Charla Doherty
Doherty in Wagon Train, 1965
Born
Charla Sue Doherty

(1946-08-06)August 6, 1946
Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
DiedMay 29, 1988(1988-05-29) (aged 41)
Woodland Hills, California, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1962–1969
SpouseMalcolm Charles Lamont Black (1967-1982; divorced)
Children1

Charla Sue Doherty (August 6, 1946 – May 29, 1988)[1] was an American film and television actress who appeared on the first season of the long-running soap opera Days of Our Lives.

Early years

Charla Sue Doherty was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the daughter of Charles Squires Doherty and Genevieve Recher Doherty.[1][2][3] Seven months before her birth, Doherty's father won second prize in a contest seeking answers to the question "Why I hate Jack Benny...".[4] The contest, sponsored by Benny's radio program, awarded $1500 to Charles Doherty, then a law student at Case Western Reserve University.[4][3][5] The money was used to pay for costs associated with her birth.[6] Much later, it provided a unique publicity angle for her appearance on The Jack Benny Program.[6]

Her father moved the family in January 1948 to his home state of Nevada, where he practiced law in Reno.[3][7] The family then relocated to her mother's hometown of Dayton, where Doherty attended Belmont Elementary School and started dance lessons.[2][8] When she was nine, her family moved to Palos Verdes Estates, California, where she continued to study dance.[9] Soon after the move to California, her parents took her to Del Mar Racetrack, where she found herself sitting next to Betty Grable.[10] Doherty later said this was her favorite memory and the first time she wanted to become an actress herself.[10]

Doherty entered Hollywood Professional School (HPS) as a sophomore during the 1960-1961 academic calendar.[11] By her senior year (1962-1963) she was class treasurer and took afternoon courses at UCLA in world history and psychology through a cooperative program the two institutions had for high achieving HPS students.[12][13] She graduated from HPS during June 1963.[14] She later enrolled at UCLA and worked towards a Bachelors of Arts degree in History as her acting schedule allowed.[15]

Early career

While still a junior at HPS, Doherty acquired an agent and was listed in a major casting directory as available for ingénue parts.[16] Her first television role came at age 15, on an episode of The Donna Reed Show.[13] "The producer asked if I could dance-- when I told him I'd studied for six years, I got the job. I sure was surprised when the dancing turned out to be a Twist with Paul Petersen!"[13]

Following her small screen debut, Doherty appeared in one-time guest roles on episodes of three more television series, before landing a supporting role on Claudia.[17] This project by Fox's TV division never made it on the air, but did bring Doherty to the attention of Fox film producers, who cast her in Take Her, She's Mine. Doherty's agent used the resulting publicity to push the story about her father winning the Jack Benny contest, which led to her appearing on that program nine months later in April 1964.[18][6]

Despite her agent's campaign, Doherty switched her personal representation from the Hy Sieger Agency to Contemporary Artists Ltd.[19] Doherty did episodes of eleven prime time television series during 1964-1965, before landing a recurring role on a daytime soap opera. Her journeyman status as an actress is reflected in that only one show, Wagon Train, used her on more than one episode. Veteran actors at this period in television were more typically signed for two different roles during the course of a season. Her second film, Village of the Giants (1965), was lightly regarded by critics and did not bring her much individual publicity.[20]

Days of Our Lives

Doherty originated the role of Julie Olson on the soap opera Days of Our Lives. She played the troubled teen from the show's first episode on November 8, 1965 until November 21, 1966, appearing on 51 episodes during that year and two weeks. The character then disappeared from the show's storyline until spring 1967 when it was recast with actress Kathy Dunn.[21] The circumstances leading to the recasting are not known.[22]

Later career

An episode of The Guns of Will Sonnett, filmed during summer 1967 was her last credited television series work.[23] She played the role of Joanna Ramsey in a made-for-television movie In the Year 2889, released in late 1969 but which may have been produced earlier.[24]

Doherty's first known stage work came in January 1968, when a combined cast of eight professional and eight amateur actors performed Life with Father in Santa Barbara, California.[25] The show was a project initiated by the local high school's drama teacher and students, who collected money for the insurance bond, and persuaded Actor's Equity to grant permission for pros to perform on the same stage with amateurs.[25] Besides Doherty, the pros for the one week run included Leon Ames and Lurene Tuttle as the leads, while her then husband Malcolm Black was the director.[25]

Malcolm Black was also the director for Doherty's next stage work, an eight week run of A Midsummer Night's Dream, produced by the Inner City Repertory (ICR) company in Los Angeles.[26] Doherty played Hermia, in a cast that included Kim Hamilton, Dana Elcar, Bonnie Bedelia, Mark Lenard, Don Pedro Colley, and Robert Ito.[26] The production at the Cultural Center Playhouse was well-received by critics[27]

