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{{short description|American actress}}
{{Short description|American actress (1941–2001)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2012}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2012}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
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| death_date = {{Death date and age|2001|05|10|1941|08|12|mf=yes}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2001|05|10|1941|08|12|mf=yes}}
| death_place = [[Sedona, Arizona]], U.S.
| death_place = [[Sedona, Arizona]], U.S.
| known_for = ''[[Gidget Goes Hawaiian]]''<br>''[[Spinout (film)|Spinout]]''<br>''[[Beach Blanket Bingo]]''
⚫
| spouse = John Reynolds (m. 19??; div. 19??)<br>{{marriage|[[John Ashley (actor)|John Ashley]]|1962|1966|end=div}}<br>{{marriage|Chet McCracken|1968|1975|end=div}}
| spouse = {{plainlist|
⚫
* John Reynolds (m. 19??; div. 19??)<br>{{marriage|[[John Ashley (actor)|John Ashley]]|1962|1966|end=div}}
* {{marriage|Chet McCracken|1968|1975|end=divorced}}
}}
| children = 2
| children = 2
| occupation = Actress
| occupation = Actress
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}}
}}


'''Deborah Walley''' (August 12, 1941{{spaced ndash}}May 10, 2001) was an American actress noted for playing the title role in ''[[Gidget Goes Hawaiian]]'' (1961) and in several [[Beach Party]] films.
'''Deborah Walley''' (August 12, 1941{{spaced ndash}}May 10, 2001) was an American actress noted for playing the title role in ''[[Gidget Goes Hawaiian]]'' (1961) and appearing in several [[beach party film]]s.


==Early years==
==Early years==
She was born in [[Bridgeport, Connecticut]], to [[Ice Capades]] skating stars and choreographers, Nathan and Edith Walley.<ref>{{cite news|title=Diminutive Actress to Make Debut in Hawaiian Movie|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5276873/the_salt_lake_tribune/|work=The Salt Lake Tribune|date=May 9, 1961|location=Utah, Salt Lake City|page=7|via = [[Newspapers.com]]|accessdate = May 15, 2016}} {{Open access}}</ref> When she was three years old, she made her first public appearance at [[Madison Square Garden]]. In her teens, however, she decided to pursue a career in acting.<ref name=t/>
Walley was born in [[Bridgeport, Connecticut]], to [[Ice Capades]] skating stars and choreographers Nathan and Edith Walley.<ref>{{cite news|title=Diminutive Actress to Make Debut in Hawaiian Movie|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5276873/the_salt_lake_tribune/|work=The Salt Lake Tribune|date=May 9, 1961|location=Utah, Salt Lake City|page=7|via = [[Newspapers.com]]|accessdate = May 15, 2016}} {{Open access}}</ref> When she was three years old, she made her first public appearance at [[Madison Square Garden]].<ref name=t/>


She attended [[Central High School (Bridgeport, Connecticut)|Central High School]] in Bridgeport. At 14, she debuted on stage in a [[summer stock]] production of ''[[Charley's Aunt]]''.<ref name="ct">{{cite news|title=Deborah Walley, 57|url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2001-05-15/news/0105150009_1_gidget-deborah-walley-festival-award|work=Chicago Tribune|agency=Los Angeles Times|date=May 15, 2001|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170708015512/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2001-05-15/news/0105150009_1_gidget-deborah-walley-festival-award|archivedate=8 July 2017}}</ref>
Walley attended [[Central High School (Bridgeport, Connecticut)|Central High School]] in Bridgeport. In her teens, she decided to pursue a career in acting.<ref name="t" /> At 14, she debuted on stage in a [[summer stock]] production of ''[[Charley's Aunt]]''.<ref name="ct">{{cite news|title=Deborah Walley, 57|url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2001-05-15/news/0105150009_1_gidget-deborah-walley-festival-award|work=Chicago Tribune|agency=Los Angeles Times|date=May 15, 2001|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170708015512/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2001-05-15/news/0105150009_1_gidget-deborah-walley-festival-award|archivedate=8 July 2017}}</ref>


