Abbe Lane

Although sexy Latin-flavored songstress Abbe Lane enjoyed a brief flirtation with feature films while under contract to Universal-International in the early '50s, the fiery Brooklyn-born entertainer is better known for her hundreds of television appearances -- from drama series to game shows -- and for a recording career that culminated with Be Mine Tonight with Tito Puente. Lane (born Abigail Francine Lassman), whose red-blooded singing-style was heavily influenced by her first husband, Rumba king Xavier Cugat (she was his third wife and was followed by Charo), filmed quite a bit in Italy in the late '50s and early '60s but, she claims, was considered "too sexy for Italian television." ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide