Betsy Blair
Actress

Betsy Blair Net Worth

Betsy Blair was born in Cliffside, New Jersey and began her career as a child model and chorus dancer. She married Gene Kelly in 1940 and made her large screen debut in 1947. She was involved in SAG politics and was blacklisted in the 1950s. She won the female lead in the 1955 film Marty and won the Cannes Film and British Film acting awards, as well as an Oscar nomination. She moved to Europe to avoid the Hollywood shun and married producer/director Karel Reisz in 1963. She published her memoirs and passed away from cancer in 2009 at the age of 85.
Betsy Blair is a member of Actress

Age, Biography and Wiki

Who is it? Actress
Birth Day December 11, 1923
Birth Place  Cliffside Park, New Jersey, United States
Age 97 YEARS OLD
Died On March 13, 2009(2009-03-13) (aged 85)\nLondon, England
Birth Sign Capricorn
Occupation Actress
Years active 1947–1994
Spouse(s) Gene Kelly (m. 1941; div. 1957) Karel Reisz (m. 1963; d. 2002)
Children 1

💰 Net worth: $18 Million (2024)

Betsy Blair, widely recognized as a prominent actress in the United States, is anticipated to have an approximate net worth of $18 million by 2024. With her remarkable talent and numerous notable performances, Blair has garnered both critical acclaim and financial success throughout her career. Best known for her roles in films such as "Marty," for which she received an Academy Award nomination, her versatile acting skills have enabled her to make significant contributions to the film industry. As her net worth continues to grow, Betsy Blair remains a revered figure in American cinema.

Biography/Timeline

1923

Born Elizabeth Winifred Boger on December 11, 1923, in Cliffside Park, NJ, her father, william Kidd Boger, was a partner in a small insurance brokerage firm; her mother, Frederica Ammon, was a schoolteacher. Both were Episcopalians. At the age of eight, she was enrolled in the Swift Sisters School of Dance, and recalled performing before Eleanor Roosevelt in 1933, winning an amateur contest shortly thereafter, joining a touring amateur show and performing on local radio, as motivating influences in her Desire to pursue a dance career. She joined the John Robert Powers modeling agency and by the age of twelve was in regular demand. She enrolled in the Professional Children's School but, as it was not accredited, her mother returned her to her local school so that she might eventually attend college. She graduated at fifteen, securing a scholarship to Sarah Lawrence College. However, the Board of Admission considered her too immature for entry and requested she wait one year.

1940

In the interim, Blair joined the chorus at the International Casino in Times Square, and when it closed down, worked in the chorus of Billy Rose's Diamond Horseshoe from January 1940 where Gene Kelly was working as Choreographer. "Gene fought for me. He said I could dance, and he needed some good Dancers," she wrote in her autobiography. Blair and Kelly's relationship blossomed, culminating in their marriage in October 1941. She and Kelly remained married for sixteen years and had one daughter, Kerry Kelly Novick (b. 1942), together before divorcing in 1957.

1941

In early 1941, Blair secured her first role in a stage play when Kelly's friend william Saroyan chose her to play the female lead role of St. Agnes of the Mice in his play The Beautiful People at the Lyceum Theatre, playing opposite Eugene Loring, and securing excellent reviews from leading critics George Jean Nathan and Richard Watts, Jr.. Watts commented, "The gently sweetly sincere and completely moving gravity and innocence of Miss Blair's utterly right performance is so infinitely touching and beautiful than any studied portrayal could be, that her contribution to the work is gracefully enchanting."

1947

Blair was featured in such films as A Double Life (1947), Another Part of the Forest (1948), and The Snake Pit (1948). She continued to hold left-wing political views and admittedly attempted to join the Communist Party. In her autobiography, she revealed her application was rejected as the Party felt she would be more valuable as the wife of the progressive Kelly. Kelly himself was not a Communist and his status as a valuable star provided the couple some protection.

1950

In the 1950s, Blair was under investigation from HUAC and blacklisted for several years. She almost lost one of her signature roles, that of Marty's girlfriend in Marty (1955), but was restored to the role after Kelly threatened to pull out of It's Always Fair Weather. For her performance, she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress and prizes from the Cannes Film Festival. Her film career, nonetheless, was damaged during the "red scare" era and she had to seek work on stage in New York and in Europe.

1956

Following her divorce from Kelly, Blair moved permanently to Europe where she paired off with French actor and Director Roger Pigaut, and continued to appear in films, including Juan Antonio Bardem's Calle Mayor (1956) and Michelangelo Antonioni's Il Grido (1957). By those years she self-confessedly became a conspicuous member of the avant la lettre European gauche caviar.

1963

Blair married Czech-born director/ Producer Karel Reisz in 1963, and would perform sporadically in later years working with Costa-Gavras' (Betrayed, 1988) and on the mini-series Scarlett in 1994. Reisz died in 2002.

1980

In 1980, she was a member of the jury at the 30th Berlin International Film Festival.

1990

She continued her career with regular theatre, film and television work until the mid-1990s.

2002

Blair filmed scenes for Stephen Daldry's The Hours (2002), initially playing the older version of Julianne Moore's character. It is unclear if she was dropped or if she withdrew from the project. In 2003 she published her autobiography, The Memory of All That.

2009

Blair died of cancer in London on March 13, 2009. She is survived by a daughter, three stepchildren and several grandchildren.

2014

Blair left Rose's show to accept an offer from Choreographer Robert Alton to join the chorus of Panama Hattie, an illustrious line-up which included June Allyson, Doris and Constance Dowling, and Vera-Ellen. Alton—who had previously discovered Gene Kelly—had spotted her when she unsuccessfully auditioned for a part in Louisiana Purchase. During this period she developed a strong interest in Marxism, having been introduced to Lloyd Gough by Kelly, and attended Gough's weekly Marxist study group, which Kelly did not attend. "And it was very serious. Our textbook was The History of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union... I was completely enthralled by the ideas."

Some Betsy Blair images

About the author

Lisa Scholfield

As a Senior Writer at Famous Net Worth, I spearhead an exceptional team dedicated to uncovering and sharing the stories of pioneering individuals. My passion for unearthing untold narratives drives me to delve deep into the essence of each subject, bringing forth a unique blend of factual accuracy and narrative allure. In orchestrating the editorial workflow, I am deeply involved in every step—from initial research to the final touches of publishing, ensuring each biography not only informs but also engages and inspires our readership.