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Sheila Connolly Profile
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| (Sheila Catherine Connolly) |
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| Early 30 | is born in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, one of six children of Irish immigrants. Her father, Timothy Connolly, is a jockey and horse trainer; her mother Violet Caroline Thornton, a housewife. |
| Summer 32 | the Connollys return to Ireland aboard the Deutschland and settle in Brownstown |
| April 35 | her brother Victor is born. He will die at age one-and-a-half. |
| ? | attends Curragh Camp School in Ireland |
| July 39 | her mother dies at age 35 of kidney failure |
| March 46 | her sister Maureen takes her and her siblings to the States |
| 24 March 46 | she and her siblings arrive in New York from Cobh Harbour, Cork, Ireland, aboard the Gripsholm |
| ? | works in New York as a telephone operator |
| ? | she and her sister Paddy win a swimsuit contest at Coney Island; singer Vic Damone is the judge |
| ? | starts modeling with the Hartford Agency |
| c. 49 | has a bit in So Young So Bad, filmed in Central Park. The producer of the movie is Harry Lee Danziger. |
| ? | she and Danziger start dating |
| 50 | elopes with Danziger to Arlington, Virginia. He's 37; she’s 20. In 1935 at age 21, Danziger explored the Amazon, and at age 25 he was assistant conductor and first violinist with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra at 25. Later, he became a war hero decorated with the Silver Star and the Purple Heart. From 1941 to 1946 he and his older brother, Edward J. Danziger, were owners of Coney Island's Luna Park. |
| ? | she and Danziger rent an apartment on the East Side |
| End 50 | she and Danziger are off to England for their honeymoon aboard the Queen Mary |
| from London, she goes to Ireland to visit her relatives |
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| January 51 | heralded as "the girl who looks like Liz Taylor," she arrives at Southampton, England, to break into the movies |
| 51 | she and Danziger visit Paris, France |
| accompanies her husband to Barcelona, Spain, were he will produce Babes in Baghdad. She plays one of the handmaidens. |
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| returns to New York, leaving her husband behind for work |
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| is tagged a New York model and TV actress |
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| is on “The Jackie Gleason Show” and “The Winner Takes All” |
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| 1 February 52 | arrives at Idlewild Airport, New York, from Barcelona, Spain |
| ? | goes to Hollywood |
| ? | asks Danziger for a divorce. Danziger flies in from Barcelona, Spain, to talk her out of it. |
| Early June 52 | columnist Dorothy Kilgallen reports: ”Broadway producer Herman Levin is giving the mad rush to Sheila Connolly, one of those local beauties who look like Liz Taylor. Sheila is currently being divorced from flicker executive Harry Danzinger..." |
| July 52 | columnist John Crosby tells: “Producer Harry Danziger flew back from London when he heard Sheila Connolly was on her way to Mexico to seek a divorce from him. He’ll try to talk her out of it...” |
| is singer Vic Damone's last date in Iowa before he returns to camp |
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| c. 52 | divorces Danziger after a two-year marriage in Tijuana, Mexico. Later he will marry and become the father of two sons. In 1958 he and his brother Edward will move into the hotel business, buying the Cordon Hotels group, which owns The Mayfair and Grosvenor Hotels in London and the Metropole Hotels in Monte Carlo, Folkestone and Brighton. In 1969 the brothers will also become owners of the world famous jewelers Cartier of Paris. |
| August 52 | is seen with Ralph Fields at the Gourmet Beverly |
| October 52 | is Pat Nerney's date at the Cafe Gala |
| December 52 | accompanies Terry Moore on her Christmas tour to entertain the troops in Korea together with fellow actresses Roberta Haynes, Merry Anders, Penny Singleton, and Mary Murphy |
| Early 53 | starts dating young Arthur Loew, ex-escort of Janet Leigh |
| becomes friendly with Donald O’Connor and Debbie Reynolds |
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| ? | photographer Wally Seawell introduces her to Howard Hughes |
| February 53 | columnist Edith Gwynn thinks "Travis Kleefeld, Jane Wyman's one-time fiancé, is ready to pop the question to Sheila Connolly, who looks like Liz Taylor..." |
| May 53 | is seen with Travis Kleefeld at the Bantam Cock |
| is the latest beauty on Sonny Tuft’s arm. They are seen at the Encore Room. She's no longer seeing Travis Kleefeld. |
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| June 53 | Lance Reventlow is reported smitten with her. “Evidently, Barbara Hutton ‘approves’ the courtship. A note from abroad says Mamma has invited Sheila to go with her and Lance to Cairo, Egypt in September. Lance is 19; Sheila, 23.” |
| ? | accompanies Lance and his mother to Paris. They reside at the Ritz and meet the Duchess and the Duke of Windsor. |
| July 53 | her Egyptian trip with Lance Reventlov and his mother, billionairess Barbara Hutton, is off because Barbara is due at the Mayo Clinic by the beginning of August. Sheila will return to Hollywood. |
| ? | leaves Lance and Barbara in Paris and returns to California |
| 1 July 53 | arrives in New York from Paris, France |
