Rosemary La Planche, a California-born beauty, won the title of "Miss America" in 1941, which served as a springboard to a film career as a leading lady. Born on October 11, 1923, in Glendale, California, Rosemary and her older sister Louise La Planche both expressed a desire to perform as children.
As toddlers, they found work in silent movies before focusing on a normal public school upbringing. The interest in acting didn't wane in either of them, and during her years at John Marshall High School, Rosemary was cast in minor roles in two Deanna Durbin Universal film vehicles.
Both girls entered the beauty pageant circuit, with Louise earning the title of "Miss Catalina" in 1939 and then "Miss North America" the following year. This notoriety led to a minor MGM career with bits in films such as Strike Up the Band and Ziegfeld Girl. Rosemary followed suit by being crowned both "Miss California" and "Miss America" in 1941.
This led to a featured role in the Hal Roach "B' film Prairie Chickens and a minor RKO contract that included unbilled bits as various "tootsie" types. The oval-faced Rosemary finally hit leading lady status, albeit minor and brief, with two cult "Poverty Row" horrors, Strangler of the Swamp and Devil Bat's Daughter.
Following this, Columbia signed her up, and she was put in as the female lead in the serial Jack Armstrong. In 1947, the actress married radio host and producer Harry Koplan and had two children by him, slowly letting her movie career fade away as she focused more and more on family life.
Her last role was in the Republic cliffhanger Federal Agents vs. Underworld, Inc. before retiring. Rosemary did have a Hollywood talk radio show in which she talked about fashion. In addition, she and her husband were given a three-day-a-week radio show as well. Scattered TV and commercial appearances came and went with assignments on TV comedies such as "Hennessey" and "The Donna Reed Show".
Once she retired, Rosemary focused on oil painting and exhibited her work from time to time. The family moved to Gallup, New Mexico, where husband Harry continued to produce local TV programs until his death in 1973. Rosemary returned to the Los Angeles area but little was heard from her until her death from cancer at Glendale Adventist Hospital on May 6, 1979, at age 55.
