Helen Walker

Helen Marion Walker (July 17, 1920 – March 10, 1968) was an American actress.

Biography 1920–1940: Early life Helen Marion Walker was born July 17, 1920, in Worcester, Massachusetts, the daughter of Irish-American parents. According to Walker, she grew up "quite poor." Her father, who managed a grocery store, died when she was six years old, and she and her two sisters went to live on a farm in Upton, Massachusetts. Her mother took a job working in a department store but later suffered a nervous breakdown.

Walker's initial acting experience came in high school, performing in school plays. She won a scholarship to the Erskine School of Dramatics in Boston and completed one semester of studies, but she withdrew after completing her first play, embarrassed by her performance.

1941–1946: Career beginnings and film After dropping out of the Erskine School of Dramatics, Walker began to appear in local stock theater. She married Paramount lawyer Robert Blumofe on November 19, 1942, in Tijuana, Mexico, but the marriage ended in divorce in 1946.

Walker made her film debut in 1942's Lucky Jordan, a comedy starring Alan Ladd. She earned a solid reputation playing leading roles in comedies as what she termed a "reactress,” i.e., a straight man to comic leads in films such as Brewster's Millions and Murder, He Says (both released in 1945).

According to Yvonne de Carlo, Walker, "the good natured but tough talking starlet," took Gail Russell "under her wing and introduced her to the tranquilizing benefits of vodka" when they were both under contract to Paramount. Russell subsequently became an alcoholic.

1947–1955: Auto accident and career decline

Walker had just finished filming Her Adventurous Night (1946) and was set to begin Heaven Only Knows belonging to director Bruce "Lucky" Humberstone from Palm Springs to Hollywood on U.S. Route 99, she picked up three hitchhikers: first, a soldier named Robert E. Lee, and later 18-year-old students Philip Mercado and Joseph Montalde. Near Redlands, California, the car slid off the road into a dirt division strip and rolled for more than 300 feet, flipping over as many as seven times and ejecting all four passengers. Lee was killed as his head struck the pavement, and Walker and the other two passengers were seriously injured. Walker suffered fractures to her pelvis and clavicle as well as a crushed foot, and spent more than a month in the hospital. Mercado, who had been thrown nearly from the car, sued Walker for $150,000, claiming that Walker was driving "like a fool," ignored his requests to slow down and diverted her attention from the road to ask for a cigarette just before the accident. Montalde sued Walker for $100,000. The police estimated that Walker had been traveling in excess of and a responding officer stated that he had smelled alcohol on her breath. A coroner's jury found that Walker had been driving negligently. She was charged with manslaughter for Lee's death, Walker was replaced in Heaven Only Knows by Marjorie Reynolds.

Despite the accident and her legal troubles, Walker continued to act, and she appeared in perhaps her most famous role as the duplicitous psychoanalyst in the original version of Nightmare Alley (1947) with Tyrone Power. She also took prominent roles in films such as Call Northside 777 (1948) with James Stewart, My Dear Secretary (1948) with Kirk Douglas and Impact (1949) with Brian Donlevy.

In 1950, Walker married department-store executive Edward DuDomaine, but the couple divorced in 1952.

Following starring roles in My True Story (1951) and Problem Girls (1953), Walker made her final film appearance in Joseph H. Lewis's film noir The Big Combo with Cornel Wilde in 1955. She retired from acting that year at the age of 35.

1956–1968: Post-acting In 1960, after Walker's house was destroyed by fire, several other Hollywood actresses held a benefit to assist her. on March 10, 1968, in the North Hollywood section of Los Angeles, California at the age of 47.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1942 Lucky Jordan Jill Evans 1943 The Good Fellows Ethel Hilton 1944 Abroad with Two Yanks Joyce Stuart 1945 The Man in Half Moon Street Eve Brandon 1945 Brewster's Millions Peggy Gray 1945 Murder, He Says Claire Matthews 1945 Duffy's Tavern Helen Walker 1946 People Are Funny Corey Sullivan 1946 Murder in the Music Hall Millicent 1946 Cluny Brown Elizabeth 'Betty' Cream 1946 Her Adventurous Night Constance Fry 1947 The Homestretch Kitty Brant 1947 Nightmare Alley Lilith Ritter 1948 Call Northside 777 Laura McNeal 1949 My Dear Secretary Elsie 1949 Impact Irene Williams 1951 My True Story Ann Martin 1953 Problem Girls Miss Dixon 1955 The Big Combo Alicia Brown

Television