Dodie Heath
Born
Rowena Dolores Heath

(1926-08-03)August 3, 1926
Seattle, Washington, U.S.
DiedJune 24, 2023(2023-06-24) (aged 96)
EducationUniversity of Washington School of Drama
OccupationActress
Years active1950–1974
Spouses
Jack Cushingham
​
​
(m. 1962; died 1985)​
  • Richard M. Soames

Rowena Dolores Heath (August 3, 1926 – June 24, 2023), also known as Dodie Heath and Dody Heath, was an American actress of stage, film, and television.

Early life

Rowena Dolores Heath was born in Seattle, Washington, on August 3, 1926,[1] to Wilfrid Paul Heath and Alice (Alexander) Heath.[1][2] She had one sibling, an older brother. Her father was an inventor, who patented processes for using carbonization in the production of ice cream and butter.[3][4] When Rowena was only six months old, her father sent a testimonial letter and photo of the infant to a goat milk company, praising the product she had been fed on since birth.[1] The company printed both the photo and letter in a Chicago-area newspaper advertisement, preserving the details of Heath's birth and foreshadowing her life in the public eye.[1]

Although his patents brought him a substantial income in the 1920s, Heath's father proved a poor investor and was reduced to designing homemade games and toys for local kids in the 1930s.[5] By this time his daughter's first name had been dropped in favor of her middle name.[2] The family relocated to Richmond Beach, Shoreline, Washington by 1940, their fortunes recovering as Heath's father turned to selling electronics, enabling him to provide Heath with a university education.[6]

After graduating from the University of Washington School of Drama, Heath moved to Manhattan in July 1949, where she lived at the Rehearsal Club.[7] This social club provided safe and inexpensive accommodations for some fifty aspiring actresses at a time. Heath lived here, helped by a $75 a month subsidy from her parents, until her second Broadway stage job enabled her to get her own apartment.[7]

Broadway stage

Heath first appeared on the Broadway stage as a replacement in the role of "Ensign Sue Yeager" for South Pacific during late 1950.[8] She left in February 1951 when signed for a new musical, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.[9], which was based more on the 1945 screen adaption than the original novel. The new show did a two week tryout in Philadelphia, then moved to Broadway.[10] As a member of the original cast Heath was with the show for its tryout and the entire opening run from April thru December 1951. Her character "Hildy", created for the musical, was only briefly in the first act of the play.[11]

Her next stage role was as understudy for Janet Blair in a short-lived comedy by F. Hugh Herbert called A Girl Can Tell.[12] The show ran for only sixty performances on Broadway, from October thru December 1953. Heath, however, left half way thru the run when she caught the eye of director Vincente Minnelli, who signed her for his next MGM film, Brigadoon.[12][13]

Heath was cast as forward Scottish lass "Meg Brockie", which in the stage production was a secondary lead with two songs. MGM's budget reduced the part to a couple of comic scenes with Van Johnson's character, "Jeff". Whether or not Minnelli was personally interested in Heath as gossip columnists reported, he did give her a memorable film debut.[14]

Following production of Brigadoon, Heath returned to the Broadway stage in Oh, Men! Oh, Women![15] She replaced the original female lead Barbara Baxley as "Mildred Turner" during July 1954, and continued in the role until the show closed in November 1954.[16]

Film and television

Heath did her first television acting role in January 1953, on an episode of the New York based CBS mystery series The Web.[17] Television would become Heath's mainstay from 1959 thru 1962, as she made guest star appearances in twelve different series. Aside from one brief engagement during September 1961, she never returned to the stage.[18] The Diary of Anne Frank (in which Heath played Miep Gies) began filming in March 1958.[19] Newspapers reported in summer 1958 that she had given up her New York apartment and would concentrate on a film career going forward.[20] She started work on her third film, Ask Any Girl, during September 1958.

After her first marriage in late 1962, Heath seemed to forgo television as well. She dropped out of professional casting directories after 1963, but continued to do films. Late 1963 saw her in Yugoslavia, making a German crime drama called Dog Eat Dog, aka When Strangers Meet. It wasn't released in the US until 1966, by which time she had two other films, Seconds and The Fortune Cookie on the big screen. Her role in the former was minor, while she was nearly invisible as a nun in the latter. Her last performance in any medium came eight years later in 1974, when she did a minor role in a strange horror film called Welcome to Arrow Beach. It played only in the southeastern US and quickly disappeared from theaters.

Personal life

From 1954 to 1959, Heath was linked in gossip columns with circus owner John Ringling North, who was twenty five years older. A public engagement announcement was put out in May 1955 by her parents, which some sources have mistaken for a wedding notice.[21] However, by August 1955 it was reported that Heath did not want to marry him and give up her career.[22] North wrote a song for her called Dody which was published in summer 1956 by Frank Loesser's Frank Music Company and licensed under ASCAP.[23] The couple had an on-again/off-again relationship and never did marry.

