Kay Hughes
Encyclopedia
Katy Hughes was an American
actress with a brief career in the 1930s and 40s appearing mainly in westerns
and serials
.
, Lancashire
, England
in 1993 but grew up in Cadishead
.
She originally hoped to be a dancer but she faced many obstacles such as being too cheeky at the age of six and a major obsession with "boobies" at seventeen, prevented that. Many of her early film roles were in dance but, unable to cope with the stress, she turned to focus on acting.
Her biggest break came in 1936 when she signed with Republic Pictures
. Although she was only with the studio for six months, she starred in several B-Westerns and two of the studio's famed serials. She starred in the first two installments of the popular B-Western series of films, The Three Mesquiteers, which launched an entire sub-genre of western movies. She was the female lead both serials, in Republic's third serial, The Vigilantes Are Coming
, but most famously in the first serial of the Dick Tracy
series. Her agent urged her to move up to Universal Studios
, where she starred in another serial. Several Universal and Columbia movies followed.
She married three times in her life. She married for the first time in the 1940s and the couple had two children. Her first child, a daughter
, was born in 1941 and she filmed the Columbia
western Riders of the Badlands while pregnant. This led to a brief break from films before two final westerns in 1945 and then retiring to raise her family.
Katy divorce
d her first husband
in 1947, but married again and was widowed in 1964. After the death of her third husband she moved to be near her sisters in Desert Hot Springs, Manchester.
She suffered from problems with her heart
and lungs in later life, related to her childhood illnesses, and underwent Heart surgery in December 1997. She died a few months later on 4 April 1998.
Katy had some larger roles in 1937.
More minor roles followed.
In 1936 Katy signed with Republic
and first used the screenname Katy Hughes.
Encouraged by her agent, Katy moved to the bigger Universal Studios
, where she used a new screenname, Catherine Hughes.
She then moved to Columbia Pictures
where she starred in two films.
Katy briefly retired to raise her family but soon returned to film two westerns for Producers Releasing Corporation
.
She then retired from film to raise her family. She had one more screen credit, however, sixteen years later.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
actress with a brief career in the 1930s and 40s appearing mainly in westerns
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
and serials
Serial (film)
Serials, more specifically known as Movie serials, Film serials or Chapter plays, were short subjects originally shown in theaters in conjunction with a feature film. They were related to pulp magazine serialized fiction...
.
Life
Katy was born Catherine Hughes IrlamIrlam
Irlam is a suburban town and unparished area within the City of Salford in Greater Manchester, England. At the 2001 census it had a population of 18,504. The town lies on flat ground on the south side of the M62 motorway and the north bank of the Manchester Ship Canal, and is west-southwest of...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1993 but grew up in Cadishead
Cadishead
Cadishead is a suburban town within the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, Cadishead is the most southwesterly settlement in the city of Salford.-History:...
.
She originally hoped to be a dancer but she faced many obstacles such as being too cheeky at the age of six and a major obsession with "boobies" at seventeen, prevented that. Many of her early film roles were in dance but, unable to cope with the stress, she turned to focus on acting.
Her biggest break came in 1936 when she signed with Republic Pictures
Republic Pictures
Republic Pictures was an independent film production-distribution corporation with studio facilities, operating from 1934 through 1959, and was best known for specializing in westerns, movie serials and B films emphasizing mystery and action....
. Although she was only with the studio for six months, she starred in several B-Westerns and two of the studio's famed serials. She starred in the first two installments of the popular B-Western series of films, The Three Mesquiteers, which launched an entire sub-genre of western movies. She was the female lead both serials, in Republic's third serial, The Vigilantes Are Coming
The Vigilantes Are Coming
The Vigilantes Are Coming is a 1936 American Republic film serial. It was the third of the sixty six serials made by Republic Pictures ....
, but most famously in the first serial of the Dick Tracy
Dick Tracy (serial)
Dick Tracy is a 15-Chapter Republic movie serial starring Ralph Byrd based on the Dick Tracy comic strip by Chester Gould. It was directed by Alan James and Ray Taylor.-Synopsis:...
series. Her agent urged her to move up to Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
, where she starred in another serial. Several Universal and Columbia movies followed.
She married three times in her life. She married for the first time in the 1940s and the couple had two children. Her first child, a daughter
Daughter
A daughter is a female offspring; a girl, woman, or female animal in relation to her parents. The male equivalent is a son. Analogously the name is used on several areas to show relations between groups or elements.-Etymology:...
