Kathryn Marlowe

From Wikipedia Kathryn Marlowe  (May 25, 1914 – January 2, 2010) was an American film actress in the 1930s, most notably in Dodsworth, which starred Walter Huston, Mary Astor and Ruth Chatterton. Other films included Bridal Grief, Artists and Models and China Passage. Before making films she worked in Chicago and New York City hotels, musical stage, and radio. She got the lead role in a new musical revue, Two for the Show, in which she introduced a song written to showcase her vocal style, "How High the Moon", which became a pop standard. According to her son, she had worked in Iowa with Ronald Reagan on radio and print advertising. After she left New York and relocated to California, originally invited to be Fred Astaire's dance partner in movies, Reagan moved there and asked to be introduced around, especially to a good agent. Rea obliged. After Reagan was signed for his first film, the contact ended. Rea was signed with Samuel Goldwyn and appeared in films with several studios under different names, such as Kay Marlowe, Katharine Marlowe, Kay Kimber, Kay Rea, Kea Rea, Kay Rhea, Kathryn Marlow, before landing on Kathryn Marlowe. She quipped that it was "because no one can understand how to pronounce 'Rea'". After leaving Hollywood, she had leads in several stage musicals in NYC and London, and roles in Television dramas. She pioneered a daily women's TV program in Ottumwa, Iowa in the early 1950s. Marlowe died at the age of 96 in Tampa, Florida after a long period of ill health.