During her sophomore year, she attended Rosarian Academy in [[West Palm Beach, Florida]], where she was cast as Cinderella in the Academy's annual musical production at the Royal Poinciana Playhouse in Palm Beach, Florida. She studied acting at New York City's [[American Academy of Dramatic Arts]].<ref name="t">{{cite news|title=Deborah Walley|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1330473/Deborah-Walley.html|accessdate=8 July 2017|work=The Telegraph|date=17 May 2001|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170708013511/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1330473/Deborah-Walley.html|archivedate=8 July 2017}}</ref> She began working on stage in the city.{{citation needed|date=August 2015}}
During her sophomore year, Walley attended Rosarian Academy in [[West Palm Beach, Florida]], where she was cast as Cinderella in a musical production at the Royal Poinciana Playhouse. She studied acting at New York City's [[American Academy of Dramatic Arts]].<ref name="t">{{cite news|title=Deborah Walley|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1330473/Deborah-Walley.html|accessdate=8 July 2017|work=The Telegraph|date=17 May 2001|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170708013511/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1330473/Deborah-Walley.html|archivedate=8 July 2017}}</ref>


==Career==
==Career==
Walley appeared on TV in episodes of ''[[Naked City (TV series)|Naked City]]'' ("To Walk in Silence "), and ''[[Route 66 (TV series)|Route 66]]'' ("Ten Drops of Water").
Walley appeared on television in episodes of ''[[Naked City (TV series)|Naked City]]'' ("To Walk in Silence ") and ''[[Route 66 (TV series)|Route 66]]'' ("Ten Drops of Water").


===''Gidget Goes Hawaiian''===
===Early film career===
Walley was discovered by agent [[Joyce Selznick]] in a performance in a production of [[Anton Chekhov]]'s ''[[Three Sisters (play)|Three Sisters]]''. This led her to make her [[Hollywood]] film debut as [[Gidget]] in 1961's ''[[Gidget Goes Hawaiian]]''.<ref name="ffsc">{{cite book|last1=Lisanti|first1=Tom|title=Fantasy Femmes of Sixties Cinema: Interviews with 20 Actresses from Biker, Beach, and Elvis Movies|date=2010|publisher=McFarland|isbn=9781476601168|page=294|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-kWeCQAAQBAJ&q=%22Deborah+Walley%22&pg=PA294|access-date=8 July 2017|language=en}}</ref> The film was popular and established Walley as a name among teenage fans.<ref name="CHS">{{Cite web |url=http://bridgeport.ct.schoolwebpages.com/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectiondetailid=27352 |title=Deborah Walley at Central High School, Bridgeport CT |access-date=June 26, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716015205/http://bridgeport.ct.schoolwebpages.com/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectiondetailid=27352 |archive-date=July 16, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Walley was discovered by agent [[Joyce Selznick]] while performing in a production of [[Anton Chekhov]]'s ''[[Three Sisters (play)|Three Sisters]]'', and she soon made her [[Hollywood (film industry)|Hollywood]] film debut as [[Gidget]] in 1961's ''[[Gidget Goes Hawaiian]]''.<ref name="ffsc">{{cite book|last1=Lisanti|first1=Tom|title=Fantasy Femmes of Sixties Cinema: Interviews with 20 Actresses from Biker, Beach, and Elvis Movies|date=2010|publisher=McFarland|isbn=9781476601168|page=294|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-kWeCQAAQBAJ&q=%22Deborah+Walley%22&pg=PA294|access-date=8 July 2017|language=en}}</ref> The film was popular and established Walley as a name among teenage fans<ref name="CHS">{{Cite web |url=http://bridgeport.ct.schoolwebpages.com/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectiondetailid=27352 |title=Deborah Walley at Central High School, Bridgeport CT |access-date=June 26, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716015205/http://bridgeport.ct.schoolwebpages.com/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectiondetailid=27352 |archive-date=July 16, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and she won the ''[[Photoplay]]'' award for Favorite Female Newcomer.<ref name="ffsc" /> She was named ''Photoplay'' magazine's most popular actress of 1961.<ref name="CHS" />


