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Tyra Vaughn

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Tyra Vaughn
BornMarch 13, 1923
Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedAugust 9, 2015 (aged 92)
Northridge, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)Actress, dance instructor
Years active1941–88

Tyra Vaughn (March 13, 1923 – August 9, 2015) was an American actress, model, and showgirl, who appeared in motion pictures and television throughout the 1940s and late 1950s, and who later found a second career as a professional dance instructor.

Early life

She was born on March 13, 1923, in Scranton, Pennsylvania.[1] Her father was a police sergeant. She attended West Scranton High School from which was she was active in the drama club and graduated in June 1941. With the outbreak of World War II, she moved to Los Angeles and joined the USO as a professional dancer.[1]

In 1943, she joined other variety showgirls in protesting a waiters' strike at Earl Carroll's Theater-Restaurant in Hollywood.[2] She was a swimsuit model,[3][4] named "Miss Springtime of 1944"[5] by the Blue Book modeling agency, run by Emmeline Snively.[6] Later in 1944 she appeared as an artist's model in a segment for NBC's People are Funny program.[7]

Career

After World War II, Vaughn was a dance instructor for the Hollywood Athletic Club, before producer Samuel Goldwyn selected her for his 1940s Goldwyn Girls ensemble.[1][8] She later appeared (without credits) in such movies as The Harvey Girls (1946), The Kid from Brooklyn (1946), Down to Earth (1947), Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948), Duchess of Idaho (1950), and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953).[9][10] As a friend of actress and swimmer Esther Williams, she landed a recurring role on the Lux Video Theatre with Williams' help, appearing in several episodes between 1950 and 1957. When the series ended, Vaughn left acting and lived in Southern California, teaching dance until her 1988 retirement.[1]

Personal life

Vaughn died aged 92 on August 9, 2015, in Northridge, California, from natural causes.[1] Her remains were donated to medical science at the UCLA Medical Center.[11] Vaughn never married. In 1947, she adopted and raised a son.[citation needed] She was survived by her son, a daughter-in-law, one younger sister, and several nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Filmography

Year Program (episode) Role
1957 Lux Video Theatre (Judge Not) Noreen
1957 Lux Video Theatre (The Softest Music) Emmaline
1957 Lux Video Theatre (Edge of Doubt) Violet
1957 Lux Video Theatre (Stand-In for Murder) Connie
1956 Lux Video Theatre (Only Yesterday) Helen
1956 Lux Video Theatre (Hired Wife) Lynn
1955 Lux Video Theatre (The Nine-Penny Dream) Jane
1954 Lux Video Theatre (Imperfect Lady) Beverly
1954 Lux Video Theatre (A Visit from Evelyn) Myrna
1954 Lux Video Theatre (Call Off the Wedding) Dorothy
1953 Lux Video Theatre (Two for Tea) Charlotte
1952 Lux Video Theatre (The Orchard) Elizabeth
1951 Lux Video Theatre (Dames Are Poison) Patricia
1951 Lux Video Theatre (The Shiny People) Carol
1950 Lux Video Theatre (The Lovely Menace) Party Extra
1950 Lux Video Theatre (Mine to Have) Sally
1953 How to Marry a Millionaire Model (uncredited)
1953 Gentlemen Prefer Blondes Chorus Girl (uncredited)
1952 April in Paris Chorine (uncredited)
1952 Singin' in the Rain Chorus Girl (uncredited)
1951 Starlift Nurse (uncredited)
1951 Meet Me After the Show Gold Digger (uncredited)
1951 On the Riviera Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
1950 Duchess of Idaho Diane (uncredited)
1949 Samson and Delilah Temple Spectator (uncredited)
1949 On the Town Dancer in "Day in New York" Ballet (uncredited)
1949 Fighting Man of the Plains Saloon Girl (uncredited)
1948 Romance on the High Seas Ship Passenger (uncredited)
1948 Up in Central Park Young Lady (uncredited)
1948 Letter from an Unknown Woman Ballet Dancer (uncredited)
1947 Escape Me Never Girl (uncredited)
1947 Down to Earth Muse (uncredited)
1947 Trail Street Dance Hall Girl (uncredited)
1946 The Razor's Edge Showgirl (uncredited)
1946 Three Little Girls in Blue Minor Role (uncredited)
1946 Shadows Over Chinatown Miss Chalmers
1946 The Kid from Brooklyn Goldwyn Girl (uncredited)
1946 The Harvey Girls Dance-Hall Girl (uncredited)

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Lentz, Harris M., III (2016). "Vaughn, Tyra". Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2015. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. pp. 357–358. ISBN 978-0-7864-7667-1.{{cite encyclopedia}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ "Carroll's Showgirls Demand End of Strike" Los Angeles Times (December 2, 1943): 17. via Newspapers.comFree access icon
  3. ^ "Showgirl 'Rebuked'", Atlanta Constitution (December 9, 1943): 13. via Newspapers.comFree access icon
  4. ^ "Past, Present, and Future", The Herald-Press (January 4, 1944): 6. via Newspapers.comFree access icon
  5. ^ "Miss Springtime" Wilkes-Barre Record (March 28, 1944): 9. via Newspapers.comFree access icon
  6. ^ Astrid Franse, Michelle Morgan, Before Marilyn: The Blue Book Modeling Years (Macmillan, 2015): 31. ISBN 9781250085900.
  7. ^ "Some Fun!" Wilmington Daily Press Journal (August 21, 1944): 5. via Newspapers.comFree access icon
  8. ^ "These Are Hollywood's Dream Girls" The Capital Journal (June 21, 1945): 15. via Newspapers.comFree access icon
  9. ^ "There are Irish in 'My Wild Irish Rose'", Daily Press (December 15, 1946): 18. via Newspapers.comFree access icon
  10. ^ "Beauty Line" Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (February 3, 1947): 23. via Newspapers.comFree access icon
  11. ^ "Tyra Vaughn (1923 – 2015) - Find A Grave Memorial". www.findagrave.com. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
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