Payla Trueman

Payla Trueman

American character actress and dancer
Country: USA

Content:
  1. Biography of Paula Truman
  2. Early Life
  3. Early Career
  4. Theater and Film Success
  5. Later Career and Retirement

Biography of Paula Truman

Paula Truman was an American character actress and dancer, whose career in theater, film, and television spanned over six decades. Known for her delightful mischievous gaze and wise demeanor, she became a prominent figure in light comedies of the 70s and 80s.

Payla Trueman

Early Life

Paula Truman was born to Joseph Truman and Eva Cohn Truman in New York City. She grew up in New York and attended Hunter College before enrolling in the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre, where she honed her acting and dancing skills. Her instructors included legendary dancers and choreographers Sanford Meisner and Martha Graham. The exact date of her birth remains uncertain, with different sources citing three different years - 1897, 1900, or 1907, leading biographers to generally state that Paula Truman was born at the turn of the century.

Payla Trueman

Early Career

After extensive training in classical dance, Paula made her first appearance on the theatrical stage in 1922 in the musical "The Thunderbird" at The Hippodrome Theatre in New York. She then transitioned to vaudeville revues, notably performing in "Grand Street Follies," a show inspired by the renowned "Ziegfeld Follies," and remained with the show until 1929. In 1930, Truman participated in the revue "Sweet and Low" alongside Fannie Brice, George Jessel, and James Barton.

Theater and Film Success

Over the next 25 years, Paula Truman secured roles in various stage productions, including "Kiss and Tell" in 1943, "For Love Or Money" in 1947, and "Wake Up, Darling" in 1956. She also appeared in two famous comedies by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart, "You Can't Take It With You" in 1936 and "George Washington Slept Here" in 1940. Truman also showcased her talent in modern comedies such as "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" with Carol Channing, "Mrs. McThing" with Helen Hayes, and "The Solid Gold Cadillac" with Josephine Hull. While primarily known for her roles in lighthearted contemporary comedies, Truman occasionally demonstrated her dramatic range by performing in Shakespearean plays such as "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "The Merchant of Venice" in 1932.

In 1930, Paula Truman made a brief appearance in the short film "The Age of Innocence," but her true cinematic breakthrough came in the renowned crime drama "Crime Without Passion" in 1934, starring opposite Claude Rains. Unfortunately, after this role, Truman received few offers from film directors and only returned to the screen in the mid-1950s when television provided opportunities for her distinct acting abilities.

Later Career and Retirement

In 1969, Truman was offered a role in the historical film musical "Paint Your Wagon" alongside Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood, marking the start of her successful stint in the film industry. She went on to appear in movies such as "Dirty Dancing," "Moonstruck," "The Outlaw Josey Wales," "The Stepford Wives," and "The Anderson Tapes," before retiring in 1988. Paula Truman passed away on March 3, 1994, due to natural causes in a hospital in New York City, leaving behind her stepson Michael Sterner, the son of her husband Harold Sterner, an architect she married in 1936.

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