Kaye Elhardt

Kaye Elhardt
James Garner as "Pappy" Maverick and Kaye Elhardt in 1959
Born
Kaye Valerie Elhardt

(1935-08-28)August 28, 1935
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
DiedSeptember 1, 2004(2004-09-01) (aged 69)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting placeHollywood Forever Cemetery
Other namesKay Elhardt
EducationMarymount College
OccupationActress
Years active1956–1977
SpouseGeorge A. Cariker (1975; divorced)
Children1
Kaye Elhardt and Bob Denver in TV's The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (1961)

Kaye Elhardt (August 28, 1935 – September 1, 2004)[1] was an American actress with dozens of television appearances in a career spanning from 1956 to 1977. She was known for her many roles in Warner Brothers (WB) television series, including 77 Sunset Strip, Hawaiian Eye, Surfside 6, Maverick, Bourbon Street Beat, Colt .45, and Bronco, but also did multiple episodes of Perry Mason and My Three Sons.[2]

Early life

Kaye Valerie Elhardt was born in Los Angeles, the only child of Leonard Elhardt, a salesman and real estate developer from Minnesota, and Faye Fenusz Elhardt from Wyoming.[1][3][4] During the summer of 1951 she took part in a city-sponsored youth chorus program.[5] She studied dramatics at Marymount College in Westwood, California.[6][7]

Early career

During her junior year she appeared in her first professional stage role for the musical High Button Shoes.[8] Her first starring stage role came as she entered her senior year, when she played "Laurey Williams" in Green Grow the Lilacs.[7] The production included some original songs by Rod McKuen. Elhardt performed six songs,[7] and was judged by the Los Angeles Times reviewer "A winsome and spirited young actress", who "displayed dramatic talent and a voice of appealing caliber".[9] Elhardt's professional voice coach was Harold Hurlbut.[10]

Her screen career began with bit parts on television, starting with West Point during December 1956.[11] She did episodes of three shows,[10] then had the female lead in another musical, New England Summer in August 1957. She again received high marks for this production from the Los Angeles Times: "Kaye Elhardt, possessor of a lovely lyric voice... not only sings with taste and charm, but she is an unusually talented actress".[12]

Career

Elhardt played Peaches in the 1958 ABC comedy Love That Jill.[13] She also made more than 40 appearances on television series. Among her three guest appearances on Perry Mason with Raymond Burr, she played defendant Ginny Talbot in the 1962 episode, "The Case of the Borrowed Baby."

She was featured on Family Affair; Highway Patrol with Broderick Crawford; Wagon Train with Ward Bond; Sea Hunt with Lloyd Bridges; seven different roles in 77 Sunset Strip with Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.; Bourbon Street Beat with Andrew Duggan, Richard Long, and Van Williams; Bat Masterson with Gene Barry; My Three Sons with Fred MacMurray; The Tab Hunter Show with Tab Hunter; Surfside Six with Troy Donahue and Van Williams; Hawaiian Eye with Robert Conrad; Bronco; Yancy Derringer with Jock Mahoney; Colt .45; Philip Marlowe with Philip Carey; and more than a score of others.

Personal life

All through college and most of her acting career, Elhardt lived with her parents in the Kentner Canyon area, north of Sunset Boulevard in Brentwood, Los Angeles.[14] Her family had real estate interests in Shasta County, California[15][16] and Elhardt appears to have become a realtor after show business.[17]

Elhardt married George A. Cariker in Los Angeles on April 20, 1975.[18] They were divorced six months later.[19]

Stage performances

Listed by year of first performance (excluding student performances)
Year Play Role Venue Notes
1956 High Button Shoes Singing Girl Carthay Circle Theatre Elhardt's first professional stage credit starred Jack Haley Jr.[8]
Green Grow the Lilacs Laurey Williams Morgan Theater Elhardt's first starring role was produced by the Santa Monica Theater Guild.[9]
1957 New England Summer Emily Webb Morgan Theater Produced by the Santa Monica Theater Guild, Elhardt again had the female lead in this musical.[12]
1958 Carousel Julie Jordan Municipal Auditorium Elhardt starred in this production by the Singer's Workshop of Long Beach, California.[20]
1965 The Three Musketeers Roxbury Memorial Park Open air musical comedy production by Equity Library Theatre West.[21]

