Betty Kean

Betty Kean
Betty Kean
	Publicity Photo of Betty Kean
Born	December 15, 1914; Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.
Died	September 29, 1986 (aged 71); Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1942–1986
Spouses	; Roy Sedley; (m. 1934; ann. 1936) ; Frank Fay; (m. 1937; div. 1939) ; Jim Backus; (m. 1939; div. 1942) ; Lew Parker; (m. 1956; died 1972)
Children	2

Betty Kean (December 15, 1914 – September 29, 1986) was an actress and part of the 1950s era comedy duo the Kean Sisters with her sister Jane Kean.^[1] She married four times, to actors including Jim Backus and her last husband Lew Parker. She died in 1986 of cancer in Hollywood.^[2]

Biography

Kean was born in Hartford, Connecticut in 1914. She began her acting career in 1942, appearing in films like Moonlight Masquerade, Gals, Incorporated, Sing a Jingle and Hi, Good Lookin'!, among others.

During the 1950s she was part, along her sister Jane, of the comedy duo the Kean Sisters, which worked the nightclub circuit throughout the 1940s and 1950s and appeared on Broadway in the 1955 musical, Ankles Aweigh.^[3]

On television, Kean portrayed Amy Tucker on Leave It to Larry.^[4] Other TV shows on which she appeared included Naked City, The Andy Griffith Show, My World and Welcome to It, and The Love Boat.

One of her last television appearances was in the February 22, 1986, episode of The Facts of Life, “The Lady Who Came to Dinner” as a traveling vaudevillian performer whom Tootie hires for the entertainment during Blair’s 21st birthday.

Her final film credit was Dreamscape in 1984.

Personal life

Kean was married four times; to Roy Sedley from 1934 to 1936, to Frank Fay from 1937 to 1939, with whom she had one daughter, Cathy Jane Fay, to Jim Backus from 1939 to 1942 and lastly to Lew Parker from 1956 to 1972 with whom she had another daughter, Deirdre.^[1]

Death

Kean died of cancer in Los Angeles on September 29, 1986.^[2]

Selected filmography

Film

Moonlight Masquerade (1942) - Mikki Marquette
Gals, Incorporated (1943) - Bets Moran
Sing a Jingle (1944) - Myrtle
Hi, Good Lookin'! (1944) - Peggy
Slightly Terrific (1944) - Marie Mason
Murder in the Blue Room (1944) - Betty
My Gal Loves Music (1944) - Peggy Quinn
The Fifth Floor (1978) - Sophy
The Seduction (1982) - Mrs. Caluso
Dreamscape (1984) - Grandma

Television

Fireside Theatre - Meet My Sister (1949) TV Episode
Naked City - Make It Fifty Dollars and Add Love to Nona (1962) TV Episode .... Mrs. Kelvin
The Andy Griffith Show - A Visit to Barney Fife (1967) TV Episode .... Ma Parker
My World and Welcome to It - Seal in the Bedroom (1969) TV Episode .... Mrs. Monroe
That Girl - That Girl's Daddy (1970) TV Episode .... Mrs. McCarty
Happy Days - Fonzie the Father (1976) TV Episode .... Millie
Police Woman - Night of the Full Moon (1976) TV Episode .... Charlene's Landlady
The Bob Newhart Show - Of Mice and Men (1977) TV Episode .... Flo
The Love Boat - Ex Plus Y/Golden Agers/Graham and Kelly (1977) TV Episode .... Mrs. Svenson
Diff'rent Strokes - Sam's Missing (1985) TV Episode .... Sally Winkle
The Facts of Life - The Lady Who Came to Dinner (1986) TV Episode .... Louise Le Beau

References

^ ^a ^b "Betty Kean, 69, a TV Actress And Part of 50's Comedy Act". The New York Times. Associated Press. October 3, 1986. p. D18. Retrieved 2021-10-01.
^ ^a ^b "Singer and Dancer Betty Kean Dies at 71: Gained Fame With Her Sister Jane Over a 50-Year Career". Los Angeles Times. October 2, 1986. Retrieved 2021-10-01.
^ Broeske, Pat H. (May 4, 1991). "For Her, 'Honeymooners' Never Over: Musical: Jane Kean, who performs on college and cruise circuits, is best remembered as Trixie in the latter-day cast of the TV classic". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2021-10-01.
^ Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (2009). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. Random House Publishing Group. p. 779. ISBN 978-0-307-48320-1. Retrieved February 10, 2022.

External links

Betty Kean at IMDb
Betty Kean at the Internet Broadway Database

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[nyt-1] "Betty Kean, 69, a TV Actress And Part of 50's Comedy Act". The New York Times. Associated Press. October 3, 1986. p. D18. Retrieved 2021-10-01.

[lat-2] "Singer and Dancer Betty Kean Dies at 71: Gained Fame With Her Sister Jane Over a 50-Year Career". Los Angeles Times. October 2, 1986. Retrieved 2021-10-01.

[3] Broeske, Pat H. (May 4, 1991). "For Her, 'Honeymooners' Never Over: Musical: Jane Kean, who performs on college and cruise circuits, is best remembered as Trixie in the latter-day cast of the TV classic". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2021-10-01.

[cd-4] Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (2009). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. Random House Publishing Group. p. 779. ISBN 978-0-307-48320-1. Retrieved February 10, 2022.

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