Melora Conway
| Melora Conway | |
|---|---|
| Born | Mary Joyce Blahay September 1, 1935 Columbus, Ohio |
| 🏫 Education | University of Southern California |
| 💼 Occupation | Actress |
| 📆 Years active | 1957–1971 |
| 👩 Spouse(s) | Dene B. Hilyard (m. 1961) |
Melora Conway (September 1, 1935)[1] is a retired American actress, who performed on stage and in television and films.
Early life[edit]
She was born Mary Joyce Blahay in Columbus, Ohio to Edward Clement Blahay, an accountant and comptometer salesman, and Hilda Mae Benjamin.[1][2][fn 1] The family moved to Redondo (now Redondo Beach, California) by 1948, when photos of Conway as a young teen holding locally grown flowers would appear in the Los Angeles Times.[3] [4]
Conway attended Redondo Union High School, where she was active in class plays, graduating in 1953.[5] She then attended the University of Southern California where she was a member of Chi Omega sorority.[6]
Stage career[edit]
How she came to select her stage name is unknown. Conway started her professional acting career with summer stock at Tustin, California in 1957. The Tustin Playbox, then in its sixth season, was led by husband and wife producers Sherwood Price and Cathy Browne. They cast the community theatre productions with young Hollywood professionals and drama school apprentices like Conway. Her first play for them was The Seven Year Itch, in which she played a former romance to the male lead.[7]
After its two week run, Conway appeared later that summer as the waitress in Bus Stop, which had a three week run.[8] [9]
During the Spring of 1958 Conway appeared as a lead in The Children's Hour, at the Chapel Theater in Manhattan Beach, California. This production ran four nights a week for four weeks.[10] She then took the role of Queen Gertrude in an El Camino College production of Hamlet at the urging of its director, Robert Chapline, whom she knew from the Tustin Playbox.[11] Conway continued to work with Chapline when he directed the Palos Verdes Players in The Boy Friend at the Malaga Cove Auditorium in June 1959.[12]
Conway's next stage performance came after she had already started doing televsion. From late December 1959 thru January 1960 she had the female lead opposite Jay Robinson in Night Must Fall, a revival of a 1935 drama.[13] The production played at the long vanished Hollywood Center Theatre where the Los Angeles Recording School now lies. Conway and Hilda Plowright both drew good notices from the Los Angeles Times drama critic, who was a bit hard on other cast members.[14]
She returned to the stage in June 1961 with The Balcony at the Los Angeles Civic Playhouse. The production also featured Maxine Stuart, Adam Williams, Josip Elic, and Roy Thinnes.[15]
Screen career[edit]
Her screen acting career began early in 1959 with an episode of Perry Mason that seems to have typecast her for television roles.[16] She played a cold calculating secretary in "The Case of the Startled Stallion", who manipulates one man into attempted murder and another into an illegal marriage to deprive a rightful heir. For the next few years casting directors hired her for roles as an ambitious schemer, conniving for and pushing a boyfriend or husband to success.
It was this typecasting that probably appealed to the producers of Full Circle, a CBS daytime soap opera that ran daily from June 1960 thru March 1961. This was her only known recurring television role. She seems to have started after the initial storyline, but the dates and number of episodes she was in are unknown. However, her involvement was extensive enough that newspaper columnists mentioned it as a matter of course.[17] [18]
By the end of 1963 she had appeared in over a dozen different television series, some for multiple episodes. She had had bit parts in two popular films, Tammy Tell Me True and That Touch of Mink, and a leading role in an obscure small-budget film, A Chance to Live (1963). This latter project, filmed in black and white, apparently was never distributed to theaters.
Later career[edit]
During 1964 Conway co-starred with William Thourlby in a film called Vengeance.[19] Thourlby was also the film's producer. Conway's husband Dene Hilyard directed this post Civil War tale of former Confederate captain seeking revenge for the killing of his brother by Union prison guards. Conway was the only actress in an otherwise all-male cast.
For the next five years Conway appeared in as many television series, and made one more film, The Last Moment (1966). This 92-minute black and white film had the same producer as the earlier A Chance to Live and also much the same cast. Like the earlier film it was never distributed to theaters and may have been intended solely for a tax shelter.
