Faye Emerson

Biography

Faye Margaret Emerson was an American film and stage actress, and television interviewer who gained fame as a film actress in the 1940s, before transitioning to television in the 1950s, hosting her own talk show. Born in Louisiana, Emerson spent the majority of her early life in San Diego, California. She became interested in theater while attending San Diego State College, and subsequently pursued an acting career, appearing in stock theater in California. She subsequently signed a contract Warner Bros., and began appearing in their films in 1941. She starred in several films noir, including Lady Gangster, and Howard Hawks's war film Air Force. In 1944, she played one of her more memorable roles as Zachary Scott's former lover in The Mask of Dimitrios. From 1944 to 1950, she was married to Colonel Elliott Roosevelt, son of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. In 1949, Emerson began hosting The Faye Emerson Show, a late-night talk show series. She went on to become a prolific television interviewer, which earned her the nickname "The First Lady of Television". Throughout the 1950s, she also appeared in numerous Broadway stage productions. Emerson formally retired from show business in 1963, and retired to Europe. She resided there until 1983, when she died of stomach cancer in Deià, Spain, aged 65. For her contributions to the motion picture industry, Emerson received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960. Her star is located at 6529 Hollywood Blvd.

Known For

The Philco Television Playhouse

What's My Line?

What's My Line?

Studio One

The Ed Sullivan Show

The Jack Benny Program

The Colgate Comedy Hour

I've Got a Secret

All Movies (31)

• Main Street to Broadway1953 · as Self
• Guilty Bystander1950 · as Georgia
• Nobody Lives Forever1946 · as Toni Blackburn
• Her Kind of Man1946 · as Ruby Marino
• Danger Signal1945 · as Hilda Fenchurch
• Hotel Berlin1945 · as Tillie Weiler
• Hollywood Canteen1944 · as Self
• The Very Thought of You1944 · as Cora 'Cuddles' Colton
• Crime by Night1944 · as Ann Marlow
• The Mask of Dimitrios1944 · as Irana Preveza
• Between Two Worlds1944 · as Maxine Russell
• Uncertain Glory1944 · as Louise
• In Our Time1944 · as Friend of Count Stephan in Nightclub (uncredited)
• Destination Tokyo1943 · as Mrs. Cassidy
• The Desert Song1943 · as Hajy
• Food and Magic1943
• Find the Blackmailer1943 · as Mona Vance
• Women at War1943 · as Anastasia 'Stormy' Hart
• Air Force1943 · as Susan McMartin
• The Hard Way1943 · as Ice Cream Parlor Waitress
• Secret Enemies1942 · as Paula Fengler
• Juke Girl1942 · as Violet 'Murph' Murphy
• Murder in the Big House1942 · as Gladys Wayne
• Lady Gangster1942 · as Dorothy Burton
• Wild Bill Hickok Rides1942 · as Peg
• At the Stroke of Twelve1941 · as Miss LaMond
• Blues in the Night1941 · as Dr. Morse's Nurse (uncredited)
• Nine Lives Are Not Enough1941 · as Rose Chadwick
• Manpower1941 · as Nurse Who Lost Draw (uncredited)
• Bad Men of Missouri1941 · as Martha Adams
• The Nurse's Secret1941 · as Miss Hill

All TV Shows (13)

• The Match Game1962 · as Self - Team Captain
• The David Susskind Show1959 · as Self
• Tonight Starring Jack Paar1957 · as Self
• The George Gobel Show1954 · as Self
• I've Got a Secret1952 · as Self
• The Jack Benny Program1950 · as Faye Emerson
• The Colgate Comedy Hour1950 · as Self
• Your Show of Shows1950
• What's My Line?1950 · as Self
• What's My Line?1950 · as Self - Panelist
• Studio One1948 · as Melissa
• The Philco Television Playhouse1948 · as The Glamour Girl
• The Ed Sullivan Show1948 · as Self