Lola Albright, 1924-2017

Lovely, multitalented Lola Albright has passed away at the age of 92.

The singer-actress, perhaps best known for playing nightclub singer Edie Hart on the PETER GUNN TV series, passed away in Toluca Lake on Thursday, March 23rd. The story broke in the Akron Beacon Journal, Albright's hometown newspaper. The obituary has wonderful background stories on Albright.

Additional obituaries have been published in The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, People, and the Washington Post.

Albright's movie career began in bit parts in MGM films such as THE PIRATE (1948) and EASTER PARADE (1948). (Variety erroneously notes that Albright "starred with Judy Garland in EASTER PARADE"...not exactly!) She quickly moved into eye-catching roles such as Evelyn Keyes' sister in THE KILLER THAT STALKED NEW YORK (1950), which happens to screen in the Noir City Hollywood festival on March 31st.

I especially enjoyed her in a pair of films she made with Wayne Morris, SIERRA PASSAGE (1951) and ARCTIC FLIGHT (1952), and in the sci-fi film THE MONOLITH MONSTERS (1957), seen below.

She released two albums recorded with Henry Mancini, LOLA WANTS YOU and DREAMSVILLE.

Albright was married to Jack Carson for a few years in the '50s, and was later married to Bill Chadney, who played her pianist on PETER GUNN.

Farewell to a beautiful lady who added something special to everything in which she appeared.

Lola Albright films reviewed at Laura's Miscellaneous Musings: JULIA MISBEHAVES (1948), THE GIRL FROM JONES BEACH (1949), THE KILLER THAT STALKED NEW YORK (1950), SIERRA PASSAGE (1951), ARCTIC FLIGHT (1952), THE SILVER WHIP (1953), THE TENDER TRAP (1955), TREASURE OF RUBY HILLS (1955), THE MONOLITH MONSTERS (1957), and OREGON PASSAGE (1957).