Garde, Betty

Actress. Stage actress, New York 1924-1966; Film actress, 1928-1962; Radio actress, 1935-1951; Television actress, 1949-1962.

Betty Garde (1905-1989) was an American actress of stage, screen, radio and television. She was born on September 19, 1905 in Philadelphia, PA, and graduated from West Philadelphia High School before beginning her theatrical career. Her first role of note was as the maid in the play "Nice People" at the Broadway Theatre in Philadelphia in May of 1922.

Ms. Garde made her New York stage debut on October 26, 1924 (some sources give 1925) in the play "Easy Come, Easy Go." She toured extensively during the 1920s, playing Julia Winters in the play "The Poor Nut." Her subsequent touring roles included "The Nervous Wreck (1924) and "Gentleman Prefer Blondes" (1928). On Broadway, she played roles in "The Social Register" (1931); "The Best People" (1933) and "The Primrose Path" (1939). She had her most famous role, originating the part of Aunt Eller in the musical "Oklahoma!," in 1943. Later, in 1955, she would appear on the New York stage in "The Miser" and again in 1966 in "Agatha Sue, I Love You."

Ms. Garde began in radio around 1935 and would be highly active over the next six years with roles on "Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch" (as Mrs. Wiggs); "Lorenzo Jones"; "Quaker Party with Tommy Riggs"; and "The Aldrich Family." She also worked extensively with both Orson Welles and Eddie Cantor. In 1939, she starred in and directed the radio soap opera, "My Son and I."

In feature films, Ms. Garde was a popular supporting performer beginning with a role in "The Lady Lies" with Claudette Colbert in 1928. She garnered greater notice however later in such films as "Call Northside 777" with James Stewart (1948); "Cry of the City" (1948); "Caged" co-starring Eleanor Parker (1950); "The Prince Who Was a Thief" with Tony Curtis (1951); "One Desire" with Rock Hudson, Anne Baxter and Natalie Wood (1955); and "The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm" (1962).

Ms. Garde supplemented her stage and film work by appearing in various episodes of ongoing television series beginning in 1949. Some of her credits include: "The Honeymooners" (1955); "Decoy" (1957); "Philip Marlowe" (1960); "Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond" (1960); "Adventures in Paradise" (1960); "The Twilight Zone" (twice, both in 1961); "Route 66" (1961) and "Ben Casey" (1962), among other programs. Ms. Garde married Frank Lennon, a theatre electrician, during her run in "Oklahoma!" in the mid-1940s. They had no children.

Ms. Garde died at Sherman Oaks hospital on December 28, 1989 at the age of 84.