Betty Garrett Biography (1919-)

Born May 23, 1919, in St. Joseph, MO; daughter of Curtis and Elizabeth Octavia (maiden name, Stone) Garrett; married Larry Parks (an actor and building contractor), September 8, 1944 (died, 1975); children: Andrew (an actor), Garrett (a composer).

Nationality: American
Gender: Female
Occupation: Actress, director, singer
Birth Details: May 23, 1919; St. Joseph, Missouri, United States

Famous Works

CREDITS
Stage Appearances
(Stage debut) Danton's Death, Mercury Theatre, New York City, 1938
Railroads on Parade, World's Fair, New York City, 1939
You Can't Sleep Here, Barbizon-Plaza Theatre, New York City, 1940
A Piece of Our Mind, Mail Studios, New York City, 1940
All in Fun, Majestic Theatre, New York City, 1941
Of V We Sing, Concert Theatre, New York City, 1942
Let Freedom Sing, Longacre Theatre, New York City, 1942
Mary Francis and understudy for the role of Blossom Hart, Something for the Boys, Alvin Theatre, New York City, 1943
Sergeant Maguire, Jackpot, Alvin Theatre, 1944
Singer, Laffin' Room Only, Winter Garden Theatre, New York City, 1944
Call Me Mister, National Theatre, New York City, 1946
Ella Peterson, Bells Are Ringing, Shubert Theatre, New York City,1958
Clara, Beg, Borrow, or Steal, Martin Beck Theatre, New York City,1960
Reader, Spoon River Anthology (staged reading), Booth Theatre, NewYork City, 1963-64
Penny Moore, A Girl Could Get Lucky, Cort Theatre, New York City,1964
Who's Happy Now?, Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, 1968
Call Me Mister, National Theatre, 1969-
Something for the Boys, Alvin Theatre, 1969-
Betty Garrett and Other Songs, Los Angeles, 1974-75
Mae, The Supporting Cast, Biltmore Theatre, New York City, 1981
Sarah McKendree Bonham, Quilters, Mark Taper Forum, 1984
Katie, Meet Me in St. Louis, George Gershwin Theater, New York City, 1989-90
Tom Tom on a Rooftop, Theatre West, Los Angeles, 1997
Happy Lot!, Theatre West, 1998
Tallulah & Tennessee, Theatre West, Hollywood, CA, 1999
Hattie Walker, Follies, Belasco Theater, New York City, 2001
Also appeared as lead dancer with the Martha Graham Company, 1938.
Major Tours
Meet the People, U.S. cities, 1941
Marion Maxwell, The Anonymous Lover, U.S. cities, 1952-53
Gloria, The Tiger, and Sylvia, The Typists, U.S. cities, 1965
Karen Nash, Muriel Tate, and Norma Hubley, Plaza Suite, U.S. cities, 1968-70
Catherine Reardon, And Miss Reardon Drinks a Little, U.S. cities,1972
Also appeared in Betty Garrett and Other Songs, San Francisco, CA,New York City, and London.
Stage Director
Spoon River Anthology, Theater West, Hollywood, CA, 2002
Film Appearances

(Film debut) Miss Grady, Big City, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1948
Peggy Lorgan McNeil, Words and Music, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1948
Brunhilde "Hilde" Esterhazy, On the Town, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1949
Star of Tomorrow, 1949
Betty Barret, Neptune's Daughter, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1949
Shirley Delwyn, Take Me Out to the Ball Game (also known as Everybody's Cheering), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1949
(In archive footage) Herself, The Costume Designer (short film), RKO Pictures, 1950
(Uncredited) Moments in Music (short film), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1950
Ruth Sherwood, My Sister Eileen, Columbia, 1955
Linda Atlas, The Shadow on the Window, Columbia, 1957
(Uncredited; in archive footage) Herself, That's Entertainment! (documentary), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1974
(Uncredited; in archive footage) Herself, That's Entertainment, Part II (documentary), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1976
Herself, Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There (documentary; also known as Broadway, Broadway: The Golden Age,and Broadway: The Movie), Dada Films, 2003
Television Appearances
Series
Irene Lorenzo, All in the Family (also known as Those Were theDays), CBS, 1973-75
Mrs. Edna Babish De Fazio, Laverne and Shirley (also known as Laverne & Shirley & Company and Laverne & Shirley & Friends), ABC, 1976-81
Movies
Veronica, The Long Way Home, CBS, 1998
Specials
Mary Hallen, Who's Happy Now?, PBS, 1975
Gene Kelly ... An American in Pasadena, CBS, 1978
Catherine, All the Way Home, NBC, 1981
Herself, The American Film Institute Salute to Gene Kelly (also known as The Best of Gene Kelly), 1985
Legacy of the Hollywood Blacklist (documentary), PBS, 1987
(Uncredited; in archive footage) Herself, MGM: When the Lion Roars, TNT, 1992
Ethel Merman: There's No Business Like Show Business (documentary), Arts and Entertainment, 1999
Ann Miller: I'm Still Here (documentary), Arts and Entertainment,2000
Herself, All in the Family: The E! True Hollywood Story (documentary), E! Entertainment Television, 2000
Herself, TVography: Laverne & Shirley (documentary), Arts andEntertainment, 2001
Herself, Gene Kelly: Anatomy of a Dancer (documentary), PBS, 2002
Entertainment Tonight Presents: Laverne and Shirley Together Again, ABC, 2002
Pilots
Susannah Somerset, Somerset Gardens, ABC, 1989
Episodic
Lorry Erskine, "A Smattering of Bliss," The Ford Television Theatre, NBC, 1955
Georgia Penland, "The Penlands and the Poole," The Ford Television Theatre, ABC, 1957
The Art Carney Show, 1959
Love Is Funny, 1960
The Best of Anything, 1960
Ellen Pennington, "Mr. Pennigton's Machine," The Lloyd Bridges Show, CBS, 1962
Margaret Ruskin, "Escape into Black," The Fugitive, ABC, 1964
Mrs. McCoy, Julie's mother, "Julie's Dilemma/Who's Who/Rocky," The Love Boat, ABC, 1978
"Change of Venue," Mr. Merlin, CBS, 1982
Martha Neilson, "Trouble in Eden," Murder, She Wrote, CBS, 1987
Kit Parkins, "Who Killed J. B. Fletcher?," Murder, She Wrote, CBS,1991
Sara, "Old Boyfriends," The Golden Girls, NBC, 1991
Phyllis, "The Mother-in-Law," The Good Life, NBC, 1994
Thelma, "Ghost Run," Harts of the West, CBS, 1994
Mrs. Gunders, "Faith, Hope, & Charity," Townies, ABC, 1996
Agnes, "Out and In," Union Square, NBC, 1998
Miriam Guber, "Chapter Fifty-Seven," Boston Public, Fox, 2003
Molly Firth, "Nightmare on Becker Street," Becker, CBS, 2003
WRITINGS
Film Songs
"Boca Chica," Hit Parade of 1951, Republic Pictures Corp., 1950
Autobiography
Betty Garrett and Other Songs: A Life on Stage and Screen, MadisonPublishing, 1977

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