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Betty Garrett

May 23, 1919 - Feb 12, 2011 (91 years old) in Saint Joseph, Missouri, USA

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.

Known For

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Grey's Anatomy
Eleanor
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The Love Boat
Martha McCoy
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Murder, She Wrote
Kit Parkins
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All in the Family
Irene Lorenzo
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Great Performances
Mary Hallen
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The Colgate Comedy Hour
Self
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The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
Self
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Becker
Mrs. Firth
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The Fugitive
Margaret Ruskin
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The Golden Girls
Sarah

Credits

Images

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