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As Patsy Demming in BROADWAY RHYTHM (1944), DeHaven’s brother was played by George Murphy, ”one of the dearest people in the world.” It was loosely based on the successful 1939 Broadway musical, Very Warm For May, by Jerome Kern (his last show) and Oscar Hammerstein. The production’s hit song, “All The Things You Are,” was retained and supplemented by songs of other composers – one of which was “What Do You Think I Am?” It has been in the stage (but not the screen) version of Best Foot Forward, wherein June Allyson had performed it. In BROADWAY RHYTHM, DeHaven sang the song and, she claims, “that caused a feud between us. June considered it her number. It was silly. I didn’t choose the song; it was given to me.”

In June Allyson’s autobiography (G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1982), she states that it was her future husband, Dick Powell, who suggested that the roles Allyson and DeHaven were slated to play in TWO GIRLS AND A SAILOR (1944) be reversed – so that AlIyson would be cast as the “plain” sister and DeHaven the glamorous one. Says DeHaven, “Maybe she knows something I don’t; but that doesn’t make a heck of a lot of sense. I wish they had reversed it – hers was the better role.” DeHaven was top-billed as Jean Deyo, younger sister to Patsy (Allyson). Both Van Johnson and Tom Drake are attracted to DeHaven, who plays cupid for Van and June while choosing Drake. Stated The New York Herald-Tribune review (6.15.44), “Miss DeHaven is one of the cutest ingénues in years…”

She remembers Tom Drake as “wonderfully dear, a lovely actor and a lovely human being. He had the most glorious speaking voice and should have gone much further – but he was his own worst enemy. Tom had a drinking problem that eventually killed him.”

Of Van Johnson, who would become a frequent co-star (in movies, TV, and on the stage), she observes: “I love him dearly and see him often. He, Glenn Ford, June Allyson, Anne Jeffreys, and Annie Miller are the people I see most.”

DeHaven’s solo in TWO GIRLS AND A SAILOR was “My Mother Told Me” and, with Allyson, she sang ” A Love Like Ours,” “A-Tisket, A-Tasket,” and bits of “Sweet And Lovely.” The picture marked Jimmy Durante’s return to the screen, following a 10-year absence. ‘He’d been a close friend of my family’s in vaudeville and said that I’d met him as a child. We were very good friends after that.”

The movie itself “received sensational preview cards” (when tested on audiences), says DeHaven, “but the studio had no names to sell. It was just a little black-and-white picture. So, they added sequences with guest stars-like Lena Home and Grade Allen – and had an enormous success.”

She was Frank Sinatra’s leading lady in STEP LIVELY (1944), a musical remake of the Marx Brothers comedy, ROOM SERVICE (1938), and bestowed the singer’s first screen kiss. “I still think that Frank Sinatra is terrific! He’s so bad-rapped. They’re not so eager to tell about his generosity. We’ve been friends ever since the movie. I had a watch that my mother had given me and I loved it. At the end of the film, Frank gave me a pinky ring that matched it perfectly. My mother said that I couldn’t accept it but Frank spoke to her. I have no idea what he told her, but he snowed her somehow and I kept the ring.”

Among her numbers as Christine Marlowe were “Ask The Madame” (performed with George Murphy) and, with Sinatra, “Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are” (in which she emerges from an onstage bathtub wearing an evening gown) and “Some Other Time.”

In 1944, DeHaven married John Payne. During their six-year union, the film stars became parents of Kathleen (born in 1945) and Thomas (1947). Payne reportedly wanted his wife to retire and they were divorced in 1950.

“Kathleen is married. Thomas is divorced, unfortunately, but very close to his ex-wife-who is just like a daughter to me. They’re the parents of my granddaughter, Holly, who’s 15.”

THE THIN MAN GOES HOME (1945) was the fifth entry in the Nick and Nora Charles (William Powell – Myrna Loy) series and joined the merry sleuths on a visit to his parents in Sycamore Springs. DeHaven was cast as Laura Ronson, an affected rich girl. Explaining her manner, Powell’s mother (Lucile Watson) notes: “Laura Belle goes to dramatic school.” DeHaven was properly impressed by the number of notable character actors in the cast. She recalls, “They all had credits up their kazoos!”

