Trudy Wroe

Trudy Wroe
Mark Stevens and Wroe as Lorelei Kilbourne in Big Town (1954)
BornMay 25, 1931 (1931-05-25)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
DiedNovember 10, 2007 (2007-11-11) (aged 76)
OccupationActress
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1959; died 2005)​
Children2

Trudy Wroe (May 25, 1931 – November 10, 2007)[1] was an American actress.

Early years

Born in Los Angeles, Wroe majored in art at Manual Arts High School,[2] as she planned a career as a commercial artist.[3]

Career

In the early 1950s, Wroe worked as a model for the Mary Webb Davis agency.[4] She was selected for designations including Queen of the Exhibition of West Coast Advertising Art,[5] Queen of Holiday on Wings,[6] Fireworks Queen,[7] and Queen of the National Los Angeles Home Show.[8]

Also in the early 1950s, Wroe teamed with Tommy Irish[9] to make television commercials for Paper Mate pens.[10] By 1954, they had appeared in more than 5,000 radio and TV commercials for the company and had been signed to a five-year contract to continue their work.[11] They were named "outstanding personalities in television commercials" in 1953 and received more than 300 letters a week from fans.[9]

On television, Wroe portrayed Lorelei Kilbourne on Big Town (1954).[12] She survived two months of competition from more than 100 actresses[4] to become the fourth woman to play that role.[13]

Wroe worked as a chorus girl in Las Vegas,[14] and in 1954, she was a contract actress with Columbia Pictures.[10] She retired from acting after her 1959 marriage.[1]

Personal life

In 1959, Wroe married actor Don Durant. They had two children and were still married when he died in 2005.[1] she died in 2007.

References

  1. ^ a b c Lentz, Harris M. III (2008). Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2007: Film, Television, Radio, Theatre, Dance, Music, Cartoons and Pop Culture. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-3481-7. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
  2. ^ "Local Beauty Chosen Queen of Home Show". The Los Angeles Times. California, Los Angeles. August 24, 1952. p. VI - 2. Retrieved 1 August 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Lane, Lydia (March 10, 1955). "Women Alter Appearance With Clothes, Make-up". Abilene Reporter-News. Texas, Abilene. Mirror Enterprises Company. p. 19. Retrieved April 9, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b Ames, Walter (June 7, 1954). "Trudy Wroe Is 'Lorelei' in Big Town; Hutton to Bow Out of KTLA Show". The Los Angeles Times. California, Los Angeles. p. I - 28. Retrieved 2 August 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Display of Advertising Art Will Open Today". The Los Angeles Times. California, Los Angeles. February 20, 1952. p. 21. Retrieved 1 August 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Miles, Marvin (April 13, 1952). "Flying Saucers Bring Skepticism". The Los Angeles Times. California, Los Angeles. p. 40. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  7. ^ "Fireworks Enthusiasts". The Los Angeles Times. California, Los Angeles. June 26, 1952. p. II - 2. Retrieved 1 August 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Wins Crown". The Los Angeles Times. California, Los Angeles. August 14, 1952. p. II - 2. Retrieved 1 August 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ a b Ames, Walter (December 28, 1953). "Hawthorne in Move to KTLA; Stromberg Films Teen-age Trouble Stories". The Los Angeles Times. California, Los Angeles. p. I - 22. Retrieved 1 August 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ a b "Showing of New Cottons". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Ohio, Cincinnati. January 4, 1954. p. 13. Retrieved 1 August 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ Ames, Walter (February 10, 1954). "Even Dogs Protesting Awards; Laryngitis Hits Toast's Ed Sullivan". The Los Angeles Times. California, Los Angeles. p. I - 28. Retrieved 1 August 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 104. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.
  13. ^ "Jingles Take Them to the Stars". Independent Press-Telegram. California, Long Beach. December 5, 1954. p. 33. Retrieved April 9, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Chorus Girls Have Found Shangri-La in Las Vegas". The Times Dispatch. Virginia, Richmond. June 16, 1957. p. 2 L. Retrieved April 9, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.