Darbi Winters

Darbi Winters
Darbi Winters
	Darbi Winters.jpg Darbi Winters with actor Tommy Kirk, in a publicity still from the 1962 film, "On A Date".
Born	Terryl Lee Andersen; January 19, 1946; Sioux Falls, South Dakota, U.S.
💀Died	October 18, 1962 (aged 16); Los Angeles, California, U.S.October 18, 1962 (aged 16)
Resting place	Westwood Memorial Park
Other names	Terryl Lee Yeigh
💼 Occupation	Actress, dancer
📆 Years active	1950–1962

Darbi Winters (born Terryl Lee Andersen; January 19, 1946 – October 18, 1962) was an American actress, known for playing Lulu in Howdy Doody from 1955 to 1960 and Lucy in The Shari Lewis Show from 1960 to 1961.

Life and career

Born Terryl Lee Andersen on January 19, 1946, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, she began acting at the age of four. After appearing in numerous commercials, she landed the role in the 1954 film Nurse Penny (1954).

She later appeared on popular television shows such as The Pinky Lee Show, Howdy Doody, and I Love Lucy.

Her films include Big Apple (1955), Jailhouse Rock (1957), Vladderama and Misty (both 1961), The Music Man (1962), The Most Happy Fella (1962), and her two final films, St. Bear’s Doll Town (1962) before its release on December 6, 1962, and Little Rose Gardener (1963) before its release on February 14, 1963.

In 1957, Winters was devastated when Judy Tyler was killed in a car accident on July 3, 1957. At the age of 24, Winters had a surprise: her friends Howdy Doody and Princess Summerfall Winterspring were portrayed by a marionette with her voice.

The final episode, "Clarabell's Big Surprise", was broadcast on September 24, 1960. The hour-long episode was mostly a fond look back at all the highlights of the show's past. Meanwhile, in the midst of it all, Clarabell has what he calls a "big surprise." The rest of the cast attempts to find out the surprise throughout the entire show, with only Mayor Phineas T. Bluster succeeding and promising to keep it a secret. ("But", he says upon leaving, "it's not gonna be easy to keep a secret like this!")

Finally, in the closing moments, the surprise was disclosed through pantomime to Buffalo Bob, Lulu, and Howdy Doody; as it turned out, Clarabell, the mute clown, actually could talk. Amazed, Bob and Lulu frantically told Clarabell to prove it, as this was his last chance. An ominous drum roll began as Clarabell faced the camera as it came in for an extreme closeup. His lips quivered as the drumroll continued. When it stopped, Clarabell simply said softly, "Goodbye, kids." A tear could be seen in his right eye as the picture faded to black, and some children in the Peanut Gallery could faintly be heard sobbing immediately before the credits music played.

She was strangled by her stepfather, Amos Emery Yeigh, on October 17, 1962, and hidden under her bed. He told her mother, who had been out on an errand, that she had gone out on a date and then disappeared. Ms. Yeigh found her body the next day. He quickly became the prime suspect in the killing, and a manhunt was launched across the western states. He finally surrendered to police on October 22, 1962.

People knew that Winters died on October 18, 1962. She is buried in the Westwood Memorial Park, Corridor of Memories, on November 10, 1962.

After her death, her sister Sally married Wally Albright on December 3, 1962, and they have eight children, including Marilyn and Ken (born 1963). Her brother Donald married Lucille Milner on January 17, 1963, and they have seven children, Martin (born 1964). Her singer sister Vivian married Ronald on February 9, 1963, and they have seven children, John (born 1964). Her brother Johnny, a drummer, married Lillian on March 13, 1963, and they have seven children, Lucy (born 1964) and Johnny Jr. (born 1969).

Filmography

Year	Title	Type	Role	Notes
1950–1953	The Pinky Lee Show	television series	Self
1951	I Love Lucy	television series	Self
1954	Nurse Penny	film	Clown
1955–1960	Howdy Doody	television series	Lulu
1960–1961	The Shari Lewis Show	television series	Lucy
1955	Big Apple	film	Judy
1957	Jailhouse Rock	film	Jane
1961	Satin Doll	film	Julia
1961	Misty	film	Lucy
1962	On A Date	film	Penny
	The Music Man	film	Penny
	The Most Happy Fella	film	Penny Cillin
	St. Bear’s Doll Town	film	Tap Dancer	final film role after her death to be released on December 6, 1962
1963	Little Rose Gardener	film	Marcella	final film role after her death to be released on February 14, 1963

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Title of work	Result
1994	Gemini Award	Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role	Family of Strangers	Nominated
1995	YTV Achievement Award	YTV Achievement Award (Acting)		Won
1996	Young Artist Award	Best Performances by a Young Ensemble - Feature Film or Video	Now and Then (shared with cast)	Nominated
2002	YTV Achievement Award	YTV Achievement Award (Acting)	'Ask Darby (shared with cast)	Won

References

External links

Darbi Winters on IMDb
Darbi Winters at Find a GraveLua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 23: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).