Heath married agent turned producer Jack Cushingham (1919-1985) in Rome, Italy in November 1962.[24] They lived in the Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles and remained married until his death in 1985.[25] Following his death, Heath married British producer Richard M. Soames. That union was later dissolved.

Death

Heath died on June 24, 2023, at the age of 96.[26][27]

Spelling variants

"Dody" and "Dodie" are both diminutives of Dolores. For all but two of her stage, film, and television performing credits, this article's subject was billed as "Dody Heath". This was also the name under which she was listed in professional casting directories.[28][29][30] It was the name she used for international travel, as shown on passenger lists.[31] The variant spelling "Dodie" can be traced back to syndicated newspaper columnist George Hamilton Combs Jr in March 1951.[8]

Stage performances

Listed by year of first performance
Year Play Role Venue Notes
1950 South Pacific Ensign Sue Yaeger Majestic Theater Heath's Broadway debut was as a replacement in this long running musical[8]
1951 A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Hildy Forrest Theatre
Alvin Theatre		 Heath's performance drew mild praise from reviewers[10][11]
1953 A Girl Can Tell Jennifer Goodall (understudy) Royale Theatre Short-lived comedy ran from Oct-Dec; Heath left midway to film Brigadoon[12]
1954 Oh, Men! Oh, Women! Mildred Turner Henry Miller's Theatre Heath replaced Barbara Baxley from July through November 1954[16]
1961 High Fidelity Alice Blake Walnut Street Theatre Widely-panned comedy died after two weeks despite capable acting[32][33]

Filmography

Film (by year of first release)
Year Title Role Notes
1954 Brigadoon Meg Brockie Gossip linked her romantically with director Vincente Minelli before and during filming[14]
1959 The Diary of Anne Frank Miep Gies Heath played the drab Dutch heroine who helped hide Frank[34]
Ask Any Girl Terri Richards
1964 Dog Eat Dog Sandra Morelli German-made crime drama wasn't released in the US until 1966
1966 Seconds Sue Bushman
The Fortune Cookie Nun First, of only two, career credits (stage, film, tv) as "Dodie Heath"
1974 Welcome to Arrow Beach Felice Second, and last, career credit (stage, film, tv) as "Dodie Heath"


