Betta St. John dead at 93: Tarzan and Dream Wife actress – whose career spans stage and screen – passes away of natural causes in England
- The talented actress of both stage and screen died of natural causes at an assisted living facility in Brighton, England on June 23
- She is perhaps best known for starring in 1953’s Dream Wife where she played a Middle Eastern princess engaged to a businessman played by Cary Grant
- St. John also starred in two Tarzan films: Tarzan And The Lost Safari (1957) and Tarzan The Magnificent (1960)
Betta St. John – who is best known for her work in Tarzan and Dream wife – has passed away at 93.
The talented actress of both stage and screen died of natural causes on June 23 television producer Roger Grant told The Hollywood Reporter.
The star – who was born Betty Jean Striegle in Hawthorne, California – was living at an assisted living facility in Brighton, England at the time.
She is perhaps best known for her work starring in 1953’s Dream Wife where she played a Middle Eastern princess engaged to a businessman played by Hollywood icon Cary Grant.
St. John also starred in two Tarzan films: Tarzan And The Lost Safari (1957) and Tarzan The Magnificent (1960).
Legend: Betta St. John (pictured in 1953) – who is best known for her work in Tarzan and Dream wife – has passed away at 93
Bond: She is perhaps best known for her work starring in 1953’s Dream Wife where she played a Middle Eastern princess engaged to a businessman played by Hollywood icon Cary Grant.
She played two different roles in the films despite them only being three years apart from one another as she was Diana Penrod in the first and Fay Ames in the second.
Tarzan And The Lost Safari was the first Tarzan in 15 years at the time and also happened to be the first one in color as both starred Gordon Scott in the titular role.
St. John had an early start to her career as the Southern California native was part of the Meglin Kiddies troupe of actors, singers, and dancers alongside the likes of the icon Shirley Temple.
She went on to make her film debut at just age 10 with an uncredited part in Destry Rides Again (1939) which also stars James Stewart and Marlene Dietrich.
St. John went on to play an orphan in Jane Eyre alongside Orson Welles and Joan Fontaine but was also uncredited in the role.
She also had a storied stage career as she played a small role in Rodgers and Hasmmerstein Broadway musical Carousel from 1945 to 1947.
St. John went on to be part of the play’s touring company until 1949.
The actress went on to create the role of Liat in the musical South Pacific first on Broadway followed by London in 1949.
Her career stormed on as she had a very busy 1953 starring in films The Robe, All The Brothers Were Valiant, and the aforementioned Dream Wife. The following year she starred in The Student Prince.
St. John went on to star in films and television until 1965 where she left the industry.
In 1952 she married English actor Peter Grant whom she was with until his death in 1992. They shared three children together.