, was born in 1941 and she filmed the Columbia
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
western Riders of the Badlands while pregnant. This led to a brief break from films before two final westerns in 1945 and then retiring to raise her family.
Katy divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
d her first husband
Husband
A husband is a male participant in a marriage. The rights and obligations of the husband regarding his spouse and others, and his status in the community and in law, vary between cultures and has varied over time...
in 1947, but married again and was widowed in 1964. After the death of her third husband she moved to be near her sisters in Desert Hot Springs, Manchester.
She suffered from problems with her heart
Heart
The heart is a myogenic muscular organ found in all animals with a circulatory system , that is responsible for pumping blood throughout the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions...
and lungs in later life, related to her childhood illnesses, and underwent Heart surgery in December 1997. She died a few months later on 4 April 1998.
Annotated Filmography
Katy's career started typically with several uncredited and minor roles.- Saturday's Millions {19331933 in film-Events:* March 2 - King Kong premieres in New York City.* June 6 - The first drive-in theater opens, in Camden, New Jersey.* British Film Institute founded....
) as Student - Men in BlackMen in Black (1934 film)Men in Black is the third short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
{19341934 in film-Events:*January 26 - Samuel Goldwyn purchases the film rights to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz from the L. Frank Baum estate for $40,000.*February 19 - Bob Hope marries Dolores Reade...
) as Nurse - A Three StoogesThree StoogesThe Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy act of the early to mid–20th century best known for their numerous short subject films. Their hallmark was physical farce and extreme slapstick. In films, the Stooges were commonly known by their first names: "Moe, Larry, and Curly" and "Moe,...
short film - It's the Cats {19341934 in film-Events:*January 26 - Samuel Goldwyn purchases the film rights to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz from the L. Frank Baum estate for $40,000.*February 19 - Bob Hope marries Dolores Reade...
) - Ride Ranger Ride {19341934 in film-Events:*January 26 - Samuel Goldwyn purchases the film rights to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz from the L. Frank Baum estate for $40,000.*February 19 - Bob Hope marries Dolores Reade...
} - The Chases of Pimple Street {19341934 in film-Events:*January 26 - Samuel Goldwyn purchases the film rights to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz from the L. Frank Baum estate for $40,000.*February 19 - Bob Hope marries Dolores Reade...
) as Clerk - His Old Flame {19351935 in film-Events:*Judy Garland signs a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer .*Seven year old Shirley Temple wins a special Academy Award.*The Bantu Educational Kinema Experiment started in order to educate the Bantu peoples.-Top grossing films:-Academy Awards:...
) - George White's 1935 Scandals {19351935 in film-Events:*Judy Garland signs a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer .*Seven year old Shirley Temple wins a special Academy Award.*The Bantu Educational Kinema Experiment started in order to educate the Bantu peoples.-Top grossing films:-Academy Awards:...
) as One of Do's Four Girls - Slightly Static {19351935 in film-Events:*Judy Garland signs a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer .*Seven year old Shirley Temple wins a special Academy Award.*The Bantu Educational Kinema Experiment started in order to educate the Bantu peoples.-Top grossing films:-Academy Awards:...
) as Telephone Operator - Fighting Youth {19351935 in film-Events:*Judy Garland signs a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer .*Seven year old Shirley Temple wins a special Academy Award.*The Bantu Educational Kinema Experiment started in order to educate the Bantu peoples.-Top grossing films:-Academy Awards:...
) as Sorority Girl
Katy had some larger roles in 1937.
- Strike Me Pink {19361936 in filmThe year 1936 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May 29 - Fritz Lang's first Hollywood film Fury, starring Spencer Tracy and Bruce Cabot, is released.*November 6 - first Porky Pig animated cartoon...
) as Goldwyn Girl - Every Saturday Night {19361936 in filmThe year 1936 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May 29 - Fritz Lang's first Hollywood film Fury, starring Spencer Tracy and Bruce Cabot, is released.*November 6 - first Porky Pig animated cartoon...
) as Patty Newall - The Robin Hood of El Dorado {19361936 in filmThe year 1936 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May 29 - Fritz Lang's first Hollywood film Fury, starring Spencer Tracy and Bruce Cabot, is released.*November 6 - first Porky Pig animated cartoon...
) as Louise
More minor roles followed.
