Helen Parrish

Biography

The daughter of stage actress Laura R. Parrish, lovely slim-eyed brunette Helen Parrish was born on March 12, 1923 (references sometimes vary between 1922 and 1924), in Columbus, Georgia. She started out in movies at the ripe old age of four playing Babe Ruth's daughter in the silent movie Babe Comes Home (1927). She was also featured in "Our Gang" comedy shorts and was sometimes cast to play the lead character as a child/youngster. A couple of those femme stars were Loretta Young in Beau Ideal (1930) and Mary Brian in Song of the Eagle (1933). Into her teens, Helen became established as a cinematic kid sister, neighborhood friend or rich young girl in such films as There's Always Tomorrow (1934), Straight from the Heart (1935) and A Dog of Flanders (1935). She was most notable, however, as the bane of sweet Deanna Durbin's existence in several of the singing star's musical vehicles -- usually a jealous, spiteful rival. In their first film, Mad About Music (1938), the two worked so well together that Universal decided to form a sort of teen Shirley Temple/Jane Withers stand-off between the two in a couple of other movie confections as well -- Three Smart Girls Grow Up (1939) and First Love (1939). Most of Helen's film offerings were quite pleasant but rather unexceptional and nominally in the "B" category, including X Marks the Spot (1931), When a Feller Needs a Friend (1932), A Dog of Flanders (1935), I'm Nobody's Sweetheart Now (1940), Too Many Blondes (1941) and X Marks the Spot (1942) (same name, different plot from her earlier film). By her mid-20s Helen filmed her last picture as the second lead in the "B" western The Wolf Hunters (1949). Focusing on the smaller screen into the 1950's, she appeared in a number of TV anthologies, including "Fireside Theatre" and "Chevon Theatre," and ended her on-camera career as a guest on "Leave It to Beaver" and "The Danny Thomas Show." Helen's older brother, Robert Parrish, was a minor child actor who later earned respect as a film editor and director; older sister, child actress Beverly Parrish, died suddenly at the age of 10 after filming only one movie. Helen married twice. Her first husband was actor/screenwriter Charles Lang and her second, TV producer, John Guedel, survived her. She had no children. Helen's untimely death from cancer in February 22, 1959, at age 35, robbed Hollywood of a glowing actress with true potential.