Here is the biography of Betty Field:
Betty Field was born on February 8, 1916, in Boston, Massachusetts, to a salesman and his wife. Her father's ancestors included Mayflower colonists Priscilla and John Alden. Her parents divorced when she was young, and she learned to speak Spanish while traveling with her mother to various Spanish-speaking countries. Her mother remarried and settled in Newton, Massachusetts, where Betty developed a passion for the theatre.
Betty enrolled at the American Academy of Dramatic Art in 1932 and made her professional debut in a 1933 summer stock production of "The First Mrs. Fraser". She soon found work in stage roles and even performed in a London theater production of "She Loves Me" in 1934.
Betty's Broadway debut came in 1934 as an understudy in the comedy "Page Miss Glory" and she went on to perform frequently in comedy roles, earning fine reviews for her performances in "Three Men on a Horse", "Boy Meets Girl", "Room Service", and "The Primrose Path".
In 1939, Betty appeared in the film adaptation of "What a Life" and was signed to a seven-year contract with Paramount. She appeared in a variety of leading ingenue and co-star roles throughout the 1940s, including the classic film "Of Mice and Men".
Betty met playwright Elmer Rice while performing in "Ring Two" in 1939 and the couple married in 1942. They had three children together and Betty went on to enhance husband Rice's plays, including "Flight to the West" and "A New Life".
In the 1940s and 1950s, Betty appeared in a number of films, including "Victory", "The Shepherd of the Hills", "Flesh and Fantasy", and "The Great Moment". She also appeared in the classic film "Kings Row" and was praised for her heart-tugging performance.
Betty took a break from films in the late 1940s and returned to Broadway, where she appeared in plays such as "The Voice of the Turtle" and "Dream Girl". She won the New York Drama Critics Circle award for her performance in "Dream Girl" in 1946.
In the 1950s, Betty continued to appear in films, including "The Southerner", "The Great Gatsby", and "Picnic". She also appeared in a number of stage plays, including "Twelfth Night", "The Rat Race", and "Peter Pan".
Betty's career slowed down in the 1960s and 1970s, but she continued to appear in films and stage plays, including "Coogan's Bluff" and "The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds".
Betty Field passed away on February 13, 1973, at the age of 57, due to a fatal cerebral hemorrhage. Despite being a somewhat undervalued talent, Betty enjoyed her work more than the stardom that often accompanied it.
