Vivian Blaine (born Vivian Stapleton; November 21, 1921 – December 9, 1995) was an American actress and singer, best known for originating the role of Miss Adelaide in the musical theater production of Guys and Dolls, as well as appearing in the subsequent film version, in which she co-starred with Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons and Frank Sinatra.
Early life
Blaine was born in Newark, New Jersey to Leo Stapleton, an insurance agent,
[1930 United States Federal Census] and Wilhelmina Tepley.
[U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007] The cherry-blonde-haired Blaine appeared on local stages as early as 1934 and she started touring after graduating from South Side High School.
[Grimes, William (December 14, 1995). "Vivian Blaine, the First Adelaide In 'Guys and Dolls,' Is Dead at 74". The New York Times. Accessed December 19, 2019. "Ms. Blaine was born in Newark. Originally her last name was Stapleton. While she was still in elementary school, her father, a theatrical agent, booked $1-a-night singing dates for her at nightclubs, company parties and police benefits. At 14 she began singing with the Halsey Miller Orchestra, and after graduating from Southside High School went on the road with little-known bands."]
Personal appearances
Blaine was a touring singer with dance bands starting in 1937.
At one point in the 1940s, she was the top-billed act at New York's Copacabana nightclub. In his book, Dean and Me: (A Love Story), Jerry Lewis wrote about appearing at the club when Blaine was on the same bill: "We Lewis weren't even the top-billed act. That honor went to a Broadway singing star named Vivian Blaine, who'd conquered Manhattan, gone out to Hollywood to make movies for 20th Century Fox, then returned to the Big Apple in triumph. Vivian was a lovely and very talented actress and singer ..."
Film
In 1942, Blaine's agent and soon-to-be husband Manny Franks signed her to a contract with Twentieth Century-Fox, and she moved to Hollywood, sharing top billing with Laurel and Hardy in
Jitterbugs (1943) and starring in
Greenwich Village (1944),
Something for the Boys (1944),
Nob Hill (1945), and
State Fair (1945).
Stage
Blaine appeared on Broadway in
Guys and Dolls;
A Hatful of Rain;
Say, Darling;
Enter Laughing;
Company; and
Zorba, as well as participating in the touring companies of plays such as
Light Up the Sky; and musicals such as
Gypsy.
Television
Blaine was a special guest during the
This is Your Life tribute episode to Laurel and Hardy, seen over NBC-TV on December 1, 1954. Blaine had worked with the duo in the film
Jitterbugs and had fond memories of the experience.
On the 25th annual Tony Awards in 1971, she appeared as a guest performer and sang "Adelaide's Lament" from Guys and Dolls.
Later in her career, her television career took off, with guest appearances on shows like Fantasy Island, The Love Boat (S2 E9 1978), and a recurring role in the cult hit Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.
Her final onscreen appearance was in "Broadway Malady", a Season 1 episode of Murder, She Wrote.
Personal life
In 1983, Blaine became the first celebrity to make public service announcements for
AIDS-related causes. She made numerous appearances in support of the then-fledgling AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA) and in 1983 recorded her cabaret act for AEI Records, which donated its royalties to the new group; this included the last recordings of her songs from
Guys and Dolls. Her prior albums for
Mercury Records have all subsequently been reissued on CD.
Death
Blaine died of congestive heart failure in Beth Israel Hospital North in New York City on December 9, 1995, aged 74.
Filmography
Film
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| Alternate titles: Between You and Me / Man from Brazil |
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| Alternate title: Come Back to Me |
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| Uncredited |
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| (final film role) |
Television
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| Episode - "Double Jeopardy" |
| Episode - "Heart of a Clown" |
| Episode - "Let's Face It" |
| Episode - "Pick the Winner" |
| Episode - "Dream Girl" |
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| Episode - "The Awful Truth" |
| Episode - "It's Sunny Again" |
| Episode - "The Undesirable" |
| Episode - "A Bunch of Lonely Pagliaccis" |
| 21 episodes |
| Episode - "The Big Dipper/The Pirate" |
| TV movie |
| Episode - "The Minister and the Stripper" |
| Episode - "Everything I Touch" |
| TV movie |
| TV movie |
| TV movie |
| Episode - "Roller Disco: Part 2" |
| Episode - "Aunt Sonia" |
| Episode - "Broadway Malady" (final television role) |
Stage work
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One Touch of Venus (1948)
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Bloomer Girl (1949)
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Light Up the Sky (1949)
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Guys and Dolls (1950–53)
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Panama Hattie (1955)
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A Hatful of Rain (1956–58)
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Rain (1957)
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Say, Darling (1958)
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Gypsy (1960)
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A Streetcar Named Desire (1961)
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Born Yesterday (1961)
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Gypsy (1962)
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Enter Laughing (1963)
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Mr. President (1964)
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Guys and Dolls (1964-1966)
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Never Too Late (1965)
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Cactus Flower (1966–67)
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Damn Yankees (1967)
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Any Wednesday (1968)
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Don't Drink the Water (1968–69)
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Take Me Along (1968)
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The Marriage-Go-Round (1970)
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Zorba (1970–71)
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Company (1971–73)
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Light Up the Sky (1971)
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The Glass Menagerie (1972)
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Follies (1973)
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I Do! I Do! (1973)
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Twigs (1973–74)
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Hello, Dolly! (1974)
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The Best of Everybody (1975)
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Brothers and Sisters (1975)
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Light Up the Sky (1975)
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Almost on a Runway (1976)
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How the Other Half Loves (1977)
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Last of the Red Hot Lovers (1977–79)
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The Boy Friend (1979)
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The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1979)
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Zorba (1984) (replacement for Lila Kedrova)
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Hello, Dolly! (1985)
Further reading
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Oderman, Stuart, Talking to the Piano Player 2. BearManor Media, 2009.
External links
