "Bluebirds in my Belfry"
"It Had To Be You" 5 Capitol 155 with Paul Weston Orchestra
"His Rocking Horse Ran Away" 7 Capitol 155 with Paul Weston Orchestra
1945 "Stuff Like That There" 4 Capitol 188 with Paul Weston Orchestra
"What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For?" 15 Capitol 211 with Paul Weston Orchestra
"(Doin' It) The Hard Way" Capitol 211 with Paul Weston Orchestra
"Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief" 1 Capitol 220 with Paul Weston Orchestra
"A Square in the Social Circle" Capitol 220 with Paul Weston Orchestra
1946 "My Fickle Eye" 21 RCA Victor 20-1915 with Joe Lilley Orchestra
1947 "Poppa, Don't Preach To Me" Capitol 380 with Joe Lilley Orchestra
"I Wish I Didn't Love You So" 5 Capitol 409 with Joe Lilley Orchestra
1949 "(Where Are You?) Now That I Need You" Capitol 620 with Joe Lilley Orchestra
1950 "Orange Colored Sky" 24 RCA Victor 20-3908 with Pete Rugolo Orchestra
"Can't Stop Talking" RCA Victor 20-3908 with Pete Rugolo Orchestra
"A Bushel and a Peck" (duet with Perry Como) 3 RCA Victor 20-3930 with Mitchell Ayres Orchestra
1951 "It's Oh So Quiet"[33] RCA Victor 20-4179 with Pete Rugolo Orchestra
"The Musicians" (with Dinah Shore, Tony Martin and Phil Harris) 24 RCA Victor 20-4225 with Henri René Orchestra
1953 "Goin' Steady" 21 Capitol 2522 with Nelson Riddle Orchestra
1954 "The Honeymoon's Over" (duet with Tennessee Ernie Ford) 16 Capitol 2809 with Billy May Orchestra
1956 "Hit the Road to Dreamland" Capitol 3383 with Vic Schoen Orchestra

Filmography

Motion pictures
Year Title Role Notes
1938 Queens of the Air Herself film short
1939 Vincent Lopez and His Orchestra Herself film short
Three Kings and a Queen Herself film short
Public Jitterbug No. 1 Herself film short
1940 One for the Book Cinderella film short
1942 The Fleet's In Bessie Day
Star Spangled Rhythm Polly Judson
1943 Happy Go Lucky Bubbles Hennessy
Let's Face It Winnie Porter
Strictly G.I. Herself film short
1944 The Miracle of Morgan's Creek Trudy Kockenlocker
And the Angels Sing Bobby Angel
Skirmish on the Home Front Emily Average film short
Here Come the Waves Susan Allison / Rosemary Allison
1945 Incendiary Blonde Texas Guinan
Duffy's Tavern Herself cameo
Hollywood Victory Caravan Herself film short
The Stork Club Judy Peabody
1946 Cross My Heart Peggy Harper
1947 The Perils of Pauline Pearl White
1948 Dream Girl Georgina Allerton
1949 Red, Hot and Blue Eleanor "Yum-Yum" Collier
1950 Annie Get Your Gun Annie Oakley
Let's Dance Kitty McNeil
1952 The Greatest Show on Earth Holly
Sailor Beware Hetty Button cameo, Uncredited
Somebody Loves Me Blossom Seeley
1957 Spring Reunion Margaret "Maggie" Brewster
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1958 That's My Mom 1 episode (unaired pilot)
1959–1960 The Betty Hutton Show Goldie Appleby 30 episodes
1964 The Greatest Show on Earth Julia Dana 1 episode
1964–1965 Burke's Law Carlene Glory
Rena Zito
2 episodes
1965 Gunsmoke Molly McConnell 1 episode
1977 Baretta Velma 1 episode, (final appearance)

Box-office ranking

For several years, film exhibitors voted Hutton among the leading stars in the country:

  • 1944 – 25th (US)[34]
  • 1950 – 15th (US)
  • 1951 – 9th (UK)
  • 1952 – 14th (US),[35] 3rd (UK)

Stage work

Radio appearances

Year Program Episode/source
April 12, 1942 Command Performance with Gene Tierney - first show from Hollywood
June 2, 1942 Command Performance with Mickey Rooney
February 6, 1943 Command Performance with Rita Hayworth
October 2, 1943 Command Performance with Don Ameche
November 13, 1943 Command Performance with Bob Hope
May 29, 1948 Command Performance with Bob Hope - sixth-anniversary special
February 6, 1950 Lux Radio Theatre "Red, Hot And Blue"
1952 Stars in the Air "Suddenly, It's Spring"[36]
April 27, 1953 Lux Radio Theatre "Somebody Loves Me"

