Lola Albright

Lola Albright

Albright as Edie Hart, 1959.
Born Lola Jean Albright
(1924-07-20) July 20, 1924
Akron, Ohio, U.S.
Occupation Actress, singer, model
Years active 1947–1984
Spouse(s) ? (a radio executive) (1944-1949)[1]
Jack Carson (m. 1952–58) (divorced)
Bill Chadney (m. 1961–75) (divorced)

Lola Jean Albright (born July 20, 1924) is an American singer and actress.

Early years

Albright was born in Akron, Ohio, to John Paul and Marion (née Harvey) Albright, both of whom were gospel music singers. She attended King Grammar School and West High School.[2] She worked as a model before moving to Hollywood, studied piano for 20 years and worked as a receptionist at radio station WAKR in Akron,[3] beginning when she was 15. At 18, she moved to Cleveland and was a stenographer at WTAM radio. Her first radio performance came on WJW in Cleveland.[2]

Film

Albright's motion picture career began with a bit part in the 1947 film The Unfinished Dance, and gained notice in the 1949 film Champion. For the next several years, she appeared in secondary roles in over twenty films, including several 'B' Westerns.

Albright's roles in major films included Elvis Presley's 1962 film Kid Galahad; the 1964 French film Les Felins (director René Clément), and the 1967 western epic The Way West.

Television

Albright first appeared on television in Inside Story, an episode of Lux Video Theatre.[2] She made guest appearances in such television series as Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Gunsmoke, The Dick Van Dyke Show, My Three Sons, The Beverly Hillbillies, Bonanza, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Medical Center, Kojak, Columbo, McMillan & Wife, Quincy, M.E., Starsky and Hutch and The Incredible Hulk.

In 1958, she was cast on Peter Gunn, the television detective series produced by Blake Edwards and scored by Henry Mancini. Albright played Edie Hart, a nightclub singer and the romantic interest of Peter Gunn (Craig Stevens).

In 1964, she appeared with former Peter Gunn co-star Craig Stevens on his short-lived CBS drama Mr. Broadway (episode "Sticks and Stones Can Break My Bones").

When Dorothy Malone had to undergo emergency surgery in 1966, Alright filled for her as Constance Mackenzie on the prime-time soap opera Peyton Place. At the time, Albright called filling in for Malone in that role "one of the biggest challenges of my theatrical career."[4]

Albright continued to perform both in films and television guest appearances until her retirement in the mid-1980s.

Music

Albright's role on Peter Gunn directly led to her music albums accompanied by Henry Mancini and his orchestra, including Lola Wants You (1957)[5] and Dreamsville (1959).[6] Columbia Records signed her as a vocalist.[3]

Recognition

In 1959, Albright was nominated for the Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress (Continuing Character) in a Dramatic Series for her work in Peter Gunn.[7] In 1966, she won the Silver Bear for Best Actress award at the 16th Berlin International Film Festival for her role in Lord Love a Duck.[8]

Family life

Albright married and divorced three times, having no children. Her first marriage, to "an unnamed radio executive," occurred in 1944. They divorced in 1949. Her second husband was actor Jack Carson (1951 to 1958). (Another source says that they married August 1, 1952, and divorced November 10, 1958.)[2] Her third marriage was to Bill Chadney (1961-1975), who played Emmett, the piano player on Peter Gunn.

Filmography

Features:

Year Title Role
1947 The Unfinished Dance Fashion house associate
1948 The Pirate Manuela's friend
Easter Parade Hat model
Julia Misbehaves Mannequin
1949 Champion Palmer
Tulsa Candy Williams
The Girl from Jones Beach Vickie
Bodyhold Mary Simmons
1950 The Good Humor Man Margie Bellew
Beauty on Parade Kay Woodstock
When You're Smiling Peggy Martin
He's a Cockeyed Wonder Actress in Drive-In movie
The Killer That Stalked New York Francie Bennet
Sierra Passage Ann Walker
1952 Arctic Flight Martha Raymond
1953 The Silver Whip Waco
1955 Treasure of Ruby Hills May
The Magnificent Matador Mona Wilton
The Tender Trap Poppy Masters
1957 Pawnee Meg Alden
Oregon Passage Sylvia Dane
The Monolith Monsters Cathy Barrett
1958 Seven Guns to Mesa Julie Westcott
1961 A Cold Wind in August Iris Hartford
1962 Kid Galahad Dolly Fletcher
1964 Joy House Barbara
1966 Lord Love a Duck Marie Greene
1967 The Way West Becky Evans
The Money Jungle Peggy Lido
1968 Where Were You When the Lights Went Out? Roberta Lane
The Impossible Years Alice Kingsley
The Helicopter Spies Azalea

Short subjects:

References

  1. ↑ http://www.glamourgirlsofthesilverscreen.com/show/331/Lola+Albright/register.php
  2. 1 2 3 4 Aaker, Everett (2006). Encyclopedia of Early Television Crime Fighters. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-6409-8. Pp. 6-8.
  3. 1 2 Shearer, Lloyd (October 29, 1961). "Lola Albright". Independent Star-News. pp. 96–97. Retrieved October 4, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ "Lola Albright To Substitute In Peyton Place". The North Adams Transcript. October 9, 1965. p. 11. Retrieved October 4, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ Lola Albright. "Lola Wants You". Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  6. ↑ Lola Albright with Henry Mancini and his orchestra. "Dreamsville". Retrieved September 9, 2012.
  7. ↑ "Lola Albright". Television Academy. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
  8. ↑ "Brlinale 1966: Prize Winners". berlinale.de. Retrieved 2010-02-17.

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