- Born
- Died
- Birth nameVivian Sarah Stapleton
- Height5′ 2″ (1.57 m)
- Ms. Blaine is most noted for having portrayed Miss Adelaide, the long-suffering, perpetually engaged chorus girl, in the Broadway and film versions of Guys and Dolls (1955). She originated the role in 1950 on Broadway and stopped the show each night with her rendition of "Adelaide's Lament," in which she complains about having a bad cold because of her long engagement to gambler Nathan Detroit. Ms. Blaine also originated roles on Broadway in "Say Darling" and "Enter Laughing." She also starred on Broadway in "Hatful of Rain," "Company," and, briefly, in "Zorba." She starred in many national tours, including "A Streetcar Named Desire," "Don't Drink the Water," "Hello Dolly," and "Gypsy." Before going to Broadway, Ms. Blaine was a starlet at 20th Century-Fox, appearing in many musical comedy films, including Jitterbugs (1943), Greenwich Village (1944), and State Fair (1945). In the mid 1950s, Ms. Blaine reprised her role as Adelaide in the film version of Guys and Dolls (1955) with Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando. After her Broadway appearance in "Company" in 1972, she appeared on national television at the 25th Tony anniversary special. This led to a revival of her TV career, and she continued to appear in guest roles on TV and in independent films and theater until her retirement in 1984.
- IMDb mini biography by: Anonymous - Vivian Blaine was represented.managed by Robert Cipriano and Capri Productions Limited, along with L'Etoile Talent Agency in the early 1980s. Robert Cipriano took a special interest in Vivian assisting her to book performances throughout NYC and Atlantic City/Las Vegas. Vivian Blaine was heard saying that Robert Cipriano reminded her of her first husband Manny Franks.
- IMDb mini biography by: Redemption Film Partners
- SpousesStuart Clark(December 21, 1973 - December 9, 1995) (her death)Milton Ralph Rackmil(May 9, 1959 - July 25, 1961) (divorced)Manuel (Manny) George Frank(January 10, 1945 - December 10, 1956) (divorced)
- ChildrenNo Children
- ParentsWilhemina Mae StapletonLionel Peter Stapleton
- At 20th Century Fox, she was known as the cherry blonde because of her extraordinary hair color as shown in Technicolor.
- A clothes horse involved in the apparel industry, she appeared on many "Best Dressed Women in America" lists from 1973 to 1983.
- Married three times. First husband was Manny Franks, her agent, who was 20 years older than she. Second husband was Milton Rachmil, the head of Universal Pictures and Decca Records, who wanted an at-home trophy wife; the marriage didn't last long, also ending in divorce court. Third husband was businessman Stuart Clark, who started to supervise her career and revived it on 1970s TV. He was 13 years her junior.
- Portrayed Miss Adelaide in the original Broadway stage version of "Guys and Dolls" and reprised her role in the film version (Guys and Dolls (1955)).
- Later in her career, she was asked to perform at the White House for Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson.
- A prime Fox musical performer during the war and post-war years, she lagged in popularity only to Alice Faye and Betty Grable.
- For her starring role in Guys and Dolls (1955), Ms. Blaine won a Donaldson award for best newcomer of the year.
- I put all my intelligence, such as it is, into playing dumb blondes.
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