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Film Result
1944 Golden Apple Awards Most Cooperative Actress Won
National Board of Review Awards Best Acting The Miracle of Morgan's Creek Won
1950 Golden Globe Awards Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy Annie Get Your Gun Nominated
Photoplay Awards Most Popular Female Star Won

In popular culture

Her songs "He's a Demon - He's a Devil - He's a Doll" and "It's a Man" are featured in the open-world video game, Fallout 4, on the in-game radio.

Her song "Murder, He Says" appeared in Woody Allen's 1989 film, Crimes and Misdemeanors.

References

  1. ^ Information about the date of Hutton's death has conflicts.
    • Her gravestone says March 12, which is also given in the Social Security Death Index and in a list provided by the cemetery.
    • The New York Times obituary, published on March 14 (Wednesday), says she died "Sunday night", which was March 11.
    • The does not have a clear death date: "The death was confirmed Monday by a friend of Hutton, who spoke only on condition of anonymity, citing her wishes that her death be announced at a specified time by the executor of her estate, Carl Bruno."
    • The Guardian obituary was first published with March 12 as the death date, which was then changed to the 11th a week later, per the note at the bottom.
  2. ^ "Betty Hutton Estate". Bettyhuttonestate.com. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
  3. ^ "Two For The Show – Broadway Musical – Original | IBDB".
  4. ^ "Panama Hattie – Broadway Musical – Original | IBDB".
  5. ^ Brian Kellow, Ethel Merman: A Life (NY: Viking, 2007), 90-91. ISBN 9780670018291
  6. ^ "Variety (January 1943)". New York, NY: Variety Publishing Company. October 24, 1943 – via Internet Archive.
  7. ^ "Hollywood Fights Its Slowdown: Wage-ceiling starlets will solve the shortage of stars". Click: The National Picture Monthly (March 1943): 17.
  8. ^ Donnelly, Elisabeth (2009-07-21). "The Reelist: Virgins on Film". Tribeca Film. Retrieved 2018-11-22.
  9. ^ "Variety (January 1948)". New York, NY: Variety Publishing Company. October 24, 1948 – via Internet Archive.
  10. ^ a b c d e Thomas, Bob (August 7, 1952). "Betty Hutton, Husband Form Own Company". The Washington Post: 22.
  11. ^ a b c Severo, Richard (14 March 2007). "Betty Hutton, Film Star of '40s and '50s, Dies at 86". The New York Times. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
  12. ^ "Betty Hutton to Produce Films, Appear on TV". Los Angeles Times. (July 18, 1952): 20.
  13. ^ Schallert, Edwin (October 14, 1954). "Betty Hutton Terrific in 'Final' Appearance". Los Angeles Times: A12.
  14. ^ Television in Review: Betty Hutton: N. B. C. Stages First of Color 'Spectaculars' ' Satins and Spurs' Has Some Lusty Hoofing V. A. The New York Times. September 13, 1954: 31.
  15. ^ Billboard Oct 26, 1959 p. 52
  16. ^ Korman, Seymour (September 26, 1959). "Betty Hutton Turns to 'Goldie'". Chicago Daily Tribune: a5.
  17. ^ . Archived from the original on 2012-10-20. Retrieved 2009-04-23.
  18. ^ Estate, Betty Hutton. "Betty Hutton Estate". Betty Hutton Estate. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  19. ^ "Landlords Sue Betty Hutton". The Washington Post and Times-Herald. March 10, 1967: B8.
  20. ^ "Betty Hutton Put in Mental Hospital". Los Angeles Times. December 14, 1974: 5.
  21. ^ . Archived from the original on 2009-02-12. Retrieved 2009-04-23.
  22. ^ Betty Hutton: A Trouper's Torment: The Showbiz Fires Are Banked, But the Flame of Hope Burns High A Trouper's Torments By Paul Hendrickson. The Washington Post 10 Feb 1979: C1.
  23. ^ Salve Regina College (1986-05-18). "Salve Regina College Thirty-Sixth Annual Commencement program, 1986". Salve Regina University Commencement Programs.
  24. ^ "Beautiful Old Betty". kristin hersh. 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2015-08-16.
  25. ^ Sheffield, Rob (October 8, 2010). . The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 3, 2011.
  26. ^ Robert Osborne interview on TCM on YouTube, video, 60 minutes
  27. ^ "Actress And Singer Betty Hutton Dead". CBS News.
  28. ^ "Palm Springs Cemetery District "Interment Information"" (PDF).
  29. ^ a b c d "Betty Hutton Remembered". Streamline: The Filmstruck Blog. 19 March 2007. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
  30. ^ "Perc Westmore to Wed Again". St. Petersburg Times. November 5, 1942. Retrieved July 24, 2016 – via Google News Archive.
  31. ^ "The Milwaukee Journal". Retrieved July 24, 2016 – via Google News Archive.[dead link]
  32. ^ "Betty Hutton - Hollywood Walk of Fame". Walkoffame.com. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
  33. ^ "Advance Record Releases". The Billboard: 30. July 7, 1951. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved September 6, 2011.
  34. ^ "Bing Crosby America's Screen Favourite". The Argus. Melbourne: National Library of Australia. 24 March 1945. p. 8 Supplement: The Argus Week-end Magazine. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  35. ^ "Box Office Draw". The Barrier Miner. Broken Hill, NSW: National Library of Australia. 29 December 1952. p. 3. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
  36. ^ Kirby, Walter (February 17, 1952). "Better Radio Programs for the Week". The Decatur Daily Review. The Decatur Daily Review. p. 40. Retrieved June 1, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.  