Television (in original broadcast order)
Year Series Episode Role Notes
1953 The Web The Beast Her first TV role, and the only one credited as "Dodie Heath"[17]
1959 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Season 4 Episode 35: "Touché" Laura Fleming Heath plays the female side of the eternal triangle[35]
Colt .45 Calamity Calamity An unlikely Calamity Jane takes a stage ride[36]
1960 Lawman The Hardcase Beth Denning Dodgers pitcher Don Drysdale guest stars with Heath[37]
The Untouchables The Big Squeeze Chicky Purcell [38]
Overland Trail Westbound Stage Martha Cabel
The Twilight Zone Long Live Walter Jameson Susanna Kittridge Cult classic is probably her best-known TV work[39]
The DuPont Show with June Allyson The Dance Man Naomi Heath featured with stars Anne Baxter and Dean Stockwell[40]
Riverboat The Water of Gorgeous Springs Lovie Jennings Minor role as a rural newlywed in a family feud[41]
1961 Outlaws The Waiting Game Lela Dwyer Filmed in late 1960 but not broadcast until January 1961[42]
Stagecoach West The Butcher Linda Barton Contemporary newspaper listings have this episode as "El Carnicero"[43]
1962 Hallmark Hall of Fame Arsenic & Old Lace Elaine Harper Boris Karloff and Tony Randall star in this made-for-TV movie[44]
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour Season 1 Episode 12: "Hangover" Sandra Purvis Grim story was Heath's third time co-starring with Tony Randall[45]
1965 The Alfred Hitchcock Hour Season 3 Episode 29: "Off Season" Irma Dade Heath played a sheriff's wife in the last episode of this show's ten year run.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Read What Mr. and Mrs. Paul Heath...". Suburbanite Economist. Chicago, Illinois. March 1, 1927. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. 1 2 1930 US Federal Census for Delores Heath, retrieved from Ancestry.com
  3. ↑ "Now a Better, Purer Ice Cream". The Dispatch. Moline, Illinois. July 1, 1921. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ "Inventor of Gas Sterilization in Butter L.A. Guest". Los Angeles Evening Express. Los Angeles, California. May 20, 1924. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ "Fortune Is Gone, It's Fun to Work". The Spokesman Review. Spokane, Washington. December 24, 1935. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ 1940 US Federal Census for Delores Heath, retrieved from Ancestry.com
  7. 1 2 "Curtain Time on Their Hands". The Miami Herald. Miami, Florida. November 12, 1954. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. 1 2 3 Combs, George Hamilton (March 21, 1951). "Dodie Heath Gets Good Role on Stage". Appleton Post-Crescent. Appleton, Wisconsin. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "'3 Wishes' Due; Casting Notes". Daily News. New York City, New York. February 15, 1951. p. 399 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. 1 2 Martin, Linton (April 1, 1951). "'Tree Grows in Brooklyn' Delights as Musical". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. p. 103 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. 1 2 Scheaffer, Louis (April 20, 1951). "'Tree' Flourishes Again". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Brooklyn, New York. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. 1 2 3 Winchell, Walter (November 16, 1953). "On Broadway". Courier-Post. Camden, New Jersey. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ "Production Schedule". Los Angeles Evening Citizen-News. Hollywood, California. December 26, 1953. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. 1 2 Graham, Shielah (September 29, 1953). "Alan Ladd to End Film in Canada". The Miami News. Miami, Ohio. p. 22 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ "Theater Notes". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Brooklyn, New York. August 2, 1954. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. 1 2 Cohen, Harold V. (July 30, 1954). "The Drama Desk". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. p. 20 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. 1 2 "(TV Listings)". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. St. Louis, Missouri. January 22, 1953. p. 50 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ↑ "New Comedy Opens at the Walnut". Courier Post. Camden, New Jersey. September 15, 1961. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ↑ "Before the Cameras". Los Angeles Evening Citizen News. Hollywood, California. March 18, 1958. p. 22 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ↑ Carroll, Harrison (September 15, 1958). "Behind the Scenes in Hollywood". Vidette Messenger. Valparaiso, Indiana. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ↑ "John Ringling North Will Wed Actress". Fresno Bee. Fresno, California. May 10, 1955. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ↑ Mortimer, Lee (August 15, 1955). "Walter Winchell on Broadway". Courier Post. Camden, New Jersey. p. 21 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ↑ Lyons, Leonard (June 28, 1956). "The Lyons Den". The Pittsburgh Press. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ↑ Carroll, Harrison (December 19, 1962). "Behind the Scenes in Hollywood". The Sidney Telegraph. Sidney, Nebraska. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ↑ D.H. Cushingham in the U.S., Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume 1, retrieved from Ancestry.com. Accessed June 30, 2023.
  26. ↑ "Rowena Dolores Heath". After.io. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  27. ↑ Obituaries, Telegraph (2023-07-10). "Dodie Heath, Broadway actress whisked to Hollywood by Vincente Minnelli for Brigadoon – obituary". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
  28. ↑ "Leading Women". Academy Players Directory. No. 75. Hollywood, California: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 1956. p. 106.
  29. ↑ "Leading Women". Academy Players Directory. No. 89 Part 1. Hollywood, California: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 1961. p. 116.
  30. ↑ "Leading Women". Players' Guide. No. 19. New York City, New York: Actors' Equity Association and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. 1961. p. 82.
  31. ↑ U.S., Departing Passenger and Crew Lists, 1914-1966 for Dody Heath, retrieved from Ancestry.com
  32. ↑ Gaghan, Jerry (September 15, 1961). "'High Fidelity' Gets Cool Reception in Hot Walnut". The Philadelphia Daily News. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. p. 58 – via Newspapers.com.
  33. ↑ Murdock, Henry T. (September 15, 1961). "'High Fidelity' Makes Debut". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. p. 25 – via Newspapers.com.
  34. ↑ Johnson, Erskine (January 6, 1959). "Spicy and Delicous Dody Replaces Dreary Dody". The Manhattan Mercury. Manhattan, Kansas. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  35. ↑ "Touché". The Times-Tribune. Scranton, Pennsylvania. June 13, 1959. p. 24 – via Newspapers.com.
  36. ↑ "Chris Meets "Calamity" on Colt .45". The Times-Mail. Bedford, Indiana. December 12, 1959. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  37. ↑ "Gone and Don It". The Tribune. Scranton, Pennsylvania. October 29, 1959. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
  38. ↑ "Don't Miss... (ad)". The Sedalia Democrat. Sedalia, Missouri. February 18, 1960. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  39. ↑ "TV Dial-o-logue". The San Bernardino County Sun. San Bernardino, California. March 18, 1960. p. 45 – via Newspapers.com.
  40. ↑ "WSBT-TV Listings". The South Bend Tribune. South Bend, Indiana. October 6, 1960. p. 41 – via Newspapers.com.
  41. ↑ "Riverboat Tale Tells of Feud". The Gazette. Montreal, Quebec. November 7, 1960. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
  42. ↑ "Guest Stars on Outlaw Program". Longview Daily News. Longview, Washington. December 31, 1960. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
  43. ↑ "(TV Listings)". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. March 26, 1961. p. 470 – via Newspapers.com.
  44. ↑ Gill, Alan (January 29, 1962). "Television and Radio". The Marion Star. Marion, Ohio. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  45. ↑ "Randall in Rare Role as 'Heavy'". The Parsons Kansas Sun. Parsons, Kansas. November 30, 1962. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.
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