In BETWEEN TWO WOMEN (1945), the 14th movie in the Dr. Kildare/Dr. Gillespie series, DeHaven played Edna, a showgirl suffering from a rare disease. While still well enough to warble, DeHaven sang “I’m In The Mood For Love.” Van Johnson was top-billed as Dr. “Red” Adams and Lionel Barrymore was curmudgeonly Dr. Gillespie.

The other women of the title was played by Marilyn Maxwell. “She was one of those special people in this world. You never heard one bad word about her. She was a dear, dear love. I adored her! What a friend, what a loss!” (Maxwell died, age 49, in 1972.)

Filmed in 1946, but not released until two years later, SUMMER HOLIDAY was a musical version of O’Neill’s Ah, Wilderness. DeHaven, termed “crisply prim and pretty” in The New York Times review (6.12.48), played Muriel, leading lady to Mickey Rooney (who had been seen as the younger brother in the 1935 movie version of AH, WILDERNESS).

“I consider it one of the most equisite films ever,” notes DeHaven. “It was ahead of its time. There were gorgeous costumes and sets and a great score. The actors were unbelievable – Walter Huston, Agnes Moorehead, Frank Morgan, Marilyn Maxwell, Mickey Rooney. It was an artistic success, but a commercial flop.” DeHaven claims that she “adored” the director, Rouben Mamoulian, “a perfectionist.”

She fondly recalls a “strip in reverse – where I end up dressed in a gown” that she did in SCENE OF THE CRIME (1949), in which DeHaven played Lili, a torch singer who falls in love with married detective Van Johnson.

THE DOCTOR AND THE GIRL (1949) had Glenn Ford and Janet Leigh in the title roles with DeHaven as the medic’s sister, Fabienne Corday, who’s unmarried and pregnant. “They cut my abortion scene. It was too shocking for that time.” Cast as another sister, Mariette, was Nancy Davis (later Reagan). “She was genteel, a very private woman – and classy; not outgoing, she’d leave the moment shooting ended – while a lot of us would hang out after work”

DeHaven appeared opposite good friend Donald O’Connor in YES SIR, THAT’S MY BABY (1949), a musical about ex-servicemen in college who argue with their wives over playing football. She sang a solo, “Men Are Little Children,” and, with O’Connor, did “All Look At Me” and the title song.

In 1950, she was leading lady to Red Skelton in THE YELLOW CAB MAN. “I adored Red!” Also that year, she appeared as Mrs. Carter DeHaven in THREE LITTLE WORDS and appeared as Judy Garland’s sister in SUMMER STOCK. “We had to close down for three months – with all of us on salary – because Judy had had a crack-up. She had to go away. When she returned, she was quite thin. That’s when she did ‘Get Happy.'”

DeHaven’s fourth 1950 release was I’LL GET BY, a remake of TIN PAN ALLEY (1940) with Gloria in Alice Faye’s role and June Haver playing Betty Grable’s part. “John Payne was in the original. I don’t know if I’ve ever said in print that Alice Faye was my absolute idol! I wanted to be her – that’s all there was to it.”

Her memories of TWO TICKETS TO BROADWAY (1951) are not fond because of the endless reshooting demanded by studio head Howard Hughes. “I had finished the picture and gone on a Christmas tour with Bob Hope. I got as far as Hawaii, when I got a wire that Mr. Hughes wanted more scenes reshot. My place on the tour was taken by Marilyn Maxwell.” The plot concerned show business hopeful Janet Leigh joining DeHaven, Ann Miller and Barbara Lawrence in order to appear on Bob Crosby’s TV show. With her three female co-stars, DeHaven sang “The Wrong Bird” and, with Eddie Bracken, “Baby, You’ll Never Be Sorry.”

