Q: I subscribe to a website that publishes news about notable deaths. Yesterday I read that an actress named Gloria DeHaven died. Apparently she appeared on several soap operas, but I had never heard of her. Was she a soap opera actress? — Claire, Baton Rouge, La.

A: The red-haired DeHaven did appear on various soap operas. On "Ryan's Hope" she played Bess Shelby, a hussy who tried to break up Maeve and Johnny. Good luck with that. She also played Sara Fuller on "As the World Turns."

DeHaven began her career on Charlie Chaplin's film "Modern Times" in 1936. Chaplin wrote the song "Smile," one of the most touching songs in the world, particularly for this film. DeHaven starred in a myriad movies in the 1930s and '40s. At one point, everyone thought she was a breakout star, but that star fizzled out. In one of her last films, "Three Little Words," she portrayed her own mother, who was a vaudeville star.

DeHaven soap opera roles, DeHaven also hosted a weekday morning quiz show in New York City, which featured many of the movies she had starred in. For a week she starred on "Match Game 75."

DeHaven's real life was akin to a soap opera. She had four marriages, but only three husbands. Her first husband was actor John Payne, who she met on a movie set. They had two children, Kathy and Thomas, but they divorced in 1950. Her second husband was real estate developer Martin Kimmel. The marriage only lasted a year. She was then married to Richard Fincher twice, from 1957 till 1963, and again from 1965 till 1969.

The actress died on July 30 in hospice care in Las Vegas, Nevada.

To find out more about Lynda Hirsch and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: Elliott Brown