Chris Noel
Chris Noel (born July 2, 1941) is an American actress.[3] Star of a dozen beach party movies in the 1960s,[3] she is perhaps best known by veterans of the Vietnam war for her work on the Armed Forces Radio And Television Service as the "Voice of Vietnam".[4] Noel made frequent visits to troops and was shot down twice in helicopters.[5][6] Her radio program A Date With Chris was one of Armed Forces Radio's most popular shows[7] and is fondly remembered by many Vietnam vets.[8] Her pin up pictures were very popular.[9]
Chris Noel | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 2, 1941 West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Actor, Art Department, host of American Forces Radio & Television (AFRTS) Radio Show |
| Years active | 1963–2010 |
| Known for | Girl Happy, Wild Wild Winter and The Tormentors |
Notable work | Mid 1960s |
| Height | 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) |
| Spouse(s) | Clyde Berkley "Ty" Herrington (1969-1969) (his death)[1] a Texan met in church a lawyer[2] |
Model
Noel's picture appeared on the cover of Good Housekeeping magazine when she was 16 years old, and she was painted as a pin-up model by Gil Elvgren. Posters that showed her holding a Kodak Brownie camera were displayed in camera stores. She also had her own modeling school in Lake Park, Florida.[10]
Vietnam
In addition to her work on radio during the Vietnam War, she toured the country eight times, including twice with Bob Hope. Her interest in that war's military personnel began with her visit to a San Francisco VA hospital in 1965. She said, "That was the moment. I prayed to God to help me help young men in war."
Singer
In the early '70's, Noel was in New York and was working with Paul Colby, impresario and owner of the famous Greenwich Village club, The Bitter End. Noel was performing cover songs by John Prine and needed a backup band. Paul asked Dennis Lepri, who had worked with Kenny Rogers and Gunhill Road, to form a band for her and produce her sound. After auditioning many New York area musicians, the band "Quilt" was formed. After extensive rehearsals at the Bitter End, the band showcased for selected industry executives to mixed reviews. Some time after, the band was dissolved and Noel pursued other interests.
Personal life
Noel wed soldier Ty Herrington, whom she later described as "a paranoid schizophrenic manic-depressive", following his proposal in a helicopter.[10] He killed himself after they had been married 11 months. She went on to marry three more times.[10]
In 1993, she opened a shelter in Boynton Beach, Florida, providing space for 10 - 12 veterans at a time.[10]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | Soldier in the Rain | Frances McCoy | |
| 1964 | Honeymoon Hotel | Nancy Penrose | |
| Looking for Love | Actress | Uncredited | |
| Diary of a Bachelor | Bachelorette | ||
| Get Yourself a College Girl | Sue Ann Mobley | ||
| 1965 | Girl Happy | Betsy | |
| Joy in the Morning | Mary Ellen Kincaid | ||
| Beach Ball | Susan | ||
| 1966 | Wild Wild Winter | Susan | |
| Good Old Days | Pantha | ||
| 1967 | The Glory Stompers | Chris | |
| 1968 | For Singles Only | Lily | |
| 1971 | The Tormentors | Eve | |
| 1980 | Detour to Terror | Peggy Cameron | TV movie |
| 1981 | Fly Away Home | Special Thanks (radio broadcasts in Vietnam) | |
| 1985 | Cease Fire | Wendy | |
| 1986 | Sin of Innocence | Wedding Guest #5 | TV movie |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Episode(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | The Eleventh Hour | Evelyn | "Try to Keep Alive Until Next Tuesday" |
| 1964 | The Lieutenant | Ginny | "Between Music and Laughter" |
| Bewitched | Susan | "Love Is Blind" | |
| 1965 | Burke's Law | Miss Larchmont / Patience Stevens | 2 episodes |
| The Smothers Brothers Show | Claudia | "I Wouldn't Miss My Own Funeral for Anything" | |
| Perry Mason | Susan Wolfe | "The Case of the Silent Six" | |
| My Three Sons | Margie | "Marriage and Stuff" | |
| My Mother the Car | Helen | "Many Happy No-Returns" | |
| 1966 | Occasional Wife | Marilyn | "Pilot" |
| 1967 | Password | Herself | March 1967 with Roger Smith |
| 1968 | The Pat Boone Show | Herself | Episode dated 31 January 1968 |
| 1980 | Wild Times | Dolly | "Episode #1.1" |
| 1981 | CHiPs | Karen | "11–99: Officer Needs Help" |
| 1989 | B.L. Stryker | Unknown | "Blues for Buder" |
| China Beach | Herself | "Vets" | |
| 2005 | Tricky TV | Property Master (Art Department) | Unknown |
| 2007 | Cape Wrath | Stand-By Props (Art Department) | 7 episodes |
| 2010 | Missing | Stand-By Props (Art Department) | 10 episodes |
References
- https://www.historynet.com/the-vietnam-interview-a-date-with-chris-noel.htm
- https://www.palmbeachpost.com/article/20110728/ENTERTAINMENT/812027767
- Eyman, Scott. "The surprising life of Palm Beach's pin-up girl". The Palm Beach Post.
- Tucker, Spencer C. (May 20, 2011). The Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War: A Political, Social, and Military History, 2nd Edition [4 volumes]: A Political, Social, and Military History. ISBN 9781851099610.
- Noel, Chris (January 1987). Matter of Survival: The "war" Jane Never Saw. ISBN 9780828319034.
- Leon, Harmon. "54 Rare Historical Photos That Took It Way Too Far". History Daily.
- Westheider, James E. (2007). The Vietnam War. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 90. ISBN 9780313337550. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
- "United States Congressional Serial Set". 1993.
- Hamilton, E. M. (2006). My Vietnam Journal: In the Rear with the Gear. ISBN 9781412093170.
- "Visit to a VA hospital led to 8 tours of Vietnam". The Palm Beach Post. Florida, West Palm Beach. July 29, 2011. p. D 4. Retrieved August 26, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
- Chris Noel on IMDb
- Chris Noel at the Internet Broadway Database
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