Charlene Holt
Encyclopedia
Verna Charlene Stavely, professionally known as Charlene Holt, was an American
actress, known for her supporting roles in TV
and film
.
, she attended McMurry University
in Abilene, Texas
. She was a model in Houston, Texas. In 1956, she was crowned Miss Maryland
and in July, 1956 participated in the Miss USA
pageant in Long Beach, California
where she was a semi-finalist. In August, 1957 she was among nine models sent to Rio de Janeiro
, Brazil
, by Rose Marie Reid Swim Suits of Los Angeles
and the Eileen Ford Agency
in New York
. Holt appeared in various TV commercials in 1958 and reportedly signed a $50,000-a-year model contract in New York at age 19. She was in a Revlon
lipstick commercial, in which she was reportedly spotted by director Howard Hawks
who later cast her in several of his films. She was subsequently named "Miss Sweater Girl" in October, 1958 by the Wool Bureau. The contest was held in the Crystal Suite of the Savoy Hilton Hotel in New York.
, a 1962 comedy film directed by Henry Levin
and starring Bobby Darin
and Sandra Dee
. In 1966, she co-starred in El Dorado opposite John Wayne
. In all, she performed in over 20 TV and film productions between 1962 and 1980.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress, known for her supporting roles in TV
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
and film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
.
Early life
Holt was born on April 28, 1928 in Snyder, Scurry County, Texas, to Malcolm C. and Verna Vesta Stavely, nee Chandler. Her birth is confirmed on the Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997. Some sources claim her birthdate is January 1, 1940 and her birthplace was Abilene, TX, which is incorrect. After she graduated from high school in Hagerman, New MexicoHagerman, New Mexico
Hagerman is a town in Chaves County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,168 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Hagerman is located at ....
, she attended McMurry University
McMurry University
McMurry University, founded in 1923, is a private co-educational university in Abilene, Texas. It is a liberal arts school offering forty-one majors in the fields of fine arts, humanities, social and natural sciences, education, business, and religion, and nine pre-professional programs, including...
in Abilene, Texas
Abilene, Texas
Abilene is a city in Taylor and Jones counties in west central Texas. The population was 117,063 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2006 estimated population of 158,063. It is the county seat of Taylor County...
. She was a model in Houston, Texas. In 1956, she was crowned Miss Maryland
Miss Maryland USA
The Miss Maryland USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state Maryland in the Miss USA pageant. The pageant is directed by D&D Investments....
and in July, 1956 participated in the Miss USA
Miss United States
The Miss United States pageant is a beauty contest held in the United States for young women between the ages of 20-28 and has been held every year since 2001....
pageant in Long Beach, California
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
where she was a semi-finalist. In August, 1957 she was among nine models sent to Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, by Rose Marie Reid Swim Suits of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and the Eileen Ford Agency
Ford Models
The Ford Modeling Agency, or as it is known today Ford Models, is a modeling agency in New York City. It was established in 1946 by Eileen and the late Gerard W. Ford.-Company:...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Holt appeared in various TV commercials in 1958 and reportedly signed a $50,000-a-year model contract in New York at age 19. She was in a Revlon
Revlon
Revlon is an American cosmetics, skin care, fragrance, and personal care company founded in 1932.-History:Revlon was founded in the midst of the Great Depression, 1932, by Charles Revson and his brother Joseph, along with a chemist, Charles Lachman, who contributed the "L" in the Revlon name...
lipstick commercial, in which she was reportedly spotted by director Howard Hawks
Howard Hawks
Howard Winchester Hawks was an American film director, producer and screenwriter of the classic Hollywood era...
who later cast her in several of his films. She was subsequently named "Miss Sweater Girl" in October, 1958 by the Wool Bureau. The contest was held in the Crystal Suite of the Savoy Hilton Hotel in New York.
Career
Holt's first credited role was as Lisa, a model, in If a Man AnswersIf a Man Answers
If a Man Answers is a comedy film directed by Henry Levin and starring Bobby Darin and Sandra Dee. It was produced by Ross Hunter Productions, Inc, and distributed by Universal Pictures. The screenplay was written by Richard Morris from a novel by Winifred Wolfe.-Plot summary:Chantal Stacy is a...
, a 1962 comedy film directed by Henry Levin
Henry Levin
Henry Levin began as a stage actor and director but was most notable as an American film director of over fifty feature films. He broke into film in 1943 as a dialogue director for the films Dangerous Blondes and Appointment in Berlin for Columbia Pictures...
and starring Bobby Darin
Bobby Darin
Bobby Darin , born Walden Robert Cassotto, was an American singer, actor and musician.Darin performed in a range of music genres, including pop, rock, jazz, folk and country...
and Sandra Dee
Sandra Dee
Sandra Dee was an American actress. Dee began her career as a model and progressed to film. Best known for her portrayal of ingenues, Dee won a Golden Globe Award in 1959 as one of the year's most promising newcomers, and over several years her films were popular...
. In 1966, she co-starred in El Dorado opposite John Wayne
John Wayne
Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
. In all, she performed in over 20 TV and film productions between 1962 and 1980.