Disney hired Walley to play an ingenue in two comedies, ''[[Bon Voyage! (1962 film)|Bon Voyage!]]'' (1962) and ''[[Summer Magic (film)|Summer Magic]]'' (1963); she sang in the latter.<ref>{{Cite news|title='Gidgets' Deborah Signed by Disney: Oboler Adding Two to Five; 'World by Night' Fascinating|author=Scheuer, Philip K.|date=Aug 10, 1961|work=Los Angeles Times|page=B13}}</ref>
Disney hired Walley to play an ingenue in two comedies, ''[[Bon Voyage! (1962 film)|Bon Voyage!]]'' (1962) and ''[[Summer Magic (film)|Summer Magic]]'' (1963), and she sang in the latter.<ref>{{Cite news|title='Gidgets' Deborah Signed by Disney: Oboler Adding Two to Five; 'World by Night' Fascinating|author=Scheuer, Philip K.|date=Aug 10, 1961|work=Los Angeles Times|page=B13}}</ref>


⚫
She appeared in ''[[The Young Lovers (1964 film)|The Young Lovers]]'' (1964) for MGM.
⚫
Walley guest starred on ''[[Burke's Law (1963 TV series)|Burke's Law]]'' ("Who Killed Andy Zygmunt?"), ''[[The Greatest Show on Earth (TV series)|The Greatest Show on Earth]]'' ("This Train Don't Stop Till It Gets There") and ''[[Wagon Train]]'' ("The Nancy Styles Story").


⚫
Walley signed a contract with [[American International Pictures]], which cast her as a female lead in several comedies, all with [[Frankie Avalon]] and her husband [[John Ashley (actor)|John Ashley]]: ''[[Beach Blanket Bingo]]'' (1965), ''[[Ski Party]]'' (1965) and ''[[Sergeant Dead Head]]'' (1965). She sang in some of these films.
⚫
She did ''[[The Young Lovers (1964 film)|The Young Lovers]]'' (1964) at MGM.


⚫
Walley had a cameo role in ''[[Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine]]'' (1966) and was the female lead in the last AIP beach-party film, ''[[Ghost in the Invisible Bikini]]'' (1966), opposite [[Tommy Kirk]]. She reunited with Kirk for a beach-party film directed by [[Stephanie Rothman]] titled ''[[It's a Bikini World]]'' (filmed in 1965, released in 1967).
===AIP===
⚫
Walley signed a contract with [[American International Pictures|AIP]] who cast her as a female lead in some comedies, all with [[Frankie Avalon]] and her then-husband [[John Ashley (actor)|John Ashley]]: ''[[Beach Blanket Bingo]]'' (1965), one of the [[Beach Party]] series; ''[[Ski Party]]'' (1965), set in the snow; ''[[Sergeant Dead Head]]'' (1965), a service comedy, which was a big flop. Walley sang in some of these.


⚫
She next appeared in the [[Elvis Presley]] film ''[[Spinout (film)|Spinout]]'',<ref>{{cite web |author=Eleanor Quin |title=Spinout (1966) |url=http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/3067/Spinout/articles.html |publisher=[[Turner Classic Movies]]}}</ref> followed by the lead role in the science-fiction film ''[[The Bubble (1966 film)|The Bubble]]'' (1966).
⚫
She had a cameo in ''[[Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine]]'' (1966) and was the female lead in the last AIP beach party movie, ''[[Ghost in the Invisible Bikini]]'' (1966), opposite [[Tommy Kirk]].


===Television===
She and Kirk were reunited in a beach party movie made by [[Stephanie Rothman]], ''[[It's a Bikini World]]'' (made in 1965, released in 1967).
⚫
Walley guest-starred on ''[[Burke's Law (1963 TV series)|Burke's Law]]'' ("Who Killed Andy Zygmunt?"), ''[[The Greatest Show on Earth (TV series)|The Greatest Show on Earth]]'' ("This Train Don't Stop Till It Gets There"), ''[[Wagon Train]]'' ("The Nancy Styles Story") and ''[[Gomer Pyle: USMC]]'' ("Lies, Lies, Lies"), ''[[The Virginian (TV series)|The Men from Shiloh]]'' ("With Love, Bullets and Valentines"), ''[[Off to See the Wizard]]'' ("Rhino") and ''[[Love, American Style]].''


