Kathleen Cody (actress)

Kathleen Cody (born October 30, 1954), often credited as Kathy Cody, is an American actress. She is best known for her role as the characters Hallie Stokes and Carrie Stokes, on the television series Dark Shadows, appearing from June 1970 through April 1971.[1] Her career in film and television lasted over 30 years.

Kathleen Cody
Kathleen Cody in 2003
Born (1954-10-30) October 30, 1954
The Bronx, New York City, New York, U.S.
NationalityUnited States
Other namesKathy Cody
Alma materProfessional Children's School
OccupationTheatre, Film, and Television Actor
Years active1954–1988
Known forHallie/Carrie Stokes
on Dark Shadows
Notable work
Here's Love
TelevisionDark Shadows
Snowball Express
Charley and the Angel
Superdad
The Crucible
Partner(s)Jahn Avarello (deceased)
ChildrenMegan
Parent(s)James and Mary Cody
Kathleen Cody and Laurence Naismith recording the cast album for Here's Love (1963)

Early life

Kathleen Cody was born on October 30, 1954, in the Bronx, New York. She is the daughter of James and Mary Cody. She attended Manhattan's Professional Children's School.

When she was 18 years old, Cody moved from New York to Los Angeles to pursue her acting career in a greater capacity. She appeared in over ten television network series and seven major motion pictures.

Career

Modeling

Cody appeared in her first television commercial when she was six months old and continued to work steadily as a child fashion model. She appeared in television commercials, including one with Louis Armstrong. She also appeared in commercial advertisements and on magazine covers, modeling for New York photographers, including Richard Avedon and Francesco Scavullo.

Theatre
Shubert Theatre in Manhattan

When Cody was seven years old, she was cast in the theatre production of Uncle Willie, with Menasha Skulnik at the Coconut Grove Playhouse in Miami, Florida.

In 1963, at the age of nine, Cody was named one of the original cast members of the Broadway show Here's Love, appearing in the role of Hendrika. The musical production was written by Meredith Willson, who earlier wrote The Music Man and The Unsinkable Molly Brown. Here's Love was an adaptation of the film Miracle on 34th Street and was introduced at the Sam S. Shubert Theatre on Broadway in NYC. Cody's costars included Janis Paige, Craig Stevens, Laurence Naismith, Fred Gwynne, and Dom DeLuise.[2] During the play, Cody had a duet on the song, "The Bugle", with Naismith, who played the role of Kris Kringle. Cody remained with the production for the entire run, last appearing on July 25, 1964, when the play eventually closed after 334 shows and two previews.[3]

Television appearances

In 1965, Cody started her daytime television career with regular long running parts on the CBS daytime soap operas The Edge of Night as Laurie Ann Karr, As the World Turns as Sally Graham, and The Secret Storm as Cecilia, before becoming a regular cast member of the ABC gothic soap opera, Dark Shadows. She also appeared in the first episode of the Peter Falk TV Series, The Trials of O'Brien, titled "Over Defense Is Out". She made special appearances on the Jackie Gleason Show, Perry Como Show, Jan Murray Show, and The Bell Telephone Hour Christmas Special with Florence Henderson.

In 1967, Cody was cast as Betty Parris, in David Susskind's television production of Arthur Miller's The Crucible, which starred George C. Scott, Melvyn Douglas, Colleen Dewhurst, and Tuesday Weld. In 1967, the show was nominated for, and won three Emmy Awards for Best Actor George C. Scott, Best Actress Colleen Dewhurst, and Best Director Alex Segal.

Upon completion of The Crucible, Cody was cast in a PBS special, the novelist and playwright, Colette's 1922 play, My Mother's House (originally entitled La Maison de Claudine), starring Dewhurst. The play was written as an homage to Colette's mother, Adèle Eugénie Sidonie "Sido" Colette. The story follows Colette as she reminisces about her childhood and her relationship with her mother.[4] Cody portrayed the playwright, Colette, from adolescence up through the author's teenage years. In 1968, the show was nominated for three Emmy Awards.

