Uncapie sent in the following sad note about Deborah Walley, the soooo cute it hurt ball of fire from over a dozen "Bikini" flicks made between 1962 and 1967. You know the genre, its still going strong, at the time she was playing opposite rockers like Elvis, James Brown, Frankie Avalon, Lesley Gore, James Darren, even Nancy Sinatra. Ol' Father Geek here had to take his younger sister (by 5 years) to all those Tammy, Gidget, Beach Party, and end of the run Elvis flicks.
You might know the drill, "If you want to use the car this weekend, you take your sister and her friends to see 'THEIR' movie Saturday afternoon first." Anyway as a result, without even trying I grew to be a real fan of Debbie.
My personal favorites of her's were DR. GOLDFOOT AND THE BIKINI MACHINE starring Vincent Price, and the outstanding GHOST IN THE INVISIBLE BIKINI with Basil Rathbone and Boris Karloff.
I really hate it when people in their fifties (or younger) die like this. I'm smack-dab in the middle of that age group myself. Debbie will always be 19 or 20 in my mind though, we didn't see her age through film like so many from that generation. I think I'll slip that Karloff movie of her's into Father Geek's magic VCR time machine right now!
Here's Uncapie...
My personal favorites of her's were DR. GOLDFOOT AND THE BIKINI MACHINE starring Vincent Price, and the outstanding GHOST IN THE INVISIBLE BIKINI with Basil Rathbone and Boris Karloff.
I really hate it when people in their fifties (or younger) die like this. I'm smack-dab in the middle of that age group myself. Debbie will always be 19 or 20 in my mind though, we didn't see her age through film like so many from that generation. I think I'll slip that Karloff movie of her's into Father Geek's magic VCR time machine right now!
Here's Uncapie...
Here's Uncapie...
It is my (Uncapie's) sad duty to report that actress Miss Deborah Walley, has died of esophageal cancer at the age of 57, in Sedona, Arizona.
Miss Walley was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut to "Ice Capades" star figure skaters and choreographers, Nathan and Edith Walley. Her first appearance was at three years old to a packed house in Madison Square Garden, New York, in a family act that impressed the audience.
Despite her parents attempts to persuade her into an ice skating career, she decided to attend the New York Academy Of Dramatic Arts which led to her first performance in "Charley's Aunt" during summer stock. After a few modeling jobs, she landed the part of "Irina" in Chekov's play, "The Three Sisters." As luck would have it, Miss Joyce Selzneck of Columbia Pictures, was in the audience that night along with a representative from the Walt Disney studios who were both impressed by Miss Walley's acting talent, they both ended up giving her a split contract to work in their films.
In the sixties, she acted in several television series' including, "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.," "Route 66," "The Virginian" and "Wagon Train."
Miss Walley was chosen to play Gidget in "Gidget Goes Hawaiian" and Elvis Presley's girlfriend in "Spinout," but she was mostly recognized in the American International Pictures box office hit, "Beach Blanket Bingo," that starred Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello and future husband, John Ashley.
Three children later, Miss Walley became a writer for Disney Animation and did voice overs for several of their animated characters. She later developed her own production and theater companies under the Swiftwind banner in Sedona, Arizona. Her work with children developing their skills in theater companies around the world was impressive.
Miss Walley had also written and produced a short film entitled, "The Vision Of Seeks-To-Hunt-Great" that starred American Indian actor, Mr. Michael Horse and won several awards including the National Cine Golden Eagle, the American Indian Film Festival's Best Short Subject Award and the Oklahoma Tribal Council for Best Fiction Film.
Miss Walley was chosen as one of the icons of the most beautiful and influential women in a sixties retrospect book. She was in the process of finishing her last novel, a biography of her time with Elvis Presley on "Spinout," when she had left her home in Los Angeles and decided to move back to Arizona when she was diagnosed with the disease.
Miss Walley's friends and family all stood by her and did what they could to help her overcome this battle. Since she had not been active recently in the Screen Actors Guild, they refused to help her. She relied on lifelong friends like Miss Yvonne Craig, Jimmy, Marty Holton, Mr. Michael Horse, Mr. Whitney Scott Bain and Miss Walley's three sons, along with many others that gave her donations and above all, the love she needed to get her through this crisis. She sought some treatment in Mexico, but by now, the disease had spread too far and it was only a matter of time.
To visit her site its: Right Here
Cards or memorials can be sent to:
Friends Of Deborah Walley; P.O. Box 318; Sedona, Arizona
Miss Walley once told me, "The love you receive, is the love you give out." Right now, Miss Walley has all the love in the world.
Uncapie
