Dianne Foster
Encyclopedia
Dianne Foster is a Canadian actress of Ukrainian
descent who began her career at the age of 13 in a stage adaptation of James Barrie's What Every Woman Knows. At fourteen she began a radio
career, subsequently moved to Toronto
, and became one of Canada's top radio stars. For a holiday in 1951 she traveled to London, England
, where she met, and later married, Andrew Allen, drama supervisor for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
. In London that same year she appeared onstage in Agatha Christie
's The Hollow and Orson Welles
's Othello
. In March 1952 her husband returned to Canada while she stayed in London to honour her five-year contract with a British
film company.
In 1953 she co-starred alongside Charlton Heston
and Lizabeth Scott
in the middling Bad for Each Other
. In 1954 she was signed by Columbia Pictures
and relocated to Hollywood, where her first appearance proper that year was with Mickey Rooney
in the well-received Drive a Crooked Road
.
Foster's marriage to Allen effectively was over before she left for the United States
. In
1954 she married Joel A. Murcott, a Hollywood radio-television scriptwriter, during location filming for The Kentuckian
. At 39 he was 14 years her senior and had been married previously.
1955 was a big year for Foster. She appeared on the cover of Picturegoer
, and co-starred in two big films, Glenn Ford
's The Bandits
and Burt Lancaster
's The Kentuckian
.
On February 14, 1956, she gave birth to twins: a son, Jason, and a daughter, Jodi. Although her film career continued, it was not on the same upward trajectory as before. In 1957 she co-starred in the biopic Monkey on My Back
about boxer, Barney Ross
, Night Passage with James Stewart
and The Brothers Rico
with Richard Conte
. That same year she also filed for divorce from Murcott, claiming he struck her in the face and kicked her in the stomach. She asked for custody and $1 in token alimony
. The couple reconciled, but it proved to be temporary as they separated twice more before finally divorcing in 1959, with Foster being awarded $250 a month in child support. It was the third time she had filed for divorce, and she gave her age as 24, although she was in fact 31.
In 1958 she starred with Alan Ladd
in The Deep Six
, and that same year she appeared alongside Jack Hawkins
in Gideon of Scotland Yard
before her last really big picture, The Last Hurrah
. It featured an all-star cast that included Spencer Tracy
, Pat O'Brien
, and Basil Rathbone
, and was nominated for two BAFTA awards.
In 1960 Foster was the title guest star in the episode "Lawyer in Petticoats" on the short-lived NBC
western
series Overland Trail
starring William Bendix
and Doug McClure
. Her fellow guest stars were Barton MacLane
and Denver Pyle
. Foster also appeared in the episode "The Mill" in the TV series Bonanza
.
There was a three-year absence before she next returned to the screen in King of the Roaring 20's - The Story of Arnold Rothstein. After her divorce from Murcott she married Dr. Harold Rowe, a Van Nuys dentist
. On November 14, 1963, her son, Dustin Louis Rowe, was born in Los Angeles
. In the same year she made her last film appearance, in the Dean Martin
vehicle Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed?
.
Foster continued to appear in television programs, such as CBS's The Lloyd Bridges Show
(1962–1963) and the ABC
medical drama
Breaking Point (1963–1964). She retired from show business in 1966 to concentrate on rearing her three children. She still lives in California
and is an accomplished pianist
and painter.
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
descent who began her career at the age of 13 in a stage adaptation of James Barrie's What Every Woman Knows. At fourteen she began a radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
career, subsequently moved to Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, and became one of Canada's top radio stars. For a holiday in 1951 she traveled to London, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, where she met, and later married, Andrew Allen, drama supervisor for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
. In London that same year she appeared onstage in Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie
Dame Agatha Christie DBE was a British crime writer of novels, short stories, and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but she is best remembered for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections , and her successful West End plays.According to...
's The Hollow and Orson Welles
Orson Welles
George Orson Welles , best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio...
's Othello
Othello
The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1603, and based on the Italian short story "Un Capitano Moro" by Cinthio, a disciple of Boccaccio, first published in 1565...
. In March 1952 her husband returned to Canada while she stayed in London to honour her five-year contract with a British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
film company.
In 1953 she co-starred alongside Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston was an American actor of film, theatre and television. Heston is known for heroic roles in films such as The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, El Cid, and Planet of the Apes...
and Lizabeth Scott
Lizabeth Scott
Lizabeth Scott is an American actress and singer widely known for her film noir roles.-Early life:She was born Emma Matzo in the Pine Brook section of Scranton, Pennsylvania, one of six children, to Ruthenian parents who had emigrated from Uzhgorod, in what is now Ukraine...
in the middling Bad for Each Other
Bad for Each Other
Bad for Each Other is a 1953 film directed by Irving Rapper. It stars Charlton Heston and Lizabeth Scott.-Cast:*Charlton Heston as Dr. Tom Owen*Lizabeth Scott as Helen Curtis*Dianne Foster as Joan Lasher*Mildred Dunnock as Mrs. Mary Owen...
