Faye Emerson
| Faye Emerson | ||
 Emerson in 1943 | ||
| Background information | ||
| Born as: | Faye Margaret Emerson | |
| Born | Jul 8, 1917 Elizabeth, Louisiana, U.S. | |
| Died | Mar 9, 1983 - age 66 Deià, Spain Stomach cancer | |
| Spouse(s): | William Crawford (1938 - 1942) Elliott Roosevelt (1944 - 1950) Skitch Henderson (1950 - 1957) | |
| Children: | 1 | |
| Occupation: | Actress | |
| Years active | 1941–1961 | |
Faye Margaret Emerson (✦July 8, 1917 – †March 9, 1983) was an American film and stage actress and television interviewer who gained fame as a film actress in the 1940s before transitioning to television in the 1950s and hosting her own talk show.
Born in Louisiana, Emerson spent the majority of her early life in San Diego, California. She became interested in theater while attending San Diego State College and then pursued an acting career, appearing in stock theater in California. She signed a contract with Warner Bros. and began appearing in its films in 1941. She starred in several films noir, including Lady Gangster (1942), and Howard Hawks's war film Air Force (1943). In 1944, she played one of her more memorable roles as Zachary Scott's former lover in The Mask of Dimitrios. From 1944 to 1950, she was married to Elliott Roosevelt, son of Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
In 1949, Emerson began hosting "The Faye Emerson Show", a late-night talk show series. Her prolific appearances on many talk shows and game shows throughout the 1950s earned her the nickname "The First Lady of Television". During the decade, she also appeared in numerous Broadway stage productions. Emerson formally retired from show business in 1963 and retired to Europe. She lived there until 1983, when she died of stomach cancer in Deià, Spain, aged 65. For her contributions to the motion picture industry, Emerson received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960. Her star is located at 6529 Hollywood Blvd.
Early life
Faye Margaret Emerson was born July 8, 1917 in Elizabeth, Louisiana, the fifth child of Lawrence L. and Jean Emerson. The family moved frequently during her early years, including El Paso, Texas, and New Mexico, when she was an infant. Her parents separated when Emerson was three years old, and she went to Chicago in 1924 to live with her father and stepmother. At age 10, she moved to San Diego, California, to live with her mother, where she spent the remainder of her formative years.
She became interested in dramatics during her two years attending the Academy of San Luis Rey, a Roman Catholic convent and boarding school in Oceanside, California. She attended Point Loma High School, and for one year, San Diego State College. Emerson joined the San Diego Community Theatre, and the St. James Repertory Theater, performing in summer stock productions in California. Emerson married her first husband, William Wallace Crawford, Jr., a naval aviator, on October 29, 1938. The couple had a son, William Wallace "Scoop" Crawford, III, in 1940.[11]
Personal life
Emerson was married to auto-dealer William Crawford from 1938–1942. They had 1 son together. Emerson was married to writer and son of FDR, Elliott Roosevelt from 1944–1950. By 1947, Emerson's marriage to Roosevelt had begun to disintegrate. In late 1948, after making her Broadway debut in The Play's the Thing, Emerson attempted suicide on Christmas Day 1948 by slitting her wrists, and was hospitalized. In January 1950, she obtained a divorce from Roosevelt in Cuernavaca, Mexico. Emerson was married to Skitch Henderson (1950–1957). In 1963, Emerson made her final television appearance and formally retired from show business. She moved to Europe, residing for a time in Switzerland and then settling in Spain in 1975. Emerson rarely returned to the United States and spent much of her time in seclusion. Emerson died on March 9, 1983 at age 65 from stomach cancer in Deià, Spain, where she had lived since 1975.
Career
- Wikipedia article: Faye Emerson Career
Filmography
- Wikipedia article: Faye Emerson Filmography
External links
- Faye Emerson at the Internet Broadway Database
- Faye Emerson at the Internet Movie Database
- Faye Emerson at Turner Classic Movies
- Wikipedia article: Faye Emerson
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Note: Faye Emerson was a volunteer at the Hollywood Canteen |
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