Leigh Snowden

Leigh Snowden (June 23, 1929 – May 16, 1982) was an American actress in motion pictures and television.

Early life Snowden was born Martha Lee Estes in Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. When her father died when she was three, Estes and her mother moved to Covington, Tennessee. When she was 16, Estes married her classmate, James Snowden, and moved with him to San Francisco, California, when he joined the military. After the birth of two children, a girl and boy, Leigh and James Snowden got an uncontested divorce with Leigh gaining custody of the children.

Early career After her divorce, Snowden moved to Los Angeles, California, and worked in modeling and in small parts on television. She got her big break into show business on a Jack Benny Christmas show that was televised from the San Diego Naval Base. When Snowden walked across the stage in front of an audience of 10,000 sailors, the sailors cheered and whistled so enthusiastically that 11 Hollywood studios contacted her the next day. The event led to the newspaper headline "Sailors' Whistles Blow Blonde into Film Studio". Snowden chose Universal Pictures because of the training provided by its film school; she began voice and acting classes with Mara Corday, Pat Crowley, Clint Eastwood, James Garner, and John Saxon. Snowden and Contino had three children together, in addition to her two children from her first marriage. Snowden left acting after her marriage and the birth of their first child. She sometimes appeared with him as a singer, in his nightclub acts.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1955 Kiss Me Deadly Cheesecake 1955 Francis in the Navy Nurse Appleby 1955 All That Heaven Allows Jo-Ann Grisby 1955 The Square Jungle Lorraine Evans 1956 The Creature Walks Among Us Marcia Barton 1956 Outside the Law Maria Craven 1956 The Rawhide Years Miss Vanilla Bissell 1956 I've Lived Before Lois Gordon 1956 Riddles in Rhythm Leigh Short film 1957 Hot Rod Rumble Terri Warren 1961 The Comancheros Ada Belle Uncredited

Television Year Title Role Notes 1954 The Jack Benny Program Beautiful Girl Episode: "The Life of Jack Benny" 1955 Studio 57 Episode: "The Will to Survive" 1955 The Mickey Rooney Show Mona Sanders Episode: "Star Struck" 1955 Lux Video Theatre Haney Benson / Diane Baxter 2 episodes 1955–1959 The Bob Cummings Show Chorus Girl / Cynthia / Doris 3 episodes 1958 This Is Alice Betty Lou 3 episodes 1959 The Lineup Helen Episode: "Vengeful Knife" 1960 Tightrope! Candy Episode: "Three to Make Ready" 1960 Bachelor Father Elaine Baker Episode: "Where There's a Will" 1961 The Detectives Susie Episode: "One Lucky Break"