Valora Noland
| Valora Noland | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 8, 1941 Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Occupation | Film, television actress |
| Years active | 1961–1968 |
Valora Noland [1] is an American actress, notable for her 1960s movie and television work.
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[edit] Biography
Valora Noland was born in Seattle, Washington December 8, 1941. Her mother had not yet decided upon a name for her new boy or girl, and caught up in the concerns of the hour (Pearl Harbor), let it go for the moment. Later, hearing a stirring speech by Winston Churchill, she named her daughter Valor, but neglected to add it to the birth certificate. When Valor applied for her first driver's license, she had to produce her birth certificate, but it said only "Girl child ......." So the name was finally added in the late 1950s.
Valor's artist father, Franz Baum, mother, Abby Beveridge, and their three children settled in the countryside near Santa Cruz, California in 1943.
Sometime around 1959, forced by her mother to choose a career, Valor Baum decided to become an actress. After graduating from Santa Cruz High School, she was accepted by the Pasadena Playhouse, and while studying there for a year and a half, settled on "Valora Noland" for her stage name. One day, while shopping for groceries, a peculiar little man approached her. "I've been watching you while you've been shopping", he said. "Are you with the Playhouse? Are you in show business? I know a great agent—though he'll tell you he doesn't know me! I can introduce you!" This introduction led to Valora getting an agent before she moved to Hollywood, but though her go-between was highly respected (Dick Clayton), she didn't just jump into the perfect showcase role. Her first job, an improvised scene with three other actors for the film Five Finger Exercise—later cut from the film because it hadn't been in the original play—enabled her to buy her SAG card, and somewhat larger parts in TV shows followed, but not too exciting. Her first genuine film role was in Beach Party in 1963, and later that year, an independent film titled Summer Children, made on Catalina Island but never released. This was followed by Muscle Beach Party in 1964, and after that a film titled Sex and the College Girl which also took place on Puerto Rico. A third "island" film came in 1965 when she was chosen to play the unfaithful wife in The Passionate Strangers, a Philippine production. Back in Hollywood, Valora joined the cast of The War Wagon for a minimal role, and was given a few leads in television shows, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Virginian, Mannix and Star Trek. The last was the first time a director had ever called for her to play a specific part without competing, and this a week before shooting began. She regretted accepting the hurried invitation for several reasons, and bowed out of Hollywood shortly thereafter in January 1968.
[edit] Characters
Among Noland's more memorable characters were Rhonda (aka "Animal") in the first two Beach Party movies (co-starring with Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon); The Rifleman series as Clare Morgan in High Country, 1961; Vickie in 1964's Sex and the College Girl; Duchess Vicky in Man from U.N.C.L.E, The Round Table Affair 1966; Kate Fletcher in The War Wagon, 1967; Amanda Harley in The Virginian, Girl on the Pinto, 1967; and Daras in the original Star Trek television series episode "Patterns of Force".
[edit] References
- ^ Lisanti, Tom (2003). Drive-In Dream Girls. ISBN 0-7864-1575-4. Valora Noland, pp 296-299.
2. ^ Someone else's bio corrected by Valora Noland, July 2009