| September 53 | is accompanied by figure skater Geary Steffen to the cocktail party given for Jerome Courtland, who opens at The Crescendo |
| December 53 | is seen with actor-dancer Donald O'Connor |
| is among show people entertaining the troups in Korea. The others are Terry Moore, Merry Anders, Roberta Haynes, Penny Singleton, Susan Zanuck, Mary Murphy, and singers Cynthia and Kay Bell. |
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| her roommate on the tour is Merry Anders |
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| 54 | is in Outlaw’s Daughter under the name of Kelly Ryan |
| April 54 | meets actor Robert Ozell Moseley at a private party after a boat show. Moseley is popular under the name Guy Madison on TV's "Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok" and is married to actress Gail Russell. |
| May 54 | is seen at the Captain's Table with Air Force General John Montgomery |
| dates young actor Guy Madison at the Mocambo |
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| July 54 | columnist Jimmy Fidler writes that Guy Madison "was dating Sheila Connolly, and then it was discovered that this newest of the western stars seemed to be taken seriously with Barbara Warner, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Warner" |
| August 54 | columnist Dorothy Kilgallen notes her dating Guy Madison |
| 24 October 54 | Madison's spokesman, Stan Mungove, announces in Hollywood that Madison plans to obtain a divorce in Juarez, Mexico, on October 26 from actress Gail Russell and minutes later marry Sheila. Mungove says Gail Russell last week signed a waiver allowing the actor to seek the divorce in Mexico. Madison obtained an interlocutory divorce decree in Los Angeles October 6, but it won't become final for a year. |
| she and Madison plan to go to Miami, Florida, immediately after the marriage and return to Hollywood on October 30 |
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| 25 October 54 | secretly marries Madison in Juarez, Mexico, after he obtained a Mexican divorce from Gail Russell. He's 32; she's 24. The judge at the Juarez civil registry claims there are discrepancies in the marriage application of Madison, who gives his marital status as single, when actually he is divorced from actress Gail Russell. |
| November 54 | Madison takes her to Bakersfield, California, to introduce her to his parents. She will go with him when he reports to Reno, Nevada, for the 10-day location of Five Against the House. |
| December 54 | she and Madison immediately leave Helen Cunsworth’s party honoring them for Colorado for ten days delayed honeymoon. They also collect their wedding presents at Helen’s because they left for Florida immediately after their marriage. Louella Parsons writes: “Sheila’s two sisters, Jean Connolly, who looks like Sheila, and Mrs. Maureen Lynch whose husband is in Korea and Guy’s brother, Wayne Mosley (who brought Lori Nelson) represented the families of the bride and groom.” |
| January 55 | her Mexican marriage to Guy Madison is questioned because of Gail Russell’s California divorce |
| ? | accompanies her husband to Cuernavaca, Mexico, where he films The Beast of Hollow Mountain |
| March 55 | is ill from a shake-up received while traveling by air from Mexico City to Hollywood |
| 26 April 55 | her first daughter, Bridget Catherine, is born in Los Angeles |
| October 55 | columnist Louella Parsons reports on her creating a minor sensation when she arrives at Holloman Airport in New Mexico with a poodle under her arm. “She had her own black hair cut exactly like the pooch’s. She wore a red ribbon - so did her dog." |
| November 55 | she and her husband help launch the holiday season with their housewarming up in the Hollywood Hills |
| December 55 | the Madisons attend The Thalians’ dinner dance at Ciro’s |
| Summer 56 | Silver Screen reports that the Madisons are anxious for a son, whom they expect in July |
| 21 July 56 | her daughter Erin Patricia is born in Santa Monica |
| December 56 | she and husband Guy are so happy with their second girl |
| is reported riding around town in a white Thunderbird, a gift from her husband |
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| January 57 | is commissioned by Emanuel Fineman, Hollywood Casuals, to design a line of spectator sportswear |
| 10 September 57 | her daughter Dolly Ann is born in Los Angeles |
| ? | is considered for the female lead in the upcoming “Tarzan and Jane,” but her husband’s against it |
| February 58 | in Los Angeles court she and her husband file to have their name legally changed from Moseley to Madison |
| 21 September 58 | after a spat with her, Madison moves out of their Hollywood home. Madison says he hopes to patch things up. |
| November 58 | attends the baby shower for Jayne Mansfield. Other guests are fellow actresses Terry Moore and Noreen Nash. |
| December 58 | she and Madison may reconcile by Christmas. "Their Christmas presents are carded ‘From the Guy Madisons’ - in Sheila’s handwriting...” |
| January 59 | the hot reason that Madison wants to reconcile with her is that he gave her a diamond bracelet for Christmas. It didn’t turn the trick - at least not yet. “I’m just not talking,” she laughingly evades. Originally she planned to make the New Year’s Eve rounds with Debbie Reynolds. Debbie decided to stay home, so Sheila accepted an invitation from the Geary Steffens. |
