
Betty Garrett
- Date of Birth: 1919-05-23
- Date of Death: 2011-02-12
- Place of Birth: Saint Joseph, Missouri, USA
Biography
Betty Garrett (May 23, 1919 - February 12, 2011) was an American actress, comedian, singer and dancer, who starred in several Hollywood musicals and stage roles. She was at the top of her game when th... Betty Garrett (May 23, 1919 - February 12, 2011) was an American actress, comedian, singer and dancer, who starred in several Hollywood musicals and stage roles. She was at the top of her game when the Communist scare in the 1950s brought her career to a screeching, ugly halt. She and her husband Larry Parks, an Oscar-nominated actor, were summoned by the House UnAmerican Activities Committee and questioned about their involvement. As the drama played out, a very pregnant Garrett was never called to testify, but her husband was. With his admission of Communist Party membership from 1941-1945 and refusal to name names, he made it to the Hollywood Blacklist. After the incident, Garrett and Parks worked up nightclub singing/comedy acts along with appearing in legit plays. Although Parks never quite shook off the blacklist incident, he did win a role in John Huston's film, Freud (1962). Garrett went on to appear in roles in many television series.

Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1940s: Stars, Stripes and Singing
Documentary • 2009 December

Dark and Stormy Night
Horror, Comedy, Thriller, Mystery • 2009 October

Neptune's Daughter
Comedy, Music, Romance • 1949 June

The Shadow on the Window
Crime, Drama • 1957 March

Words and Music
Drama, Music • 1948 December

Great Performances
Comedy, Documentary, Drama • 1971 January

Trail of the Screaming Forehead
Comedy, Science Fiction • 2007 June

Mr. Merlin
Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Comedy • 1981 October

Townies
Comedy • 1996 September

Troupers
Documentary • 2011 June