Kipp Hamilton
| Kipp Hamilton | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Rita Marie Hamilton August 16, 1934 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Died |
January 29, 1981 (aged 46) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names |
Rita Hamilton Rita Rosenfeld |
| Occupation | Actress, singer, model |
| Years active | 1953–1967 |
| Spouse(s) |
David Geisel (m. 1963; div. 1965) Donald Thorman Rosenfeld (m. 1968–81) |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives |
Joe Hamilton (brother) Carol Burnett (sister-in-law) |
Kipp Hamilton (August 16, 1934 – January 29, 1981) was an American actress, singer and model. She was the younger sister of producer Joe Hamilton and the sister-in-law of Carol Burnett.
Early life and family
She was born Rita Marie Hamilton in Los Angeles, California, the youngest of six children. One her older brothers was producer and actor Joe Hamilton who later married comedian Carol Burnett.[1]
Career
Hamilton made her film debut in a supporting role in the RKO Radio Pictures drama On Our Very Own. In March 1953, she was named "Miss Optometry" by the New York State Association of Optometrists.[2] In mid-1955, Hamilton signed a seven-year contract with 20th Century Fox.[3] Shortly after signing with Fox, Hamilton (along with nine other up-and-coming actresses including Anita Ekberg and Lori Nelson) was named a "Deb Star of 1955".[4] That same year, Hamilton was cast in her first major role in the drama Good Morning, Miss Dove, playing Jincey Baker.[3]
The following year, Hamilton asked to be released from her contract with Fox.[5] Throughout the remainder of the 1950s, Hamilton appeared in guest roles on Perry Mason, Meet McGraw, Richard Diamond, Private Detective, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, The Texan and 77 Sunset Strip. In 1959, Hamilton appeared in a supporting role opposite Frank Sinatra in Never So Few. Later that same year, she signed with Hecht Hill Lancaster (the production company partially owned by actor Burt Lancaster) and was cast in the Western The Unforgiven (1960).[5] In addition to television work, Hamilton also had a nightclub act that she performed at Lou Black's Living Room, a club in Montreal.[6]
In November 1963, Hamilton began touring in the road production of the musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. She remained with the production until mid-1964.[1] In 1965, she returned to television with the guest starring role on the Bewitched episode "Pleasure O'Reilly" in which she played the title character.[7] The following year, Henry G. Saperstein cast Hamilton in what would be her final film role, a singer in the Japanese Kaiju movie, The War of the Gargantuas. Billed as a "Special Guest Star", Hamilton performs the song "The Words Get Stuck In My Throat" which was later covered by Devo.[8] Hamilton's final onscreen role was in a 1967 episode of the Western The Virginian.
Personal life
In 1958, Hamilton dated and later became engaged to film mogul Adolph Zukor's son Eugene (also known as Adolph Zukor III), an executive at Paramount Pictures. Hamilton called off the engagement in March 1959 while she was filming The Unforgiven in Durango, Mexico.[9]
In February 1962, Hamilton married director David Geisel whom she had met on the set of The Garry Moore Show which her brother Joe produced. They had a daughter, Marie, in 1963 and separated the following year. They were divorced in June 1965.[2] Geisel died in June 1969 from complications of breast cancer.
