- Dorothy Provine
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Dorothy Provine 
Provine in That Darn Cat! (1965)Born Dorothy Michelle Provine
January 20, 1935
Deadwood, South Dakota, U.S.Died April 25, 2010 (aged 75)
Bremerton, Washington, U.S.Occupation Actress
Comedienne
Dancer
SingerYears active 1957–1976 Spouse Robert Day (1968–2010; her death; 1 child) Dorothy Michelle Provine (January 20, 1935 – April 25, 2010) was an American singer, dancer, actress, and comedienne.[1]
Contents
Career
Provine was born in Deadwood, South Dakota, to Virgil and Kathleen Provine.[1] She attended the University of Washington, where she majored in drama.[2] In Washington she handed out prizes for a local television station's quiz show, until she was hired by Warner Bros. at $500 per week.[3] In Hollywood, she starred in The Bonnie Parker Story (1958) and The 30 Foot Bride of Candy Rock (1959), which was Lou Costello's last screen appearance.
She guest-starred on the television series Man Without a Gun, starring Rex Reason, and starred in two series: The Alaskans with Roger Moore (1959–60) and The Roaring Twenties (1960–1962), both on ABC. In Roaring Twenties, she played the beautiful singer Pinky Pinkham. A profile in TIME stated that "It is Dorothy’s oooohing and shimmying that have kept the series afloat."[3] Rex Reason co-starred with her in the series, along with Donald May, John Dehner, Mike Road, and Gary Vinson. Provine recorded an album of songs from the show, and had two hit singles in the UK Singles Chart – "Don't Bring Lulu" (#17 in 1961) and "Crazy Words, Crazy Tune" (#45 in 1962).[4]
Her later films included It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963), Good Neighbor Sam (1964), The Great Race (1965), That Darn Cat! (1965), Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die (1966), Who's Minding the Mint? (1967) and Never a Dull Moment (1968).
Provine married director Robert Day in 1968 and retired from acting, apart from a handful of guest roles on television shows. The couple moved to Bainbridge Island, Washington, around 1990, living with their son. Provine was somewhat reclusive in retirement, indulging her love of reading and movies, and occasionally driving around the island with her husband.[5]
Death
Provine died of emphysema on April 25, 2010, in Bremerton, Washington.
References
- ^ a b Hevesi, Dennis (April 29, 2010). "Dorothy Provine, Shapely Actress in ’60s, Dies at 75". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/30/arts/30provine.html?scp=1&sq=dorothy%20provine&st=cse. Retrieved May 1, 2010.
- ^ McLellan, Dennis (April 30, 2010). "Dorothy Provine dies at 75; actress in ‘It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World’ and ‘The Roaring Twenties’ TV series". Los Angeles Times. http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-0430-dorothy-provine-20100430,0,5964943.story. Retrieved May 1, 2010.
- ^ a b "New Faces: The Girl in the Red Swing". TIME. May 19, 1961. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,872409-1,00.html. Retrieved May 1, 2010.
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 441. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ Pritchett, Rachel (April 27, 2010). "Reclusive Actress, Bainbridge Island Resident Dorothy Provine Dies". Kitsap Sun (Bremerton, Washington: E.W. Scripps Company). http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/apr/27/reclusive-actress-bainbridge-resident-dorothy. Retrieved May 1, 2010.
External links
Categories:- 1935 births
- 2010 deaths
- People from Deadwood, South Dakota
- Deaths from emphysema
- Disease-related deaths in Washington (state)
- American film actors
- American female singers
- American television actors
- People from Bremerton, Washington
- Actors from South Dakota
- University of Washington alumni
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