She began her career as a nightclub singer in 1951 and still occasionally makes appearances (last November, at Michael’s Pub in Manhattan).

In June 1953, DeHaven married real estate dealer Martin Kimmel. They were divorced in August 1954.

“One of the worst movies ever made” is how DeHaven describes DOWN AMONG THE SHELTERING PALMS (1953), which had remained on the shelf for two years. “It was dreadful – a wonderful cast, but no story.”

SO THIS IS PARIS (1954) cast her as French chanteuse Colette d’Avril, who was really good old American Jane Mitchell. Her leading man was Tony Curtis. It was the first time he ever tried anything musical – and he was charming. I loved that picture.”

Set in Las Vegas, THE GIRL RUSH (1955) marked Rosalind Russell’s screen musical debut (following her Broadway success in Wonderful Town). DeHaven played show-girl Taffy Tremaine and sang “Champagne” and “An Occasional Man.” She recalls Russell as “absolute magic, one of my favorite ladies of all time!”

DeHaven made her Broadway debut as Diane in a musical version of Seventh Heaven, which co-starred Ricardo Montalban as Chico. “The woman who owned the property wanted to write, produce and direct. She didn’t have talent to do anything. Abe Burrows and ‘Teak’ (Morton) DaCosta came in and tried to help, but it was too late. Everybody said that it could have been a great show. It was a sad situation.” The show premiered May 26, 1955 and closed after 44 performances.

In January 1957, DeHaven married auto dealer Richard Fincher, who later became a Florida senator. They were divorced in 1963, remarried the following year and divorced again in 1968. The Finchers had two children: Harry (born in 1958) and Faith (1962). “Harry took his father’s first name and my last name as his professional name.” As Richard DeHaven, the young actor has appeared in the films, AVENGING ANGEL (1984), SAVAGE STREETS (1984) and NIGHT OF THE CREEPS (1985).

“Even though they had different fathers,” says DeHaven, “my kids are very close. And they’re my best friends.”

In 1968, DeHaven was leading lady to Sammy Davis, Jr. in the London production of the musical, Golden Boy. She has toured in numerous shows, including The Sound Of Music, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, Oliver! and No, No, Nanette.

She appeared as Sara Fuller in the TV soap opera, As The World Turns (1966-67) and was the host of ABC Prize Movie (1969-70). In the 1971 television movie, Call Her Mom, DeHaven played the wife of college president Van Johnson. The series, Nakia, which lasted 15 episodes in 1974, featured I her as a radio dispatcher. Among her other TV appearances have been telefilms, Who Is The Black Dahlia? (1975), Evening In Byzantium (1978), and Off Sides (filmed in 1980 as Pigs Vs. Freaks, but first shown in 1984). She played Annie Wylie, also known as Tippy Toes, in the series, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (1976) and appeared from 1983 to 1987 as Bess on the soap opera, Ryan’s Hope. “Bess was wonderful – a basically nice lady who wore pink jeans and plastic earrings. Then, they classed her up and she lost her oomph.”

DeHaven did one of many guest cameos in WON TON TON-THE DOG WHO SAVED HOLLYWOOD (1976) and her most recent feature was BOG, a horror film made in Wisconsin in 1978 and released on videocassette in 1984. “The picture was never finished, I was never paid. They released it incomplete and then disappeared – like a floating crap game. I have a copy of it. The monster looks like a huge chicken.”

Last season, DeHaven made appearances on the TV series Highway To Heaven and Murder, She Wrote. “I’m scheduled to I do another Murder, She Wrote and I would love to do another series. Things are changing. I think Golden Girls was the first step. If television doesn’t work out for me, I’m going to concentrate on theater.”

Unlike some contemporaries, DeHaven has fond recollections of her studio days. “I had the privilege of watching great actors at MGM. That was better than going to any class. Today, kids struggle – they have to be waitresses and bartenders, while waiting to get a break. “Every hour at MGM was a joy!” exclaims Gloria DeHaven. “My years there were golden, a wonderful time! I will never, never regret one moment.”

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