Gloria Mildred DeHaven was born on July 23, 1925 in Los Angeles, California, to vaudeville headliners Carter and Flora DeHaven. Her parents made sure their daughter would be educated at the very best private schools. They also indulged her ambition to be in show business by packing her off to the Mar-Ken Professional School in Hollywood . After reinventing her for soap operas and more, Gloria DeHaven died of a stroke in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 30, 2016, one week after her 91st birthday.
Daughter of actor-director Carter DeHaven and actress Flora Parker DeHaven.
In Three Little Words , she portrayed her own, real-life mother.
Mother of actor Richard DeHaven. Grandmother of actress Holly Payne.
Sister of assistant director/unit manager Carter De Haven Jr..
MGM allegedly suspended her for refusing to do the film Good News .
Had two children with John Payne : Kathleen Payne (born 1945) and Thomas Payne (born 1947).
Had two children with Richard W. Fincher: Harry Fincher (born 1958) and Faith Fincher (born 1962).
In Call Her Mom , she replaced Ann Miller who in turn had replaced Cyd Charisse.
Ex-stepmother of Julie Payne. Ex-step-grandmother of Katharine Towne.
She hosted the morning movie series "Prize Movie" on WABC-TV (Channel 7) in Los Angeles, California from January 1969 to February 1971.
She was a conservative Republican and over the years has endorsed and supported Dwight D. Eisenhower , Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan.
She was taught to speak eloquent English by Joan Crawford.
In 1944, De Haven came into the makeup and hair department at MGM to wash her hair in prep for a scene she was going to shoot. Halfway into the endeavor she felt a hand push her head into the bowl and began washing her hair. When she was finished, she looked up and saw that it was Marlene Dietrich who had washed her hair. Dietrich had entered the room to pick up the gold paint she was using to cover her left leg in Kismet and figured that since she was there, she would give De Haven a quick hair wash since the studio beauticians had yet to arrive. De Haven was so stunned that she could hardly utter a thank you.
She was friends with: Janet Leigh , Mickey Rooney , June Allyson , Ann Miller , Maria McDonald , Donald OConnor , Virginia OBrien and Tony Curtis.
Made her Broadway debut in a musical version of "Seventh Heaven" opposite Ricardo Montalban.
After 22 years of marriage, her show business parents, Carter and Flora DeHaven, divorced. They remarried shortly afterward and resided together for a year. In that year, Gloria was born.
She was Frank Sinatra s first screen kiss in the musical Step Lively .
Married and divorced Richard W. Fincher twice. They were married from 1957 to 1963 and then from 1966 to 1969.
She was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6933 Hollywood Boulevard on Hollywood, California on February 8, 1960.
Child then juvenile then leading-lady actress in Hollywood. During her long and varied career, she would also perform as nightclub singer, as stage actress in Broadway and London theatre and as television actress and hostess.
I had the privilege of watching great actors at MGM. That was better,than going to any class. Today kids struggle - they have to be,waitresses and bartenders while waiting to get a break. Every hour at,MGM was a joy! My years there were golden, a wonderful time! I will,never regret one moment.
We just ate bananas and ran around in raggedy clothes and enjoyed it. I,always kid about it and say I started in silent films. .