Further reading

  • Betty Hutton, Backstage You Can Have: My Own Story, 2009. The Betty Hutton Estate ISBN 978-1500916220
  • The Betty Hutton Estate, Betty Hutton Scrapbook: A Tribute To Hollywood's Blonde Bombshell, 2015. The Betty Hutton Estate ISBN 978-1514202531
  • Gene Arceri, Rocking Horse: A Personal Biography of Betty Hutton, 2009, BearManor Media ISBN 978-1593933210

External links

  • Betty Hutton at the Internet Broadway Database  
  • Betty Hutton at IMDb
  • at the TCM Movie Database  
  • BettyHuttonEstate The Betty Hutton Estate
  • satinsandspurs.com The Betty Hutton Website
  • Betty Hutton at who2.com
  • at the Wayback Machine (archived October 28, 2009) (fan site)
  • Betty Hutton at BroadwayWorld.com
  • Betty Hutton at Virtual History

betty, hutton, born, elizabeth, june, thornburg, february, 1921, march, 2007, american, stage, film, television, actress, comedian, dancer, singer, hutton, 1947bornelizabeth, june, thornburg, 1921, february, 1921battle, creek, michigan, diedmarch, 2007, 2007, . Betty Hutton born Elizabeth June Thornburg February 26 1921 March 11 2007 1 was an American stage film and television actress comedian dancer and singer Betty HuttonHutton in 1947BornElizabeth June Thornburg 1921 02 26 February 26 1921Battle Creek Michigan U S DiedMarch 11 2007 2007 03 11 aged 86 Palm Springs California U S Resting placeDesert Memorial ParkYears active1938 1983Spouse s Ted Briskin m 1945 div 1951 wbr Charles O Curran m 1952 div 1955 wbr Alan W Livingston m 1955 div 1960 wbr Pete Candoli m 1960 div 1967 wbr Children3RelativesMarion Hutton sister Contents 1 Early life and education 1 1 Early career 1 2 Broadway 2 Paramount 2 1 Early films 2 2 The Miracle of Morgan s Creek 2 3 Annie Get Your Gun 3 Television and theatre 3 1 The Betty Hutton Show 4 Life after Hollywood 4 1 Annie 4 2 Final years 5 Marriages and children 6 Legacy 7 Hit songs 8 Filmography 8 1 Box office ranking 9 Stage work 10 Radio appearances 11 Awards and nominations 12 In popular culture 13 References 14 Further reading 15 External linksEarly life and education EditHutton was born Elizabeth June Thornburg on February 26 1921 in Battle Creek Michigan While she was very young her father abandoned the family for another woman They did not hear of him again until they received a telegram in 1937 informing them of his suicide Betty and her older sister Marion were raised by her alcoholic mother who took the surname Hutton Marion was later billed as the actress Sissy Jones The three started singing in the family s speakeasy when Betty was 3 years old Troubles with the police kept the family on the move They eventually landed in Detroit where she attended Foch Intermediate School 2 On one occasion when Betty preceded by a police escort arrived at the premiere of Let s Dance 1950 her mother arriving with her quipped At least this time the police are in front of us Hutton sang in several local bands as a teenager and at one point visited New York City hoping to perform on Broadway but she was turned away Early career Edit A few years later she was scouted by orchestra leader Vincent Lopez who gave Hutton her entry into the entertainment business She appeared in several musical shorts for Warner Bros Queens of the Air 1938 Three Kings and a Queen 1939 Public Jitterbug No 1 1939 and One for the Book 1940 Broadway Edit Hutton was cast in a Broadway show Two for the Show 1940 which ran for 124 performances 3 The show was produced by Buddy DeSylva who then cast Hutton in Panama Hattie 1940 42 This was a major hit running for 501 performances 4 It starred Ethel Merman despite rumors through the years that Merman demanded from envy that Hutton s musical numbers be reduced from the show more careful reports demonstrate that producer Buddy DeSylva chose to cut just one song of three They Ain t Done Right by Our Nell due to Hutton s always in overdrive performance style 5 Paramount EditEarly films Edit When DeSylva became a producer at Paramount Pictures Hutton was signed to a featured role in The Fleet s In 1942 starring Paramount s number one female star Dorothy Lamour alongside Eddie Bracken and William Holden The film was popular and Hutton was an instant hit with the moviegoing public 6 Hutton was