Betty Field (February 8, 1916[1] – September 13, 1973) was an American film and stage actress.
Early years
Field was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to George and Katharine (née Lynch) Field.[2] She began acting before she reached age 15, and went into stock theater immediately after graduating from high school.[3] She attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City.[4]
Producer/director George Abbott is credited with having discovered Field.[5]
Stage
Field began her acting career in 1934 on the London stage[4] in Howard Lindsay's farce She Loves Me Not. Following its run, she returned to the United States, and appeared in several stage successes, then made her film debut in 1939.
Field had to overcome obstacles early in her film career. A 1942 newspaper article reported:
When Betty Field was first signed for pictures, conversation buzzed. "But she's not pretty," was the first objection. "And her mouth is too large."[7]
Field's role as Curly's wife, Mae, the sole female character in Of Mice and Men (1939) established her as a dramatic actress.[8] She starred opposite John Wayne in the 1941 movie The Shepherd of the Hills. Field played a supporting, yet significant role as Cassandra Tower in Kings Row (1942).
Her first marriage to playwright Elmer Rice ended in divorce in May 1956.[11] The couple had three children, John, Paul, and Judith. John became a lawyer, but he died in a swimming accident at age 40. Her second marriage to Edwin J. Lukas lasted from 1957 to 1967. Her third marriage to Raymond Olivere lasted from 1968 until her death in 1973. [12]
Field died from a cerebral hemorrhage on September 13, 1973, at Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis, Massachusetts,[4] aged 57. (Another source says she was 55.)[4]
