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| 1 | Gloria DeHaven's parents were the popular vaudevillian and stage performers Carter DeHaven and Flora Parker. She and her brother Carter DeHaven Jr., who would become a producer, would travel with their parents as they toured the theatrical circuit. DeHaven, at 10 years of age, landed a bit part in Charles Chaplin's 1936 masterpiece "Modern Times" because her father was Chaplin's assistant director on the film. At the age of 14, Gloria also had a small role in Chaplin's (released in) 1940 satire "The Great Dictator." While singing with orchestras, including, Bing Crosby's brother, Bob Crosby's band of musicians, MGM signed DeHaven, at age 15, to a film contract in mid-1940 and she appeared in "Susan and God." DeHaven appeared in several MGM musicals during the 1940's, most notably, at the time of filming, a young age of 17, 1943's "Best Foot Forward" and 1944's "Step Lively," in which she was loaned out from MGM to Howard Hughes' RKO film studio. |
| 2 | Gloria DeHaven turned to television series and had a recurring role in the independent 1970s Norman Lear soap opera spoof "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman." In 1983, Dehaven took on the recurring role of Bess Shelby (1983-1985) on the ABC daytime drama "Ryan's Hope" (1975-1989). "Thanks to the soap I've gained an entire new young fan audience who don't know who the hell Gloria DeHaven is," she told the LA Times in the 1984 interview. "They adore the character and like what I bring to the part. I mean, my major movies were in the 1940s and '50s, before some of these viewers were even born. My own contemporaries are fascinated that I've begun this sort of second career, or should I say umpteenth career, since I'm 58 and have been in show business since I was born." DeHaven returned to the big screen in the forgettable 1983 film "Bog," but scored a hit as Jack Lemmon's love interest in the 1997 romantic comedy "Out to Sea." After reinventing herself for soaps and more, the actress died at age 91, on a Saturday in Las Vegas, Nevada. |
| 3 | "Being under contract with MGM meant having everything done for you," DeHaven told the LA Times in 1984. "There were doctors and dentists and tutors on the lot, at your beck and call, not to mention the best vocal teachers and coaches, hair dressers and costume designers. The downside of being under MGM contract was not getting a chance to branch out." The actor John Payne was featured in a role that Dick Powell turned down in the Warner Brothers' Busby Berkeley 1938 film musical "Garden of The Moon." After success in 20th Century Fox film musicals during the late 1930's and mid '40s period, the tall 6'4" handsome singer/actor John Payne at age 33 (b: 05,28,1912-d:12.06.1989, age 77) served a two-year hitch (early 1942, age 29 -to-1944 discharged at age 32) with the United States Army Air Corps as a pilot. Upon his discharge at age 32, John Payne went right back to a film-role-courting Betty Grable in the 20th Century Fox film musical "The Dolly Sisters" (released in 1945) and met 18-year-old singer/actress Gloria DeHaven during its shoot. The twosome wed in 1945 and a daughter and son were born within three years. DeHaven took time off from the screen when she married John Payne. Problems arose when Gloria insisted on continuing her career and the couple, after on and off separations, finally divorced in 1950. Her return was in the 1948 musical film flop "Summer Holiday." She continued at MGM in supporting roles in 1950's "Summer Stock" and "Three Little Words." After that, she said, "the golden age of movie film musicals had sadly ended". |
| 4 | Child then juvenile then leading-lady actress in Hollywood. During her long and varied career she would also perform as nightclub singer, as stage actress in Broadway and London theatre and as TV actress and hostess. |
| 5 | Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, for motion pictures, at 6933 Hollywood Blvd. |
| 6 | Married and divorced Richard W. Fincher twice. They were married from 1957 to 1963 and then from 1966 to 1969. |
| 7 | Was Frank Sinatra's first screen kiss in Step Lively (1944). |
| 8 | After 22 years of marriage her show business parents, Mr. and Mrs. Carter DeHaven, divorced. They remarried shortly afterward and lived together for a year. In that year Gloria was born. |
| 9 | Made her Broadway debut in a musical version of "Seventh Heaven" opposite Ricardo Montalban. |
| 10 | She was friends with: Janet Leigh, Mickey Rooney, June Allyson, Ann Miller, Maria McDonald, Donald O'Connor, Virginia O'Brien, and Tony Curtis. |
| 11 | In 1944 De Haven came into the makeup and hair department at MGM to wash her hair in prep for a scene she was going to shoot. Halfway into the endeavor she felt a hand push her head into the bowl and began washing her hair. When she was finished she looked up and saw that it was Marlene Dietrich who had washed her hair. Dietrich had entered the room to pick up the gold paint she was using to cover her left leg in Kismet (1944) and figured that since she was there she would give De Haven a quick hair wash since the studio beauticians had yet to arrive. De Haven was so stunned that she could hardly utter a thank you. |
| 12 | She was taught to speak eloquent English by Joan Crawford. |
| 13 | She is a conservative Republican and over the years has endorsed and supported Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, and Ronald Reagan. |
| 14 | Was host of the morning movie series "Prize Movie" on WABC-TV (Channel 7) in New York for a few years starting in 1969. |
| 15 | Grandmother of actress Holly Payne. |
| 16 | Ex-step-grandmother of Katharine Towne. |
| 17 | Ex-stepmother of Julie Payne. |
| 18 | In Call Her Mom (1972), she replaced Ann Miller who in turn had replaced Cyd Charisse. |
| 19 | Children with third husband: Harry (b. 1958) and Faith (b. 1962). |
| 20 | Daughter, Kathleen, with John Payne, born 1945. Son, Thomas, with Payne, born 1947. |
| 21 | MGM allegedly suspended her for refusing to do the film Good News (1947). |
| 22 | Sister of assistant director/unit manager Carter De Haven Jr.. |
| 23 | Mother of actor Richard DeHaven. |
| 24 | In Three Little Words (1950), she portrayed her own, real-life mother. |
| 25 | Daughter of actor-director Carter DeHaven and actress Flora Parker DeHaven. |
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