Helen Walker
Not to be confused with the singer-actress Helen Roberts Walker
| Helen Walker | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | July 17, 1920 Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | March 10, 1968 (aged 47) North Hollywood, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | cancer |
| Years active | 1942–1960 |
| Spouse | Edward DuDomaine (1950-1952) (divorced) Robert Blumofe (1942-1946) (divorced) |
Helen Walker (born July 17, 1920 – March 10, 1968) was an American movie actress of the 1940s and 1950s.[1]
She was born in Worcester, Massachusetts and made her film debut in 1942. After a promising start in Hollywood, Walker was involved in a 1946 car wreck. A hitchhiker was killed, and Walker and two others were seriously injured, for which she was charged with drunk and reckless driving. She was subsequently acquitted and made a comeback, but her career never fully recovered. She retired from acting at the age of 35, then died in North Hollywood, California from cancer.
Contents |
[edit] Auto accident
She was filming Heaven Only Knows [1] when an auto accident drastically disrupted her career. On December 31, 1946, while driving the car of director Bruce "Lucky" Humberstone from Palm Springs to Hollywood, she gave a ride to three hitchiking soldiers named Robert E. Lee, Philip Mercado and Joseph Montaldo. Near Redlands, California the car hit a divider and flipped over, killing Lee, and causing serious injuries to Helen and the other two passengers. She was charged with drunk driving and reckless driving. Mercado brought a civil suit for $150,000 against her.[2]
Her criminal trial for manslaughter ended with a dismissal on the motion of San Bernardino County District Attorney Jerome B. Kavanaugh.[3]
[edit] Personal life
She was married to Paramount studio lawyer Robert Blumofe (1942, divorced 1946) and department store executive Edward DuDomaine (1950, divorced 1952).[1] When her house burned in 1960, other actresses held a benefit to assist her.[1]
[edit] Filmography
- Lucky Jordan (1942)
- The Good Fellows (1943)
- Abroad with Two Yanks (1944)
- The Man in Half Moon Street (1945)
- Brewster's Millions (1945)
- Murder, He Says (1945)
- People Are Funny (1946)
- Murder in the Music Hall (1946)
- Cluny Brown (1946)
- Her Adventurous Night (1946)
- The Homestretch (1947)
- Nightmare Alley (1947)
- Call Northside 777 (1948)
- My Dear Secretary (1949)
- Impact (1949)
- My True Story (1951)
- Problem Girls (1953)
- The Big Combo (1955)
[edit] Television
- Dragnet (1 episode, 1956)
- The 20th Century-Fox Hour (1 episode, 1957)
- Lock Up (1 episode, 1960)
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Obituary Variety, March 13, 1968, page 79.
- ^ "Hitchhiker Seeks Damages From Helen Walker" Los Angeles Times, March 6, 1947.
- ^ "Helen Walker Cleared in Hitchhiker's Death" Los Angeles Times, April 9, 1947.
[edit] External links
 |
This article about a United States film actor or actress born in the 1920s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