⚫
In 1967, with her film career in decline, Walley portrayed Suzie Hubbard Buell in the comedy series ''[[The Mothers-in-Law]]''.<ref name="etvs">{{cite book|last1=Terrace|first1=Vincent|title=Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010|date=2011|publisher=McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers|location=Jefferson, N.C.|isbn=978-0-7864-6477-7|page=718|edition=2nd}}</ref> Actress [[Kay Cole]] had played Suzie in the original pilot, but Walley replaced her for the series' two seasons on the air.{{Citation needed |date=July 2021}}
⚫
Walley guest starred on ''[[Gomer Pyle: USMC]]'' ("Lies, Lies, Lies") and co-starred in the [[Elvis Presley]] film ''[[Spinout (film)|Spinout]]'' where she and Elvis bonded over a shared interest in spiritual matters.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/3067/Spinout/articles.html|title=Spinout (1966)|author=Eleanor Quin|publisher=[[Turner Classic Movies]]}}</ref> She had the lead in a science fiction film from [[Arch Oboler]], ''[[The Bubble (1966 film)|The Bubble]]'' (1966).


Walley was credited as an art director in "The Double-O-Nothing Affair", an episode of ''[[The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.]]'' and had a role in ''[[Off to See the Wizard]]'' ("Rhino").
Walley worked as an art director on ''[[The Courtship of Eddie's Father (TV series)|The Courtship of Eddie's Father]]'' and an episode of ''[[The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.]]'' ("The Double-O-Nothing Affair").

===''The Mothers-in-Law''===
⚫
In 1967, with her movie career starting to decline, Walley portrayed Suzie Hubbard Buell in the comedy series ''[[The Mothers-in-Law]]'',<ref name="etvs">{{cite book|last1=Terrace|first1=Vincent|title=Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010|date=2011|publisher=McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers|location=Jefferson, N.C.|isbn=978-0-7864-6477-7|page=718|edition=2nd}}</ref> comedian [[Eve Arden]] playing her mother and singer-comedian [[Kaye Ballard]] playing her mother-in-law. Actress [[Kay Cole]] had played Suzie in the original pilot but was replaced by Walley, who played her through the series' two seasons on the air.{{Citation needed |date=July 2021}}

After the show ended Walley worked as art director on ''[[The Courtship of Eddie's Father (TV series)|The Courtship of Eddie's Father]]''. She guest starred on "The Men From Shiloh", the rebranded name for ''[[The Virginian (TV series)|The Virginian]]'' ("With Love, Bullets and Valentines"), and ''[[Love, American Style]]''.{{Citation needed |date=August 2019}}


===Later career===
===Later career===
Walley's later films included ''[[Drag Racer (film)|Drag Racer]]'' (1971), ''[[The Severed Arm]]'' (1973) and ''[[Benji (1974 film)|Benji]]'' (1974), the latter an unexpected huge hit.
Walley's later film appearances included ''[[Drag Racer (film)|Drag Racer]]'' (1971), ''[[The Severed Arm]]'' (1973) and ''[[Benji (1974 film)|Benji]]'' (1974).


She continued to guest star on shows such as ''[[The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries]]'' ("Mystery on the Avalanche Express"), and ''[[Simon & Simon]]'' ("The Last Big Break", with [[Edd Byrnes]]). She wrote and produced a short film ''Legend of 'Seeks-To-Hunt-Great'' (1989) and provided voices for ''[[Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers (TV series)|Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers]]'' most notably as the character Foxglove the Bat in the episode, ''Good Times, Bat Times''.
She continued to guest-star on shows such as ''[[The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries]]'' ("Mystery on the Avalanche Express") and ''[[Simon & Simon]]'' ("The Last Big Break"). She wrote and produced the short film ''The Legend of Seeks-To-Hunt-Great'' (1989), which won several awards including the National Cine Golden Eagle, the American Indian Film Festival's best short-subject award, the Oklahoma Tribal Council Award for best fiction film and the 1991 Algrave International Video Festival's best-of-festival award.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2001-05-15 |title=Deborah Walley, 57 |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2001-05-15-0105150009-story.html}}</ref>