one of the many Paramount contract artists who appeared in Star Spangled Rhythm 1942 The studio did not immediately promote her to major stardom but did give her the second lead in a Mary Martin film musical Happy Go Lucky 1943 The response was positive and Hutton was given co star billing with Bob Hope in Let s Face It 1943 During that year she made 1250 per week 7 With American sailors and marines in the Marshall Islands December 1944 The Miracle of Morgan s Creek Edit In 1942 writer director Preston Sturges cast Betty as the dopey but endearing small town girl who gives local troops a happy send off and wakes up married and pregnant but with no memory of who her husband is except that a few z s were in his name This film The Miracle of Morgan s Creek was delayed by Hays Office objections and Sturges prolific output and was finally released early in 1944 The film made Hutton a major star Sturges was nominated for a Best Writing Oscar the film was named to the National Film Board s Top Ten films for the year and the National Board of Review nominated the film for Best Picture of 1944 and awarded Betty Hutton the award for Best Acting for her performance The New York Times named it as one of the 10 Best Films of 1942 1944 Critic James Agee noted that the Hays office must have been raped in its sleep 8 to allow the film to be released And although the Hays Office received many letters of protest because of the film s subject matter it was Paramount s highest grossing film of 1944 playing to standing room only audiences in some theatres Paramount kept Hutton busy putting her in And the Angels Sing 1944 with Fred MacMurray and Dorothy Lamour and Here Come the Waves 1944 with Bing Crosby Both were huge hits On the strength of Hutton s success she signed a recording contract with the newly formed Capitol Records she was one of the earliest artists to do so Buddy DeSylva one of Capitol s founders also co produced her next hit the musical Incendiary Blonde 1945 where she played Texas Guinan It was directed by veteran comedy director George Marshall and Hutton had replaced Lamour as Paramount s top female box office attraction Hutton was one of many Paramount stars in Duffy s Tavern 1945 and was top billed in The Stork Club 1945 with Barry Fitzgerald produced by DeSyvla Hutton went into Cross My Heart 1946 with Sonny Tufts which she disliked She did however enjoy the hugely popular The Perils of Pauline 1947 directed by Marshall where she sang a Frank Loesser song that was nominated for an Oscar I Wish I Didn t Love You So 9 Hutton s relationship with Paramount began to disintegrate when DeSylva left the studio due to illness he died in 1950 After he left I started doing scripts that I knew weren t good for me 10 Hutton made Dream Girl 1948 with MacDonald Carey which she later said almost ruined me 10 She did Red Hot and Blue 1949 with Victor Mature which she also disliked 10 Annie Get Your Gun Edit Trailer for Annie Get Your Gun 1950 Hutton s next screen triumph came in Annie Get Your Gun 1950 for Metro Goldwyn Mayer which hired her to replace Judy Garland in the role of Annie Oakley The film with the leading role retooled for Hutton was a smash hit with the biggest critical praise going to Hutton citation needed She was billed above Fred Astaire in the 1950 musical Let s Dance Hutton in 1952 Hutton was one of several stars in The Greatest Show on Earth 1952 She made an unbilled cameo in Sailor Beware 1952 with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis a remake of The Fleet s In in which she portrayed Dean s girlfriend Hetty Button She made Somebody Loves Me 1952 a biography of singer Blossom Seeley with Ralph Meeker Hutton then clashed with Paramount The New York Times reported that the dispute resulted from her insistence that her husband at the time choreographer Charles O Curran direct her in a film 11 In April 1952 Hutton returned to Broadway performing in Betty Hutton and Her All Star International Show In July 1952 she announced her husband and she would form a production company 12 She left Paramount in August 10 Television and theatre EditHutton got work in radio and appeared in Las Vegas where she had a great success 13 She had the rights to a script about Sophie