Kipp Hamilton

Rita Marie "Kipp" Hamilton (August 16, 1934 – January 29, 1981) was an American actress. She was the younger sister of producer Joe Hamilton and the sister-in-law of Carol Burnett.

Early life and family She was born Rita Marie Hamilton on August 16, 1934, in Los Angeles, California, the youngest of six children of Joseph and Marie Hamilton. Her brother Joe Hamilton was an actor and producer who later married actress, comedian and producer Carol Burnett.

Career Hamilton made her film debut in a supporting role in the RKO Radio Pictures drama On Our Very Own (1950). In March 1953, she was named "Miss Optometry" by the New York State Association of Optometrists. In mid-1955, Hamilton signed a seven-year contract with 20th Century Fox. Shortly after signing with Fox, Hamilton (along with nine other up-and-coming actresses, including Anita Ekberg and Lori Nelson) was named a "Deb Star of 1955". That same year, Hamilton was cast in her first major role in the drama Good Morning, Miss Dove, playing Jincey Baker. Throughout the remainder of the 1950s, Hamilton appeared in guest roles on Perry Mason, Meet McGraw, Richard Diamond, Private Detective, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, The Texan, and 77 Sunset Strip. In 1959, Hamilton appeared in a supporting role in Never So Few. Later that same year, she signed with Hecht Hill Lancaster (the production company partially owned by actor Burt Lancaster) and was cast in the Western The Unforgiven (1960). This followed with a starring role in Finian's Rainbow at the Cocoanut Grove.

In November 1963, Hamilton began touring in the road production of the musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. She remained with the production until mid-1964. The following year, Henry G. Saperstein cast Hamilton in what was her final film role, a singer in The War of the Gargantuas, a Japanese kaiju movie. Billed as a "special guest star", Hamilton performs the song "The Words Get Stuck in My Throat", which later was covered by Devo. Hamilton's final onscreen role was in a 1967 episode of The Virginian.

Personal life In 1958, Hamilton dated and later became engaged to film mogul Adolph Zukor's grandson Adolph Zukor II, a worker in the publicity and foreign departments at Paramount Pictures. Hamilton called off the engagement in March 1959 while she was filming The Unforgiven in Durango, Mexico.

In February 1962, Hamilton married director Dave Geisel, whom she had met on the set of The Garry Moore Show, which her brother Joe produced. They had a daughter, Marie, in 1963 and separated the following year. They were divorced in June 1965. She is buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California. In July 2022, Kipp was profiled in Classic Images, in which her daughters and co-stars discussed her onscreen career.

Filmography + Film Year Title Role Notes 1950 Our Very Own Gwendolyn Credited as Rita Hamilton 1955 Good Morning, Miss Dove Virginia "Jincey" Baker 1956 Bigger Than Life Pat Wade 1959 Never So Few Margaret Fitch Alternative title: Campaign Burma 1960 The Unforgiven Georgia Rawlins 1965 Harlow Marie Tanner 1966 The War of the Gargantuas Singer

+ Television Year Title Role Notes 1955–1957 The 20th Century Fox Hour Susie HaggetChristina Bradley Episodes: "Christopher Bean""The Marriage Broker" 1958 Perry Mason Elaine Barton Episode: "The Case of the Cautious Coquette" 1958 Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer Katie O'Donnell Episode: "Dead Men Don't Dream" 1958 Meet McGraw Helen Maddon Episode: "The Setup" 1958 Richard Diamond, Private Detective Yvette Greener Episode: "One Foot in the Grave" 1959 The Lineup Episode: "The Murdered Blonde Case" 1959 77 Sunset Strip Lili Episode: "Vacation with Pay" 1959 The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp Miss Doreen Episode: "Dodge Is Civilized" 1959–1960 The Texan Steve 5 episodes 1960 Rawhide Shezoe Episode: "Incident of the Dancing Death" 1961 Westinghouse Playhouse Sylvia Morrow Episode: "I Seen the Saw" 1965 Bewitched Priscilla "Pleasure" O'Reilly Episode: "Pleasure O'Reilly" 1965 The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Lavinia Brown Episode: "The Girls of Nazarone Affair" 1965 Burke's Law Silkie Episode: "Steam Heat" 1965 The Wild Wild West Cluny Ormont Episode: "The Night of the Glowing Corpse" 1965 The Smothers Brothers Show Danielle Episode: "Boys Will Be Playboys" 1966 My Three Sons Maxine Episode: "Call Her Max" 1967 Family Affair Meg Episode: "Fancy Free" 1967 The Pruitts of Southampton Greta Episode: "Goddess of Love" 1967 Dragnet Jana Altman Episode: "The Bank Jobs" 1967 The Virginian Gloria Episode: "The Fortress", (final appearance)