Elaine Stewart (actress)

Elaine Stewart
Stewart in The Bad and the Beautiful (1952)
Born
Elsy Henrietta Maria Steinberg

(1930-05-31)May 31, 1930
Montclair, New Jersey, U.S.
DiedJune 27, 2011(2011-06-27) (aged 81)
Beverly Hills, California, U.S.
Occupations
  • Actress
  • model
Years active1952–1976
Spouses
Bill Carter
​
​
(m. 1961; div. 1963)​
​
​
(m. 1964)​
Children2

Elaine Stewart (born Elsy Henrietta Maria Steinberg;[citation needed] May 31, 1930 – June 27, 2011)[1] was an American actress and model.

Life

Stewart was born in Montclair, New Jersey, the daughter of Maria Hedwig (Hänssler) and Ulrich E. Steinberg. Her father's family, which was largely Frisian, was from Aurich, Niedersachsen and her mother was from Göppingen, Baden-Württemberg.[2] She was one of five children born to German immigrant parents.[3] Her father was a police sergeant.[4]

She was a teenager when she signed a contract with the Conover modeling agency and changed her name. Soon after, the movie producer Hal Wallis offered her $200 a week to play a nurse in the Dean Martin-Jerry Lewis comedy Sailor Beware.[5] She beat out hundreds of young models in 1952 to earn a photo layout in See Magazine, winning the title of “Miss See.”[6]

Stewart was a Democrat who was supportive of Adlai Stevenson's campaign during the 1952 presidential election.[7]

Elaine Stewart in 1955

In 1961, she married actor Bill Carter. They divorced in 1964, and she married television producer Merrill Heatter[8] on December 31, 1964. They had a son, Stewart, and a daughter, Gabrielle.[1]

Modeling

Stewart made her debut by winning Miss See in See Magazine[9][10] in 1952, with measurements 34–25–36. She was in many magazines such as Playboy and Photoplay.

Film

Stewart had a supporting role in The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), as Lila, a starlet who has a romantic fling with a producer played by Kirk Douglas.[11]

She was featured as Julie, the love interest of Sgt Ryan, played by Richard Widmark, in Take the High Ground! (1953) and co-starred with Mickey Rooney in a 1953 comedy, A Slight Case of Larceny. She appeared in other films, such as Brigadoon, Night Passage, Code Two, The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond, and The Adventures of Hajji Baba. Stewart had a small but key role, as Anne Boleyn, in 1953's Young Bess.[citation needed]

She co-starred with Jeff Chandler in the film noir The Tattered Dress (1957), with Victor Mature in the western Escort West (1958) and shared top billing with John Derek in a 1958 adventure film, High Hell, before turning to television.[citation needed]

Television

Stewart guest-starred in TV series such as Bat Masterson and Burke's Law, both starring Gene Barry. In her last acting appearance on TV, she played Irene Grey in the Perry Mason episode "The Case of the Capering Camera" in 1964.[12] Stewart was a co-hostess on two 1970s game shows, Gambit with Wink Martindale[13]: 377  and the nighttime edition of High Rollers with Alex Trebek,[13] both produced by her husband, Merrill Heatter.

Death

On June 27, 2011, Stewart died at her home in Beverly Hills, California, at the age of 81.[8] She was survived by her husband and two children.[14] Upon her death, she was promptly cremated.[15]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1952 Sailor Beware Lt. Saunders Uncredited
Singin' in the Rain Lady-in-Waiting Uncredited
You for Me Girl in Club Car
Everything I Have Is Yours Showgirl
Desperate Search Stewardess
Sky Full of Moon Billie - the Change Girl
The Bad and the Beautiful Lila
1953 Rogue's March Nurse Uncredited
Code Two Jane Anderson
Young Bess Anne Boleyn
A Slight Case of Larceny Beverly Ambridge
Take the High Ground! Julie Mollison
1954 Brigadoon Jane Ashton
The Adventures of Hajji Baba Princess Fakzia
1956 Meet Me in Las Vegas Elaine Stewart Uncredited
1957 The Tattered Dress Charleen Reston
Night Passage Verna Kimball
1958 High Hell Lenore Davidson
1959 Escort West Beth Drury
1960 The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond Monica Drake
1961 The Seven Revenges Tamara
Most Dangerous Man Alive Carla Angelo
1962 Peccati d'estate Costanza

References

  1. ^ a b Barnes, Mike (June 27, 2011). "Elaine Stewart obituary in 'The Hollywood Reporter' (June 27, 2011)". Hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  2. ^ "Elaine Stewart Obituary (2011)". Legacy.com.
  3. ^ Ronald Bergan (July 8, 2011). "Elaine Stewart obituary". The Guardian. London. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  4. ^ "A Starlet Goes Home to Jersey". Life. 166-168. March 23, 1953. Retrieved March 14, 2017.
  5. ^ Hevesi, Dennis (June 28, 2011). "Elaine Stewart, Sultry 1950s Actress, Dies at 81". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  6. ^ "Elaine Stewart, Glamorous Star of 'Brigadoon' and Game Shows, Dies at 81". The Hollywood Reporter. June 27, 2011. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  7. ^ Motion Picture and Television Magazine, November 1952, page 33, Ideal Publishers.
  8. ^ a b Lentz, Harris M. III (2012). Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2011. McFarland. pp. 332–333. ISBN 9780786469949. Retrieved March 14, 2017.
  9. ^ See (magazine). Vol. 10. September 1951. p. 27.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  10. ^ Foster, Richard (2005). Real Bettie Page: The Truth About the Queen of Pinups. Citadel Press. p. 40. ISBN 9780806520759. Retrieved March 14, 2017.
  11. ^ "THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL (1953)". TCM.com. Turner Classic Movies (TCM). Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  12. ^ "Elaine Stewart". TVGuide.com. TV Guide. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  13. ^ a b Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 459. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.
  14. ^ "Actress Elaine Stewart dead at 81". CBS News. June 28, 2011. Retrieved March 15, 2017.
  15. ^ Wilson, Scott (September 16, 2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed. McFarland. ISBN 9781476625997 – via Google Books.
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