Helen Parrish was a talented and beautiful actress who starred in many films and TV shows in the 1930s and 1940s. She was best known for her roles as Deanna Durbin’s rival in several musical comedies, and as a host of the first U.S. network variety show, Hour Glass. But her life and career were cut short by a devastating disease that claimed her life at the age of 35. What was Helen Parrish’s cause of death and how did she cope with her illness? Here is a brief overview of her life and legacy.
Early Life and Career
Helen Parrish was born on March 12, 1923, in Columbus, Georgia, to stage actress Laura R. Parrish and journalist Robert R. Parrish. She had an older brother, Robert Parrish, who became a film editor and director, and a younger sister, Beverly Parrish, who died suddenly at the age of 11 after filming only one movie. Helen started in movies at the age of four, playing Babe Ruth’s daughter in the silent film Babe Comes Home in 1927. She also appeared in several Our Gang comedy shorts and co-starred with some of the great female stars of the day, such as Loretta Young and Mary Brian.
As a teenager, Helen became a popular kid sister and rich young girl in many films, such as There’s Always Tomorrow, A Dog of Flanders, and Little Tough Guy. She also gained fame as the bane of Deanna Durbin’s existence in several of her musical vehicles, playing a jealous, spiteful rival. Their first film together, Mad About Music, worked so well that they soon formed a sort of Shirley Temple/Jane Withers team in a couple of other movie confections for Universal, such as Three Smart Girls Grow Up and First Love.
Television and Commercials
By her mid-twenties, Helen had left motion pictures and turned to television, co-hosting Hour Glass, the first U.S. network variety show, in 1946-47. She also appeared in several TV anthologies, such as Fireside Theatre and Chevron Theatre, and guest-starred on shows like Leave It to Beaver and The Danny Thomas Show. Her last role on television was as women’s editor of a morning program, Panorama Pacific, on the West Coast.
Helen also appeared in TV commercials for a variety of products throughout the 1950s, earning more income from them than from roles in shows. In 1955, she said that making commercials “turned out to be the next best thing to owning an oil well.”
Personal Life and Death
Helen married twice in her life. Her first husband was actor and screenwriter Charles G. Lang Jr., whom she married in 1942 and divorced in 1954. They had a son and a daughter, Charles George Lang Jr. and Molly Lang. Her second husband was television producer John Guedel, whom she married in 1956. She had a miscarriage in April 1958.
Helen Parrish’s cause of death was cancer, which she battled for several years. She died at Presbyterian Hospital in Hollywood on February 22, 1959, several weeks before her 36th birthday. She was buried at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.
Helen Parrish was a glowing actress with true potential, who left behind a legacy of films and TV shows that entertained millions of viewers. She was also a brave and resilient woman who faced her illness with courage and grace. She will always be remembered as one of the stars of Hollywood’s golden age.