Later years and death
After retiring from acting, Hamilton married Beverly Hills lawyer Donald Thorman Rosenfeld in February 1968. They had a daughter, Dana, in October 1968. They remained married until Hamilton's death on January 29, 1981.[2][10]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Our Very Own | Gwendolyn | Credited as Rita Hamilton |
| 1955 | Good Morning, Miss Dove | Virginia "Jincey" Baker | |
| 1956 | Bigger Than Life | Pat Wade | |
| 1959 | Never So Few | Margaret Fitch | Alternative title: Campaign Burma |
| 1960 | The Unforgiven | Georgia Rawlins | |
| 1965 | Harlow | Marie Tanner | Scenes deleted |
| 1967 | War of the Gargantuas | Singer |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1955–1957 | The 20th Century Fox Hour | Susie Hagget Christina Bradley |
Episodes: "Christopher Bean" "The Marriage Broker" |
| 1958 | Perry Mason | Elaine Barton | Episode: "The Case of the Cautious Coquette" |
| 1958 | Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer | Katie O'Donnell | Episode: "Dead Men Don't Dream" |
| 1958 | Meet McGraw | Helen Maddon | Episode: "The Setup" |
| 1958 | Richard Diamond, Private Detective | Yvette Greener | Episode: "One Foot in the Grave" |
| 1959 | The Lineup | Episode: "The Murdered Blonde Case" | |
| 1959 | 77 Sunset Strip | Lili | Episode: "Vacation with Pay" |
| 1959 | The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp | Miss Doreen | Episode: "Dodge is Civilized" |
| 1959–1960 | The Texan | Steve | 5 episodes |
| 1960 | Rawhide | Shezoe | Episode: "Incident of the Dancing Death" |
| 1961 | Westinghouse Playhouse | Sylvia Morrow | Episode: "I Seen the Saw" |
| 1965 | Bewitched | Priscilla "Pleasure" O'Reilly | Episode: "Pleasure O'Reilly" |
| 1965 | The Man from U.N.C.L.E. | Lavinia Brown | Episode: "The Girls of Nazarone Affair" |
| 1965 | Burke's Law | Silkie | Episode: "Steam Heat" |
| 1965 | The Wild Wild West | Cluny Ormont | Episode: "The Night of the Glowing Corpse" |
| 1965 | The Smothers Brothers Show | Danielle | Episode: "Boys Will Be Playboys" |
| 1966 | My Three Sons | Maxine | Episode: "Call Her Max" |
| 1967 | Family Affair | Meg | Episode: "Fancy Free" |
| 1967 | The Pruitts of Southampton | Greta | Episode: "Goddess of Love" |
| 1967 | Dragnet | Jana Altman | Episode: "The Bank Jobs" |
| 1967 | The Virginian | Gloria | Episode: "The Fortress" |
See also
References
- 1 2 Cloud, Barbara (May 6, 1964). "Kipp Hamilton Dislikes Being Called 'Starlet'". The Pittsburgh Press (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania). p. 27. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
- 1 2 3 "Kipp Hamilton Bio". glamourgirlsofthesilverscreen.com.
- 1 2 Scott, Vernon (August 16, 1955). "Kipp Hamilton's Allergic, Of All Things, Mink". Schenectady Gazette (Schenectady, New York). p. 8. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
- ↑ "Makeup Artists Pick 10 Stars of Future". Motion Picture Daily (New York City: Quigley Publishing Co.) 78 (65): 2. October 3, 1955. ISSN 0027-1594.
- 1 2 "Rising Actress Admits She Is Now a Spinster". St. Petersburg Times (St. Petersburg, Florida). July 1, 1959. pp. 8–C. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
- ↑ "Get Career Out Of Your System Actress Tells Marriage-Bound". The Montreal Gazette (Montreal, Canada). July 7, 1961. p. 18. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
- ↑ Pilato, Herbie J. (2013). The Essential Elizabeth Montgomery: A Guide to Her Magical Performances. Taylor Trade Publishing. p. 44. ISBN 1-589-79825-2.
- ↑ Macias, Patrick (2001). Tokyo Scope. Cadence Books. p. 22. ISBN 1-569-31681-3.
- ↑ Parsons, Louella (March 20, 1959). "Louella Parsons In Hollywood: Niven Favored". The Milwaukee Sentinel (Milwaukee, Wisconsin). p. 3. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
- ↑ "Beverly Hills Attorney Donald T. Rosenfeld Dies". latimes.com. September 22, 1986. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
External links
- Kipp Hamilton at the Internet Movie Database
- Kipp Hamilton at AllMovie
- Kipp Hamilton at Find a Grave
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