Kipp Hamilton(bornRita Marie Hamilton;August 16, 1934 – January 29, 1981) was an American actress. She was the younger sister of producerJoe Hamiltonand the sister-in-law ofCarol Burnett.
Kipp Hamilton | |
|---|---|
 Hamilton in the musicalHow to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying(1964) | |
| Born | Rita Marie Hamilton August 16, 1934 |
| Died | January 29, 1981(aged 46) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City |
| Other names | Rita Rosenfeld |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1953–1967 |
| Spouses | David Geisel
(m.1963;div.1965)Donald Thorman Rosenfeld
(m.1968) |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Joe Hamilton(brother) Carrie Hamilton(niece) Erin Hamilton(niece) |
Early life and family
editShe was born Rita Marie Hamilton on August 16, 1934, in Los Angeles, California, the youngest of six children of Joseph and Marie Hamilton.[1]One of her older brothers was producer and actor Joe Hamilton, who later married comedian Carol Burnett.[2]
Career
editHamilton made her film debut in a supporting role in theRKO Radio PicturesdramaOn Our Very Own(1950). In March 1953, she was named "Miss Optometry" by the New York State Association of Optometrists.[3]In mid-1955, Hamilton signed a seven-year contract with20th Century Fox.[4]Shortly after signing with Fox, Hamilton (along with nine other up-and-coming actresses, includingAnita EkbergandLori Nelson) was named a "Deb Star of 1955".[5]That same year, Hamilton was cast in her first major role in the dramaGood Morning, Miss Dove,playing Jincey Baker.[4]
The following year, Hamilton asked to be released from her contract with Fox.[6]Throughout the remainder of the 1950s, Hamilton appeared in guest roles onPerry Mason,Meet McGraw,Richard Diamond, Private Detective,The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp,The Texan,and77 Sunset Strip.In 1959, Hamilton appeared in a supporting role inNever So Few.
Later that same year, she signed withHecht Hill Lancaster(the production company partially owned by actorBurt Lancaster) and was cast in the WesternThe Unforgiven(1960).[6]She also had a nightclub act that she performed at Lou Black's Living Room, a club in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.[7]This followed with a starring role inFinian's Rainbowat the Cocoanut Grove.[8]
In November 1963, Hamilton began touring in the road production of the musicalHow to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.She remained with the production until mid-1964.[2]In 1965, she returned to television with the guest-starring role on theBewitchedepisode "Pleasure O'Reilly" as the title character.[9]The following year,Henry G. Sapersteincast Hamilton in what was her final film role, a singer inThe War of the Gargantuas,a Japanesekaijumovie. Billed as a "special guest star", Hamilton performs the song "The Words Get Stuck in My Throat", which later was covered byDevo.[10]Hamilton's final onscreen role was in a 1967 episode ofThe Virginian.
Personal life
editIn 1958, Hamilton dated and later became engaged to film mogulAdolph Zukor's grandson Adolph Zukor II, a worker in the publicity and foreign departments atParamount Pictures.Hamilton called off the engagement in March 1959 while she was filmingThe UnforgiveninDurango,Mexico.[11]
In February 1962, Hamilton married director Dave Geisel, whom she had met on the set ofThe Garry Moore Show,which her brother Joe produced. They had a daughter, Marie, in 1963 and separated the following year. They were divorced in June 1965.[3]Geisel died in 1969.
Later years and death
editAfter retiring from acting, Hamilton married Beverly Hills lawyer Donald Thorman Rosenfeld in February 1968. They had a daughter, Dana, in October 1968. She continued to act in regional theater until her death from breast cancer on January 29, 1981, aged 46.[3][12]She is buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.[13]In July 2022, Kipp was profiled inClassic Images,in which her daughters and co-stars discussed her onscreen career.