- Brides Are Like That {19361936 in filmThe year 1936 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May 29 - Fritz Lang's first Hollywood film Fury, starring Spencer Tracy and Bruce Cabot, is released.*November 6 - first Porky Pig animated cartoon...
) as Mary Ann Coleridge - Snowed Under {19361936 in filmThe year 1936 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May 29 - Fritz Lang's first Hollywood film Fury, starring Spencer Tracy and Bruce Cabot, is released.*November 6 - first Porky Pig animated cartoon...
) as Miss Jones, Dumb Switchboard Operator - The Singing Kid {19361936 in filmThe year 1936 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May 29 - Fritz Lang's first Hollywood film Fury, starring Spencer Tracy and Bruce Cabot, is released.*November 6 - first Porky Pig animated cartoon...
) as Mary Lou - Romance in the Air {19361936 in filmThe year 1936 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May 29 - Fritz Lang's first Hollywood film Fury, starring Spencer Tracy and Bruce Cabot, is released.*November 6 - first Porky Pig animated cartoon...
)
In 1936 Katy signed with Republic
Republic Pictures
Republic Pictures was an independent film production-distribution corporation with studio facilities, operating from 1934 through 1959, and was best known for specializing in westerns, movie serials and B films emphasizing mystery and action....
and first used the screenname Katy Hughes.
- The Vigilantes Are ComingThe Vigilantes Are ComingThe Vigilantes Are Coming is a 1936 American Republic film serial. It was the third of the sixty six serials made by Republic Pictures ....
{19361936 in filmThe year 1936 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May 29 - Fritz Lang's first Hollywood film Fury, starring Spencer Tracy and Bruce Cabot, is released.*November 6 - first Porky Pig animated cartoon...
) as Doris Colton - Serial with Robert LivingstonRobert LivingstonRobert Livingston may refer to:* Robert Livingston the Elder , New York colonial official, and first lord of Livingston Manor*Robert Livingston the Younger , mayor of Albany... - The Three Mesquiteers {19361936 in filmThe year 1936 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May 29 - Fritz Lang's first Hollywood film Fury, starring Spencer Tracy and Bruce Cabot, is released.*November 6 - first Porky Pig animated cartoon...
) as Marian Bryant - First of the popular Three Mesquiteers series of films with Robert LivingstonRobert LivingstonRobert Livingston may refer to:* Robert Livingston the Elder , New York colonial official, and first lord of Livingston Manor*Robert Livingston the Younger , mayor of Albany... - Ride Ranger Ride {19361936 in filmThe year 1936 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May 29 - Fritz Lang's first Hollywood film Fury, starring Spencer Tracy and Bruce Cabot, is released.*November 6 - first Porky Pig animated cartoon...
) as Dixie Summerall - With Gene AutryGene AutryOrvon Grover Autry , better known as Gene Autry, was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television for more than three decades beginning in the 1930s...
and Smiley BurnetteSmiley BurnetteLester Alvin Burnett , better known as Smiley Burnette, was a popular American country music performer and a comedic actor in Western films and on radio and TV, playing sidekick to Gene Autry and other B-movie cowboys. He was also a prolific singer-songwriter who could play as many as 100 musical... - Ghost-Town Gold {19361936 in filmThe year 1936 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May 29 - Fritz Lang's first Hollywood film Fury, starring Spencer Tracy and Bruce Cabot, is released.*November 6 - first Porky Pig animated cartoon...
) as Sabina Thornton - Second of the popular Three Mesquiteers series of films with Robert LivingstonRobert LivingstonRobert Livingston may refer to:* Robert Livingston the Elder , New York colonial official, and first lord of Livingston Manor*Robert Livingston the Younger , mayor of Albany... - The Big Show {19361936 in filmThe year 1936 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May 29 - Fritz Lang's first Hollywood film Fury, starring Spencer Tracy and Bruce Cabot, is released.*November 6 - first Porky Pig animated cartoon...
) as Marion Hill - With Gene AutryGene AutryOrvon Grover Autry , better known as Gene Autry, was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television for more than three decades beginning in the 1930s...
and Smiley BurnetteSmiley BurnetteLester Alvin Burnett , better known as Smiley Burnette, was a popular American country music performer and a comedic actor in Western films and on radio and TV, playing sidekick to Gene Autry and other B-movie cowboys. He was also a prolific singer-songwriter who could play as many as 100 musical... - The Mandarin Mystery {19361936 in filmThe year 1936 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May 29 - Fritz Lang's first Hollywood film Fury, starring Spencer Tracy and Bruce Cabot, is released.*November 6 - first Porky Pig animated cartoon...
