During Hollywood’s recent years, the following ladies can lay claim to fame as being 6’ tall and over: Gwendoline Christie (6’3″), Elizabeth Debicki (6’3″), Karlie Elizabeth Kloss (6’2″), Maria Sharapova (6’2″), Judy Gold (6’2″), and Brigitte Nielsen (6’1″). In looking at the 1940’s decade of Hollywood’s Golden Era, some of the tallest actresses ever were to appear on the silver screen. Coincidentally, six of these actresses – 6 feet tall and over, dubbed Glamazons – were in the MGM musical “Thousands Cheer” (1943). Add to their natural height high heels and hair updos, these ladies easily appeared 6’5” or taller. Meet the Glamazons who have captured the attention of many a cinema patron.
Dorothy Ford
Statuesque 6’2″ tall blue-eyed brunette beauty Dorothy Ford worked with Abbott and Costello in the 1950’s, appearing in “Here Come the Co-eds” (1945), “Jack and the Beanstalk” (1952) and “The Abbott and Costello Show” (1953), in addition to many other stars, branching out to television work. Born on April 4, 1922 in Perris, California, Dorothy got her start in show business as a model before making her film debut in “Thousands Cheer”. Her last acting job was in the television series “Room for One More” in 1962, which starred Andrew Duggan and Peggy McCay. Dorothy continued to work in Hollywood as a technician in MGM’s film lab through the second half of the 1960’s. In all, she has a total of 43 acting credits. Outside of acting, Dorothy Ford also enjoyed writing poetry and short stories.
Dorothy’s first marriage was to James Sterling which ended in an annulment in 1949; her second marriage, to Thomas B. Chambers which ended in a divorce in 1954; her third marriage was to Mike Ragan until his death in 1995. She died at the age of 88 on October 15, 2010 in Canoga Park, CA.
Barbara Mace
Barbara Mace appeared in only one other movie in Hollywood, “Spy Train” (1943) in a minor role prior to appearing in “Thousands Cheer”. A stunning blond with gray eyes at 6’1.2″ tall, Barbara was born on November 23, 1915 in Des Moines, Iowa. While seeking roles in Hollywood, she also had the ambition to become a poet.
Details about her post-Hollywood life are scant: her obituary only mentions she was a homemaker and residing in Los Gatos, California at the end of her life. Barbara died on September 30, 2001 at the age of 85.
Bunny Waters
Born on September 13, 1916 in Pasadena, California, Bunny Waters grew up in Flagstaff, Arizona.
At 6’0.2″ tall with blonde hair and blue eyes, as an actress she always wore high heels, even admitting to never wearing flat shoes, for doing so would make the legs less slender, according to an interview about being a Glamazons in Ohio’s Dayton Daily News, November 14, 1943. Bunny also dispels myths about being a woman and 6 feet tall, sharing every comment made possible about her height, including the ubiquitous “How’s the weather up there?” one. Like any other six-foot tall gal in Hollywood, her esteem was as healthy as her bubbly personality.
Prior to her career in the movies, Bunny concentrated on becoming a swimmer, and trained under Johnny Weissmuller to become an Olympics competitor for the American women’s swim team. While she proved to be a talented swimmer, she preferred working in Hollywood in front of the camera. Appearing in “Lady in the Dark” (1944), “Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Hollywood” (1945), and “Annie Get Your Gun” (1950), Bunny made twenty films in all, her last one being “Pepe” (1960). When she was not filming, she took on jobs as a showgirl, traveling between New York City and Los Angeles for gigs.
Bunny Waters was married to composer and music producer Johnny Green from 1943 until his death in 1989. The couple had 2 children. She died on October 16, 1992 at the age of 76 in Los Angeles, California.
Sylvia Liggett
Believe it or not, but Sylvia worked as a mechanic prior to her brief days as a star in Hollywood. Employed briefly at Lockheed before being a car mechanic in the San Francisco Valley, Sylvia had a natural aptitude for mechanics and tools. She was even able to successfully help a movie studio transportation driver get his vehicle started, tinkering with the ignition and troubleshooted the issue rather quickly. Advising the driver that he had a short circuit which had to be fixed, she continued on her way to a rehearsal at the studio.
6′ tall, Sylvia’s brown hair and brown eyes made her perfect for the silver screen. She was born on January 11, 1915 in Nishnabotna, Iowa and during her early career, worked as a commercial fashion model. Despite being photogenic, her career in Hollywood failed to ignite after “Thousands Cheer”.
Sylvia died on December 20, 2002 at the age of 87 in Manilla, Iowa.
Helen O’Hara
Helen O’Hara was born on November 8, 1922 in Los Angeles, California and got a humble start in New York City being a door girl to a nightclub, Earl Carroll’s. Dressed like a showgirl herself in a revealing dance costume, one night she was ushered inside, and to her surprise, found herself on stage performing along with other dance girls. Standing 6 feet tall, with blonde hair and blue eye, it is no wonder Helen could easily be mistaken for a showgirl, for she had all the makings of one.
Helen was the daughter of artist Henry Clive, best known for his commercial art in The American Weekly, but also has experience in silent film himself as an actor and worked as an art director for Charlie Chaplin. Her mother was a Ziegfeld Follies dancer. As a young lady, she often modeled for her father after graduating from Hollywood High School. Helen appeared in a total of 10 films, among them being “The Picture of Dorian Gray” (1945), “Ziegfeld Follies” (1945) and “The Jolson Story” (1946).
In her personal life, Helen was married to Willis Goldbeck, a screenwriter, in August 1946. At some point they divorced, and Helen became married to Henry Thompson in 1956. The couple had two children before divorcing during the 1970’s. Helen’s third and final marriage was to Frank Patty in 1975. Helen died on October 26, 1999 at the age of 76 in Orange, California.
Susan Paley
Susan Paley was 6 feet tall, with blonde hair and green eyes, a native Californian born in Pasadena in 1916. Born as Ruth Myer Ruthuff, Susan attended Ben Bard Dramatic School then Minneapolis School of Fine Arts before getting a contract with Paramount. As a contract player for Paramount, her roles were often very brief on screen, usually exiting a nightclub with a gentleman, before leaving in a taxi. Susan appeared in three films prior to “Thousands Cheer”: “Death of a Champion” (1939), “Adventure in Diamonds” (1940), and “Untamed” (1940). In all, she appeared in five films, her career ending in 1944.
She also worked as a model for the John Robert Powers school in New York, and like Dorothy and Barbara, decided to concentrate on writing for a career after Hollywood. Susan was briefly married to the Hollywood actor and director Richard Quine in January 1942 in Chino, California, noted for “My Sister Eileen” (1942) and “Command Decision” (1948). The couple divorced due to unusual circumstances, that Richard told Susan that she was “too old for him” although she was only six years older than him. The Pomona Progress Bulletin (January 20, 1942) states that Susan was already married once before she married Richard Quine, although no name of a former husband is given.
Her death date is unknown.
Zindbar Admin
You May Also Like
