DCS: lynn cartwright
The daughter of a US Congressman from Oklahoma, Doralyn Cartwright attended Stephens College in Missouri and later American Academy in New York with her sights set on a career in acting. At 30, she made her film debut in the Western Black Patch, alongside her husband, actor/writer Joe Gordon. Joe was a prolific character actor, playing mostly lunkheaded bad guys. In addition to his acting, he was a writer who provided scripts for dozens of TV series including Bonanza, Cheyenne and Adam-12.
After shortening her name to the more accessible “Lynn,” she was cast in a number of B-movies including the notorious Queen of Outer Space with Zsa Zsa Gabor and Wasp Woman with Susan Cabot. Lynn later found work in small roles in teenage sex romps and risqué comedies. She appeared as a teacher in the film Seniors, an early vehicle for Dennis Quaid and the final film for Alan Reed, the original voice of “Fred Flintstone.” In 1987, she was featured in Seniors director Rod Amateau’s big-screen mess The Garbage Pail Kids Movie, panned as one of the worst movies of all time. Afterwards, she concentrated on her work with a small theatre company in Los Angeles.
In 1992, she took the role of an older “Dottie Hinson” in bookended scenes in Penny Marshall‘s love letter to women’s baseball, A League of Their Own. She was cast because of her startling resemblance to the film’s star Geena Davis. Some people mistook Lynn to actually be Geena Davis in prosthetic makeup.
Lynn was diagnosed with dementia in her later years. She passed away in 2004 at the age of 76, after suffering a fractured hip.
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inktober52: flight
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DCS: yvette mimieux
Although her career spanned five decades, Yvette Mimieux flew just under the radar. She was in a number of roles for which she received critical praise, but they were in movies that were financial flops, so her efforts were sadly overshadowed and practicality forgotten. Her most notable and memorable role was in George Pal’s 1960 groundbreaking science-fiction film The Time Machine, opposite Rod Taylor. She appeared in guest spots in episodic television, as well as high-profile, big-budget movies, but never seemed to get the “big break” she so rightly deserved.
Yvette was a versatile actress, comfortable in both comedy and drama. She appeared in thrillers, Westerns and even family-friendly Disney films. In the 70s, she starred in and wrote the screenplay for the made-for-TV movie Hit Lady, produced by Aaron Spelling. She ended the 1970s with another groundbreaking science-fiction fan favorite, The Black Hole for Disney.
By the 90s, Yvette became disillusioned with the film business. She cited the lack of good roles for women. Her final screen role was the 1992 miniseries adaptation of the Jackie Collins novel Lady Boss. Yvette devoted her new found time to painting, maintaining a website to showcase her works.
She passed away in January 2022, just days after her 80th birthday.
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inktober52: direction
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DCS: jeanne carmen
Teen-age Jeanne Carmen left rural Arkansas for New York City with dreams of becoming a star. She worked as a burlesque dancer and posed for pin-up pictures in the 1950s. She was also an expert trick-shot golfer. Jeanne and her manager would tour country clubs and hustle unsuspecting members, betting on whether or not this demure girl could make a difficult shot. Of course, she could.
In her early 20s, she met Chicago mobster Johnny Rosselli, who took her to Las Vegas. The couple continued to scam folks on the golf course of the Desert Inn. Rosselli introduced the budding starlet to Frank Sinatra, who whisked her off to Hollywood. She was cast in a succession of B-movies, in which she played brassy blondes or, using her natural dark hair, sultry Spanish women. She also appeared in a late-era Three Stooges short, playing Joe Besser‘s girlfriend. While in Hollywood, Jeanne began a lifelong friendship with actress Marilyn Monroe, often telling tales of how the two bombshells bonded, sharing stories over late-night glasses of champagne and illegal drugs.
After Monroe’s death, organized crime boss Sam Giancana — Johnny Rosselli’s superior — warned Jeanne that her life may be in danger. Panicked, Jeanne fled to Scottsdale, Arizona, where she laid low and out of the spotlight. She married, had children (and grandchildren) and never spoke of her Hollywood life again… save for a cameo in a low-budget horror film in 2005. It was her first role in over 40 years.
In 2007, Jeanne passed away at the age of 77. Just days after her death, Marilyn Monroe biographers Ernest Cunningham and Mark Bellinghaus reported that their research revealed that Jeanne’s friendship with the celebrated sex symbol was completely fabricated. They went on to say that Jeanne and Marilyn never even met.
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inktober52: spot
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DCS: betty wright
Betty Wright started singing as a child. She performed with her family gospel vocal group, Echoes of Joy, before switching to rhythm & blues. She was spotted by a Miami record label owner who signed 12 year-old Betty to a contract. She released a few songs that gained local recognition.
In 1972, Betty released her signature song “Clean Up Woman.” It reached Number 2 on the Billboard R&B charts, staying in that position for eight weeks. She followed up with “Baby Sitter” and “Let Me Be Your Lovemaker,” which showcased her amazing vocal range. She co-wrote the disco tune “Where Is the Love” with Harry Casey (of KC and the Sunshine Band) and won a Grammy for the composition in 1976. She also sang a duet with Alice Cooper on his 1978 album “From The Inside.”
Her 80s and 90s recordings were far less successful, but it didn’t keep Betty from performing. She released eight albums over those decades. In 1992, Betty sued Color Me Badd’s producers for an unauthorized sample of one of her songs used in their hit “I Wanna Sex You Up.” Betty won her case and received a portion of songwriting credit. In 2011, she restarted her career with a collaboration with ?uestlove and The Roots.
Betty died in May 2020, one month after she appeared in a segment on the music series Unsung. She was 66.
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DCS: slim galliard
Slim Galliard’s early life is sketchy, as he offered different origin stories to different people. He did, however, serve in World War II as a bomber pilot, briefly interrupting his successful music career. He insisted that he worked as a hat maker in Greece and a hearse driver turned rum-runner in Detroit, but these are part of the colorful early life that Slim most likely made up.
Slim spoke five languages to varying degrees, in additional to inventing his own language which he dubbed “Vout-o-Reenee.” He even wrote a dictionary detailing word usage. Slim composed several songs based on “Vout-o-Reenee,” including “Flat Foot Floogee (with a Floy Floy)” and “Cement Mixer (Put-Ti Put-Ti).” He often mixed words and phrases from other languages into his composition. He was particularly fond of Yiddish phrases, as highlighted in “Dunkin’ Bagel” and “Matzo Ball.” He claimed that his father was Ashkenazi Jewish, but that claim is unconfirmed.
He released a number of albums and appeared in films and television, including Roots: The Next Generation and the David Bowie film Absolute Beginners. He played with jazz greats Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Coleman Hawkins. Slim often played guitar with his hand pointed down on the guitar neck. He’d play the piano with his palms up. Fellow musicians found his playing erratic and difficult to follow.
He performed for many years, touring Europe extensively, until he passed away in 1991 at the age of 80.