Lee and Lyn Wilde
Encyclopedia
Lee and Lyn Wilde, sometimes billed as The Wilde Twins, are twin sisters, who appeared in films of the early to mid 1940s.
Born in East St. Louis, Illinois
, Lee is the older of the two, born shortly before midnight of October 10, 1922, with Lyn born in the early hours of the following morning.
They began singing with their siblings in church, and by their teens were singing hymns for their local radio station, as well as performing in Illinois and Kentucky
. By 1940 they were band singers, and in 1942 they made their film debuts, as vocalists for the Charlie Barnet Band, performing one song in the Harriet Hilliard film Juke Box Jenny. Further live performances led to another featured film appearance in the Judy Garland
film Presenting Lily Mars
in 1942. Joe Pasternak
was impressed by them and signed them to a seven-year contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
studios. They played small roles in Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble
(1944), followed by Twice Blessed, a film written specifically for them to introduce them to a wider audience.
The sisters appeared in nine films together until 1949, and Lyn briefly continued her film career, and appeared in a further six films until 1953. They married brothers, Jim and Tom Cathcart, and focused their attentions on family life, rather than continuing in show business, but they retained a love of music. In 1989, they recorded a reunion album titled Back to Together Once Again and continued to perform occasionally into the 1990s.
Born in East St. Louis, Illinois
East St. Louis, Illinois
East St. Louis is a city located in St. Clair County, Illinois, USA, directly across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, Missouri in the Metro-East region of Southern Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 27,006, less than one-third of its peak of 82,366 in 1950...
, Lee is the older of the two, born shortly before midnight of October 10, 1922, with Lyn born in the early hours of the following morning.
They began singing with their siblings in church, and by their teens were singing hymns for their local radio station, as well as performing in Illinois and Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. By 1940 they were band singers, and in 1942 they made their film debuts, as vocalists for the Charlie Barnet Band, performing one song in the Harriet Hilliard film Juke Box Jenny. Further live performances led to another featured film appearance in the Judy Garland
Judy Garland
Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...
film Presenting Lily Mars
Presenting Lily Mars
Presenting Lily Mars is an American musical motion picture produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and released in 1943. The film starred Judy Garland and Van Heflin and was based on the novel by Booth Tarkington...
in 1942. Joe Pasternak
Joe Pasternak
thumb|right|250px|Pasterrnak receiving his star on [[Hollywood Boulevard]] from [[Johnny Grant |Johnny Grant]] with [[Gene Kelly]] on the left on July 29, 1991....
was impressed by them and signed them to a seven-year contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
studios. They played small roles in Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble
Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble
Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble is a romantic comedy, the fourteenth starring Mickey Rooney as Andy Hardy. Andy goes to college, but soon gets in trouble with some pretty co-eds.-Cast:*Lewis Stone as Judge James K. Hardy*Mickey Rooney as Andrew "Andy" Hardy...
(1944), followed by Twice Blessed, a film written specifically for them to introduce them to a wider audience.
The sisters appeared in nine films together until 1949, and Lyn briefly continued her film career, and appeared in a further six films until 1953. They married brothers, Jim and Tom Cathcart, and focused their attentions on family life, rather than continuing in show business, but they retained a love of music. In 1989, they recorded a reunion album titled Back to Together Once Again and continued to perform occasionally into the 1990s.
External links
- Wilde Twins Biography, Lee Wilde Cathcart.