In the 1980s she focused on raising her family and writing and producing. She co-founded Pied Piper Prods., a nonprofit theater company for children. As a writer, Walley worked for Disney Animation, Animation Camera, Rick Kear Prods., Sea World, Lasting Endearments, the Aesop Co. and her own company, Swiftwind Prods.<ref>{{cite news|title=Deborah walley; actress, 57|date=May 15, 2001|work=New York Times|id={{ProQuest|431755157}}}}</ref>
Walley moved to Sedona, Arizona in 1991 to focus on raising her family while writing and producing. She cofounded Pied Piper Productions, a nonprofit theater company for children, and was a cofounder of the Sedona Children's Theater.<ref>{{cite news|title=Deborah walley; actress, 57|date=May 15, 2001|work=New York Times|id={{ProQuest|431755157}}}}</ref>


In 1991, she moved to Sedona, Arizona, where she turned to writing books. She published her first book, "Grandfather's Good Medicine" in 1993. She also wrote scripts and taught acting and production techniques to American Indians through Swiftwind, and produced and appeared in plays.<ref name="los">{{cite news|author=Oliver, M.|date=May 14, 2001|title=Obituaries; deborah walley; actress starred in 'gidget,' beach films|work=Los Angeles Times|id={{ProQuest|421801648}}}}</ref><ref name=ct/>
She published her first book, ''Grandfather's Good Medicine'', in 1993, which was based on the plot of ''The Legend of Seeks-To-Hunt-Great''. She also wrote scripts and taught acting and production techniques to American Indians through her Swiftwind Productions company, and she continued to produce and appear in plays.<ref name="los">{{cite news|author=Oliver, M.|date=May 14, 2001|title=Obituaries; deborah walley; actress starred in 'gidget,' beach films|work=Los Angeles Times|id={{ProQuest|421801648}}}}</ref><ref name=ct/>


Walley in 1999 returned to Hollywood, where she pursued acting as a "hobby." She appeared on ''[[Baywatch]]'' and the daytime soap ''[[Passions]]''. She continued to work with children via her "Imagination Playshops", acting workshops for children in the United States and Australia. She also worked with the Educational Theater Co., a multiethnic company based in Los Angeles.<ref>{{cite news|title=Obituary: Deborah walley|date=May 2001|work=Variety|issue=383|page=64|id={{ProQuest|236347152}}}}</ref>
Walley returned to Hollywood in 1999, where she pursued acting as a "hobby." She appeared on ''[[Baywatch]]'' and the daytime soap opera ''[[Passions]]''. She continued to work with children through her Imagination Playshops, acting workshops for children in the U.S. and Australia. She also worked with the Educational Theater Company, a multiethnic organization based in Los Angeles.<ref>{{cite news|title=Obituary: Deborah walley|date=May 2001|work=Variety|issue=383|page=64|id={{ProQuest|236347152}}}}</ref>


==Personal life and death==
==Personal life and death==
From 1962 to 1966,<ref group=note>Walley's obituary in ''The Telegraph'' says, "She married John Ashley in 1961."</ref><ref name=t/> Walley was married to actor [[John Ashley (actor)|John Ashley]]. The couple had a son, Anthony Brooks Ashley.<ref group=note>Walley's obituary in ''The Telegraph'' says, "They had three sons."</ref><ref name=t/> Two years after divorcing Ashley, she married Chet McCracken. They remained together until their divorce in 1975.
Walley's first marriage was to John Reynolds, with whom she had a son named Justin. From 1962 to 1966,<ref group=note>Walley's obituary in ''The Telegraph'' says, "She married John Ashley in 1961."</ref><ref name=t/> Walley was married to actor [[John Ashley (actor)|John Ashley]] and had another son, Anthony.<ref group=note>Walley's obituary in ''The Telegraph'' says, "They had three sons."</ref><ref name=t/> Two years after divorcing Ashley, she married Chet McCracken, with whom she remained until divorcing him in 1975.

