Lynn Merrick

Lynn Merrick (born Marilyn Llewelling,[1] November 19, 1919 – March 25, 2007) was an American actress who appeared in over 40 films during the 1940s, mainly for Columbia and Republic Studios.

Lynn Merrick
Born
Marilyn Llewelling

(1919-11-19)November 19, 1919
Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
DiedMarch 25, 2007(2007-03-25) (aged 87)
West Palm Beach, Florida U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1940–1955
Spouse(s)
​
​
(m. 1945; div. 1948)​

Robert Goelet, Jr.
​
​
(m. 1949; div. 1956)​
RelativesGoelet family

Biography

Merrick was born Marilyn Llewelling[1] in Fort Worth, Texas.

In the 1930s, she studied acting and worked as a model after moving to California.[2]

In 1940, she was one of thirteen women selected by the Motion Picture Publicists Association as a "Baby Star", a selection process which was meant to highlight the most promising new film stars.[3] She made the bulk of her films during the 1940s, starring in 22 feature films for Republic Pictures; 16 of these were Don Barry westerns.

Her first Barry film was Two Gun Sheriff, and her last was Fugutive from Senora. She later worked for Columbia Pictures, where she starred in films alongside Richard Dix, Chester Morris, and Warner Baxter. Merrick retired from films after Escape from Terror (1955),[2] starring and directed by Jackie Coogan.

In 1948, Merrick and her husband at the time, Conrad Nagel, appeared in summer stock theater in Pennsylvania, New York, and Connecticut.[4] After retiring from acting, Merrick was an executive with the Barbizon School of Modeling.[2]

Personal life

She was married and divorced twice. Her first marriage was to Nagel. They received an interlocutory decree on March 26, 1947,[5] and the divorce became final on August 26, 1948.[6]

On October 26, 1949, she wed producer Robert Goelet, Jr. in Europe.[4] Both unions were childless. In 1950, Merrick received emergency treatment at Santa Monical Hospital after taking an overdose of sleeping pills. A news story distributed by International News Service described the overdose as "the climax to a spat with her husband, wealthy Robert Goelet."[7]

Merrick was a Democrat and supported Adlai Stevenson's campaign during the 1952 presidential election.[8]

Merrick was of the Baptist faith.[9]

Death

Merrick died on March 25, 2007, aged 87, at her home in West Palm Beach, Florida from undisclosed causes.[10]

She was cremated with her ashes scattered.[11]

Filmography

References
  1. Wilson, Scott (2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed. McFarland. p. 511. ISBN 9781476625997. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  2. Lentz, Harris M. III (2008). Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2007: Film, Television, Radio, Theatre, Dance, Music, Cartoons and Pop Culture. McFarland. ISBN 9780786434817. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  3. "Wampus Baby Star Surprised By Her Selection". Ames Daily Tribune. Iowa, Ames. April 17, 1941. p. 15. Retrieved June 6, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Lynn Merrick Weds Robert Goelet Jr". Joplin Globe. Missouri, Joplin. Associated Press. October 30, 1949. p. 7. Retrieved July 17, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Divorces". Billboard. May 17, 1947. p. 47. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  6. "Actress Lynn Merrick Severs Marriage Tie". The Ottawa Journal. Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. Associated Press. August 27, 1948. p. 21. Retrieved July 17, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Lynn Merrick Recovering From Sleeping Tablets". Long Beach Independent. California, Long Beach. International News Service. March 26, 1950. p. 38. Retrieved July 17, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. Motion Picture and Television Magazine, November 1952, page 33, Ideal Publishers
  9. Morning News, January 10, 1948, Who Was Who in America (Vol. 2).
  10. McLellan, Dennis (April 2, 2007). "Lynn Merrick, 85; B-western actress appeared in over 40 movies in the 1940s". LA Times.
  11. Wilson, Scott (September 16, 2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed. McFarland. ISBN 9781476625997 – via Google Books.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.