Kay Medford is an American actress of the second half of the 20th century. The audience knows her from her role in the musical "Funny Girl". She also starred in his film adaptation.
Biography
The name of the actress is Margaret Kathleen Regan. She was born on September 14, 1919. The actress passed away on April 10, 1980. She was born in New York. The actress has Irish and American roots. As a teenager, she lost her parents. After graduating from high school, she took the pseudonym Kay Medford and began working as a waitress at a club. Her career in theater and cinema developed, but her personal life remained the same. She did not marry and did not give birth to children. Kay died in New York when she was 60 years old.
Carier start
At first, Kay received minor roles. Among the films with her participation, many were shot in the genre of "noir". In the mid-20th century, the actress played Betty Winston in the TV series Filco's Television Theater. Then she could be seen in First Studio, Suspense. In the crime melodrama "Detective", Medford got the role of Gladys. In the story, an employee of the Ministry of Finance is investigating a case of tax evasion of one bandit. The film has been shown in the United States and some European countries. In 2009, this painting was shown at the Cinemateca Portuguesa Film Museum in Lisbon. Then she was invited to play in the drama The Guilty Witness. According to the script, a former police officer is looking for his missing son. Then she played in the series "The Network", which ran from 1950 to 1954.
Then she got a role in other TV series - "In Search of Tomorrow", "Television Theater", "Collection" and "United States Steel Hour." Also, the actress could be seen in The Phil Silvers Show. In 1956, she starred in the music crime film Singing in the Night. Then Kay was cast for the role in the 1957 film "Face in the Crowd". The drama has been shown in the US, UK, Finland, Germany, Ireland and Italy. In 1959, the series "Paradise Adventures" began with the participation of Medford.
Creation
The actress got her first leading role in the 1960 film "Mouse Fuss". This comedy is about the romantic relationship between a musician and a dancer. Kay was waiting for the next big role for 8 years. In the meantime, she played in the series "Highway 66" and "Ben Casey", the films "Butterfield 8", "Lieutenant Pulver", "Beautiful Madness." In 1968 the film "Funny Girl" was released, where Kay played Rose. This musical comedy with Barbra Streisand follows the life of a girl who has turned from an ugly duckling into a star. The film received an Oscar and a Golden Globe, and was also nominated for the British Academy Prize. The following year, Medford landed the female lead in the family comedy Angel in My Pocket. The plot tells about the life of a young priest and his family. The minister of the church is sent to a new parish. In a small town, he finds himself embroiled in the opposition of 2 influential families.
She was then seen in the medical drama Dr. Marcus Welby, about an experienced physician and his assistants. Basically, the action takes place in a hospital. This series ran from 1969 to 1976. Kay's heroine is Mrs Varney. The actress got the next job in the series "Medical Center", which ran in the same years as the previous one. Then she received an invitation to play in the TV series "To Rome with Love." Medford had a pretty prominent role. She played one of the family members of the protagonist. She later auditioned for the role of Bella in American Love. The drama was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Emmy. In 1970, she played the role of Scott's mom in the movie Lola. The drama has been shown in the UK, France, Mexico, Portugal, Finland, USA, Japan, Turkey and Germany.
In the same year, the series "The Partridge Family" began, in which Kay played Gloria. Then she could be seen in the movie "I don't want to get married!". The plot tells about a humble accountant who lost his wife. Now many women are claiming his heart. In 1972, she played in the film "Nowhere to Run". The television drama has been shown in the United States and Hungary. Then there were roles in the series "Kojak", "Starsky and Hutch", "Barney Miller" and "High Flight". In 1974 she was invited to the film "Family Theater: It's Better to Be Married". The main roles in the comedy were played by Bill Bixby, Brandon Cruz, David Doyle and Sandy Duncan. After 3 years, she starred in the film "Sale". Her character is Ruth. The comedy was presented at the Amsterdam International Film Festival.
In 1978, the television movie More Than Friends was released, in which Medford played Gertie. She then starred in the series House Call, which ran from 1979 to 1982. The drama was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Emmy. The last film to star in Medford was the 1980 thriller "Windows". Kay played one of the central heroines of Idu in it. The plot tells about the life of a woman who left her husband and begins to get carried away by her new neighbor. The film has been shown in the USA, Spain, the Netherlands, France, Portugal, Japan, Australia, Finland and Sweden.
There are several other films in which Kay played small roles, but was not indicated in the credits. Among them are the dramas "War Against Mrs. Headley" in 1942, "Fruits of Accident", "A Little Dangerous" in 1943, "Three Hearts for Julia", "Pilot # 5" and "The Lost Angel". She also starred in 1944 Broadway Rhythms, rationing, American Novel, Miss Parkington, 1945 Picture of Dorian Gray, Adventure and Roots 1948.
