Veteran actress Noreen Nash, who starred in the films The Big Fix and The Red Stallion and TV shows such as The Lineup and Yancy Derringer, has died. She was 99.
Nash’s passing was confirmed by The Neptune Society, revealing that she died on Tuesday, June 6, in Sherman Oaks, California. No other details were provided.
Born Norabelle Jean Roth on April 4, 1924, in Wenatchee, Washington, Nash started her show business career in 1942 after winning the Apple Blossom Queen competition in her hometown. From there, she was contacted by Bob Hope‘s agent Louis Shurr, who helped her get a contract with MGM as a showgirl. That same year, she worked as a model alongside Marilyn Monroe.
She made her on-screen debut in 1943 in the musical film Girl Crazy, opposite Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland. After a number of uncredited roles, Nash landed a part in Jean Renoir’s 1945 film The Southerner, which was nominated for three Oscars. Her role in this film led to her adopting the stage name Noreen Nash, inspired by her father in the movie, played by J. Carrol Naish.
Nash had her big break in 1947, starring in a leading role in James Flood’s The Big Fix, about gamblers trying to rig a basketball game. This led to major roles in films such as The Red Stallion, The Tender Years, Assigned to Danger, The Checkered Coat, Phantom From Space, and many more.
On television, Nash appeared in series such as Hopalong Cassidy, The Abbott and Costello Show, and 77 Sunset Strip. She also had recurring parts in the police drama The Lineup and the action-adventure series Yancy Derringer.
Nash retired from acting in 1962 and later enrolled at UCLA, majoring in History and graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in 1971. She also went on to publish several books, including the 1980 novel By Love Fulfilled, 2013’s Agnes Sorèl, Mistress of Beauty, and 2015’s Titans of The Muses: When Henry Miller Met Jean Renoir.
