Carla Balenda | |
|---|---|
| Born | Sally Bliss November 22, 1925 |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1944–1966 |
| Spouse | Mr. Rutter[1] |
Carla Balenda (born Sally Bliss, November 22, 1925) is an American former film and television actress.
Early life
She was born on November 22, 1925, in Carthage, New York, U.S.[1] She attended high school in Baldwin, Long Island, and participated in summer stock theatre.[2] Her father had moved the family from Ohio and was a science teacher at Carthage High School. In 1927, the family moved to Amityville, Long Island. She attended drama school in Rhode Island.
Career
Balenda had contracts with RKO Pictures and Columbia Pictures, but a 1954 newspaper article noted, "she didn't really hit her stride until she was chosen to be Mickey Rooney's TV love."[3] After being billed as Sally Bliss in "a few minor roles in RKO productions," she changed her name to Carla Balenda.[4] She explained: "Sally Bliss was just too cute. And I'm not cute at all. That name would type me, probably in ingenue roles -- and I'm not the type."[4] On television, Balenda portrayed Pat in The Mickey Rooney Show (1954-1955) and Betty Leonard on The Adventures of Dr. Fu Manchu (1955-1956).[5]
Family
She married a WWII pilot, John Martin, and they stayed together for fifteen years, having two boys from the union before divorcing in 1959.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1944 | Swing in the Saddle | Judy Bayliss |
| Dancing in Manhattan | Billie | |
| Meet Miss Bobby Socks | Pillow | |
| 1945 | Eadie Was a Lady | Doris |
| Rustlers of the Badlands | Sally Boylston | |
| 1950 | Hunt the Man Down | Rolene Wood |
| 1951 | Sealed Cargo | Margaret McLean |
| The Whip Hand | Janet Keller | |
| 1952 | The Pace That Thrills | Eve Drake |
| Outlaw Women | Beth Larabee | |
| 1953 | Prince of Pirates | Princess Maria |
| 1954 | Phantom Stallion | Claire |
| 1966 | Seconds | Operating room nurse |
Television
- The Mickey Rooney Show: Hey, Mulligan (1954–55)
- The Adventures of Dr. Fu Manchu (1956)
- Perry Mason (1962)
- Wagon Train (1963)
- Lassie (1958–63)
References
- 1 2 Ellis, Ralf. "Born in Carthage, Starred in Hollywood" (PDF). Carthage Tribune. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 28, 2017. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
- ↑ "Hollywood Sights and Sounds". Corsicana Daily Sun. Corsicana Daily Sun. November 6, 1950. p. 3. Retrieved October 29, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Lane, Lydia (November 5, 1954). "Routine for Beauty Explained by Actress". The Paris News. The Paris News. p. 3. Retrieved October 29, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1 2 "Starlet's Real Monicker Too Cute For Movies". Lebanon Daily News. Lebanon Daily New. October 5, 1950. p. 33. Retrieved October 29, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Aaker, Everett (2006). Encyclopedia of Early Television Crime Fighters. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-6409-8. Pp. 26-27.