Tyra Vaughn
BornMarch 13, 1923
DiedAugust 9, 2015 (aged 92)
Occupation(s)Actress, dance instructor
Years active1941–88

Tyra Vaughn (March 13, 1923 – August 9, 2015) was an American actress, model, and showgirl, who appeared in motion pictures and television throughout the 1940s and late 1950s, and who later found a second career as a professional dance instructor.

Early life

She was born on March 13, 1923, in Scranton, Pennsylvania.[1] Her father was a police sergeant. She attended West Scranton High School from which was she was active in the drama club and graduated in June 1941. With the outbreak of World War II, she moved to Los Angeles and joined the USO as a professional dancer.[1]

In 1943, she joined other variety showgirls in protesting a waiters' strike at Earl Carroll's Theater-Restaurant in Hollywood.[2] She was a swimsuit model,[3][4] named "Miss Springtime of 1944"[5] by the Blue Book modeling agency, run by Emmeline Snively.[6] Later in 1944 she appeared as an artist's model in a segment for NBC's People are Funny program.[7]

Career

After World War II, Vaughn was a dance instructor for the Hollywood Athletic Club, before producer Samuel Goldwyn selected her for his 1940s Goldwyn Girls ensemble.[1][8] She later appeared (without credits) in such movies as The Harvey Girls (1946), The Kid from Brooklyn (1946), Down to Earth (1947), Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948), Duchess of Idaho (1950), and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953).[9][10] As a friend of actress and swimmer Esther Williams, she landed a recurring role on the Lux Video Theatre with Williams' help, appearing in several episodes between 1950 and 1957. When the series ended, Vaughn left acting and lived in Southern California, teaching dance until her 1988 retirement.[1]

Personal life

Vaughn died aged 92 on August 9, 2015, in Northridge, California, from natural causes.[1] Her remains were donated to medical science at the UCLA Medical Center.[11] Vaughn never married. In 1947, she adopted and raised a son. She was survived by her son, a daughter-in-law, one younger sister, and several nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Filmography

Year Program (episode) Role
1957Lux Video Theatre (Judge Not)Noreen
1957Lux Video Theatre (The Softest Music)Emmaline
1957Lux Video Theatre (Edge of Doubt)Violet
1957Lux Video Theatre (Stand-In for Murder)Connie
1956Lux Video Theatre (Only Yesterday)Helen
1956Lux Video Theatre (Hired Wife)Lynn
1955Lux Video Theatre (The Nine-Penny Dream)Jane
1954Lux Video Theatre (Imperfect Lady)Beverly
1954Lux Video Theatre (A Visit from Evelyn)Myrna
1954Lux Video Theatre (Call Off the Wedding)Dorothy
1953Lux Video Theatre (Two for Tea)Charlotte
1952Lux Video Theatre (The Orchard)Elizabeth
1951Lux Video Theatre (Dames Are Poison)Patricia
1951Lux Video Theatre (The Shiny People)Carol
1950Lux Video Theatre (The Lovely Menace)Party Extra
1950Lux Video Theatre (Mine to Have)Sally
1953How to Marry a MillionaireModel (uncredited)
1953Gentlemen Prefer BlondesChorus Girl (uncredited)
1952April in ParisChorine (uncredited)
1952Singin' in the RainChorus Girl (uncredited)
1951StarliftNurse (uncredited)
1951Meet Me After the ShowGold Digger (uncredited)
1951On the RivieraSpecialty Dancer (uncredited)
1950Duchess of IdahoDiane (uncredited)
1949Samson and DelilahTemple Spectator (uncredited)
1949On the TownDancer in "Day in New York" Ballet (uncredited)
1949Fighting Man of the PlainsSaloon Girl (uncredited)
1948Romance on the High SeasShip Passenger (uncredited)
1948Up in Central ParkYoung Lady (uncredited)
1948Letter from an Unknown WomanBallet Dancer (uncredited)
1947Escape Me NeverGirl (uncredited)
1947Down to EarthMuse (uncredited)
1947Trail StreetDance Hall Girl (uncredited)
1946The Razor's EdgeShowgirl (uncredited)
1946Three Little Girls in BlueMinor Role (uncredited)
1946Shadows Over ChinatownMiss Chalmers
1946The Kid from BrooklynGoldwyn Girl (uncredited)
1946The Harvey GirlsDance-Hall Girl (uncredited)

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Lentz, Harris M. III (2016). "Vaughn, Tyra". Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2015. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. pp. 357–358. ISBN 978-0-7864-7667-1.
  2. "Carroll's Showgirls Demand End of Strike" Los Angeles Times (December 2, 1943): 17. via Newspapers.comFree access icon
  3. "Showgirl 'Rebuked'", Atlanta Constitution (December 9, 1943): 13. via Newspapers.comFree access icon
  4. "Past, Present, and Future", The Herald-Press (January 4, 1944): 6. via Newspapers.comFree access icon
  5. "Miss Springtime" Wilkes-Barre Record (March 28, 1944): 9. via Newspapers.comFree access icon
  6. Astrid Franse, Michelle Morgan, Before Marilyn: The Blue Book Modeling Years (Macmillan, 2015): 31. ISBN 978-1-250-08590-0.
  7. "Some Fun!" Wilmington Daily Press Journal (August 21, 1944): 5. via Newspapers.comFree access icon
  8. "These Are Hollywood's Dream Girls" The Capital Journal (June 21, 1945): 15. via Newspapers.comFree access icon
  9. "There are Irish in 'My Wild Irish Rose'", Daily Press (December 15, 1946): 18. via Newspapers.comFree access icon
  10. "Beauty Line" Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (February 3, 1947): 23. via Newspapers.comFree access icon
  11. "Tyra Vaughn (1923 – 2015) - Find A Grave Memorial". www.findagrave.com. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
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