Cody has guest-starred in numerous prime time television shows, including 3 episodes of Gunsmoke with actors James Arness, James Whitmore, Richard Jaeckel, Buck Taylor, Nicholas Hammond and Louise Latham; The Partridge Family with David Cassidy; Doc Elliot with James Farentino; the Love, American Style segment "Love and the Model Apartment" with Davy Jones as her newlywed husband; Barbary Coast with William Shatner and Doug McClure; The Waltons with Richard Thomas, Ralph Waite, and Will Geer; Cannon, guest-starring in a dual role with William Conrad, Mitch Ryan, and Ralph Meeker; Three for the Road with Vincent Van Patten; and Barnaby Jones with Buddy Ebsen and Kristoffer Tabori; and Dirty Sally with Jeanette Nolan.

In 1976, Cody was cast in the starring role of "Snowy" in a pilot television series, entitled The Cheerleaders, which was directed by Richard Crenna. The show was a situation comedy about the "misadventures of Snowy, B.J., and Beverly, three fun-loving high school girls. The pilot episode focuses on the girls, members of the cheerleading team, as they perform embarrassing pledge week antics for a sorority house they hope to join."[5] The story takes place in a small California town during the 1950s.[6] Starring alongside Cody were Debbie Zipp, Theresa Medaris, Mary Kay Place and Darel Glaser. The show was broadcast on August 2, 1976.

Film appearances

In 1973, Cody left New York to appear in her first Hollywood film, Hot Summer Week (later entitled Girls on the Road), along with Ralph Waite and Michael Ontkean, who was also making his American film debut. Cody's appearance in Hot Summer Week prompted Walt Disney Studios to invite her to screen-test for work with their studios. The successful audition resulted in Disney Studios signing her to a three-picture contract. She was the last actress signed to a contract by Disney Studios, since Annette Funicello.

Snowball Express, directed by Norman Tokar, was the first film Cody completed for Disney Studios and was followed by Charley and the Angel, directed by Vincent McEveety and starring Fred MacMurray and Cloris Leachman as her parents, as well as Harry Morgan. Her love interest was portrayed by Kurt Russell. In 1974, Leachman was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for her portrayal of Nettie Appleby in the film. The film was released on March 23, 1973. However, the film was a major flop for Walt Disney Productions, with negative reviews and a huge financial loss.

Cody completed her three-picture deal with Disney, appearing in the film Superdad, again directed by Vincent McEveety. She starred in the film along with Bob Crane and Barbara Rush, as her parents. The film also starred Kurt Russell, portraying Cody's love interest for the second time, and Bruno Kirby and Ed Begley, Jr.. The film was released on December 14, 1973.

In 1972, Cody relocated to Los Angeles. She co-starred in three television Movies of the Week. She first appeared in a remake of the 1945 film Double Indemnity, which originally starred Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck. Cody portrayed the character Lola Dietrickson, while in 1945, the role was played by Jean Heather. The 1972 adaptation starred Richard Crenna, Lee J. Cobb, and Samantha Eggar.

In 1975, Cody appeared in her second telemovie, Babe, a biographical film about Babe Didrikson, who was named the 10th Greatest North American Athlete of the 20th Century by ESPN, and the ninth Greatest Athlete of the 20th Century by the Associated Press.[7][8][9] Written by Joanna Lee, the film was an adaptation of Didrikson's autobiography, entitled, This Life I've Led. Directed by Buzz Kulik, the film starred Susan Clark in the title role, for which she won an Emmy for her performance. Alex Karras appeared in the film as Babe's husband, while Cody appeared in the supporting role of Sue Ellen.

In 1975, Cody appeared in the Vincent McEveety-directed film The Last Day, starring Richard Widmark, Barbara Rush, Tim Matheson and Robert Conrad. Cody appeared in the supporting role of Julia Johnson as Matheson's love interest. The western-genre film was released on February 15, 1975.