Filmography

Film (by year of first release)
Year Title Role Notes
1958 Senior Prom Girl in Yellow Uncredited
1959 The Crimson Kimono Nun Uncredited
Stump Run Leatha Gaskin Filmed near Eugene, Oregon during May 1959 by an independent producer and local backers.[22]
1963 Violent Midnight[fn 1] Delores Martello Filmed on location in Connecticut in late summer 1961.[23]
1965 Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine Girl in Nightclub [24]
1966 The Navy vs. the Night Monsters Diane
Any Wednesday Cecile Uncredited
1970 Airport Kay Hart Uncredited
1977 The Billion Dollar Hobo Miss Evans
Television (in original broadcast order, excluding commercials)
Year Series Episode Role Notes
1956 West Point Double Reverse Nancy's Trading Partner Her first screen credit was a small part in this Gene Roddenberry teleplay.[11]
1957 Matinee Theater Unknown Episode Elhardt's performance is known only from a newspaper blurb by her voice coach.[10]
Dr. Christian Hit and Run Mary Haven [10]
Fireside Theatre Contact
Telephone Time I Get Along...[fn 2] Betty Elhardt plays a co-ed at Indiana; with Hoagy Carmichael and Walter Winchell.[25]
1958 Tombstone Territory The Rebels' Last Charge Richard Reeves and Elhardt were the guest stars in this episode.[26]
The Millionaire The Peter Barkley Story Dora
Love That Jill Tonight's the Night Peaches Elhardt was only in the first episode of this series.[13]
Highway Patrol Insulin Joan Haggard
Sea Hunt Gold Below Betty
Harbor Command Hostage Ellen Leeds
The Rough Riders The Maccabites Naomi
1959 Yancy Derringer Outlaw at Liberty Sally Snow
77 Sunset Strip Downbeat April Myford The first of eight episodes Elhardt would do on this WB show.
Rescue 8 One More Step Melinda Stark Actress (Elhardt) falls off of a theater catwalk and is left dangling high above stage.[27]
Maverick Pappy Josephine St. Cloud [28]
77 Sunset Strip Six Superior Skirts Wanda Hill Elhardt sits in on joint jam session with the Mary Kaye and Frankie Ortega Trios.[29]
Colt .45 Yellow Terror Lucie Elhardt is miscast as a dance hall girl.[30]
General Electric Theater Platinum on the Rocks Lenore Martin George Burns stars as a jewel thief after Elhardt's jewelry.[31]
Bourbon Street Beat Light Touch of Terror Alise Bonvillan A psychotic killer is after Elhardt.[32]
Philip Marlowe Hit and Run Gloria Fielding
1960 Johnny Midnight The Villain of the Piece Paula Shafto
77 Sunset Strip The Starlet Kay Donnelly Elhardt plays an aspiring actress whose suicide arouses suspicion.
Tightrope! First Time Out Betty Carlson [33]
Tombstone Territory Young Killer Mary Rice
The Donna Reed Show The First Time We Met Pat Archer Elhardt plays a nurse whom Donna Reed matches with a doctor (Bob Hastings).[34]
Wagon Train The Luke Grant Story Sue
Bat Masterson Blood on the Money Eva Rogers
The Tab Hunter Show Be My Guest Cynthia [35]
77 Sunset Strip The Laurel Canyon Caper Belinda Lane Elhardt sings on camera but her voice was dubbed over by Eileen Wilson.[2]
Surfside 6 Bride and Seek Lois Culver Grant Williams and Elhardt made this WB detective show...[36]
Hawaiian Eye Baker's Half Dozen Dody Baker ...about the same time they did this other WB detective show.[37]
1961 Surfside 6 Invitation to a Party Virginia Barker [38]
77 Sunset Strip Vamp Until Ready Julie Lee [39]
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis The Battle of Maynard's Beard Lt. Portia Potter [40]
Perry Mason The Case of the Duplicate Daughter Muriell Gilman [41]
The Aquanauts The Landslide Adventure Nancy Wilson
Surfside 6 The Wedding Guest Millie Owens [42]
Bronco The Cousin from Atlanta Gail Summers
77 Sunset Strip The Deadly Solo Irene McCallum [43]
1962 My Three Sons The Girls Next Door Ann Stoeffer Elhardt plays an airline stewardess.[44]
Perry Mason The Case of the Borrowed Baby Ginny Talbot Elhardt is the defendant accused of murder.[45]
Hawaiian Eye Scene of the Crime Gloria Matthews Elhardt is a reporter on a boar-hunting trek on Kauai.[46]
The Comedy Spot Octavious and Me Jill Drake Thirty-minute unsold pilot broadcast on a summer fill-in show.[47][48]
Perry Mason The Case of the Lurid Letter Doris Wilson [49]
1963 77 Sunset Strip Walk Among Tigers Martha Emerson [50]
1964 77 Sunset Strip Not Such a Simple Knot Paula Barnes Elhardt is older sister to math genius.[51]
1965 My Three Sons Steve and the Computer Miss Baxter
1966 My Three Sons Call Her Max Katherine [52]
Hank Operation Matriculation Miss Treadwell
1967 My Three Sons The Good Earth Receptionist
1968 My Three Sons My Wife, the Waitress Sharon
Family Affair A Man's Place Miss Martin
1969 Family Affair The Stowaway Toni [53]

