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IMDbPro

Betta St. John(1929-2023)

  • Actress
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Betta St. John
Official Trailer
Play trailer2:15
Mahtava Tarzan (1960)
5 Videos
29 Photos
Born in Hawthorne, California (Los Angeles area) on November 26, 1929, the former Betty Jean Striegler was part of the Meglin Kiddies troupe as a child and entered pictures in her adolescent years. Betta made her film debut at age 10 with an unbilled role of a little girl who sings Marlene Dietrich's song "Little Joe" in the classic western Ei mikään enkeli (1939) starring Marlene Dietrich and James Stewart. She went on to also appear in an Our Gang short and had unbilled orphan roles in both Kotiopettajattaren romaani (1943) and Lydia (1941). She was also a one-time model.

The musical team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein took sharp notice of this young, attractive singing/dancing teen talent and gave her a small role in Broadway's "Carousel" in 1945. Four years later, when they were ready to cast the exotic role of "Liat" for their upcoming musical "South Pacific" starring Mary Martin and Ezio Pinza, they had to look no further than darkly beautiful Betta St. John. The Broadway show was a blockbuster hit come opening night. While performing in the show's London tour at the Theatre Royale Drury Lane Theatre early in 1952, she met and worked with British opera singer and cast member Peter Grant (he played Lt. Cable). They married on November 27th of that year and remained so until his death in 1992.

The musical splash Betta made on Broadway suddenly reopened the door for some decorative film work. She made her adult debut in the second femme lead (behind Deborah Kerr) in Ihannevaimo (1953). In this she plays Tarji, a princess, who is courted by bachelor tycoon Cary Grant. This led to other "B"-level co-star/featured parts in a number of exotic eastern and western adventures throughout the 1950's including Miriam in the biblical epic Näin hänen kuolevan (1953); Lady Iolanthe opposite Ricardo Montalban in Saraseenin miekka (1954); Princess Johanna in Ylioppilasprinssi (1954); outlaw Billy the Kid's (played by Scott Brady) love interest in The Law vs. Billy the Kid (1954); a British belle in the mystery drama Alias John Preston (1955) which had a small featured role for husband Peter Grant; an alternative to "Jane" in Tarzan ja kadonnut safari (1957) starring Gordon Scott; and a Canadian islander (she is top-billed) in the British-made High Tide at Noon (1957).

After numerous guest appearances on TV here and in England, Betta co-starred with Boris Karloff and Christopher Lee in the British-made horror Corridors of Blood (1958) and Lee again in the horror Poltettujen noitien hotelli (1960), and made one more movie excursion into the jungle with Gordon Scott's Tarzan in Mahtava Tarzan (1960) before abandoning the limelight altogether.
BornNovember 26, 1929
DiedJune 23, 2023(93)
BornNovember 26, 1929
DiedJune 23, 2023(93)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank

Photos29

Christopher Lee, Alexander Knox, and Betta St. John in Alias John Preston (1955)
Christopher Lee and Betta St. John in Alias John Preston (1955)
Elizabeth Taylor, Henry Daniell, Mary Menzies, Nancy June Robinson, and Betta St. John in Kotiopettajattaren romaani (1943)
Betta St. John in Näin hänen kuolevan (1953)
Dean Miller, Allen O'Locklin, and Betta St. John in Ihannevaimo (1953)
Arthur Kennedy and Betta St. John in The Naked Dawn (1955)
Betta St. John in The Naked Dawn (1955)
Arthur Kennedy and Betta St. John in The Naked Dawn (1955)
Betta St. John in The Naked Dawn (1955)
Eugene Iglesias, Arthur Kennedy, and Betta St. John in The Naked Dawn (1955)
Mandy Miller, Betta St. John, and Peter van Eyck in Hiipivä kuolema (1958)
Scott Brady, James Griffith, and Betta St. John in The Law vs. Billy the Kid (1954)

Known for:

Christopher Lee in Poltettujen noitien hotelli (1960)
Poltettujen noitien hotelli
6.7
  • Patricia Russell
  • 1960
Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr, and Betta St. John in Ihannevaimo (1953)
Ihannevaimo
5.9
  • Tarji
  • 1953
Kohtalokas komennus (1954)
Kohtalokas komennus
5.7
  • Mary Tiller
  • 1954
Armchair Theatre (1956)
Armchair Theatre
7.6
TV Series
  • Cecilia Brady

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Actress

  • Michael Rennie in Harry Lime - kolmas mies (1959)
    Harry Lime - kolmas mies
    7.8
    TV Series
    • Sara Minden
    • 1965
  • Rendezvous (1957)
    Rendezvous
    7.8
    TV Series
    • Maria Carmona
    • 1960
  • Christopher Lee in Poltettujen noitien hotelli (1960)
    Poltettujen noitien hotelli
    6.7
    • Patricia Russell
    • 1960
  • Mahtava Tarzan (1960)
    Mahtava Tarzan
    6.4
    • Fay Ames
    • 1960
  • International Detective (1959)
    International Detective
    7.1
    TV Series
    • Josephine Santino
    • 1960
  • Neljä oikeuden miestä (1959)
    Neljä oikeuden miestä
    7.2
    TV Series
    • Princess Toma
    • 1960
  • Armchair Theatre (1956)
    Armchair Theatre
    7.6
    TV Series
    • Cecilia Brady
    • 1959
  • Tim Turner in Näkymätön mies (1958)
    Näkymätön mies
    7.0
    TV Series
    • Toni and Terry Trent
    • 1959
  • BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950)
    BBC Sunday-Night Theatre
    7.8
    TV Series
    • Frances McCulloch
    • 1959
  • Boris Karloff in Corridors of Blood (1958)
    Corridors of Blood
    6.4
    • Susan
    • 1958
  • Hiipivä kuolema (1958)
    Hiipivä kuolema
    6.8
    • Jean Edwards (as Betta St.John)
    • 1958
  • ITV Play of the Week (1955)
    ITV Play of the Week
    7.3
    TV Series
    • Ann Deever
    • Belinda MacDonald
    • 1958
  • High Tide at Noon (1957)
    High Tide at Noon
    5.8
    • Joanna MacKenzie
    • 1957
  • Gordon Scott in Tarzan ja kadonnut safari (1957)
    Tarzan ja kadonnut safari
    5.7
    • Diana Penrod
    • 1957
  • The Errol Flynn Theatre (1956)
    The Errol Flynn Theatre
    7.1
    TV Series
    • 1956

Videos5

Trailer
Trailer 1:38
Trailer
Trailer
Trailer 3:05
Trailer
Official Trailer
Trailer 3:12
Official Trailer
Tarzan the Magnificent
Trailer 2:15
Tarzan the Magnificent
The Snorkel
Trailer 1:55
The Snorkel

Personal details

Edit
  • Alternative names
    • Betta St.John
  • Height
    • 1.61 m
  • Born
    • November 26, 1929
    • Hawthorne, California, USA
  • Died
    • June 23, 2023
    • Brighton, East Sussex, England, UK
  • Spouse
    • Peter GrantNovember 27, 1952 - 1992 (his death, 3 children)
  • Children
      Deanna Grant
  • Publicity listings
    • 1 Interview

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    At the age of 10 she was offered a small role in Ihmemaa Oz (1939) but her parents turned it down.

FAQ10

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