She also performed in her last known stage role, a modern rewrite of Lysistrata by director Kay Johnson, which ran in Beverly Hills, California at the Theater Forty.[20]
Conway's last acting role would have been for a two-part 1971 episode of Gunsmoke called "Waste", filmed around Kanab, Utah, but her role was evidently dropped during production.[21]
Personal life[edit]
Photo shoots from 1960-1961 show Conway owned a siamese cat named "Scaramouche".[18] She was registered as a Republican in Los Angeles voting rolls starting with 1956.[22]
Conway married Dene B. Hilyard in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 16, 1961.[23] He was a former stage actor associated with the Lakewood Players company.[24] They worked together making the western Vengeance in 1964, and have two daughters.[25]
Stage performances[edit]
| Year | Play | Role | Venue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | The Seven Year Itch | Tustin Playbox | Co-stars were Bill Hunt, Kipp Hamilton, Lonie Blackman[7] | |
| Bus Stop | Elma Duckworth | Tustin Playbox Laguna Playhouse |
Played two weeks at Tustin then another week at Laguna[8] [9] | |
| 1958 | The Children's Hour | Karen Wright | Chapel Theater | Robert Chapline directed Conway in this and her next play[10] |
| Hamlet | Gertrude | Campus Theater | Conway wasn't a student but had worked with the director before[11] | |
| 1959 | The Boy Friend | Maisie | Malaga Cove Auditorium | Chapline again directed Conway[12] |
| Night Must Fall | Olivia Grayne | Hollywood Center Theater | Conway drew praise for her lead role[14] | |
| 1961 | The Balcony | LA Civic Playhouse | Conway was in bordello ensemble[15] | |
| 1963 | The Rape of the Belt | Amazon Queen | Magnolia Theater (Long Beach, CA) | Parody of Greek myths starred Robert Cornthwaite[26] |
| 1968 | Lysistrata | Theater Forty (Beverly Hills, CA) | Modern rewrite of Aristophanes by director Kay Johnson[20] |
Filmography[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | Tammy Tell Me True | Mother | An uncredited role |
| 1962 | That Touch of Mink | Miss Farrell | Another uncredited role |
| 1963 | A Chance to Live[fn 2] | Conway co-starred with Nick Dimitri in this obscure b/w film, perhaps meant as a tax shelter | |
| 1964 | Vengeance | Jean Harmon | Her husband directed Conway in this low-budget western with only one female role[27] |
| 1966 | The Last Moment[fn 3] | Another obscure b/w film, made by same producer and cast as A Chance to Live |
| Year | Series | Episode | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Perry Mason | The Case of the Startled Stallion | Clara Hammon | Typecasting followed this first TV role for Conway[16] |
| Bourbon Street Beat | The Black Magnolia | Nancy Montgomery | Seen only in the opening moments where she is quickly dispatched | |
| The Texan | (Unknown)[fn 4] | The Texan gets engaged to Conway but loses her[28] | ||
| 1960 | Bourbon Street Beat | Six Hours to Midnight | Sally Mason | WB always saw her as a potential homicide victem.[29] |
| Bronco | End of a Rope | Melissa Brierly | Woman seeks revenge for her late husband[30] | |
| Full Circle | Unknown Episodes[fn 5] | Conway's only known recurring role was this daily daytime soap opera[18] [17] | ||
| Perry Mason | The Case of the Loquacious Liar | Lois Rogers | Another conniving role for Conway[31] | |
| 1961 | Shotgun Slade | The Silent Man | Gloria Martin | |
| Perry Mason | The Case of the Unwelcome Bride | Amanda Thorpe | Wife (Conway) pushes her weak accountant husband (DeForest Kelley)[32] | |
| 1962 | The Detectives | Finders Keepers | Mrs. Corbett | [33] |
| Surfside 6 | Dead Heat | Peggy | ||
| Dr. Kildare | The Visitors | Reporter | [34] | |
| Hawaiian Eye | The Broken Thread | Roger Krill | Her character is a suspect due to her "male" name[35] | |
| GE True | The Wrong Nickel | Elizabeth Kemp | Jack Webb narrates Cold War spy drama[36] | |
| 1963 | Perry Mason | The Case of the Shoplifter's Shoe | Ione Bedford | [37] |
| Empire | End of an Image | Ruthie Mathis | ||
| Bonanza | The Prime of Life | Martha Fletcher | [38] | |
| 1964 | Perry Mason | The Case of the Paper Bullets | Alma Rice | |
| 1965 | The Cara Williams Show | How to Be Happy Though Married | Bernice Tully | Conway plays new secretary who is also an old love[39] |
| 1966 | I Spy | The Conquest of Maude Murdock | Secretary | |
| 1969 | Mod Squad | The Debt | Miss Leland | |
| 1970 | The Most Deadly Game | Witches' Sabbath | Mrs. Bridges |
Notes[edit]
- ↑ Ancestry's optical reader has indexed the family name as "Blakey" but the image source clearly shows "Blahay".