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Our Very Own | Gwendolyn | Credited as Rita Hamilton |
| 1955 | Good Morning, Miss Dove | Virginia "Jincey" Baker | |
| 1956 | Bigger Than Life | Pat Wade | |
| 1959 | Never So Few | Margaret Fitch | Alternative title:Campaign Burma |
| 1960 | The Unforgiven | Georgia Rawlins | |
| 1965 | Harlow | Marie Tanner | |
| 1967 | War of the Gargantuas | Singer |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1955–1957 | The 20th Century Fox Hour | Susie Hagget Christina Bradley |
Episodes: "Christopher Bean" "The Marriage Broker" |
| 1958 | Perry Mason | Elaine Barton | Episode: "The Case of the Cautious Coquette" |
| 1958 | Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer | Katie O'Donnell | Episode: "Dead Men Don't Dream" |
| 1958 | Meet McGraw | Helen Maddon | Episode: "The Setup" |
| 1958 | Richard Diamond, Private Detective | Yvette Greener | Episode: "One Foot in the Grave" |
| 1959 | The Lineup | Episode: "The Murdered Blonde Case" | |
| 1959 | 77 Sunset Strip | Lili | Episode: "Vacation with Pay" |
| 1959 | The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp | Miss Doreen | Episode: "Dodge Is Civilized" |
| 1959–1960 | The Texan | Steve | 5 episodes |
| 1960 | Rawhide | Shezoe | Episode: "Incident of the Dancing Death" |
| 1961 | Westinghouse Playhouse | Sylvia Morrow | Episode: "I Seen the Saw" |
| 1965 | Bewitched | Priscilla "Pleasure" O'Reilly | Episode: "Pleasure O'Reilly" |
| 1965 | The Man from U.N.C.L.E. | Lavinia Brown | Episode: "The Girls of Nazarone Affair" |
| 1965 | Burke's Law | Silkie | Episode: "Steam Heat" |
| 1965 | The Wild Wild West | Cluny Ormont | Episode: "The Night of the Glowing Corpse" |
| 1965 | The Smothers Brothers Show | Danielle | Episode: "Boys Will Be Playboys" |
| 1966 | My Three Sons | Maxine | Episode: "Call Her Max" |
| 1967 | Family Affair | Meg | Episode: "Fancy Free" |
| 1967 | The Pruitts of Southampton | Greta | Episode: "Goddess of Love" |
| 1967 | Dragnet | Jana Altman | Episode: "The Bank Jobs" |
| 1967 | The Virginian | Gloria | Episode: "The Fortress", (final appearance) |
References
edit- ^Clemens, Samuel (July 2022). "Kipp Hamilton: Hollywood's Irish Lass".Classic Images.pp. 13–15, 59–60.
- ^abCloud, Barbara (May 6, 1964)."Kipp Hamilton Dislikes Being Called 'Starlet'".The Pittsburgh Press.Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. p. 27.RetrievedApril 14,2015.
- ^abc"Kipp Hamilton Bio".glamourgirlsofthesilverscreen.com.
- ^abScott, Vernon (August 16, 1955)."Kipp Hamilton's Allergic, Of All Things, Mink".Schenectady Gazette.Schenectady, New York. p. 8.RetrievedApril 14,2015.
- ^"Makeup Artists Pick 10 Stars of Future".Motion Picture Daily.78(65). New York City: Quigley Publishing Co.: 2 October 3, 1955.ISSN0027-1594.
- ^ab"Rising Actress Admits She Is Now a Spinster".St. Petersburg Times.St. Petersburg, Florida. July 1, 1959. pp. 8–C.RetrievedApril 14,2015.
- ^"Get Career Out Of Your System Actress Tells Marriage-Bound".The Montreal Gazette.Montreal, Quebec, Canada. July 7, 1961. p. 18.RetrievedApril 14,2015.
- ^Glazer, Barney (August 17, 1962)."Finian's Rainbow Makes Local Debut at the Cocoanut Grove".The Van Nuys News and Valley Green Sheet.p. 22.RetrievedJuly 11,2024.(subscription required)
- ^Pilato, Herbie J. (2013).The Essential Elizabeth Montgomery: A Guide to Her Magical Performances.Taylor Trade Publishing. p. 44.ISBN978-1-58979-825-0.
- ^Macias, Patrick (2001).Tokyo Scope.Cadence Books. p. 22.ISBN1-56931-681-3.
- ^Parsons, Louella (March 20, 1959)."Louella Parsons In Hollywood: Niven Favored".The Milwaukee Sentinel.Milwaukee, Wisconsin. p. 3. Archived fromthe originalon April 3, 2016.RetrievedApril 14,2015.
- ^"Beverly Hills Attorney Donald T. Rosenfeld Dies".Los Angeles Times.September 22, 1986.RetrievedApril 14,2015.
- ^Clemens, Samuel. "Hollywood's Irish Lass",Classic Images.p.13. July 2022
External links
edit