Diana Lynn

Diana Lynn
from the trailer for Every Girl Should Be Married (1948)
Born	Dolores Marie Loehr October 7, 1926(1926-10-07) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Died	December 18, 1971 (aged 45) New York City, New York, U.S.
Spouse(s)	John C. Lindsey (?–1953) Mortimer Hall (1956–1971)

Diana Lynn (October 7, 1926 – December 18, 1971) was an American actress.

Born Dolores Marie Loehr in Los Angeles, California, Lynn was considered a child prodigy because of her exceptional abilities as a pianist at an early age, and by the age of 12 was playing with the Los Angeles Junior Symphony Orchestra.

Film career

Dolores Loehr made her film debut playing the piano in They Shall Have Music and was once again back at the keyboard, accompanying Susanna Foster, in There's Magic in Music, when it was decided that she had more potential than she had been allowed to show. Paramount Pictures changed her name to "Diana Lynn" and began casting her in films that allowed her to show her personality and developed her skills as an actress.

Her comedic scenes with Ginger Rogers in The Major and the Minor were well received, and in 1944 she scored an outstanding success in Preston Sturges' The Miracle of Morgan's Creek. She appeared in two Henry Aldrich films, and played writer Emily Kimbrough in two films Our Hearts Were Young and Gay and Our Hearts Were Growing Up both co-starring Gail Russell.

After a few more films, she was cast in one of the year's biggest successes, the comedy My Friend Irma with Marie Wilson as Irma, and Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis in their film debuts. The group reprised their roles for the sequel My Friend Irma Goes West. During the 1950s Lynn continued acting in films, and was the female lead in the much lampooned Bedtime for Bonzo opposite Ronald Reagan.

Early death

A marriage to John C. Lindsay ended in divorce in 1953. Lynn was then married in 1956 to Mortimer Hall, son of New York Post newspaper publisher Dorothy Schiff.^[1]

She acted frequently in television guest roles throughout the 1960s. By 1970, she had virtually retired from acting and had relocated to New York, where she was running a travel agency. Paramount offered her a part in a new film, and after some consideration she accepted the offer and moved back to Los Angeles. Before filming started, she suffered a stroke and died nine days later at age 45.^[2] Lynn was interred at the Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest in New York, New York.^[3]

She was survived by her husband, and four young children. Her daughter Dolly Hall is a film producer.^[4]

Diana Lynn has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame: for motion pictures, at 1625 Vine Street, and for television, at 6350 Hollywood Boulevard.

Filmography

• They Shall Have Music (1939)
• There's Magic in Music (1941)
• The Major and the Minor (1942)
• Henry Aldrich Gets Glamour (1942)
• Henry Aldrich Plays Cupid (1944)
• The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1944)
• Our Hearts Were Young and Gay (1944)
• And the Angels Sing (1944)
• Out of This World (1945)
• The Bride Wore Boots (1946)
• Our Hearts Were Growing Up (1946)
• Easy Come, Easy Go (1947)
• Ruthless (1948)
• Texas, Brooklyn and Heaven (1948)
• Every Girl Should Be Married (1948)
• My Friend Irma (1949)
• Paid in Full (1950)
• Peggy (1950)
• My Friend Irma Goes West (1950)
• Rogues of Sherwood Forest (1950)
• The People Against O'Hara (1951)
• Bedtime for Bonzo (1951)
• Meet Me at the Fair (1952)
• Plunder of the Sun (1953)
• Track of the Cat (1954)
• An Annapolis Story (1955)
• You're Never Too Young (1955)
• The Kentuckian (1955)
• Company of Killers (1970)

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Diana Lynn

• Diana Lynn at the Internet Movie Database
• Diana Lynn at Find a Grave