Tucker but was unable to raise funds 10 In 1954 TV producer Max Liebman of comedian Sid Caesar s Your Show of Shows fashioned his first Color Spectacular as an original musical written especially for Hutton Satins and Spurs 14 Hutton s last completed film was a small one Spring Reunion 1957 It was a financial disappointment She also became disillusioned with Capitol s management and moved to RCA Victor In 1957 she appeared on a Dinah Shore show on NBC that also featured Boris Karloff the program has been preserved on a kinescope The Betty Hutton Show Edit Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz took a chance on Hutton in 1959 with their company Desilu Productions giving her a CBS sitcom The Betty Hutton Show Hutton hired the still blacklisted and future film composer Jerry Fielding to direct her series 15 They had met over the years in Las Vegas when he was blacklisted from TV and radio and could get no other work and her Hollywood career was also fading It was Fielding s first network job since losing his post as musical director of Groucho Marx s You Bet Your Life in 1953 after hostile questioning by HUAC The Betty Hutton Show ended after 30 episodes 16 Hutton continued headlining in Las Vegas and touring across the country She returned to Broadway briefly in 1964 when she temporarily replaced a hospitalized Carol Burnett in the show Fade Out Fade In 17 She guest starred on shows such as The Greatest Show on Earth Burke s Law and Gunsmoke In 1967 she was signed to star in two low budget Westerns for Paramount but was fired shortly after the projects began Life after Hollywood EditAfter the 1962 death of her mother in a house fire 18 and the collapse of her last marriage Hutton s depression and pill addictions escalated She divorced her fourth husband jazz trumpeter Pete Candoli when she discovered he had fallen in love with Edie Adams who would become Candoli s second wife She declared bankruptcy the same year 19 After losing her singing voice in 1970 Hutton had a nervous breakdown and later attempted suicide She regained control of her life through rehabilitation and the mentorship of a Roman Catholic priest Father Peter Maguire Hutton converted to Roman Catholicism and took a job as a cook at a rectory in Portsmouth Rhode Island She made national headlines when it was revealed she was practically penniless and working in a rectory After an aborted comeback in 1974 she was hospitalized with emotional exhaustion 20 Later that year a well publicized Love In for Betty Hutton was held at New York City s Riverboat Restaurant emceed by comedian Joey Adams with several old Hollywood pals on hand The event raised 10 000 for Hutton and gave her spirits a big boost but steady work still eluded her citation needed Hutton appeared in an interview with Mike Douglas and a brief guest appearance in 1975 on Baretta In 1977 Hutton was featured on The Phil Donahue Show She was then happily employed as hostess at a Newport Rhode Island jai alai arena She also appeared on Good Morning America which led to a 1978 televised reunion with her two daughters Hutton began living in a shared home with her divorced daughter and grandchildren in California but returned to the East Coast for a three week return to the stage Annie Edit In 1980 she took over the role of Miss Hannigan during the original Broadway production of Annie while Alice Ghostley was on vacation Ghostley replaced the original Miss Hannigan actress Dorothy Loudon who won a Tony Award for the role 21 Hutton s rehearsal of the song Little Girls was featured on Good Morning America Hutton s Broadway comeback was also included in a profile on CBS News Sunday Morning about her life her struggle with pills and her recovery 22 A ninth grade drop out Hutton went back to school and earned a master s degree in psychology from Salve Regina University in 1986 23 During her time at college Hutton became friends with singer songwriter Kristin Hersh and attended several early concerts of Hersh s band Throwing Muses 24 Hersh later wrote the song Elizabeth June as a tribute to her friend and wrote about their relationship in further detail in her memoir Rat Girl 25 Hutton s last known performance in any medium was on Jukebox Saturday Night