Notes

  1. ^ The working title was The Death Watcher.
  2. ^ The full episode title was "I Get Along Very Well Without You".

References

  1. ^ a b Kaye Valerie Elhardt in the U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007, retrieved from Ancestry.com
  2. ^ a b Rich, Allen (April 14, 1962). "Mason "Defendant" Is Interviewed". The Valley Times. North Hollywood, California. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ 1940 United States Federal Census for Kaye Elhardt, California > Los Angeles > Los Angeles > 60-446, retrieved from Ancestry.com
  4. ^ 1950 United States Federal Census for Kaye V Elhardt, California > Los Angeles > Los Angeles > 66-2154, retrieved from Ancestry.com
  5. ^ "Singing Out (photo caption)". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. September 27, 1951. p. 55 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Marymount Presents "Years Ago"". The Tidings. Los Angeles, California. November 25, 1955. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ a b c "Marymount Girl Stars In "Lilacs"". The Tidings. Los Angeles, California. September 7, 1956. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ a b Von Blon, Katherine (April 14, 1956). "Rollicking Music Show Carthay Hit". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ a b Von Blon, Katherine (September 8, 1956). "'Green Grow the Lilacs' Staged In Santa Monica". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. p. 33 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ a b c d "The Talent Parade". Los Angeles Evening Citizen-News. Hollywood, California. April 27, 1957. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ a b "Blind Date Gets Lesson In Courtesy At "West Point"". Daily Times-Mail. Bedford, Indiana. December 22, 1956. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ a b Von Blon, Katherine (August 28, 1957). "'New England Summer' Captivating Musical". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. p. 25 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ a b Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 631. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.
  14. ^ California, U.S., Voters Registrations, 1900-1968, for Kaye Elhardt, Los Angeles County > 1962 > Roll 176, retrieved from Ancestry.com
  15. ^ "Subdivision Law Crackdown By County Officials". Record-Searchlight. Redding, California. April 16, 1966. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "Leonard G. Elhardt". Record-Searchlight. Redding, California. July 27, 1968. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "Haddad Realty". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. October 27, 1974. p. 380 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ Kaye V Elhardt in the California, U.S., Marriage Index, 1960-1985, retrieved from Ancestry.com
  19. ^ Kaye V Elhardt in the California, U.S., Divorce Index, 1966-1984, retrieved from Ancestry.com
  20. ^ "Workshop Tells Leads for 'Carousel' in Fall". The Independent. Long Beach, California. August 17, 1958. p. 48 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "Theatrical Group Plans Musical". Los Angeles Evening Citizen-News. Hollywood, California. March 5, 1965. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ "Story About Moonshiners to Be Filmed in Marcola Area". The Eugene Guard. Eugene, Oregon. April 6, 1959. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ^ Addeo, Ed (September 19, 1961). "Ford, Hope Lange to Co-Star". Los Angeles Evening Citizen-News. Hollywood, California. p. 21 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ^ "Bikinied Robots In Rivoli Film". The La Crosse Tribune. La Crosse, Wisconsin. November 20, 1965. