Who Am I? May 2020

I was born in Los Angeles. My dad, Edward, was a restaurateur. My mom, Betty Lou, was a proverbial stage mom who pushed me into the entertainment business at an early age. I appeared on radio at age 5 to play a member of the Cratchit family in a late 1940’s made-for-TV production of a beloved Christmas tale.

I attended Powers Professional School and earned my high School diploma from the Hollywood professional School. I was blessed with a very high I.Q. (162) but only spent a couple of years at U.C.L.A.’s Extension School because I wanted to pursue an acting career.

I got small TV roles on the ‘Burns & Allen Show’ and ‘Sky King’ but I don’t think you’ll remember me from there. I gradually was “discovered” and signed the typical 7 year contract with Universal and later moved on to 20th Century Fox.

I never felt comfortable playing dramatic roles but I found that I had real talent for lightweight comedies. As my girlish figure developed I also snagged sexpot roles. I had the good fortune to enjoy a 7 decade career alongside some of the “Who’s Who” of co-stars to include Warren Beatty, Lauren Bacall, Ann-Margaret, Steven Boyd, Anthony Franciosa, Sean Connery, Rod Taylor Frank Sinatra, Robert Morse and Bob Hope. 

I made history when I proved those “Bond girls” didn’t all have to be British. Bob Hope invited me to join one of his U.S.O. tours entertaining our troops in Vietnam. He also invited me to perform on some of his N.B.C. specials. 

I have a lot of non-Hollywood interests. I enjoy cooking and was a culinary TV personality and culinary columnist. I loved skiing, horseback riding, hiking, rafting, gardening and raising orchids. Somehow, I also found time to develop a handmade sweater business.

I’ve been married four times but along the way I’ve dated baseball pitching great Sandy Koufax as well as Peter Lawford, Frank Sinatra, Jack Nicholson, David Frost, Roman Polanski and a slew of others. I am a conservative Republican so it was natural that I would also date a former Secretary of State in a Republican administration.

In October 2018 I was one of the celebrities working the room and signing autographed pictures at the Chiller Theater Expo held at the Parsippany, N.J. Hilton. I first met my current husband in 1959. Over the years we made 7 movies together. We were housemates for 8 years before deciding to wed. I think you should all know me by now. That’s me in the photo below. If anyone is interested my shoe size is 7.5.  

(1a)Who Am I? (1b)What is my nickname? (1c) My dog is named “Larry” but I named my cat after a character in a 1984 science fiction film. What is my cat’s name? (2a)Who narrated that late 1940’s made-for-TV film in which I appeared as one of the Cratchits? (2b)What Bond movie did I appear in and what was my character’s name? (3a)What is the name of the cookbook I authored? (3b)On what TV show did I appear on as the culinary host? (3c) In which publication did my culinary column appear? (4a)Who is my current husband? (4b)What is my favorite book? (4c)What was the name of my sweater business? (5)What was I doing in Monaco in 1961 wearing a $1500.Balmain-designed gold metallic bathing suit?