which aired on PBS in 1983 citation needed Hutton stayed in New England and began teaching comedic acting at Boston s Emerson College She became estranged again from her daughters Hutton s headstone with epitaph Loved by All Desert Memorial Park Cathedral City California Final years Edit After the death of her ally Father Maguire Hutton returned to California moving to Palm Springs in 1999 after decades in New England Hutton hoped to grow closer to her daughters and grandchildren as she told Robert Osborne on TCM s Private Screenings in April 2000 though her children remained distant She told Osborne that she understood their hesitancy to accept a now elderly mother The TCM interview first aired on July 18 2000 The program was rerun as a memorial on the evening of her death in 2007 and again on July 11 2008 April 14 2009 January 26 2010 and as recently as March 18 2017 26 as part of TCM s memorial tribute for Robert Osborne Hutton lived in Palm Springs until her death March 12 2007 at 86 from colon cancer complications 11 27 She is buried at Desert Memorial Park in Cathedral City California 28 Marriages and children EditThis section needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed August 2017 Learn how and when to remove this template message Hutton s first marriage was to camera manufacturer Ted Briskin in 1945 The marriage ended in divorce in 1951 29 Two daughters were born to the couple Lindsay Diane Briskin born in Los Angeles California on November 23 1946 Candice Elizabeth Briskin born in Los Angeles California on April 14 1948Hutton s second marriage in 1952 was to choreographer Charles O Curran 11 They divorced in 1955 29 He died in 1984 She married husband Alan W Livingston in 1955 weeks after her divorce from O Curran They divorced in 1960 29 Her fourth and final marriage in 1960 was to jazz trumpeter Pete Candoli They divorced in 1967 29 Hutton and Candoli had one child Carolyn Candoli born on June 19 1962Hutton was once engaged to the head of the Warner Bros makeup department makeup artist Perc Westmore in 1942 30 but broke off the engagement saying it was because he bored her 31 Legacy EditFor her contribution to the motion picture industry Betty Hutton has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 6259 Hollywood Boulevard 32 Hit songs Edit Introduced by Hutton in The Perils of Pauline 1947 and released on Capitol Records I Wish I Didn t Love You So received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song Year Title Chart peak Catalog number Notes1939 Old Man Mose with Vincent Lopez Orchestra Igloo 15 Bluebird 10300 with Vincent Lopez Orchestra The Jitterbug Bluebird 10367 with Vincent Lopez Orchestra1942 Arthur Murray Taught Me Dancing in a Hurry I m Doin It For Defense 1943 Murder He Says The Fuddy Duddy Watchmaker 1944 Bluebirds in my Belfry It Had To Be You 5 Capitol 155 with Paul Weston Orchestra His Rocking Horse Ran Away 7 Capitol 155 with Paul Weston Orchestra1945 Stuff Like That There 4 Capitol 188 with Paul Weston Orchestra What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For 15 Capitol 211 with Paul Weston Orchestra Doin It The Hard Way Capitol 211 with Paul Weston Orchestra Doctor Lawyer Indian Chief 1 Capitol 220 with Paul Weston Orchestra A Square in the Social Circle Capitol 220 with Paul Weston Orchestra1946 My Fickle Eye 21 RCA Victor 20 1915 with Joe Lilley Orchestra1947 Poppa Don t Preach To Me Capitol 380 with Joe Lilley Orchestra I Wish I Didn t Love You So 5 Capitol 409 with Joe Lilley Orchestra1949 Where Are You Now That I Need You Capitol 620 with Joe Lilley Orchestra1950 Orange Colored Sky 24 RCA Victor 20 3908 with Pete Rugolo Orchestra Can t Stop Talking RCA Victor 20 3908 with Pete Rugolo Orchestra A Bushel and a Peck duet with Perry Como 3 RCA Victor 20 3930 with Mitchell Ayres Orchestra1951 It s Oh So Quiet 33 RCA Victor 20 4179 with Pete Rugolo Orchestra The Musicians with Dinah Shore Tony Martin and Phil Harris 24 RCA Victor 20 4225 with Henri Rene Orchestra1953 Goin Steady 21 Capitol 2522 with Nelson Riddle Orchestra1954 The Honeymoon s Over duet with Tennessee Ernie Ford 16 Capitol 2809 with Billy May Orchestra1956 Hit the Road to Dreamland Capitol 3383 with Vic Schoen OrchestraFilmography EditMotion