Beverly Michaels

Beverly Michaels (December 28, 1928 – June 9, 2007) was an American B-movie actress and cheesecake model of the 1950s.

Beverly Michaels
Born(1928-12-28)December 28, 1928
New York City, U.S.
DiedJune 9, 2007(2007-06-09) (aged 78)
Resting placeGreenwood Memorial Lawn Cemetery
Other namesBeverley Michaels
OccupationActress/Model
Years active19481956
Spouse(s)
Voldemar Vetluguin
(
m. 1949; div. 1952)

(
m. 1955; died 1987)
Children2; including Christopher Rouse

Career

Arriving in Hollywood in 1948 at the age of 19 and standing 5 feet 9 inches tall, Michaels quickly found modeling jobs. Initially, she was mistakenly credited in that work as "Beverley Michaels." Later the same year, she had a brief role in the film East Side, West Side, and two years later had a minor role in the film version of Three Little Words.

In 1951, Michaels caught the attention of independent film director and producer Hugo Haas. Haas showcased Michaels in the 1951 film noir Pickup. The movie was a surprise hit, albeit a secondary B feature, and launched Haas's career as a Hollywood director and had a large part in starting the cycle of bad girl movies of the 1950s, which usually starred blonde sex symbols. Their follow-up release, The Girl on the Bridge (1951), was not a success, however, and Haas dropped Michaels in favor of newcomer Cleo Moore as his regular female star. Michaels was now a free agent and had uncredited roles in The Marrying Kind and No Holds Barred, both 1952 releases. She returned to film noir projects with a lead role in Wicked Woman (1953), which today is perhaps her mostly widely seen movie.

Michaels later guest-starred on television shows, such as Alfred Hitchcock Presents and Cheyenne and also supported an ensemble cast in the noir film Crashout. In 1956, she starred in Women Without Men (also known as Blonde Bait), a British-made production, her final screen appearance.

Personal life

Michaels was born in New York City in 1928. She married MGM producer Voldemar Vetluguin,[2] whom she divorced in 1952. She then married director Russell Rouse in 1955, and they subsequently had two children.[3] In 2007, their son Christopher Rouse won an Oscar in editing for The Bourne Ultimatum.[4] She and Russell remained married for 32 years, until his death in 1987.[3] She was a Democrat who supported Adlai Stevenson during the 1952 presidential election.[5]

In the 1980s a cult following grew among fans of the "bad girl" 1950s melodrama genre; and while this public interest centered mostly on Cleo Moore, Diana Dors and Mamie Van Doren, Michaels' contributions were duly noted, including a tribute to Wicked Woman written by Lily Tomlin in the short-lived magazine Movies. However, unlike Van Doren, Michaels declined any follow-up interviews from that publicity or attempts to lure her back into the spotlight, opting instead to maintain her privacy in retirement.

Final years and death

After the death of her husband, Michaels moved from Southern California to Phoenix, Arizona, where she lived until her death from a stroke, at the age of 78, on June 9, 2007. She is buried in Phoenix at Greenwood Memorial Lawn Cemetery. She wanted her final farewell to be so private that she requested that there be no obituary published or funeral held.[6]

Filmography

Year Film title Role Notes
1949 East Side, West Side Felice Backett
1950 Three Little Words Shipboard Woman Uncredited
1951 Pickup Betty
1951 The Girl on the Bridge Clara
1952 The Marrying Kind Blonde on Life Cover Uncredited
1952 No Holds Barred Blonde at Party Uncredited
1953 Wicked Woman Billie Nash
1955 Adventures of the Falcon June Dennison Episode: "The Wheel of Fortune"
1955 Crashout Alice Mosher
1955 Betrayed Women Honey Blake
1956 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Goldie Episode: "The Big Switch"
1956 Cheyenne Sheila Dembro Episode: "The Storm Riders"
1956 Women Without Men Angela Booth Blonde Bait (alternative title)
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References

  1. "Beverly Michaels - The Private Life and Times of Beverly Michaels. Beverly Michaels Pictures". www.glamourgirlsofthesilverscreen.com.
  2. Marriage License Nr.SM-1442, State of California and Certificate of Marriage, September 2, 1949, Judge of the Municipal Court, Santa Monica, Los Angeles.
  3. "Oscar-Winning Director and Writer Russell Rouse". The Los Angeles Times. October 4, 1987. Retrieved December 4, 2011.
  4. "Christopher Rouse - Academy Award Acceptance Speech". The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved July 22, 2012.
  5. Motion Picture and Television Magazine, November 1952, page 33, Ideal Publishers
  6. Wilson, Scott (August 19, 2016). "Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed". McFarland via Google Books.
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