Sandra Giles

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Sandra Giles
Sandra Giles.jpg
Born
Lelia Bernice Giles

(1932-07-24)July 24, 1932
Hooker, Oklahoma, U.S.
DiedDecember 25, 2016(2016-12-25) (aged 84)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
OccupationActress
Spouse(s)
  • Paul Everett Robertson
  • Dalton R. Smith
Children1

Sandra Giles, born Lelia Bernice Giles, (July 24, 1932 – December 25, 2016) was an American actress and model. She was best known for her film debut role in Daddy-O in 1958, as well numerous other film roles, including It Happened at the World's Fair, opposite Elvis Presley, in 1963.[1]

Biography[]

Giles was raised in Hooker, Oklahoma, but moved to Los Angeles with her mother, who had recently divorced.[1] (Other sources say that she came from San Antonio, Texas,[2][3] or that she was "born in Oklahoma and brought up in San Antonio, Tex.")[4] Later described by The Hollywood Reporter and other critics as a "blond bombshell", Giles was discovered by a press agent while working at Canter's delicatessen, which began her career as an actress and model.[1] She later studied dramatics at Los Angeles City College.[3]

Giles made her film debut in 1958's Daddy-O, starring alongside Dick Contino. In the film, her character, Jana Ryan, beat Contino's character in a drag race.[1] She went on to appear in three more films in 1958 along – The Matchmaker, A Lust to Kill, and Lost, Lonely and Vicious, in which she showed herself quite the dancer.[1] Also in 1958, Giles made a memorable arrival at the film premiere of Teacher's Pet, starring Clark Gable, by arriving in a furry pink Cadillac convertible.[1] Her appearance brought her career considerable publicity, including a two–page article and spread in Life Magazine, titled "The Blond From Hooker – How to Become a Movie Star", in which she was photographed in a bubble bath.[1]

Her other film roles included Black Spurs in 1965, Flareup in 1969, and Black Gunn in 1972, as well as television credits ranging from Columbo to Land of the Giants.[1]

Personal life[]

She dated tennis player Bobby Riggs during the 1970s and appeared with him in a guest spot on The Odd Couple.[1]

She was close friends with fellow actresses Vikki Dougan, Pat Sheehan, and Cathy Crosby.[5]

She was married two times and had a daughter, singer Sandra Piller.

Death[]

Giles died in Los Angeles from complications of bullous pemphigoid, an autoimmune disease affecting the skin, on December 25, 2016, at the age of 84.[1]

Filmography[]

Films[]

Television[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Barnes, Mike (December 31, 2016). "Sandra Giles, Actress in 'Daddy-O' and 'It Happened at the World's Fair,' Dies at 84". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  2. ^ "Sandra's Been Seen, Yearns to Be Heard". Independent Press-Telegram. California, Long Beach. United Press International. March 20, 1960. p. 14. Retrieved April 8, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  3. ^ a b "Actress Sandra Giles Named Miss 8-Ball of Press Club". Valley News. California, Van Nuys. December 1, 1957. p. 64. Retrieved April 8, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  4. ^ Du Brow, Rick (October 14, 1969). "TV new medium for Miss Sandra Giles". Redlands Daily Facts. California, Redlands. United Press International. p. 10. Retrieved April 8, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  5. ^ Clemens, Samuel (2020). Pat: A Biography of Hollywood's Blonde Starlet. Sequoia Press. p. 129. ISBN 978-0578682822.
  6. ^ Koper, Richard (March 31, 2010). Fifties Blondes: Sexbombs, Sirens, Bad Girls and Teen Queens. BearManor Media. p. 123. ISBN 978-1-59393-521-4. Retrieved September 9, 2021.

External links[]

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