Laraine Day
Birth : 1920-10-13, Roosevelt, Utah, USA
Death : 2007-11-10
History
Laraine Day, born La Raine Johnson, was a major movie star of the 1940s and '50s. Raised in Utah as part of a prominent Mormon family, she came to Hollywood as a young woman, and made her film debut with an uncredited role in Stella Dallas. Before she was famous she also played the birth-mother of Tarzan and Jane's adopted son "Boy" in Tarzan Finds a Son. Her break came in 1939, with the wildly popular "Dr Kildare" sequels. Day played Kildare's nurse and love interest in the third through ninth Kildare movies, until her character married the doctor in Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day. As Mrs Kildare, she was written out of the next, and last, Kildare feature.
In 1942, she starred with Ayres again in the underrated axe murder melodrama Fingers at the Window. Over subsequent decades, her memorable films included the flashback-within-flashback-within-flashback drama The Locket, the gangster comedy Mr Lucky, and the campy paranoia piece I Married A Communist. She was among the all-star passengers in the overwrought airliner-in-peril drama The High and the Mighty, and in Hitchcock's Foreign Correspondent it was Day who encouraged Joel McCrea to give his stirring report of the air raid at the film's climax Hitchcock's thinly-veiled plea for America to enter World War II. When television became a viable income source, Day found the small screen more inviting and less time-consuming than making movies, and she became primarily a TV actress. She had a 15-minute series of uplifting vignettes called Daydreaming with Laraine, and another 15-minute daily celebrity chat show called The Laraine Day Show. Married to New York Giants manager Leo Durocher, Day became one of TV's first female sports reporters when she hosted Day with the Giants, an early 1950s baseball talk show with Giants' players that aired on New York City's Channel 11. Her last film was a low-budget thriller, The Third Voice, in 1960, but she continued taking occasional guest roles on TV series Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Murder, She Wrote, etc. through the mid-1980s. Following her retierment she spent the remainder of her life active in the Mormon church, Republican politics, and various charity related work. Upon the death of her third husband Michael Grilikhes in March 2007 she moved back to her native Utah where she died that November at age 87. She is interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, CA.
Mrs. Grant
A second feature-length pilot film for the wish-fulfillment series sees six lucky people having their dreams fulfilled on the luxury resort island. Career woman Margo Dean's assistant, Lowell Benson, hopes to romance her; Brian and Lucy Faber want to see the daughter they gave up for adoption; Janet Fleming, who lost her memory on her honeymoon, wants to relive it to cure her amnesia.
Claire Garwood
On a flight to London, a note is found stating that there will be murders taking place on the airliner before it lands.
Marian Forbes
Marian Forbes has been having an affair with her boss and when he drops her for another woman. In an act of jealousy and greed she convinces an acquaintance to murder her former lover and then impersonate him just long enough to get their hands on a large sum of money.
Sue Lorenz
An unscrupulous attorney attempts to rig the jury vote in a murder trial. Released in 1956.
Gwendolyn Taylor
Advertising executive Gwen Taylor sends her art director Rick Todd on a mission to bring an artist back to the commercial fold. Meanwhile, Gwen's fatherless son Timmie, at a remote boys' school, is riding for a fall by manufacturing evidence of his "explorer father." By an amazing coincidence, Rick steps off the bus at just the right moment for Timmie to recruit him as "father" without his knowledge. With no intention of collaborating, the befuddled Rick is carried along by the sweep of events. Who can predict the outcome?
Lydia Rice
Dan Roman is a veteran pilot haunted by a tragic past. Now relegated to second-in-command cockpit assignments he finds himself on a routine Honolulu-to-San Francisco flight - one that takes a terrifying suspense-building turn when disaster strikes high above the Pacific Ocean at the point of no return.
Nan Lowry Collins
Communists blackmail a shipping executive into spying for them.
Jane Bandle
Jane Bandle has recently married, but Bill, her husband's brother, tries to wreck her marriage because Jane rejected his sexual advances before her marriage.
Stephanie 'Steve' Gaylord
A budding young writer thinks it's her lucky day when she is chosen to be the new secretary for Owen Waterbury, famous novelist. She is soon disppointed, however, when he turns out to be an erratic, immature playboy. Opposites attract, of course, but not without sub-plots that touch on competitiveness within marriage and responsibility.
Maura Alexander Munroe
Engineer Johnny Munroe is enlisted to build a railroad tunnel through a mountain to reach mines. His task is complicated, and his ethics are compromised, when he falls in love with his boss's daughter
Nancy Monks Blair Patton
A dark personal secret drives a young woman to use every man she encounters.
Helen Brandt
A soldier loses his girlfriend to his best buddy.
Leigh Rand
A debutante, a serviceman's bride and a girl from a military family join the Women's Army Corps.
Norah Hunter
The staggeringly wealthy Norah Hunter, a shipyard owner, too often finds herself the romantic target of gold-digging men. To attract a suitor whose main interest is not money, she changes places with her secretary, Sylvia Lockwood, and assumes the role of a young working woman. However, she then falls for recuperating fighter pilot Anthony Travis, who, in turn, is madly in love with Sylvia -- or, perhaps, with the millions he thinks she has.
Madeleine
As the Japanese sweep through the East Indies during World War II, Dr. Wassell is determined to escape from Java with some crewmen of the cruiser Marblehead. Based on a true story of how Dr. Wassell saved a dozen or so wounded sailors who were left behind when able bodied men were evacuated to Australia.
