American actress who began with Broadway musicals as a comedy star in her youth. She later became a character actress in films and TV. Garrett began her 60-year career in show business at MGM. Her films include her debut in “Big City,” 1946, “Neptune’s Daughter, ” 1949 and “My Sister Eileen,” 1955. In the latter she co-starred with Jack Lemmon and they played together again 43 years later on the TV drama “The Long Way Home,” released on 3/01/1998. Two memorable roles were with Frank Sinatra in “On the Town” and “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.” In 1995, she worked up a comedy act, and in 1998, she co-founded, taught and acted with Musical Theater West, looking incredibly well at 78.
She married game show host Larry Parks whose earlier promising career was cut short by the 1951 House Committee hearings. They managed to take their career to Las Vegas where they were well received. Handling a live audience did have its handicaps, such as the night when Sen. Joseph McCarthy, very drunk, wanted to buy them a drink.
Garrett’s singing has been limited since 1994 due to a persistent cough. Suffering from asthma, she had an attack during which a paramedic accidentally caused a puncture wound to her esophagus.
Her autobiography was published in 1998, “Betty Garrett and Other Songs.”
An aortic aneurysm ended her life on February 12, 2011 in Los Angeles.
Link to Wikipedia biography