While she had previously retired from acting, relocating from Los Angeles to Jacksonville, Florida, Cody responded to a 1987 call for local actors to appear in the Peter Bogdanovich directed film Illegally Yours. She was cast in a minor supporting role in the film, which starred Rob Lowe, Colleen Camp, and Kenneth Mars. The film was released on May 13, 1988.

Personal life

In 1975, Cody returned to the east coast, settling in Connecticut. She married in 1979 and in 1981, her daughter, Megan, was born. In 1983, she returned to Los Angeles, when she was cast in the Stephen J. Cannell television series, The Rousters, starring Chad Everett, Jim Varney, and Mimi Rogers. When the series was cancelled after one season, Cody moved to Florida.

In 2010, Cody appeared at the annual Dark Shadows Festival convention in Burbank, California, as one of the original cast members of the cult classic daytime drama. Alternating between Los Angeles and New York, the event is an annual, three-day fan festival that has been held every year since 1983.

As of 2011, Cody lived in Florida with her partner, Jahn Avarello, until his death, September 20, 2012. Avarello and Cody both attended Manhattan's Professional Children's School where they first met in 7th Grade. In August 2011, Cody appeared at the 45th Anniversary of the Dark Shadows Festival with Avarello by her side. The Festival was held in New York City.[10][11]

Filmography
Television credits
Year Title Role Notes
1965 The Edge of Night Laurie Ann Karr
The Trials of O'Brien Dinah episode "Over Defense Is Out"
1966 As the World Turns Sally Graham
The Secret Storm Cecilia
1967 The Crucible Betty Parris
1968 My Mother's House Colette
1970 Dark Shadows Hallie Stokes/Carrie Stokes
1973 The Partridge Family Dina Firmly
Love, American Style episode "Love and the Model Apartment"
1974 Doc Elliot
Dirty Sally Samantha
The Waltons Audrey Butler episode "The Ring"
Gunsmoke Cynthia/Anna May/Melissa
1975 Cannon Daphne Simmons/Gail Dexter
Barbary Coast Leslie Budwing
Three for the Road Shelley
Barnaby Jones Sherry
1976 The Cheerleaders Snowy
Film credits
Year Title Role Notes
1973 Hot Summer Week Debbie
Snowball Express Chris Baxter
Charley and the Angel Leonora Appleby
Superdad Wendy McCready
Double Indemnity Lola Dietrickson
1975 Babe (The Babe Didrikson Zaharias Story) Sue Ellen
The Last Day Julia Johnson
1988 Illegally Yours Cable-TV Housewife

References
  1. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0168591/
  2. "Here's Love" Playbill: the magazine for theatregoers, New York: Playbill Incorporated, February 1964, vol. I number 2
  3. The Broadway League. "The official source for Broadway Information". IBDB. Retrieved 2011-06-24.
  4. Berkman, Sylvia (November 29, 1953). "The Images of Childhood". Nytimes.com. Retrieved 2011-06-24.
  5. Terrace, Vincent. Encyclopedia of Television Series, Pilots and Specials: 1974-1984, Volume II, New York: Zoetrope, 1985, page 85. ISBN 978-0-918432-61-2
  6. IMDb.com, Inc. "The Cheerleaders (TV 1976)". IMDb. Retrieved 2011-06-24.
  7. "Sports: Book to focus on legend Zaharias' life, achievements". Sptimes.com. Retrieved 2011-06-24.
  8. "ESPN.com: Didrikson was a woman ahead of her time". Espn.go.com. Retrieved 2011-06-24.
  9. "ESPN.com: 'The Terrific Tomboy'". Espn.go.com. 1932-07-16. Retrieved 2011-06-24.
  10. "Dark Shadows Festival". Dark Shadows Festival. Retrieved 2011-06-24.
  11. "Dark Shadows Journal | Kathy Cody". Collinwood.net. 1953-11-30. Retrieved 2011-06-24.
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