- ↑ Not to be confused with the 1949 Oscar-winning short documentary with the same title
- ↑ Not to be confused with the 1923 and 1928 silent dramas with the same title
- ↑ That Conway was in one episode of this series is known only from a newspaper column by Charles Denton
- ↑ Conway's part in this is known only from a couple of newspaper mentions
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Mary Blahay in the Ohio Birth Index 1908-1998, retrieved from Ancestry.com
- ↑ 1940 United States Federal Census for Mary J. Blahay, Ohio, Franklin, Columbus, 93-298, retrieved from Ancestry.com
- ↑ "Floral Harvest". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. August 11, 1948. p. 30 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Hardy". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. March 2, 1949. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ U.S., School Yearbooks, 1900-1999, for Mary Blahay, California, Redondo Beach, Redondo Union High School, 1952, pages 38 and 55, retrieved from Ancestry.com
- ↑ U.S., School Yearbooks, 1900-1999, for Mary Joyce Blahay, California, Los Angeles, University of Southern California, 1954, page 364, retrieved from Ancestry.com
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Girls of Past Haunt Hunt at Tustin Playbox". The Tustin News. Tustin, California. July 25, 1957. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "'Bus Stop' Presented on Stage at Tustin". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. August 16, 1957. p. 22 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "On Stage This Week: 'Bus Stop' Laguna Playhouse". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. August 25, 1957. p. 78 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Champagne Toasts to Precede Play Opening". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. March 1958. p. 176 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Key College Stage Shows Four Summer Productions". Gardena Valley News. Gardena, California. July 24, 1958. p. 28 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 "P.V. Group Casts 'The Boy Friend'". News-Pilot. San Pedro, California. April 30, 1959. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Stinson, Charles (December 27, 1959). "'Two for Seesaw' Will Return at Civic Playhouse". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. p. 87 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Stinson, Charles (January 1, 1960). "'Night Must Fall' Has Vivid Revival". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. p. 42 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Smith, Cecil (June 29, 1961). "'The Balcony' Mocking and Sensual Charade". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. p. 86 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Saturday (TV listings)". Chicago Tribune. Chiacgo, Illinois. May 12, 1962. p. 77 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Connolly, Mike (November 27, 1960). "Mike Connolly on TV". Sunday News. Lancaster, Pennsylvania. p. 52 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Churchill, Reba and Bonnie (December 29, 1960). "Snip! Clip! Presto! Party Time Collars". Oakland Tribune. Oakland, California. p. 28 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Day Movies Television: Tuesday". The Province. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. November 17, 1971. p. 48 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 Pleasants, Ben (February 16, 1968). "Greek Plays Staged By Theater Forty". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. p. 65 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Hartsfield, Joe (June 3, 1971). "'Gunsmoke' Extends Kanab Filming Until June 14th". Southern Utah News. Kanab, Utah. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ California, U.S., Voters Registrations, 1900-1968, for Mary J. Blahay, Los Angeles County, 1956, Roll 106, retrieved from Ancestry.com
- ↑ Mary J. Blahay in the Nevada, U.S., Marriage Index, 1956-2005, retrieved from Ancestry.com
- ↑ Beckman, Bob (October 29, 1958). "'Bus Stop' Preparations Are Jumbled". Independent. Long Beach, California. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Obituaries: Blahay, Edward Clemet". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. May 1, 1986. p. 58 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Harford, Margaret (February 12, 1963). "'The Rape of the Belt' Witty, Lively Comedy". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. p. 55 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "This Week's Movies (Theater listings)". Corpus Christi Times. Corpus Christi, Texas. April 18, 1965. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Denton, Charles (November 29, 1959). "TV Roundup: Vivyan Is Not a Gambler". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. p. 96 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Monday Sept. 26, 1960 (TV listings)". Detroit Free Press. Detroit, Michigan. September 25, 1960. p. 118 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Ty Hardin (photo caption)". Waco Tribune-Herald. Waco, Texas. June 12, 1960. p. 53 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "November 12 Saturday (TV listings)". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. November 5, 1960. p. 213 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Perry Mason Takes On "Case Of Unwelcome Bride"". The Times-Mail. Bedford, Indiana. December 9, 1961. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Friday (TV listings)". Miami Herald. Miami, Florida. April 8, 1962. p. 192 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Saturday (TV listings)". The Capital Journal. Salem, Oregon. October 22, 1960. p. 26 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Sunday (TV listings)". Independent. Long Beach, California. December 25, 1960. p. 62 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "TV Features Dramatic Specials". Alabama Journal. Montgomery, Alabama. December 14, 1962. p. 39 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Margaret O'Brien in Thriller". The Daily News Leader. Staunton, Virginia. December 21, 1962. p. 20 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "May 13 Sunday". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. May 13, 1962. p. 485 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Cara Admits She's Wed to Frank". The Daily Herald. Provo, Utah. February 8, 1965. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
This article "Melora Conway" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Melora Conway. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