Personal life

At age 17, Doherty was reported to be five feet tall, weigh 89 pounds, and her IQ was reported as 183 by a newspaper columnist.[13][17] She drove a burgundy-colored Ford Mustang in 1966, used three alarm clocks to wake up, and usually lunched on tomato soup and cottage cheese.[15]

Doherty married stage director Malcolm C. Black in San Diego on June 2, 1967.[28] He was 18 years her senior, had emigrated to the US from the UK as a child, and became a U.S. citizen in 1965.[29] They had a son, Trevor Black.[30] The couple divorced in Los Angeles on March 1, 1982.[31]

Obituary discrepancies

Upon her death on May 29, 1988, at age 41, there were two informants from whom obituary articles across the nation drew. One was her publicist, Michael Druxman, whose information was picked up by the Associated Press (AP) and copied across the country.[30] This obituary version carried the dateline of "Calabasas, Calif (AP)" and stated she had died at her own home there.[32] It contained two minor inaccuracies about Doherty's career, concerning her length of time on Days of Our Lives and that she appeared on the Mannix TV series.

The other informant reported to the Los Angeles Times that Doherty had died at her mother's house in nearby Woodland Hills.[33] This obituary had several minor inaccuracies about Doherty's career, concerning her length of time on Days of Our Lives, the number of movies she made, and that she appeared on the Ben Casey TV series. This version of the obituary was also picked up by other newspapers, with the inserted dateline of "Hollywood" and credited to the Los Angeles Times.[34]

Both informants agreed that she died of natural causes[30] and that her survivors were her mother and son.[30]

Filmography

Film (by year of first release)
Year Title Role Notes
1963 Take Her, She's Mine Lisa Michaelson Her first film role, in which she plays Jimmy Stewart's younger daughter[35]
1965 Village of the Giants Nancy
Television (in original broadcast order)
Year Series Episode Role Notes
1962 The Donna Reed Show The Golden Trap Janice At age 15, her first credited TV role[13]
Mister Ed Ed, the Matchmaker Gloria
Going My Way A Matter of Principle Harriet Hall
1963 Leave It to Beaver Don Juan Beaver Melinda Neilson At age 16, Charla played an eighth-grader[36]
The Donna Reed Show The Boys in 309 Cheerleader Newspaper photo for this episode identified her by name[37]
1964 Arrest and Trial Funny Man with a Monkey Laurie
The Jack Benny Program Harlow Gets a Date Judy Weber Charla gets to thank the man who paid for her birth[6]
Wagon Train The Hide Hunters Samantha Follett [38]
Mickey Honest Injun White Fawn Charla plays a Native American trying to reclaim land[39]
My Three Sons First, You're a Tadpole Ellen
1965 Branded Coward Step Aside Karin - Clay's Gal Charla plays Johnny Crawford's girl friend[40]
Kraft Suspense Theatre Won't It Ever Be Morning? Shirley Rankin Charla plays a 15 year old murder victim[41]
Wagon Train The Indian Girl Story Patty McNeil
Mister Roberts Bookser's Honeymoon Suzette[42] Tim Rooney sneaks his island native bride (Charla) aboard ship for their honeymoon[43]
Days of Our Lives (13 Episodes) Julie Olson Charla's only recurring role in a TV series
Gidget The War Between Men, Women, and Gidget Darcy
Dr. Kildare Perfect Is Too Hard to Be Kathy Calvert [44]
1966 Days of Our Lives (38 Episodes) Julie Olson Charla's role lasted thru November
1967 The Guns of Will Sonnett The Natural Way Ellie Wilson [23]
1969 In the Year 2889 (TV Movie) Joanna Ramsey Her last screen appearance, like her first, co-starred Paul Petersen[24]

