Date of Birth
21 November 1921,
Newark, New Jersey, USA
Date of Death
9 December 1995, New York, New York, USA (congestive heart failure)
Birth Name
Vivian Stapleton
Height
5' 2" (1.57 m)
Mini Biography
Ms. Blaine is most noted for having portrayed Miss Adelaide, the long-suffering, perpetually engaged chorus girl, in the Broadway and film versions of Guys and Dolls (1955/I). She originated the role in 1950 on Broadway and stopped the show each night with her rendition of "Adelaide's Lament," in which she complains about having a bad cold because of her long engagement to gambler Nathan Detroit. Ms. Blaine also originated roles on Broadway in "Say Darling" and "Enter Laughing." She also starred on Broadway in "Hatful of Rain," "Company," and, briefly, in "Zorba." She starred in many national tours, including "A Streetcar Named Desire," "Don't Drink the Water," "Hello Dolly," and "Gypsy." Before going to Broadway, Ms. Blaine was a starlet at 20th Century-Fox, appearing in many musical comedy films, including Jitterbugs (1943), Greenwich Village (1944), and State Fair (1945). In the mid 1950s, Ms. Blaine reprised her role as Adelaide in the film version of Guys and Dolls (1955/I) with Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando. After her Broadway appearance in "Company" in 1972, she appeared on national television at the 25th Tony anniversary special. This led to a revival of her TV career, and she continued to appear in guest roles on TV and in independent films and theater until her retirement in 1984.
Spouse
| Milton Rackmil |
(9 May 1959 - 25 July 1961) (divorced) |
| Manny Franks |
(10 January 1945 - 10 December 1956) (divorced) |
| Stuart Clark |
(? - 1995) (her death) |
Trade Mark
At 20th Century Fox, she was known as the cherry blonde because of her extraordinary hair color as shown in Technicolor.
A clothes horse involved in the apparel industry, she appeared on many "Best Dressed Women in America" lists from 1973 to 1983.
Trivia
For her starring role in Guys and Dolls (1955/I), Ms. Blaine won a Donaldson award for best newcomer of the year.
She also won a New York Theater Goers Award for best musical comedy star of the year.
She performed the role in London, including a command performance for Queen Elizabeth II.
Later in her career, she was asked to perform at the White House for Presidents Kennedy and Johnson.
She was given a National Film Society American Classic Award.
From 1973 until 1983, she appeared on many "Best Dressed Women in America" lists.
Measurements: 34 1/2-24-35 (source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine).
In 1952, three actresses were included by the Fashion Academy of New York in its list of the eight best-dressed women of America: Ann Sheridan, Vivian Blaine, and Betty Furness.
Father, Lionel Stapleton, was a singing baritone who made a living as a theatrical booking agent. Her parents divorced when she was quite young.
Married three times. First husband was Manny Franks, her agent, who was 20 years older than she. Second husband was Milton Rackmil, the head of Universal Pictures and Decca Records, who wanted an at-home trophy wife; the marriage didn't last long, also ending in divorce court. Third husband was businessman Stuart Clark, who started to supervise her career and revived it on 1970s TV. He was 13 years her junior.
A prime Fox musical performer during the war and post-war years, she lagged in popularity only to Alice Faye and Betty Grable.
Portrayed Miss Adelaide in the original Broadway stage version of Guys and Dolls and re-prised her role in the movie Guys and Dolls (1955).
Personal Quotes
"I put all my intelligence, such as it is, into playing dumb blondes."
... Frank Sinatra \x26amp; Vivian Blaine
... Sinatra | Vivian Blaine | Stubby ...
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