This short celebrates the 20th anniversary of MGM. Segments are shown from several early hits, then from a number of 1944 releases.
Dorothy Bryant
A conman poses as a war relief fundraiser, but when he falls for a charity worker, his conscience begins to trouble him.
Nora Davis
An American newspaperman and his wife, end up in London after several retreats in the opening days of WWII. After a shrapnel wound and loss of her baby she returns to America. War weary, he is forced to do a story about war orphans, where he meets Margaret.
Joanne
Documentary short film depicting the work of the United Service Organizations (USO) in providing recreational and morale-boosting services for American troops.
Edwina 'Eddie' Brown
In Chicago, an unemployed actor aims to solve the mystery concerning a string of ax murders, apparently committed by a lunatic.
Mrs. Gail Farwood
A celebrated New York cabbie is pressed into service for a perilous journey through World War II China.
Martha Kent
Kathleen is a twelve-year-old who lives in a big house with a nanny, a butler, maids, no mother and a father who is working most of the time. She dreams of a family with a mother, father and her, and tells everyone that she has such a family. Because of this story, she cannot invite any friends over as they will see that it is not true.
Miss 'Croney' Cronin
A crusading newsman starts up a tabloid with a gangster as his 50-50 partner.
Mary Lamont
A variety of predicaments arise to distract Dr. Kildare from his wedding to Nurse Mary Lamont.
Nurse Mary Lamont
An ice skater sues Kildare (Lew Ayres) for malpractice after his roadside first aid leaves her paralyzed.
Lucia Pell
Lopez is a bandit who has stolen the herd at Gil's ranch, so Hardy is about to foreclose. But Lucia has come back from New York and Gil is happy until he meets her husband, Morgan.
Mary Dugan
Mary Dugan is a young woman accused of murdering her billionaire lover. In the process, his defense lawyer acts wrongly against them, and is replaced by a young lawyer, the brother of the accused
Mary Lamont
Jimmy Kildare's impending nuptials are jeopardized by a diagnosis of possible epilepsy in his fiancee's brother.
Self
This short documentary, presented and directed by MGM sound engineer Douglas Shearer, goes behind the scenes to look at how the sound portion of a talking picture is created.
Mary Lamont
A young doctor gives up big-city success to help his father set up a small-town clinic.
Carol Fisher
The European war was only beginning to erupt across national borders. Johnny Jones, an American crime reporter dispatched by his New York publisher to put a fresh spin on the drowsy dispatches emanating from overseas, has a nose for a good story—which promptly leads him to the crime of fascism and Nazi Germany's designs on European conquest. In attempting to learn more about a seemingly noble peace effort, Jones walks into the middle of an assassination, uncovers a spy ring and—not entirely coincidentally—falls in love.
Nurse Mary Lamont
Kildare tries brain surgery, advised by Dr. Gillespie, and faces a rival for nurse Lamont.
Kate Lattimer
A teenager falls hard for an irresponsible playboy.
Maeve O’Riordan
A self-made success is determined to give his son the lavish upbringing he himself was denied. Not surprisingly, the son grows up to be spoiled rotten, causing grief and pain to everyone who loves him.
Linda Rodgers
On return from Europe Dr. Decker foils glamour girl Georgi from jumping overboard. At Decker's suggestion to keep busy, she assists at his clinic in the slums.
Nurse Mary Lamont
Intern Kildare heals a millionaire's daughter and tricks Dr. Gillespie into taking a vacation.
Marjorie (Margie) Smith
Episode 24 of the Crime Does Not Pay series. Margie Smith (Laraine Day) works as a waitress at a drive in restaurant. She likes to date and look nice but on her salary, she can't keep up with everyone else. However, a friend shows her that stealing is easy, cool and lets you dress like success. At first, it works out just fine, but remember--this is a Crime Does Not Pay film and you KNOW she'll soon get caught and prosecuted.
Mrs. Richard Lancing
A young couple die in a plane crash in the jungle. Their son is found by Tarzan and Jane who name him Boy and raise him as their own. Five years later a search party comes to find the young heir to millions of dollars. Jane agrees, against Tarzan's will, to lead them to civilization.
Nurse Mary Lamont
Following an argument with his young protege, the curmudgeonly Dr. Gillespie dumps Jimmy Kildare in a street clinic, hoping to teach him a lesson. While working there Kildare meets pretty nurse Mary Lamont, and ends up treating a hoodlum with a gunshot wound. He purposely fails to write a report on it, and soon finds himself in a heap of trouble. Who else would come to his rescue but good old Dr. Gillespie?
Eileen Daly
A dedicated police officer is torn between family and duty when his son turns to a life of crime.
Letty Meade (as Laraine Johnson)
A federal agent infiltrates an outlaw band that's taken over a western town.
Carol Banning
A cowboy and a bandit face off over possession of a valuable mine.
Betty Holden (as Laraine Johnson)
A federal agent goes undercover in order to capture a gang that's been smuggling munitions and horses near the Texas border.
Peg Smith (as Laraine Johnson)
Joe McKnight temporarily leaves his fiancée, Nora Langdon, for an expedition in a South American jungle. Nora gets a position as librarian in the small town of Midberg, where she boards with the Smith family. Nora is befriended by her next-door neighbor Austin Brown, who, unknown to his wife, is engaged in a moneymaking scheme with James Wilson.
Girl at Soda Shop / Train Passenger (uncredited)
After divorcing a society man, a small-town woman tries to build a better life for their daughter.