⚫
In May 2001, Walley died of [[esophageal cancer]] at her home in [[Sedona, Arizona]] at age 59.<ref name="opa">{{cite book|last1=Lentz|first1=Harris M. III|title=Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2001: Film, Television, Radio, Theatre, Dance, Music, Cartoons and Pop Culture|date=2002|publisher=McFarland|isbn=9780786452064|page=307|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZHnGCwAAQBAJ&q=%22Deborah+Walley%22&pg=PA307|access-date=July 8, 2017}}</ref><ref name="NYT_Obit">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/15/arts/deborah-walley-actress-59.html|title=Deborah Walley; Actress, 59 (obituary)|work=New York Times|date=May 15, 2001}}</ref>


⚫
In May 2001, Walley died of [[esophageal cancer]] at her home in [[Sedona, Arizona]], at age 59.<ref name="opa">{{cite book|last1=Lentz|first1=Harris M. III|title=Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2001: Film, Television, Radio, Theatre, Dance, Music, Cartoons and Pop Culture|date=2002|publisher=McFarland|isbn=9780786452064|page=307|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZHnGCwAAQBAJ&q=%22Deborah+Walley%22&pg=PA307|access-date=July 8, 2017}}</ref><ref name="NYT_Obit">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/15/arts/deborah-walley-actress-59.html|title=Deborah Walley; Actress, 59 (obituary)|work=New York Times|date=May 15, 2001}}</ref>
==Awards==
Walley's work in ''Gidget Goes Hawaiian'' brought her the Photoplay Gold Medal Award for Favorite Female Newcomer.<ref name= ffsc/> She was named ''[[Photoplay]]'' magazine's "Most Popular Actress of 1961".<ref name="CHS"/>


== Filmography ==
== Filmography ==
Line 154: Line 150:
|1974
|1974
|''[[Benji (1974 film)|Benji]]''
|''[[Benji (1974 film)|Benji]]''
|Linda
|Linda Sue
|
|
|}
|}
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|''{{sortname|The|Mothers-in-Law}}''
|''{{sortname|The|Mothers-in-Law}}''
|Suzie Hubbard Buell
|Suzie Hubbard Buell
|56 episodes
|Main role
|-
|-
|1970
|1970
Line 234: Line 230:
|''[[Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers (TV series)|Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers]]''
|''[[Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers (TV series)|Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers]]''
|Foxglove / Lahwhinie / Buffy Ratskiwatski
|Foxglove / Lahwhinie / Buffy Ratskiwatski
|voice, Recurring role
|voice, 3 episodes
|-
|-
|1999
|1999
Line 265: Line 261:
[[Category:Actresses from Bridgeport, Connecticut]]
[[Category:Actresses from Bridgeport, Connecticut]]
[[Category:American Academy of Dramatic Arts alumni]]
[[Category:American Academy of Dramatic Arts alumni]]
[[Category:Deaths from esophageal cancer]]
[[Category:Deaths from esophageal cancer in the United States]]
[[Category:Disney people]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in Arizona]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in Arizona]]
[[Category:20th-century American actresses]]
[[Category:20th-century American actresses]]

Latest revision as of 03:28, 26 March 2024

Deborah Walley
Walley, late 1960s
Born(1941-08-12)August 12, 1941
Bridgeport, Connecticut, U.S.
DiedMay 10, 2001(2001-05-10) (aged 59)
Sedona, Arizona, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1960–1999
Known forGidget Goes Hawaiian
Spinout
Beach Blanket Bingo
Spouses
  • John Reynolds (m. 19??; div. 19??)
​
​
(m. 1962; div. 1966)​
Chet McCracken
​
​
(m. 1968; div. 1975)​
Children2

Deborah Walley (August 12, 1941 – May 10, 2001) was an American actress noted for playing the title role in Gidget Goes Hawaiian (1961) and appearing in several beach party films.

Early years[edit]

Walley was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, to Ice Capades skating stars and choreographers Nathan and Edith Walley.[1] When she was three years old, she made her first public appearance at Madison Square Garden.[2]

Walley attended Central High School in Bridgeport. In her teens, she decided to pursue a career in acting.[2] At 14, she debuted on stage in a summer stock production of Charley's Aunt.[3]

During her sophomore year, Walley attended Rosarian Academy in West Palm Beach, Florida, where she was cast as Cinderella in a musical production at the Royal Poinciana Playhouse. She studied acting at New York City's American Academy of Dramatic Arts.[2]

Career[edit]

Walley appeared on television in episodes of Naked City ("To Walk in Silence ") and Route 66 ("Ten Drops of Water").