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ^ "'Telephone Time' Feature Tells Birth of a Song". The Daily Herald. Provo, Utah. November 10, 1957. p. 31 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ^ "Appear In Story About Rebels (photo caption)". The South Bend Tribune. South Bend, Indiana. January 11, 1958. p. 20 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ^ "Tuesday March 14". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. March 12, 1961. p. 468 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ^ "A Buss From Beauregard". The Vancouver Sun. Vancouver, British Columbia. September 12, 1959. p. 59 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. ^ "They're In Tune". The Tampa Tribune. Tampa, Florida. October 11, 1959. p. 72 – via Newspapers.com.
  30. ^ ""Yellow Terror" River Boat Drama on "Colt .45"". Daily Times-Mail. Bedford, Indiana. November 14, 1959. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
  31. ^ "George Burns (photo caption)". Reno Gazette-Journal. Reno, Nevada. November 20, 1959. p. 33 – via Newspapers.com.
  32. ^ "Celebration (photo caption)". The Sacramento Bee. Sacramento, California. December 6, 1959. p. 94 – via Newspapers.com.
  33. ^ "Mike Connors Befriends Youth". The Desert Sun. Palm Springs, California. March 1, 1960. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  34. ^ "The Stones Play Matchmakers on "Donna Reed Show"". The Times-Mail. Bedford, Indiana. May 14, 1960. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  35. ^ "No Shortage of Beauty Evident in This Week's TV Shows". The Tampa Tribune. Tampa, Florida. October 9, 1960. p. 69 – via Newspapers.com.
  36. ^ "Hubbyless Heiress Seeks Help Dec. 19 on 'Surfside 6'". The Times-Mail. Bedford, Indiana. December 17, 1960. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  37. ^ "Six Sailors Left High and Dry on 'Hawaiian Eye'". The Times-Mail. Bedford, Indiana. December 24, 1960. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  38. ^ "Blackmail Suspected". The Times-Tribune. Scranton, Pennsylvania. March 25, 1961. p. 31 – via Newspapers.com.
  39. ^ "Foggy Search". The Modesto Bee. Modesto, California. April 2, 1961. p. 46 – via Newspapers.com.
  40. ^ "Today's Complete T.V. Programs". The Record. Hackensack, New Jersey. April 18, 1961. p. 34 – via Newspapers.com.
  41. ^ "Perry Mason Drama Will Take New Turn". Longview Daily News. Longview, Washington. May 13, 1961. p. 30 – via Newspapers.com.
  42. ^ "Surfside 6". Oklahoma City Advertiser. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. September 21, 1961. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
  43. ^ "Friday, Dec. 1". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. November 26, 1961. p. 205 – via Newspapers.com.
  44. ^ "Thursday: Wallach Stars in a Western". The Des Moines Register. Des Moines, Iowa. January 28, 1962. p. 139 – via Newspapers.com.
  45. ^ "TV Time". Decatur Herald. Decatur, Illinois. April 14, 1962. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  46. ^ "Manhandler". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Fort Worth, Texas. May 20, 1962. p. 120 – via Newspapers.com.
  47. ^ "Special". Press-Telegram. Long Beach, California. July 15, 1962. p. 82 – via Newspapers.com.
  48. ^ "Tuesday, July 17 (TV listings)". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. July 15, 1962. p. 146 – via Newspapers.com.
  49. ^ "Teacher Faces Town's Scorn". Longview Daily News. Longview, Washington. December 1, 1962. p. 20 – via Newspapers.com.
  50. ^ "Friday, April 19". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. April 14, 1963. p. 383 – via Newspapers.com.
  51. ^ "Friday Evening Television". Detroit Free Press. Detroit, Michigan. January 17, 1964. p. 34 – via Newspapers.com.
  52. ^ "Thursday, Feb. 24". The Cincinnati Post. Cincinnati, Ohio. February 19, 1966. p. 34 – via Newspapers.com.
  53. ^ "Television Casting Notes". The Valley Times. North Hollywood, California. July 17, 1969. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.