Betta St. John

Betta St. John, born Betty Jean Striegler, November 26, 1929, in Hawthorne, California is an American actress, singer and dancer. St. John made her film debut at the age of ten in Destry Rides Again (1939) and as an orphan in Jane Eyre (1944). She was discovered by Rodgers and Hammerstein and played a small role in the Broadway musical, Carousel in 1945. By 1953, she created the role of Liat in the musical South Pacific and followed the productio... more

Betta St. John, born Betty Jean Striegler, November 26, 1929, in Hawthorne, California is an American actress, singer and dancer. St. John made her film debut at the age of ten in Destry Rides Again (1939) and as an orphan in Jane Eyre (1944). She was discovered by Rodgers and Hammerstein and played a small role in the Broadway musical, Carousel in 1945. By 1953, she created the role of Liat in the musical South Pacific and followed the production to London. In films, she appeared in The Robe (1953), Dream Wife (1953), All the Brothers Were Valiant (1953), and The Student Prince (1954). St. John appeared in two Tarzan films and ended her career as the heroine of Horror Hotel (1960). She continued to act in films and television until 1960 when she retired. She was married to English actor Peter Grant from 1952 until his death in 1992. less