A star from the Golden Age of Hollywood has left us. The Academy Award-nominated actress Ann Blyth, known for her role in the 1945 classic Mildred Pierce, has died at the age of 98.
Hollywood is mourning the loss of one of its last remaining Golden Age icons as actress Ann Blyth has died at the age of 98. The news was reported by KABC’s George Pennacchio, writing that Blyth died on Thursday, June 25, from “natural causes,” just weeks shy of her 99th birthday.
“Her family says she loved her garden, knitting, and oil painting. She was known for gifting her work to friends and family,” Pennacchio wrote. “Ann and her late husband, Dr. James McNulty, had five children, ten grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. There’s also a star that bears her name on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.”
He continued,” Her family says she was known for personally answering all of her fan mail, which she was grateful to receive. May this lovely lady [rest in peace].
Born on August 16, 1928, in Mount Kisco, N.Y, Blyth began performing as a child in radio and on stage before breaking into Hollywood in the mid-1940s. Her early success quickly led to a string of film roles throughout the 1940s and 1950s, including The Great Caruso, Brute Force, and Rose Marie, in which she demonstrated her exceptional acting and singing talents.
Ann Blyth, Golden Age of Hollywood star, dies at 98
Best remembered for her unforgettable performance as Veda Pierce in the 1945 classic Mildred Pierce, Blyth rose to fame at just 16 years old, playing the cold and manipulative daughter of Joan Crawford’s title character.
She was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance in Mildred Pierce.
The role made her one of Hollywood’s most talked-about young stars and secured her place in film history.
After stepping back from leading film roles, she continued working in television and on stage, with appearances in shows such as The Twilight Zone and Murder, She Wrote. Her final screen appearance was in the 1980s.
Away from the spotlight, Blyth was known for her long marriage to Dr. James McNulty and her devotion to her family. She leaves behind a legacy as one of the last true stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age.
Rest in peace, Ann Blyth. Our thoughts and prayers are with her loved ones.