Leading Ladies Diana Lynn
The Kentuckian/ Susie Spann
The Miracle Of Morgan's Creek/ Emily Kockenlocher
Bedtime For Bonzo/ Jane Linden
Plunder Of The Sun/ Julie Barnes
Per Quinlan's Film Stars:
As a teenager, light haired, American piano playing prodigy Diana Lynn was as pretty as any picture. She also had a zany sense of humor and was quite delightful as a series of sassy young sisters in forties comedies which occasioned used her musical talents as well. In maturity she remained sweet but became a shade dull.
She was born as Eartha Loehr at Los Angeles, CA in 1926., the daughter of an oil supply executive and a concert pianist.
Ms. Lynn was considered a child prodigy and began taking piano lessons at age 4. By the age of 12 she was playing with the Los Angeles Junior Symphony Orchestra.
She made her film debut playing the piano in They Shall Have Music in 1939. And once again she played the piano in There's Magic In Music accompanying Susanna Foster, when they discovered that she had much more potential than she had been allowed to show. At that time she changed her name to Diana Lynn and they began casting her in films that allowed her to show her personalty and develop her skills as an actress.
Ms. Lynn had an outstanding success in the film The Miracle Of Morgan's Creek . She also appeared in two films in the Henry Aldrich series as Phylis Michael.
Some of the film roles of Diana Lynn were:
They Shall Have Music (1939) as Pianist
The Hard Boiled Canary (1941)m as Dolly Loehr
The Major And The Minor (1942) as Lucy Hill
Henry Aldrich Gets Glamor (1943) as Phyllis Michael
The Miracle Of Morgan's Creek (1944) as Emily Kockenlocher
Henry Aldrich Plays Cupid (1944) as Phylis Michael
And The Angels Sing (1944) as Josie Angel
Our Hearts Were Young And Gay (1944) as Emily Kimbrough
Out Of This World (1945) as Betty Miller
Duffy's Tavern (1945) as Diana Lynn
The Bride Wore Boots (1946) as Mary Lou Medford
Our Hearts Were Growing Up (1946) as Emily Kimbrough
Easy Come, Easy Go (1947) as Connie Donovan
Ruthless (1948) as Martha Burnside/ Mallory Flagg
Texas, Brooklyn And Heaven (1948) as Perry Dunklin
Every Girl Should Be Married (1948) as Julie Howard
My Friend Irma (1949) as Jane Stacy
Paid In Full (1950) as Nancy Langley
Rogues Of Sherwood Forest (1950) as Lady Marianne Of Beauray
My Friend Irma Goes West (1950) as Jane Stacy
Peggy (1950) as Peggy Brookfield
Bedtime For Bonzo (1951) as Jane Linden
The People Against O'Hara (1951) as Ginny Curtaine
Meet Me At The Fair (1953) as Zereida Wing
Plunder Of The Sun (1953) as Julie Barnes
Track Of The Cat (1954) as Gwen Williams
An Annapolis Story (1955) as Peggy Lord
You're Never Too Young (1955) as Nancy Collins
The Kentuckian (1955) as Susie Spann
Low Man On A Totem Pole (1964-TV) as Nellie Smith
Company Of Killers (1971) as Edwina DeSalles
Ms. Lynn was active on television appearing in such programs as The Silver Theater, Crime Photographer, General Electric Theater, The Ford Television Theater, The Red Skelton Hour, The Best Of Broadway, The Alcoa Hour, The Loretta Young Show, Lux Video Theater, Climax, Schlitz Playhouse Of Stars, Playhouse 90, Adventures In Paradise, The United States Steel Hour, Checkmate, The Investigators, The Doctors And Nurses, The Virginian and Burke's Law among others.
Ms. Lynn appeared on stage in 1964 with a six month run in Mary, Mary replacing Barbara Bel Geddes. In the early 1950's she also had appeared on Broadway with Maurice Evans in The Wild Duck.
She also starred in runs of The Moon Is Blue on stage in both the United States and England.
Ms. Lynn was married twice. Her first marriage to John Lindsey ended in divorce. Her second marriage to Mortimer Hall lasted from 1956 until her death and the couple had four children
By 1970 Ms. Lynn had retired from acting and had relocated to New York City. However, Paramount offered her a role in the film Play It As It Lays and she decided to do the role and moved back to Los Angeles
Diana Lynn passed away in 1971 from a stroke.
I enjoyed Ms Lynn in the films The Kentuckian, Bedtime For Bonzo, Track Of The Cat, Plunder Of The Sun, Rogues Of Sherwood Forest, You're Never Too Young and My Friend Irma.
Louie The Movie Buff