Martha Hyer (born August 10, 1924) is a retired American film actress.
Born in Fort Worth, Texas, she attended Northwestern University where she was a member of Pi Beta Phi fraternity for women. After completing her education, her first film appearance was an uncredited part in The Locket in 1946. She had roles in So Big (1953), Sabrina (1954), The Delicate Delinquent in 1956 (Jerry Lewis’ first film without Dean Martin), Houseboat (1958) and Once Upon a Horse (also in 1958 with Dan Rowan and Dick Martin). During these years she was considered (by some) the best replacement for the departed Grace Kelly.
In the 1960s, Hyer would play in films like The Best of Everything (1959), Ice Palace (1960), Desire in the Dust (1960), The Carpetbaggers (1964), First Men in the Moon (1964), Blood on the Arrow (1964) and The Sons of Katie Elder (1965), Night of the Grizzly (1966), among many others. She co-starred with Keenan Wynn in Bikini Beach (1964), one of the Beach Party movies… read more
Martha Hyer (born August 10, 1924) is a retired American film actress.
Born in Fort Worth, Texas, she attended Northwestern University where she was a member of Pi Beta Phi fraternity for women. After completing her education, her first film appearance was an uncredited part in The Locket in 1946. She had roles in So Big (1953), Sabrina (1954), The Delicate Delinquent in 1956 (Jerry Lewis’ first film without Dean Martin), Houseboat (1958) and Once Upon a Horse (also in 1958 with Dan Rowan and Dick Martin). During these years she was considered (by some) the best replacement for the departed Grace Kelly.
In the 1960s, Hyer would play in films like The Best of Everything (1959), Ice Palace (1960), Desire in the Dust (1960), The Carpetbaggers (1964), First Men in the Moon (1964), Blood on the Arrow (1964) and The Sons of Katie Elder (1965), Night of the Grizzly (1966), among many others. She co-starred with Keenan Wynn in Bikini Beach (1964), one of the Beach Party movies with Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello.
On television, Hyer played the part of “Hannah Haley” in the episode “Incident West of Lano” on the Western series Rawhide.
Her most significant role came as the love interest of Frank Sinatra in Some Came Running for director Vincente Minnelli in 1958, for which she received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Hyer was one of the actresses considered for the Janet Leigh role of the doomed Marion Crane in the Alfred Hitchcock thriller Psycho. Her last film was Day of the Wolves in 1973.
Hyer married producer Hal B. Wallis in 1966, and the couple remained together until his death in 1986.
Her autobiography, Finding My Way: A Hollywood Memoir, was published in 1990.—Wikipedia
