Legendary Oscar-nominated actress Ann Blyth has died at the age of 98.
The entertainer died peacefully of natural causes on Wednesday, just two months before what would have been her 99th birthday, according to KABC entertainment reporter George Pennacchio.
Pennacchio’s Tribute
His heartfelt tribute, posted on Facebook, read, “She was only 16 when she was nominated for an Oscar! Actress Ann Blyth died peacefully of natural causes on Wednesday at the age of 98, less than two months before her 99th birthday.”
“Ann began performing on the radio when she was only six. She was Broadway at the age of 12 and she made her first film at 14. Ann was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Veda opposite Joan Crawford in the 1945 film, Mildred Pierce.”
“Her career spanned more than 70 years in musical theatre, on television and in 35 movies. She also toured for years, singing songs from the Great American Songbook with Bill Hayes and Donald O’Connor.”
“Ann was active in philanthropy and volunteered for many causes. Her family says she loved her garden, knitting and oil painting. She was known for gifting her work to friends and family. Ann and her late husband, Dr. James McNulty, had five children, 10 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.”
“There’s also a star that bears her name on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Her family says she was known for personally answering all of her fan mail, which she was grateful to receive. May this lovely lady R.I.P.”
Fan’s Tributes
Ann’s fans reacted in the post’s comments section, as one penned, “One of my most favourite actresses, loved the hollywood movies growing up in Ireland. Big treat going to the cinema on Saturdays with my aunt Lily, saw all the hollywood musicals. Rest in peace lovely, talented lady, now you can sing in the angelic choir.”
A second supporter typed, “Always beautiful and articulate in her performances. RIP Ann Blyth.”
And a third follower wrote, “Oh how sad!! Just watched her in Mildred Pierce the other night. My condolences to her family.”
Starting Out Early
Born in New York on August 16, 1927, Ann’s journey into show business began remarkably early.
She was just six years old when she started performing on children’s radio programs before making her Broadway debut at only 12 in Lillian Hellman’s Watch on the Rhine.
Her talent quickly attracted the attention of Universal Studios, where she signed a contract and made her film debut in the 1944 musical Chip Off the Old Block.
But it was her unforgettable performance as the manipulative Veda Pierce opposite Joan Crawford in 1945’s Mildred Pierce that transformed the young actress into one of Hollywood’s rising stars.
At just 16 years old, Blyth earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, an achievement that remains one of the most remarkable early career accomplishments of Hollywood’s Golden Age.
Star-Studded Career
She went on to star in a string of memorable films, including Brute Force, Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid, and Killer McCoy.
Ann continued her career on television with appearances in series such as Murder, She Wrote, The Twilight Zone, and Wagon Train.
The entertainer also enjoyed a successful career on stage, delighting audiences in productions of The Sound of Music, Show Boat, The King and I, and others.