pictures Year Title Role Notes1938 Queens of the Air Herself film short1939 Vincent Lopez and His Orchestra Herself film shortThree Kings and a Queen Herself film shortPublic Jitterbug No 1 Herself film short1940 One for the Book Cinderella film short1942 The Fleet s In Bessie DayStar Spangled Rhythm Polly Judson1943 Happy Go Lucky Bubbles HennessyLet s Face It Winnie PorterStrictly G I Herself film short1944 The Miracle of Morgan s Creek Trudy KockenlockerAnd the Angels Sing Bobby AngelSkirmish on the Home Front Emily Average film shortHere Come the Waves Susan Allison Rosemary Allison1945 Incendiary Blonde Texas GuinanDuffy s Tavern Herself cameoHollywood Victory Caravan Herself film shortThe Stork Club Judy Peabody1946 Cross My Heart Peggy Harper1947 The Perils of Pauline Pearl White1948 Dream Girl Georgina Allerton1949 Red Hot and Blue Eleanor Yum Yum Collier1950 Annie Get Your Gun Annie OakleyLet s Dance Kitty McNeil1952 The Greatest Show on Earth HollySailor Beware Hetty Button cameo UncreditedSomebody Loves Me Blossom Seeley1957 Spring Reunion Margaret Maggie BrewsterTelevision Year Title Role Notes1958 That s My Mom 1 episode unaired pilot 1959 1960 The Betty Hutton Show Goldie Appleby 30 episodes1964 The Greatest Show on Earth Julia Dana 1 episode1964 1965 Burke s Law Carlene GloryRena Zito 2 episodes1965 Gunsmoke Molly McConnell 1 episode1977 Baretta Velma 1 episode final appearance Box office ranking Edit For several years film exhibitors voted Hutton among the leading stars in the country 1944 25th US 34 1950 15th US 1951 9th UK 1952 14th US 35 3rd UK Stage work EditTwo for the Show 1940 Panama Hattie 1940 Betty Hutton and Her All Star International Show 1952 Gypsy 1962 South Pacific 1962 Annie Get Your Gun 1963 Gentlemen Prefer Blondes 1964 Fade Out Fade In 1964 replacement for Carol Burnett Mary Mary 1965 Here Today 1966 Here Today 1972 Anything Goes 1973 Annie 1980 replacement for Alice Ghostley Radio appearances EditYear Program Episode sourceApril 12 1942 Command Performance with Gene Tierney first show from HollywoodJune 2 1942 Command Performance with Mickey RooneyFebruary 6 1943 Command Performance with Rita HayworthOctober 2 1943 Command Performance with Don AmecheNovember 13 1943 Command Performance with Bob HopeMay 29 1948 Command Performance with Bob Hope sixth anniversary specialFebruary 6 1950 Lux Radio Theatre Red Hot And Blue 1952 Stars in the Air Suddenly It s Spring 36 April 27 1953 Lux Radio Theatre Somebody Loves Me Awards and nominations EditYear Award Category Film Result1944 Golden Apple Awards Most Cooperative Actress WonNational Board of Review Awards Best Acting The Miracle of Morgan s Creek Won1950 Golden Globe Awards Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Annie Get Your Gun NominatedPhotoplay Awards Most Popular Female Star WonIn popular culture EditThis section appears to contain trivial minor or unrelated references to popular culture Please reorganize this content to explain the subject s impact on popular culture providing citations to reliable secondary sources rather than simply listing appearances Unsourced material may be challenged and removed October 2019 Her songs He s a Demon He s a Devil He s a Doll and It s a Man are featured in the open world video game Fallout 4 on the in game radio Her song Murder He Says appeared in Woody Allen s 1989 film Crimes and Misdemeanors References Edit Information about the date of Hutton s death has conflicts Her gravestone says March 12 which is also given in the Social Security Death Index and in a list provided by the cemetery The New York Times obituary published on March 14 Wednesday says she died Sunday night which was March 11 The AP obituary does not have a clear death date The death was confirmed Monday by a friend of Hutton who spoke only on condition of anonymity citing her wishes that her death be announced at a specified time by the executor of her estate Carl Bruno The Guardian obituary was first published with March 12 as the death date which was then changed to the 11th a week later per the note at the bottom Betty Hutton Estate Bettyhuttonestate com Retrieved October 24 2019 Two For The Show Broadway Musical Original IBDB Panama Hattie Broadway Musical Original