Sheila Ryan, (June 8, 1921 – November 4, 1975) was an American actress who starred in over 60 movies.

Acting career

Born as Katherine Elizabeth McLaughlin in Topeka, Kansas, she went to Hollywood in 1939 at the age of 18. She was signed by 20th Century Foxin 1940 and was credited in her early films as Bettie McLaughlin. Adopting the name Sheila Ryan, she starred in Dressed to Kill the following year. She appeared in other memorable films, including two Laurel and Hardy movies, Great Guns (1941) and A-Haunting We Will Go (1942), and theBusby Berkeley musical The Gang's All Here (1943). Ryan appeared in several Charlie Chan and Michael Shayne mysteries, starring alongside Cesar Romero.

By the late 1940s, however, her career waned and she began appearing mostly in B movies, especially low budget westerns. In 1945 she marriedactor Allan Lane (star of western movies and the voice of Mr. Ed), but the marriage ended in divorce after a few months.

She later worked with Gene Autry, starring in several of his films, including The Cowboys and the Indians (1949), and Mule Train (1950). She also had roles in several television shows such as "The Lone Ranger (Pete and Pedro episode)".

Personal life

Ryan was married first to Edward Norris, but they later divorced. Ryan then married actor Allan Lane in 1945, but divorced him a year later in 1946. While working with Autry, Ryan met actor Pat Buttram. They married in 1952 and remained together until her death in 1975. They had a daughter, Kathleen Buttram, nicknamed Kerry.

Sheila Ryan retired from acting in 1958. She died in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California in 1975 from lung cancer. She was 54 years old. She was survived by Pat and their daughter Kerry. Pat later died of kidney failure on January 8, 1994. Their daughter Kerry Buttram-Galgano died of cancer in 2007.

Source: Wikipedia