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Whitney Blake

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Whitney Blake (February 20, 1926 — September 28, 2002) was an American film and television actress, director and producer.

Blake was born as Nancy Ann Whitney in 1926 in Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, California, the first child of Martha Mae Wilkensen and Harry Whitney. Her childhood was spent traveling across the country with her family, attending 16 different schools. Attending Pasadena City College, Blake worked in small-theater groups in the Los Angeles area, and in the summer, worked at her mother's ice cream stand in MacMinneville, Oregon.

After her appearance in an amateur Hollywood production of "The Women" caught the attention of talent scouts, she appeared on a number of television programs, including the syndicated Johnny Midnight, Sheriff of Cochise, and twice on Rod Cameron's State Trooper.

In addition, she guest-starred on Mike Connors's Tightrope detective series, in the 1960 episode "High Bridge" of the NBC western series Overland Trail starring William Bendix and Doug McClure. She also appeared in the first episode of the syndicated western series Pony Express in the episode "The Good Samaritan". Her guest appearance in the short-lived series "The D.A.'s Man" garnered an Emmy nomination in 1959.

Blake is best remembered for having portrayed Dorothy Baxter, an interior designer and the wife of George Baxter (Don DeFore), a lawyer, on the NBC sitcom Hazel (1961), starring Shirley Booth in the title role as a bossy maid. In the last season on CBS, DeFore and Blake left the series and were replaced by Ray Fulmer and Lynn Borden, respectively in the roles of Steve and Barbara Baxter, the younger brother and sister-in-law of George Baxter.