Faye Emerson

Born in Louisiana and raised in California, actress Faye Emerson was signed to a Warner Bros. contract in 1941. During her years at Warners, Emerson was seemingly assigned all the roles that had been turned down by such A-list players as Anne Sheridan. Though hardly an Oscar prospect, she was most effective playing women such as the tawdry nightclub entertainer in Between Two Worlds (1944) and Zachary Scott's discarded mistress in The Mask of Dimitrios (1944). The advent of television brought Emerson her greatest fame; as the star of CBS' Faye Emerson Show and several similar follow-ups, she won the hearts of male viewers with her charm, beauty, sophistication, and especially her legendary low-cut gowns. So popular was Emerson during the early '50s that the TV industry's Emmy Awards were reportedly named in her honor. After leaving television, Emerson made a handful of Broadway appearances and briefly wrote a newspaper column. The most famous of her husbands were Elliot Roosevelt, son of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and bandleader Skitch Henderson. Though she actively sought out the spotlight during her career, Faye Emerson spent her last years as a wealthy recluse.

~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide