Dorothy Ford

Dorothy Ford (April 4, 1922 – October 15, 2010)[1] was an American actress and model active from the 1940s through the 1960s.

For the mother of U.S. President Gerald Ford, see Dorothy Ayer Gardner Ford.

Dorothy Ford
Ford in Love Laughs at Andy Hardy (1946)
Born(1922-04-04)April 4, 1922
Perris, California, U.S.
DiedOctober 15, 2010(2010-10-15) (aged 88)
Canoga Park, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)Actress and Model
Years active1943–1966
Height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Spouse(s)James Sterling (1949-1949; annullment)
Thomas B. Chambers (1952-1954; divorced)
Mike Ragan (1965-1995; his death)

Career

She began her career as a model,[2] largely owing to her height of 6 feet 2 inches (188 cm) and a 38-26-38-and-a-half figure.[3] She went on to be the first woman signed by showman Billy Rose for the swimming chorus in his Aquacade at the Golden Gate International Exposition in San Francisco.[2] She studied at the Actors' Laboratory Theatre.[4] After seven months with the Aquacade, she became a showgirl at Earl Carroll's, where she worked for a year and a half.[5]

In 1944, she made her screen debut in Lady in the Dark. She continued her acting career, including roles in the Andy Hardy movie Love Laughs at Andy Hardy (1946) and in Abbott and Costello's Jack and the Beanstalk (1952). She appeared in 39 movies from 1943 to 1962.[6].

Personal life

Ford and James Sterling wed in Las Vegas in April 1949. The marriage was annulled two months later. On April 23, 1952, she married Tommy Chambers, a tennis player. She had a miscarriage the next year and divorced. Her third and final husband was Hollis Bane, an actor who was also billed as Mike Ragan. They remained married until his death.[4]

Partial filmography

References
  1. "Dorothy Bane Obituary - Canoga Park, California - Tributes.com". www.tributes.com.
  2. Neill, Frank (March 26, 1948). "She's Not Only Pretty; There's More of Her". Long Beach Independent. California, Long Beach. International News Service. p. 29. Retrieved May 27, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  3. Eder, Bruce. "Dorothy Ford". AllMovie. Archived from the original on February 18, 2020. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
  4. Wagner, Laura (April 2017). "Dorothy Ford: 'Glamazon'". Classic Images (502): 43–44.
  5. Todd, John (February 10, 1943). "Four Six-Footers, Pick of Luscious Feminity, Form Spectacular Background for Movie". Salt Lake Telegram. Utah, Salt Lake City. International News Service. p. 14. Retrieved February 18, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Movies". The New York Times.
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