IBDB Brian Kellow Ethel Merman A Life NY Viking 2007 90 91 ISBN 9780670018291 Variety January 1943 New York NY Variety Publishing Company October 24 1943 via Internet Archive Hollywood Fights Its Slowdown Wage ceiling starlets will solve the shortage of stars Click The National Picture Monthly March 1943 17 Donnelly Elisabeth 2009 07 21 The Reelist Virgins on Film Tribeca Film Retrieved 2018 11 22 Variety January 1948 New York NY Variety Publishing Company October 24 1948 via Internet Archive a b c d e Thomas Bob August 7 1952 Betty Hutton Husband Form Own Company The Washington Post 22 a b c Severo Richard 14 March 2007 Betty Hutton Film Star of 40s and 50s Dies at 86 The New York Times Retrieved 31 May 2018 Betty Hutton to Produce Films Appear on TV Los Angeles Times July 18 1952 20 Schallert Edwin October 14 1954 Betty Hutton Terrific in Final Appearance Los Angeles Times A12 Television in Review Betty Hutton N B C Stages First of Color Spectaculars Satins and Spurs Has Some Lusty Hoofing V A The New York Times September 13 1954 31 Billboard Oct 26 1959 p 52 Korman Seymour September 26 1959 Betty Hutton Turns to Goldie Chicago Daily Tribune a5 Fade Out Fade In replacement cast members at IBDB Archived from the original on 2012 10 20 Retrieved 2009 04 23 Estate Betty Hutton Betty Hutton Estate Betty Hutton Estate Retrieved 20 March 2022 Landlords Sue Betty Hutton The Washington Post and Times Herald March 10 1967 B8 Betty Hutton Put in Mental Hospital Los Angeles Times December 14 1974 5 Annie replacement cast members at IBDB Archived from the original on 2009 02 12 Retrieved 2009 04 23 Betty Hutton A Trouper s Torment The Showbiz Fires Are Banked But the Flame of Hope Burns High A Trouper s Torments By Paul Hendrickson The Washington Post 10 Feb 1979 C1 Salve Regina College 1986 05 18 Salve Regina College Thirty Sixth Annual Commencement program 1986 Salve Regina University Commencement Programs Beautiful Old Betty kristin hersh 2007 09 27 Retrieved 2015 08 16 Sheffield Rob October 8 2010 Book Review Rat Girl By Kristin Hersh The New York Times Archived from the original on April 3 2011 Robert Osborne interview on TCM on YouTube video 60 minutes Actress And Singer Betty Hutton Dead CBS News Palm Springs Cemetery District Interment Information PDF a b c d Betty Hutton Remembered Streamline The Filmstruck Blog 19 March 2007 Retrieved 7 June 2018 Perc Westmore to Wed Again St Petersburg Times November 5 1942 Retrieved July 24 2016 via Google News Archive The Milwaukee Journal Retrieved July 24 2016 via Google News Archive dead link Betty Hutton Hollywood Walk of Fame Walkoffame com Retrieved October 24 2019 Advance Record Releases The Billboard 30 July 7 1951 ISSN 0006 2510 Retrieved September 6 2011 Bing Crosby America s Screen Favourite The Argus Melbourne National Library of Australia 24 March 1945 p 8 Supplement The Argus Week end Magazine Retrieved 5 October 2014 Box Office Draw The Barrier Miner Broken Hill NSW National Library of Australia 29 December 1952 p 3 Retrieved 4 October 2014 Kirby Walter February 17 1952 Better Radio Programs for the Week The Decatur Daily Review The Decatur Daily Review p 40 Retrieved June 1 2015 via Newspapers com Further reading EditBetty Hutton Backstage You Can Have My Own Story 2009 The Betty Hutton Estate ISBN 978 1500916220 The Betty Hutton Estate Betty Hutton Scrapbook A Tribute To Hollywood s Blonde Bombshell 2015 The Betty Hutton Estate ISBN 978 1514202531 Gene Arceri Rocking Horse A Personal Biography of Betty Hutton 2009 BearManor Media ISBN 978 1593933210External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Betty Hutton Biography portalBetty Hutton at the Internet Broadway Database Betty Hutton at IMDb Betty Hutton at the TCM Movie Database BettyHuttonEstate The Betty Hutton Estate satinsandspurs com The Betty Hutton Website Betty Hutton at who2 com Time magazine article April 24 1950 Denny Jackson s Betty Hutton Page at the Wayback Machine archived October 28 2009 fan site Betty Hutton at BroadwayWorld com Betty Hutton at Virtual History Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Betty Hutton amp oldid 1143086919, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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