In the '60s she played a small role in The George Raft Story with Jayne Mansfield.
In 1957, Nichols landed three movie roles, Pal Joey, Sweet Smell of Success, and The Pajama Game. She began her entertainment career in the 1940s as a model and burlesque dancer but did manage to get some roles in television shows, usually as a wise-cracking side-kick. In the 1990s she had a role on Seinfeld as Kramer's mother, where she revealed his first name was Cosmo.īarbara Marie Nickerauer was born in Queens, New York on December 30, 1929. She continued working right on through the 1980s, doing guest appearances in shows like The Golden Girls, where she was cast as Blanche's (Rue McClanahan's) sister, Virginia. She was nominated for an Emmy in 1976 for her performance in an episode of Marcus Welby, MD, and again in 1980 for her performance in an episode of Archie Bunker's Place.
She moved on to act in other movies and TV shows. In 1958, North's contract with 20th Century Fox ended. After these films were completed, the studio decided that North was not in fact the successor to Monroe's title and moved on to another hot blond property by the name of Jayne Mansfield.
This led to a series of roles intended to give Monroe some competition: The Lieutenant Wore Skirts, The Best Things in Life Are Free and No Down Payment.
In 1954, North was cast in a movie Monroe had turned down, How to Be Very, Very Popular, with Betty Grable. The studio reasoned that any sexy blonde could be a "Marilyn," and it wasn't uncommon at the time for studios to sign contracts with actresses who physically resembled big stars as way of keeping their stars in line. Sheree North had the same measurements as Marilyn, and the studio used North's potential to replace her to try to force Monroe to curtail her "bad behavior," which included being late to movie sets or simply not showing up. When 20th Century Fox was having troubles with their temperamental star, Marilyn Monroe, the studio was on the lookout for someone who could fill her shoes. A third marriage produced a second daughter, but ended in divorce in 1963. In 1955, she married again, but this marriage, too, ended in divorce a year later. However the marriage didn't last long and ended in divorce in 1953. In 1948 at age 15, she married Fred Bessire and they had a daughter. At age 10 she started dancing, and then in her teens turned her attention to modeling. Sheree was born Dawn Shirley Crang on Januin Los Angeles California. Her roles were usually always the tough dame, and she had, what many described as a husky, sultry voice. She would remarry in 1955 to playwright Russell Rouse, who was 19 years her senior and would remain married to him until his death in 1987.ĭuring the 1950s she made just a handful of films, including Wicked Woman in 1953, Crashout and Betrayed Women both in 1955, and Blonde Bait and Women Without Men, both in 1956.
They married in 1949 but separated in 1950 and finally divorced in 1952. Michaels began a May to December romance with MGM producer Voldemar Vetluguin after meeting him on the set of East Side, West Side. She then had some uncredited roles in films like The Marrying Kind and No Holds Barred, both in 1952. One of her first movie roles was as Felice Backett in East Side, West Side. She began acting on Broadway in 1946, in a play which closed soon after it opened. She started her career as a model in her teens. She was born in New York City in 1927 or perhaps '28, depending on different sources.