Early film career[edit]

Walley was discovered by agent Joyce Selznick while performing in a production of Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters, and she soon made her Hollywood film debut as Gidget in 1961's Gidget Goes Hawaiian.[4] The film was popular and established Walley as a name among teenage fans[5] and she won the Photoplay award for Favorite Female Newcomer.[4] She was named Photoplay magazine's most popular actress of 1961.[5]

Disney hired Walley to play an ingenue in two comedies, Bon Voyage! (1962) and Summer Magic (1963), and she sang in the latter.[6]

She appeared in The Young Lovers (1964) for MGM.

Walley signed a contract with American International Pictures, which cast her as a female lead in several comedies, all with Frankie Avalon and her husband John Ashley: Beach Blanket Bingo (1965), Ski Party (1965) and Sergeant Dead Head (1965). She sang in some of these films.

Walley had a cameo role in Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine (1966) and was the female lead in the last AIP beach-party film, Ghost in the Invisible Bikini (1966), opposite Tommy Kirk. She reunited with Kirk for a beach-party film directed by Stephanie Rothman titled It's a Bikini World (filmed in 1965, released in 1967).

She next appeared in the Elvis Presley film Spinout,[7] followed by the lead role in the science-fiction film The Bubble (1966).

Television[edit]

Walley guest-starred on Burke's Law ("Who Killed Andy Zygmunt?"), The Greatest Show on Earth ("This Train Don't Stop Till It Gets There"), Wagon Train ("The Nancy Styles Story") and Gomer Pyle: USMC ("Lies, Lies, Lies"), The Men from Shiloh ("With Love, Bullets and Valentines"), Off to See the Wizard ("Rhino") and Love, American Style.

In 1967, with her film career in decline, Walley portrayed Suzie Hubbard Buell in the comedy series The Mothers-in-Law.[8] Actress Kay Cole had played Suzie in the original pilot, but Walley replaced her for the series' two seasons on the air.[citation needed]

Walley worked as an art director on The Courtship of Eddie's Father and an episode of The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. ("The Double-O-Nothing Affair").

Later career[edit]

Walley's later film appearances included Drag Racer (1971), The Severed Arm (1973) and Benji (1974).

She continued to guest-star on shows such as The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries ("Mystery on the Avalanche Express") and Simon & Simon ("The Last Big Break"). She wrote and produced the short film The Legend of Seeks-To-Hunt-Great (1989), which won several awards including the National Cine Golden Eagle, the American Indian Film Festival's best short-subject award, the Oklahoma Tribal Council Award for best fiction film and the 1991 Algrave International Video Festival's best-of-festival award.[9]

Walley moved to Sedona, Arizona in 1991 to focus on raising her family while writing and producing. She cofounded Pied Piper Productions, a nonprofit theater company for children, and was a cofounder of the Sedona Children's Theater.[10]

She published her first book, Grandfather's Good Medicine, in 1993, which was based on the plot of The Legend of Seeks-To-Hunt-Great. She also wrote scripts and taught acting and production techniques to American Indians through her Swiftwind Productions company, and she continued to produce and appear in plays.[11][3]

Walley returned to Hollywood in 1999, where she pursued acting as a "hobby." She appeared on Baywatch and the daytime soap opera Passions. She continued to work with children through her Imagination Playshops, acting workshops for children in the U.S. and Australia. She also worked with the Educational Theater Company, a multiethnic organization based in Los Angeles.[12]

Personal life and death[edit]

Walley's first marriage was to John Reynolds, with whom she had a son named Justin. From 1962 to 1966,[note 1][2] Walley was married to actor John Ashley and had another son, Anthony.[note 2][2] Two years after divorcing Ashley, she married Chet McCracken, with whom she remained until divorcing him in 1975.