. In 1954 she was signed by Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
and relocated to Hollywood, where her first appearance proper that year was with Mickey Rooney
Mickey Rooney
Mickey Rooney is an American film actor and entertainer whose film, television, and stage appearances span nearly his entire lifetime. He has won multiple awards, including an Honorary Academy Award, a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award...
in the well-received Drive a Crooked Road
Drive a Crooked Road
Drive a Crooked Road is an American crime film noir directed by Richard Quine and featuring Mickey Rooney, Dianne Foster, Kevin McCarthy, and Jack Kelly...
.
Foster's marriage to Allen effectively was over before she left for the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In
1954 she married Joel A. Murcott, a Hollywood radio-television scriptwriter, during location filming for The Kentuckian
The Kentuckian
The Kentuckian is a 1955 adventure film directed by Burt Lancaster, who also starred. It also marked the feature film debut of Walter Matthau. The picture is an adaptation of the novel The Gabriel Horn by Felix Holt...
. At 39 he was 14 years her senior and had been married previously.
1955 was a big year for Foster. She appeared on the cover of Picturegoer
Picturegoer
Picturegoer was a magazine published in the United Kingdom between 1913 and 1960. Its primary focus was contemporary films and the performers who appeared in them....
, and co-starred in two big films, Glenn Ford
Glenn Ford
Glenn Ford was a Canadian-born American actor from Hollywood's Golden Era with a career that spanned seven decades...
's The Bandits
The Bandits
The Bandits were an English blues rock band from Liverpool. They are most notable for the singles "Take it and Run" and "2 Step Rock", which both reached the Top 40 on the UK Singles Chart.-History:...
and Burt Lancaster
Burt Lancaster
Burton Stephen "Burt" Lancaster was an American film actor noted for his athletic physique and distinctive smile...
's The Kentuckian
The Kentuckian
The Kentuckian is a 1955 adventure film directed by Burt Lancaster, who also starred. It also marked the feature film debut of Walter Matthau. The picture is an adaptation of the novel The Gabriel Horn by Felix Holt...
.
On February 14, 1956, she gave birth to twins: a son, Jason, and a daughter, Jodi. Although her film career continued, it was not on the same upward trajectory as before. In 1957 she co-starred in the biopic Monkey on My Back
Monkey on My Back (film)
Monkey on My Back is a 1957 biographical film starring Cameron Mitchell as Barney Ross, a world champion boxer and war hero who became addicted to morphine and overcame it.-Cast:*Cameron Mitchell as Barney Ross*Dianne Foster as Cathy Holland...
about boxer, Barney Ross
Barney Ross
Barney Ross , born Beryl David Rosofsky, was a world champion boxer in three weight divisions and decorated veteran of World War II.-Early life:...
, Night Passage with James Stewart
James Stewart (actor)
James Maitland Stewart was an American film and stage actor, known for his distinctive voice and his everyman persona. Over the course of his career, he starred in many films widely considered classics and was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning one in competition and receiving one Lifetime...
and The Brothers Rico
The Brothers Rico
The Brothers Rico is an American crime film noir directed by Phil Karlson and written by Lewis Meltzer, Ben Perry, and Dalton Trumbo. The film is based on a story written by Georges Simenon, a French detective-story specialist...
with Richard Conte
Richard Conte
Richard Conte was an American actor. He appeared in numerous films from the 1940s through 1970s, including I'll Cry Tomorrow and The Godfather.-Life and career:...
. That same year she also filed for divorce from Murcott, claiming he struck her in the face and kicked her in the stomach. She asked for custody and $1 in token alimony
Alimony
Alimony is a U.S. term denoting a legal obligation to provide financial support to one's spouse from the other spouse after marital separation or from the ex-spouse upon divorce...
. The couple reconciled, but it proved to be temporary as they separated twice more before finally divorcing in 1959, with Foster being awarded $250 a month in child support. It was the third time she had filed for divorce, and she gave her age as 24, although she was in fact 31.
In 1958 she starred with Alan Ladd
Alan Ladd
-Early life:Ladd was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He was the only child of Ina Raleigh Ladd and Alan Ladd, Sr. He was of English ancestry. His father died when he was four, and his mother relocated to Oklahoma City where she married Jim Beavers, a housepainter...
in The Deep Six
The Deep Six
The Deep Six is a 1958 Warnercolor World War II drama film directed by Rudolph Maté, was based on a novel with the same name by Martin Dibner...
