Actress. A glamorous brunette, she is remembered for her numerous film and television appearances during the 1950s. Born Catherine Walker, she was raised in Pittsburgh, trained in dance at the Ursuline Academy, made her Metropolitan Opera debut at 11 as a child ballerina in Verdi's "Aida", and for a number of years performed in the ballet troupe of the traveling San Carlo Opera Company. Landing in Hollywood, she made her 1951 silver screen bow in "Two Tickets to Broadway", and while she continued to make cinematic appearances in such features as "Last of the Pony Riders" and "The Eddie Cantor Story" (both 1953) the 1954 "Human Desire", and 1955's "The Second Greatest Sex", her best-known work came on television; Kathleen's numerous small screen credits, mostly Westerns, were to include such fare of the day as "The Adventures of Kit Carson" "Chevron Theatre", "Hopalong Cassidy", "Big Town", "The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show", "Father Knows Best", "The Millionaire", "Bachelor Father", "The Real McCoys", "Richard Diamond, Private Detective", "Highway Patrol", "Wagon Train", and the "Zane Grey Theater". Last seen on 1961 episodes of "Hawaiian Eye" and "Surfside 6", her private life was fairly tame, and while she dated a number of high profile men including Elvis Presley, there was no rumor of scandal and there is no evidence of her ever having married. Tragedy struck on February 5, 1967 when a vehicle she was driving struck actor Dirk Rambo's car head-on, killing him, though at a trial two months later, a judge found that she was not at fault and dismissed all charges. She lived out her days in Southern California and today several of her performances are preserved on DVD.
Actress. A glamorous brunette, she is remembered for her numerous film and television appearances during the 1950s. Born Catherine Walker, she was raised in Pittsburgh, trained in dance at the Ursuline Academy, made her Metropolitan Opera debut at 11 as a child ballerina in Verdi's "Aida", and for a number of years performed in the ballet troupe of the traveling San Carlo Opera Company. Landing in Hollywood, she made her 1951 silver screen bow in "Two Tickets to Broadway", and while she continued to make cinematic appearances in such features as "Last of the Pony Riders" and "The Eddie Cantor Story" (both 1953) the 1954 "Human Desire", and 1955's "The Second Greatest Sex", her best-known work came on television; Kathleen's numerous small screen credits, mostly Westerns, were to include such fare of the day as "The Adventures of Kit Carson" "Chevron Theatre", "Hopalong Cassidy", "Big Town", "The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show", "Father Knows Best", "The Millionaire", "Bachelor Father", "The Real McCoys", "Richard Diamond, Private Detective", "Highway Patrol", "Wagon Train", and the "Zane Grey Theater". Last seen on 1961 episodes of "Hawaiian Eye" and "Surfside 6", her private life was fairly tame, and while she dated a number of high profile men including Elvis Presley, there was no rumor of scandal and there is no evidence of her ever having married. Tragedy struck on February 5, 1967 when a vehicle she was driving struck actor Dirk Rambo's car head-on, killing him, though at a trial two months later, a judge found that she was not at fault and dismissed all charges. She lived out her days in Southern California and today several of her performances are preserved on DVD.
Bio by: Bob Hufford
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