References

  1. 1 2 Charla Sue Doherty in California, US, Death Index 1940-1997, retrieved from Ancestry.com
  2. 1 2 "Ensign Doherty Wed in Indiana". Reno Gazette-Journal. Reno, Nevada. February 6, 1943. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. 1 2 3 "Carson City Social Notes". Nevada State Journal. Reno, Nevada. February 26, 1948. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. 1 2 "Californian Winner in Benny's Contest". Telegraph-Forum. Bucyrus, Ohio. January 28, 1946. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ "A Real Benny Fan". St. Louis Globe Democrat. St. Louis, Missouri. May 25, 1963. p. 60 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "'Benny Baby' Wins Role on Program". The South Bend Tribune. South Bend, Indiana. April 14, 1964. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ Charles S. Doherty in U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995, Reno Nevada City Directory 1948, retrieved from Ancestry.com
  8. ↑ "Charla Returning to City---- She's in Movies Now!". The Journal Herald. Dayton, Ohio. November 19, 1963. p. 21 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Redondo Woman's Club Slates Fruit Cake Tea Tuesday". The Redondo Reflex. Redondo, California. November 25, 1955. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. 1 2 Heffernan, Harold (May 15, 1963). "TAIN'T SO- Hitchcock gives 'not guilty' plea". The Birmingham News. Birmingham, Alabama. p. 40 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ Charla Doherty in the U.S., School Yearbooks, 1900-1999, for the Hollywood Professional School, 1961, retrieved from Ancestry.com
  12. ↑ Charla Doherty in the U.S., School Yearbooks, 1900-1999, for the Hollywood Professional School, 1963, retrieved from Ancestry.com
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 "Charla's Move From Frills to Bikini Sort of Dazzling". The Van Nuys News and Valley Green Sheet. Van Nuys, California. November 15, 1963. p. 30 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ Carroll, Harrison (June 25, 1963). "In Hollywood". Lancaster Eagle Gazette. Lancaster, Ohio – via Newspapers.com.
  15. 1 2 "Charla Doherty Is Girl On the Go-Go". Los Angeles Evening Citizen News. June 8, 1966. p. 44. Retrieved April 4, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ "Ingenues". Academy Players Directory. No. 93 Part 1. Hollywood, California: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 1962. p. 241.
  17. 1 2 Connolly, Mike (June 2, 1963). "Mike Connolly". Independent Star News. Pasadena, California. p. 72 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ↑ "Hollywood (AP) dateline". The Austin-American. Austin, Texas. May 26, 1963. p. 64 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ↑ "Ingenues". Academy Players Directory. No. 99 Part 1. Hollywood, California: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 1964. p. 250.
  20. ↑ Miller, Jeanne (December 16, 1965). "Giant Teen-agers Are Big Problems". The San Francisco Examiner. San Francisco, California. p. 53 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ↑ "Kathy Dunn's a Newsy Actress". The Herald Journal. Logan, Utah. April 30, 1967. p. 27 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ↑ "Television Letter Box". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. St. Louis, Missouri. July 30, 1967. p. 239 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. 1 2 "Tops Today". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. September 24, 1967. p. 268 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. 1 2 "Movie Schedule This Week: Saturday". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. December 28, 1969. p. 158 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. 1 2 3 Smith, Cecil (December 1967). "Pros Join Tyros on Channel City Stage". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. p. 73 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. 1 2 Smith, Cecil (March 15, 1968). "'Dream' Cast Revealed". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. p. 76 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ↑ Faber, Charles (April 16, 1968). "ICR 'Midsummer Night Dream'". Los Angeles Citizen-News. Hollywood, California. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ↑ Charla Sue Doherty in California, US, Marriage Index 1960-1985, retrieved from Ancestry.com
  29. ↑ Malcolm Charles Lamont Black in the New York, US, Index to Petitions for Naturalization filed in New York City, 1792-1989, retrieved from Ancestry.com
  30. 1 2 3 4 "Charla Doherty, 41, Television Actress". Newsday (Suffolk Edition). Melville, New York. May 30, 1988. p. 163 – via Newspapers.com.
  31. ↑ Malcolm Black in California, US, Divorce Index 1966-1984, retrieved from Ancestry.com
  32. ↑ "Charla Doherty". Daily News. New York, New York. May 31, 1988. p. 252 – via Newspapers.com.
  33. ↑ "Charla Doherty, 41; Actress on TV Series, Soap Opera". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. May 31, 1988. p. 20 – via Newspapers.com.
  34. ↑ "Film and TV Actress Charla Doherty Dies". The News Tribune. Tacoma, Washington. May 31, 1988. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  35. ↑ Jones, Will (November 4, 1963). "Shh-- I'm Not Telling". Star Tribune. Minneapolis, Minnesota. p. 37 – via Newspapers.com.
  36. ↑ "Thursday, May 2". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. April 28, 1963. p. 218 – via Newspapers.com.
  37. ↑ "Thursday TV, October 17". Courier Post. Camden, New Jersey. October 12, 1963. p. 36 – via Newspapers.com.
  38. ↑ "TV Highlights Sunday Sept. 27th". Warren Times Mirror. Warren, Pennsylvania. September 25, 1964. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  39. ↑ "Just Chip Off the Old Block". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Honolulu, Hawaii. November 29, 1964. p. 124 – via Newspapers.com.
  40. ↑ "Sunday Television Programs". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. March 7, 1965. p. 91 – via Newspapers.com.
  41. ↑ "Look N' Listen". The Paducah Sun. Paducah, Kentucky. March 17, 1965. p. 23 – via Newspapers.com.
  42. ↑ "Friday Evening". Arizona Daily Sun. Flagstaff, Arizona. May 13, 1966. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  43. ↑ "USS Reluctant Out of Mothballs". The Times. Munster, Indiana. September 12, 1965. p. 76 – via Newspapers.com.
  44. ↑ "Tonight's Television Highlights". New Castle News. New Castle, Pennsylvania. December 27, 1965. p. 29 – via Newspapers.com.
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