Myrna Fahey (Myrna Fahey)

Myrna Fahey

Actress. Born in Carmel, Maine, she was a cheerleader in high school and a runner-up in the 1952 “Miss Maine” contest.  She arrived in Hollywood in 1955,  chaperoned by two family friends at her parents’ insistence,  and studied acting at the Pasadena Playhouse while landing uncredited bits in such films as “I Died a Thousand Times” (1955) and “Jeanne Eagels” (1957) and venturing into television. Her best big-screen role was as Madeline Usher in Roger Corman’s Poe adaptation “House of Usher” (1960),  in which she is buried alive by her evil brother (Vincent Price).  Fahey’s fair resemblance to Elizabeth Taylor won her co-star status on the sitcom “Father of the Bride” (1961 to 1962) but apparently did not help her subsequent career,  which was restricted to TV guest spots.  Her 43  credits include the films “Imitation of Life” (1959) and “The Story on Page One” (1959),  multiple episodes of TV’s “Zorro”, “Maverick”,  “77 Sunset Strip”, “Hawaiian Eye”,  and “Perry Mason”,  and one-shot appearances on “The Adventures of Superman”,  “Gunsmoke”,  and “Thriller”.  Sci-Fi and fantasy fans have made her something of a cult figure for portraying the villainess Blaze on “Batman” (two episodes, 1966).  In 1963 Fahey dated baseball legend Joe DiMaggio,  but the relationship abruptly ended after she received death threats from a deranged Marilyn Monroe fan.  She was also romantically linked with actors Dwayne Hickman,  Brian Kelly,  and David Niven,  Jr.,  bullfighter Alfredo Leal,  and celebrity ski instructor Tony Kastner.  After several years away from acting she returned for her final role in the TV movie “The Great American Beauty Contest” (1973),  ironically playing the chaperone of a contestant.  Fahey died at 40 in Santa Monica,  California,  after a long battle with cancer. (bio by: Bobb Edwards) Cause of death: Cancer

Born

  • March, 12, 1933
  • USA

Died

  • May, 05, 1973
  • USA

Cause of Death

  • Cancer

Cemetery

  • Mount Pleasant Catholic Cemetery
  • Maine
  • USA

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