Ann Sheridan

'Ann Sheridan' (qv) won the "Search for Beauty" contest which carried with it a Paramount screen test. Signed to a contract at 18, she was put into a number of small roles under her real name of Clara Lou Sheridan. As she got better, her name was changed to Ann. In 1936, after two dozen films, she went to Warner Brothers, which billed her as the "Oomph Girl," a name she despised -- although she certainly looked the part. She was allowed to mature into a leading star who could be the girl next door or the tough-as-nails dame. She was in a lot of comedies and a number of forgettable movies, but the public liked her, and her career flourished. She also gave great performances such as the singer in _Torrid Zone (1940)_ (qv) and the waitress in _They Drive by Night (1940)_ (qv). In 1948, she was dropped by Warner Bros., but came back in 'Howard Hawks' (qv)' comedy _I Was a Male War Bride (1949)_ (qv) with 'Cary Grant' (qv). She continued to make films into the 1950s but retired before the end of the decade. She starred in the soap opera _Another World (1964)_ (qv) and the western series _Pistols 'n' Petticoats (1966)_ (qv). Unfortunately, just as her career was reviving with this series, she died of cancer.::Tony Fontana <[email protected]>