In May 2001, Walley died of esophageal cancer at her home in Sedona, Arizona, at age 59.[13][14]

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1961 Gidget Goes Hawaiian Gidget
1962 Bon Voyage! Amy Willard
1963 Summer Magic Julia Carey
1964 The Young Lovers Debbie
1965 Beach Blanket Bingo Bonnie Graham
1965 Ski Party Linda Hughes
1965 Sergeant Deadhead Airman Lucy Turner
1965 Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine Craig's Cafeteria Date
1966 The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini Lili Morton
1966 Spinout Les
1966 The Bubble Catherine
1967 It's a Bikini World Delilah Dawes
1971 Drag Racer Chris
1973 The Severed Arm Teddy Rogers
1974 Benji Linda Sue

Television[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1960 Naked City Heather Weston "To Walk in Silence"
1960 Route 66 Helen Paige "Ten Drops of Water"
1964 Burke's Law Gwenny Trent "Who Killed Andy Zygmunt?"
1964 The Greatest Show on Earth Anne "This Train Don't Stop Till It Gets There"
1964 Wagon Train Nancy Styles "The Nancy Styles Story"
1966 Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. Tina Tracy "Lies, Lies, Lies"
1967 Off to See the Wizard Elizabeth "Rhino"
1967–1969 The Mothers-in-Law Suzie Hubbard Buell 56 episodes
1970 The Virginian Corey Ann Skeet "With Love, Bullets and Valentines"
1971 Love, American Style Helen "Love and the Guilty Conscience"
1972 Love, American Style Nina "Love and the Anxious Mama"
1978 The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries Gina Bartelli "Mystery on the Avalanche Express"
1986 Simon & Simon Gigi Dolores "The Last Big Break"
1989–1990 Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers Foxglove / Lahwhinie / Buffy Ratskiwatski voice, 3 episodes
1999 Baywatch Ethel "Baywatch Grand Prix"

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Walley's obituary in The Telegraph says, "She married John Ashley in 1961."
  2. ^ Walley's obituary in The Telegraph says, "They had three sons."

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Diminutive Actress to Make Debut in Hawaiian Movie". The Salt Lake Tribune. Utah, Salt Lake City. May 9, 1961. p. 7. Retrieved May 15, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  2. ^ a b c d e "Deborah Walley". The Telegraph. May 17, 2001. Archived from the original on July 8, 2017. Retrieved July 8, 2017.
  3. ^ a b "Deborah Walley, 57". Chicago Tribune. Los Angeles Times. May 15, 2001. Archived from the original on July 8, 2017.
  4. ^ a b Lisanti, Tom (2010). Fantasy Femmes of Sixties Cinema: Interviews with 20 Actresses from Biker, Beach, and Elvis Movies. McFarland. p. 294. ISBN 9781476601168. Retrieved July 8, 2017.
  5. ^ a b "Deborah Walley at Central High School, Bridgeport CT". Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved June 26, 2008.
  6. ^ Scheuer, Philip K. (August 10, 1961). "'Gidgets' Deborah Signed by Disney: Oboler Adding Two to Five; 'World by Night' Fascinating". Los Angeles Times. p. B13.
  7. ^ Eleanor Quin. "Spinout (1966)". Turner Classic Movies.
  8. ^ Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 718. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.
  9. ^ "Deborah Walley, 57". Chicago Tribune. May 15, 2001.
  10. ^ "Deborah walley; actress, 57". New York Times. May 15, 2001. ProQuest 431755157.
  11. ^ Oliver, M. (May 14, 2001). "Obituaries; deborah walley; actress starred in 'gidget,' beach films". Los Angeles Times. ProQuest 421801648.
  12. ^ "Obituary: Deborah walley". Variety. No. 383. May 2001. p. 64. ProQuest 236347152.
  13. ^ Lentz, Harris M. III (2002). Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2001: Film, Television, Radio, Theatre, Dance, Music, Cartoons and Pop Culture. McFarland. p. 307. ISBN 9780786452064. Retrieved July 8, 2017.
  14. ^ "Deborah Walley; Actress, 59 (obituary)". New York Times. May 15, 2001.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Deborah Walley.
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