Kathleen Hughes
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Kathleen Hughes | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Elizabeth Margaret von Gerkan November 14, 1928 Hollywood, California, U.S. |
| Died | May 19, 2025 (aged 96) |
| Education | Fairfax High School |
| Alma mater | Los Angeles City College UCLA |
| Occupation | Film, stage, television actress |
| Years active | 1948–1998 |
| Known for | It Came From Outer Space |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4 |
| Relatives | F. Hugh Herbert (uncle) |
Kathleen Hughes (born Elizabeth Margaret von Gerkan; November 14, 1928 – May 19, 2025) was an American actress who appeared during the Golden Age of Hollywood.
Early life
[edit]Hughes was born in Hollywood, California, on November 14, 1928.[1] Her uncle, F. Hugh Herbert, was a playwright who authored Kiss and Tell and The Moon Is Blue.[2][3][1] Her desire to act was inspired by a film she saw featuring Donald O'Connor, which gave her the idea that "acting looked like fun."[3] After graduating from Fairfax High School, Hughes attended Los Angeles City College and UCLA.[4]
Film
[edit]Hughes was discovered in a Little Theater production in 1948. Signed to a seven-year contract with 20th Century Fox, she made 14 films for the studio.[citation needed] She appeared in five motion pictures for Universal Studios, including the cult film It Came From Outer Space. Hughes co-starred with Edward G. Robinson in a 1953 crime drama, The Glass Web, and appeared in an adventure film that year, The Golden Blade.
Television
[edit]By 1956, Hughes was appearing in television series. She played in episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1956–1957), Telephone Time (1956), The Bob Cummings Show (1958), The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, 77 Sunset Strip (1959), Hotel de Paree (1959), Tightrope! (1959), General Electric Theater (1960–1962), The Tall Man (1961), Bachelor Father (1962), Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (1965), and I Dream of Jeannie (1967).
In 1962, Hughes played the role of murder victim Lita Krail in the sixth-season 1962 episode of Perry Mason, entitled "The Case of the Double-Entry Mind". She played the recurring role of Mrs. Coburn on the television series The Ghost & Mrs. Muir. She appeared on M*A*S*H as Lorraine Blake, wife of unit commander Henry Blake, in a home movie she sent to him. Hughes portrayed Mitch, a secretary, on the NBC drama Bracken's World (1969–1971).[5]
Stage
[edit]Hughes' favorite stage role was in the play The Seven Year Itch.[3]
Personal life and death
[edit]On July 25, 1954, Hughes married Stanley Rubin, the producer of Bracken's World, at the home of her uncle.[6] The couple had one daughter and three sons. The marriage lasted 59 years, until Rubin died on March 2, 2014, at the age of 96.[7]
Hughes died on May 19, 2025, at the age of 96.[8]
Filmography
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | Mother Is a Freshman | Rhoda Adams | |
| Mr. Belvedere Goes to College | Kay Nelson | ||
| It Happens Every Spring | Sarah | ||
| 1950 | Where the Sidewalk Ends | Secretary | |
| Mister 880 | Secretary | ||
| I'll Get By | Secretary | ||
| 1951 | Take Care of My Little Girl | Jenny Barker | |
| I'll See You in My Dreams | Nurse | ||
| 1952 | For Men Only | Tracy Norman | |
| Sally and Saint Anne | Lois Foran | ||
| 1953 | It Came from Outer Space | Jane | |
| The Golden Blade | Bakhamra | ||
| Thy Neighbor's Wife | Anushka | ||
| The Glass Web | Paula Ranier | ||
| 1954 | Dawn at Socorro | Clare | |
| 1955 | Cult of the Cobra | Julia Thompson | |
| 1956 | Three Bad Sisters | Valerie Craig | |
| Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Marian Koster | Season 2 Episode 11: "The Better Bargain" | |
| 1957 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Ann Nash | Season 2 Episode 29: "Vicious Circle" |
| 1958 | Unwed Mother | Linda | |
| 1966 | Promise Her Anything | Bit part | |
| 1967 | The President's Analyst | White House Tourist | |
| 1971 | The Late Liz | Elaine Rich | |
| 1972 | Pete 'n' Tillie | Party Guest | |
| 1974 | The Take | School Nurse | |
| 1990 | Revenge | Mother Superior | |
| 1998 | Welcome to Hollywood | Woman in curlers | |
| 2017 | Swamp Women Kissing Booth | Matilda | Short film |
References
[edit]- ^ a b Mason, Buddy (January 8, 1953). "Behind the Movie Sets". The Algona Upper Des Moines. Algona, Iowa. p. 42. Retrieved July 19, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Hughes, Kathleen (1928–)". Encyclopedia.com. Cengage. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ a b c "Kathleen Hughes is still growing up". The Argus. Fremont, California. February 22, 1970. p. 45. Retrieved July 19, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Behind the Movie Sets". The Los Angeles Times. February 9, 1949. p. 7. Retrieved September 26, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010. McFarland & Company, Inc.; ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7. P. 129.
- ^ "Kathleen Hughes Weds". Newport Daily News. Newport, Rhode Island. Associated Press. July 26, 1954. p. 7. Retrieved July 19, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Pool, Bob (March 4, 2014). "Stanley Rubin dies at 96; prolific writer-producer of TV and film". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
- ^ "Kathleen Hughes, Iconic Scream Queen of 'It Came from Outer Space,' Dies at 96". Extra. 20 May 2025. Retrieved 20 May 2025.
Sources
[edit]- "Kathleen Hughes Says She Is Still Growing Up". The Morning News. Florence, South Carolina. April 11, 1970. p. 11.
- "Kathleen Hughes First Feminine Sensation Created By 3D". The Newport Daily News. Newport, Rhode Island. July 9, 1953. p. 9.
External links
[edit]
- Kathleen Hughes at IMDb
- "Kathleen Hughes Interview − Pt 1". YouTube. NoirCitySF. November 3, 2012. Archived from the original on 2021-12-13.
- "Kathleen Hughes Interview − Pt 2". YouTube. NoirCitySF. November 3, 2012. Archived from the original on 2021-12-13.
- "It Came from Outer Space − Alan K. Rode interviews Kathleen Hughes". YouTube. Alan K. Rode. October 15, 2017. Archived from the original on 2021-12-13.
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