, and that same year she appeared alongside Jack Hawkins
Jack Hawkins
Colonel John Edward "Jack" Hawkins CBE was an English actor of the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s.-Career:Hawkins was born at Lyndhurst Road, Wood Green, Middlesex, the son of master builder Thomas George Hawkins and his wife, Phoebe née Goodman. The youngest of four children in a close-knit family,...
in Gideon of Scotland Yard
Gideon of Scotland Yard
Commander George Gideon of London's Scotland Yard is a fictional policeman created by John Creasey under the pseudonym J.J. Marric. He appeared in the first of 26 police procedural novels by Creasey, Gideon's Day, in 1955.- The character :...
before her last really big picture, The Last Hurrah
The Last Hurrah
The Last Hurrah is a 1956 novel written by Edwin O'Connor. It is considered the most popular of O’Connor's works, partly because of a significant 1958 movie adaptation starring Spencer Tracy. The novel was immediately a bestseller in the United States for 20 weeks, and was also on lists for...
. It featured an all-star cast that included Spencer Tracy
Spencer Tracy
Spencer Bonaventure Tracy was an American theatrical and film actor, who appeared in 75 films from 1930 to 1967. Tracy was one of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, ranking among the top ten box office draws for almost every year from 1938 to 1951...
, Pat O'Brien
Pat O'Brien (actor)
Pat O’Brien was an American film actor with more than one hundred screen credits.-Early life:O’Brien was born William Joseph Patrick O’Brien to an Irish-American Catholic family in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He served as an altar boy at Gesu Church while growing up near 13th and Clybourn streets...
, and Basil Rathbone
Basil Rathbone
Sir Basil Rathbone, KBE, MC, Kt was an English actor. He rose to prominence in England as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in over 70 films, primarily costume dramas, swashbucklers, and, occasionally, horror films...
, and was nominated for two BAFTA awards.
In 1960 Foster was the title guest star in the episode "Lawyer in Petticoats" on the short-lived NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
series Overland Trail
Overland Trail (TV series)
Overland Trail is a short-lived American Western series which aired on NBC from February 7 to June 6, 1960. The series starred William Bendix and Doug McClure,-Synopsis:...
starring William Bendix
William Bendix
William Bendix was an American film, radio, and television actor, best remembered in movies for the title role in the movie The Babe Ruth Story and for portraying clumsily earnest aircraft plant worker Chester A. Riley in radio and television's The Life of Riley...
and Doug McClure
Doug McClure
Douglas Osborne "Doug" McClure was an American actor whose career in film and television extended from the 1950s to the 1990s...
. Her fellow guest stars were Barton MacLane
Barton MacLane
Barton MacLane was an American actor, playwright, and screenwriter. Although he has appeared in many classic films from the 1930s through the 1960s, he was known for his role as Gen...
and Denver Pyle
Denver Pyle
Denver Dell Pyle was an American film and television actor. He is best remembered for playing Uncle Jesse in The Dukes of Hazzard .-Early life:...
. Foster also appeared in the episode "The Mill" in the TV series Bonanza
Bonanza
Bonanza is an American western television series that both ran on and was a production of NBC from September 12, 1959 to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 430 episodes, it ranks as the second longest running western series and still continues to air in syndication. It centers on the...
.
There was a three-year absence before she next returned to the screen in King of the Roaring 20's - The Story of Arnold Rothstein. After her divorce from Murcott she married Dr. Harold Rowe, a Van Nuys dentist
Dentist
A dentist, also known as a 'dental surgeon', is a doctor that specializes in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the oral cavity. The dentist's supporting team aides in providing oral health services...
. On November 14, 1963, her son, Dustin Louis Rowe, was born in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. In the same year she made her last film appearance, in the Dean Martin
Dean Martin
Dean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
vehicle Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed?
Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed?
Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed? is a 1963 movie comedy starring Dean Martin, Elizabeth Montgomery, and Carol Burnett, and directed by Daniel Mann.-Plot:...
.
Foster continued to appear in television programs, such as CBS's The Lloyd Bridges Show
The Lloyd Bridges Show
The Lloyd Bridges Show is an American anthology drama series produced by Aaron Spelling, which aired on CBS from September 11, 1962 to May 28, 1963, starring and hosted by Lloyd Bridges.-Synopsis:...
(1962–1963) and the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
medical drama
Medical drama
A medical drama is a television program, in which events center upon a hospital, an ambulance staff, or any medical environment.In the United States, most medical episodes are one hour long and, more often than not, are set in a hospital. Most current medical Dramatic programming go beyond the...
Breaking Point (1963–1964). She retired from show business in 1966 to concentrate on rearing her three children. She still lives in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and is an accomplished pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
and painter.