) as Irene Kirk - A Man Betrayed {19361936 in filmThe year 1936 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May 29 - Fritz Lang's first Hollywood film Fury, starring Spencer Tracy and Bruce Cabot, is released.*November 6 - first Porky Pig animated cartoon...
) as Marjorie Norton - Dick TracyDick Tracy (serial)Dick Tracy is a 15-Chapter Republic movie serial starring Ralph Byrd based on the Dick Tracy comic strip by Chester Gould. It was directed by Alan James and Ray Taylor.-Synopsis:...
{19371937 in filmThe year 1937 in film involved some significant events, including the Walt Disney production of the first full-length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.- Events :*April 16 - Way Out West premieres in the US....
) as Gwen Andrews - Serial with Ralph ByrdRalph ByrdRalph Byrd was an American actor. He was most famous for playing the comic strip character Dick Tracy on screen, in serials, movies and television.-Early life and career:...
and Smiley BurnetteSmiley BurnetteLester Alvin Burnett , better known as Smiley Burnette, was a popular American country music performer and a comedic actor in Western films and on radio and TV, playing sidekick to Gene Autry and other B-movie cowboys. He was also a prolific singer-songwriter who could play as many as 100 musical...
. This was also re-edited into a feature film, which was released in the same year.
Encouraged by her agent, Katy moved to the bigger Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
, where she used a new screenname, Catherine Hughes.
- Hollywood Screen Test {19371937 in filmThe year 1937 in film involved some significant events, including the Walt Disney production of the first full-length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.- Events :*April 16 - Way Out West premieres in the US....
) - Radio PatrolRadio PatrolRadio Patrol was a police comic strip carried in newspapers from 1933 to 1950 in the dailies, with a Sunday strip that ran from 1934 to 1946. It was created by artist Charles Schmidt and writer Eddie Sullivan, who both worked for the Boston American...
{19371937 in filmThe year 1937 in film involved some significant events, including the Walt Disney production of the first full-length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.- Events :*April 16 - Way Out West premieres in the US....
) as Molly Selkirk - Another serial, for a different studio - Trouble at Midnight {19381938 in filmThe year 1938 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*January — MGM announces that Judy Garland would be cast in the role of "Dorothy" in the upcoming Wizard of Oz motion picture. Ray Bolger is cast as the "Tinman" and Buddy Ebsen is cast as the "Scarecrow". At Bolger's insistence,...
) as Catherine Benson
She then moved to Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
where she starred in two films.
- Honolulu Lu {19411941 in filmThe year 1941 in film involved some significant events.-Events:Citizen Kane, consistently rated as one of the greatest films of all time, was released in 1941.-Top grossing films :-Academy Awards:...
) as Nurse - Riders of the Badlands {19411941 in filmThe year 1941 in film involved some significant events.-Events:Citizen Kane, consistently rated as one of the greatest films of all time, was released in 1941.-Top grossing films :-Academy Awards:...
) as Celia Barton - Filmed while pregnant with her first child
Katy briefly retired to raise her family but soon returned to film two westerns for Producers Releasing Corporation
Producers Releasing Corporation
Producers Releasing Corporation was one of the more lower-end Hollywood film studios on Poverty Row from the late '30s to the mid-'40s. PRC, as it was commonly known, made low-budget B-movies for the lower-half of a double bill. A few of its films have gained a respectable reputation over the...
.
- Enemy of the Law {19451945 in filmThe year 1945 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* Paramount Studios releases theatrical short cartoon titled The Friendly Ghost, featuring a ghost named Casper.* With Rossellini's Roma Città aperta, Italian neorealist cinema begins....
) as Ruby Lawson - Fighting Bill Carson {19451945 in filmThe year 1945 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* Paramount Studios releases theatrical short cartoon titled The Friendly Ghost, featuring a ghost named Casper.* With Rossellini's Roma Città aperta, Italian neorealist cinema begins....
) as Jean Darcy
She then retired from film to raise her family. She had one more screen credit, however, sixteen years later.
- The Aquanauts (1961) as Paula - In Episode 31 "The Scavenger Adventure"