Betty Garrett
Biography
Betty Garrett was an American actress, comedian, singer, and dancer who starred in several Hollywood musicals and stage roles. Born on May 23, 1919, in Saint Joseph, Missouri, she had forty-three known credits in acting on The Movie Database. She was married to Oscar-nominated actor Larry Parks. During the Communist scare in the 1950s, her husband was summoned and questioned by the House Un-American Activities Committee, where he admitted to Communist Party membership from 1941 to 1945 and refused to name names, resulting in him being placed on the Hollywood Blacklist, which brought her career to a halt. While the drama played out, a pregnant Garrett was never called to testify. She passed away on February 12, 2011, at the age of ninety-one.
Career overview
Betty Garrett was an American actress, comedian, singer, and dancer who starred in several Hollywood musicals and stage roles. Her career as an actress included forty-three known credits on The Movie Database. She was born in Saint Joseph, Missouri, on May 23, 1919.
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, Oscar-nominated actor Larry Parks, 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 to 1945 and his refusal to name names, he was placed on the Hollywood Blacklist.
Garrett lived until February 12, 2011, passing away at the age of ninety-one. Throughout her life and career, she was recognized as a multifaceted performer known for acting in both films and stage productions before her career was interrupted by the political events of the 1950s.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full Filmography
45 titles- Carol Channing: Larger Than Life (2012) as Self
- Troupers (2011)
- Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1940s: Stars, Stripes and Singing (2009) as (archive footage)
- Dark and Stormy Night (2009) as Mrs. Hausenstout
- Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1920s: The Dawn of the Hollywood Musical (2008) as Self
- Trail of the Screaming Forehead (2007) as Mrs. Cuttle
- Grey's Anatomy (2005) as Eleanor
- Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There (2003) as Self
- Gene Kelly: Anatomy of a Dancer (2002) as Self
- Boston Public (2000) as Miriam Guber
- Frank Sinatra Memorial (2000) as Self
- Becker (1998) as Mrs. Firth
- The Long Way Home (1998) as Veronica
- Union Square (1997) as Agnes
- Townies (1996)
- Jack Lemmon: America's Everyman (1996) as Self
- The Good Life (1994) as Phyllis
- That's Entertainment! III (1994) as (archive footage)
- Blacke's Magic (1986)
- The Golden Girls (1985) as Sarah
- That's Dancing! (1985) as Ruth Sherwood (archive footage)
- Murder, She Wrote (1984) as Kit Parkins
- Murder, She Wrote (1984) as Martha Neilson
- Mr. Merlin (1981)
- All the Way Home (1981) as Catherine
- The Love Boat (1977) as Martha McCoy
- Laverne & Shirley (1976) as Edna Babish
- Dinah! (1974) as Self
- That's Entertainment! (1974) as (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Hollywood: The Dream Factory (1972) as Self (archive footage)
- Great Performances (1971) as Mary Hallen
- All in the Family (1971) as Irene Lorenzo
- All in the Family (1971) as Irene
- The Fugitive (1963) as Margaret Ruskin
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) as Self
- The Shadow on the Window (1957) as Linda Atlas
- The Dinah Shore Chevy Show (1956) as Self
- My Sister Eileen (1955) as Ruth Sherwood
- The Colgate Comedy Hour (1950) as Self
- The Costume Designer (1950) as Self (archive footage)
- On the Town (1949) as Brunhilde Esterhazy
- Neptune's Daughter (1949) as Betty Barrett
- Take Me Out to the Ball Game (1949) as Shirley Delwyn
- Words and Music (1948) as Peggy Lorgan McNeil
- Big City (1948) as Shoo Shoo Grady
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Betty Garrett best known for?
Betty Garrett is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including Grey's Anatomy (2005), Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There (2003), Boston Public (2000), The Devil's Own (1997).
When and where was Betty Garrett born?
Betty Garrett was born on May 23, 1919 in Saint Joseph, Missouri, USA. They passed away on February 12, 2011.
How many credits does Betty Garrett have?
Betty Garrett has accumulated over 45 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1948 to 2012.
What is Betty Garrett's background in cinema and television?
Betty Garrett was an American actress, comedian, singer, and dancer who starred in several Hollywood musicals and stage roles. Born on May 23, 1919, in Saint Joseph, Missouri, she had forty-three known credits in acting on The Movie Database. She was married to Oscar-nominated actor Larry Parks. During the Communist sc...
Betty Garrett by the numbers
Age in their best-rated roles
- Grey's Anatomy (2005) as Eleanor — aged about 86
- All in the Family (1971) as Irene Lorenzo — aged about 52
- All in the Family (1971) as Irene — aged about 52
- Boston Public (2000) as Miriam Guber — aged about 81
- The Golden Girls (1985) as Sarah — aged about 66
- Murder, She Wrote (1984) as Kit Parkins — aged about 65
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