| Mid-January 59 | columnist Harrison Carroll tells: “Sheila Connelly and estranged husband Guy Madison didn’t have a car between them, all the result of a series of incidents. Sheila was waiting for a stoplight to change on Ventura Boulevard when another driver suddenly crashed into the rear of her car. Before the chain reaction stopped, four automobiles had been damaged. Sheila’s new Thunderbird was a mess. Her legs got black and blue. She called Guy and he offered to lend her his car. But when he went to get it, he found it had been stolen.” |
| February 59 | sees her estranged husband less and less. She tests for Pillow Talk and might accompany Debbie Reynolds to Spain. |
| June 59 | vacations in Europe for three weeks with her sister, Maurine Lynch |
| ? | accompanies her husband to Rome, Italy, where he films Schiava di Roma, a.k.a. Slave of Rome. They stay at the Excelsior Hotel. |
| July 59 | cables her husband for more money in order to buy $2,000 worth of gowns and shoes in Rome, Italy |
| 13 May 59 | undergoes surgery for a spinal ailment in Hollywood after getting injured in a fall from her children's slide. She will leave hospital a week later. |
| 1 November 59 | she and Madison separate |
| c. 60 | returning to the States from Rome, she has a stop-over in London, where she meets her former husband, Harry Lee Danziger |
| 26 January 61 | files for divorce from Madison in Los Angeles Superior Court charging cruelty. She asks for a share of the community property, "reasonable support" for herself and the custody of their three daughters, Bridget Catherine, 5; Erin Patricia, 4; and Dolly Ann, 3. She says the community property includes a home at 16818 Knollwood Drive, Granada Hills; unimproved land in Santa Barbara; membership in the Lakeside Golf Club; and a 1958 sports car. A pre-divorce hearing is scheduled in domestic relations court at 9 a.m. February 9. He's 38; she's 30. |
| January 61 | dates Allen Reisner while waiting for Guy Madison to okay the property settlement |
| February 61 | after her failed marriage, she returns to the screen with a small part in 20th Century-Fox’s Pirates of Tortuga. “I’m more mature now and able to play more roles,” she says. “Six years ago I was playing teenage types. And frankly - I’m glad that’s all behind me.” |
| March 61 | is seen with Leo Durocher |
| is reported celebrating her property settlement with Gordon Scott |
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| September 62 | plans to move from Hollywood to Rome as soon as she gets her divorce from Madison |
| April 63 | is quoted complaining about Madison's love of archery: "It seems the call of the wild was stronger than the call of the home" |
| September 63 | is fed up with Rome and returns to Hollywood. She and estranged husband Guy Madison still live separately. |
| ? | files for divorce from Madison |
| 3 April 64 | gets her divorce from Madison in Los Angeles by testifying that he would sometimes leave when they had company. “He would go outside and shoot his bow and arrows. That seemed to be his only love.” She adds that Madison would neglect his family and would not speak to her for days. Madison, who now lives in Italy, agrees to pay $600 monthly support for their three children. |
| June 65 | columnist Mike Connolly reports that Barbara Rush “bought a gaggle of Sheila Connolly Madison’s paintings off the walls of Greg Juarez’s art gallery...” |
| ? | her daughter introduces her to their Yoakum Drive neighbor, handsome TV actor Robert Dowdell of “Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea” |
| 4 December 65 | marries Robert L. Dowdell in Los Angeles. He's 33; she's 35. The ceremony is performed by Judge George Dell. |
| Summer 79 | Danziger meets her in California and invites her to his ketch in Monte Carlo |
| ? | tells Dowdell that their marriage is over |
| 79 | divorces Dowdell |
| ? | she and Danziger enjoy the Mediterranean and Barbados |
| 80 | she Danziger settle in Century City |
| December 81 | remarries Danziger at Al’s Wedding Chapel in Los Angeles. He’s 68; she’s 50. |
| January 82 | the Danzigers are on their second honeymoon aboard the Queen Elizabeth II. Boarding in Florida, the trip goes around the world. |
| ? | she and her husband move to Benedict Canyon |
| January 84 | she and Danziger visit Ireland. There he buys her the exclusive 1725-built Bert House in Athy, County Kildare, the dream house of her childhood. |
| 84 | she and Danziger make their home at Bert House |
| 90 | the Danzigers return to California |
| 99 | depicts her life in Angel Face - A Memoir |
| she and her husband divide their time between Los Angeles and their beach house in Mexico |
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| 23 February 05 | Danziger dies at age 91 in Palm Springs, California |
| Sources: Angel Face - A Memoir by Sheila Connolly Danziger, "Gail Russell" in Fallen Angels by Kirk Crivello, Made in Heaven by Victoria Houseman, Silver Screen, Glamorous Models, Modern Screen, Photoplay, The Letheridge Herald, Daily Redlands Facts, The Monessen Daily Independent, Mansfield News-Journal, The News, The Dealy Gleaner, The Vidette-Messenger, Nevada State Journal, The Lancaster Eagle-Gazette, The Lima News, The Coshocton Tribune, The Zanesville Signal, The Bridgeport Telegram, Tri-City Herald, Van Nuys News, The Daily Review, Albuquerque Journal, Pasadena Independent, The Fresno Bee, Humboldt Standard, Long Beach Press-Telegram, Pasadena Star-News, The Lowell Sun, The Bridgeport Post, www.nicks.com.au, www.jazzprofessional.com | |
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| Links: Filmography | |