Personal life
Holt married William A. Tishman, a millionaire builder in Los Angeles on October 7, 1966. They resided in a luxurious hilltop house in Beverly Hill’s Trousdale Estates. In June 1972, Holt divorced Tishman in Los Angeles.Filmography
- If a Man AnswersIf a Man AnswersIf a Man Answers is a comedy film directed by Henry Levin and starring Bobby Darin and Sandra Dee. It was produced by Ross Hunter Productions, Inc, and distributed by Universal Pictures. The screenplay was written by Richard Morris from a novel by Winifred Wolfe.-Plot summary:Chantal Stacy is a...
(film, Lisa, 1962) - Target: The Corruptors (TV series, 1962)
- Hawaiian EyeHawaiian EyeHawaiian Eye is an American television series that ran from October 1959 to September 1963 on the American Broadcasting Company television network.-Premise:...
(TV series, Evelyn Mason, 1962) - Saints and SinnersSaints and Sinners (1962 TV series)Saints and Sinners is an 18-episode American television series that appeared on NBC for the 1962-63 television season. The program starred 31-year-old Nick Adams as newspaper reporter Nick Alexander, and John Larkin as his mentor, newspaper editor Mark Grainger...
(TV series, Woman correspondent, 1962) - Days of Wine and RosesDays of Wine and Roses (film)Days of Wine and Roses is a film directed by Blake Edwards with a screenplay by JP Miller adapted from his own 1958 Playhouse 90 teleplay of the same name....
(film, Guest (uncredited), 1962) - Island of Love (film, minor uncredited role, 1963)
- The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (TV series, Darlene Vance, 1963)
- Burke's LawBurke's LawBurke's Law is a detective series that ran on ABC from 1963 to 1965 and was revived on CBS in the 1990s. The show starred Gene Barry as Amos Burke, millionaire captain of Los Angeles police homicide division, who was chauffeured around to solve crimes in his Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud...
(TV series, 2 episodes, 1963–1964) - Man's Favorite Sport?Man's Favorite Sport?Man's Favorite Sport? is a 1964 comedy film starring Rock Hudson and Paula Prentiss. Released by Universal Pictures, the movie was directed and produced by Howard Hawks....
(film, Tex Connors, 1964) - Arrest and TrialArrest and TrialArrest and Trial is a 90-minute American Police procedural/legal drama that ran during the 1963-64 season on ABC, airing Sundays from 8:30-10 p.m. Eastern.The majority of episodes consisted of two segments...
(TV series, Fay Carlson, 1964) - Perry MasonPerry Mason (TV series)Perry Mason is an American legal drama produced by Paisano Productions that ran from September 1957 to May 1966 on CBS. The title character, portrayed by Raymond Burr, is a fictional Los Angeles defense attorney who originally appeared in detective fiction by Erle Stanley Gardner...
(TV series, Helen Cadmus, 1965) - Red Line 7000Red Line 7000Red Line 7000 is a 1965 American motion picture released by Paramount Pictures. It was directed by Howard Hawks, who also co-wrote the screenplay...
(Film, Lindy, 1965) - Honey WestHoney West (TV series)Honey West is an American crime drama television series that aired on ABC during the 1965-1966 television season. The series stars Anne Francis as female private detective Honey West and John Ericson as her partner Sam Bolt....
(TV series, Gloria, 1965) - El Dorado (film, Maudie, 1966)
- The HeroThe Hero-Film:*The Hero , an American silent comedy starring Oliver Hardy*The Hero , an American World War I drama directed by Louis J...
(TV series, Angie, 1966) - It Takes a Thief (TV series, 3 episodes, 1968)
- ZigzagZigZag (film)ZigZag is a 2002 film directed by David S. Goyer. The film was shot in Los Angeles, CA.-Plot:Dean Singer has terminal cancer, yet is determined to spend his last days taking care of his 15 year-old 'big brother program' protégé, Louis 'Zig Zag' Fletcher. Dean got Louis a dishwasher job in...
(film, Sara Raymond, 1970) - Wonder WomanWonder Woman (TV series)Wonder Woman is an American television series based on the DC Comics comic book superhero of the same name. Starring Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman/Diana Prince and Lyle Waggoner as Steve Trevor, the show originally aired from 1975 to 1979....
(TV movie, Hippolyte, 1974) - Police StoryPolice StoryPolice Story is an anthology television crime drama that aired on NBC from 1973 through 1978. The show was the brainchild of author and former policeman Joseph Wambaugh and represented a major step forward in the realistic depiction of police work and violence on network TV...
(TV series, 1 episode, "Company Man", 1975) - CHiPsCHiPsCHiPs is an American television drama series produced by MGM Studios that originally aired on NBC from September 15, 1977, to July 17, 1983. CHiPs followed the lives of two motorcycle police officers of the California Highway Patrol...
(TV series, appeared as herself in 1 episode, 1980) - Melvin and HowardMelvin and HowardMelvin and Howard is a 1980 American comedy-drama film directed by Jonathan Demme. The screenplay by Bo Goldman was inspired by real-life Utah service station owner Melvin Dummar, who was listed as the beneficiary of USD$156 million in a will allegedly handwritten by Howard Hughes that was...
(film, Mrs. Worth, 1980)