Kathryn Crosby was born Olive Kathryn Grandstaff on November 25 1933 in Houston. She grew up in West Columbia, Texas. She was the first runner-up in the Miss Texas pageant. Afterwards Roy Roger's agent Art Rush helped her go to Hollywood. She did a screen test with William Holden for Paramount and was signed to the studio.She took the stage name Kathryn Grant.
Kathryn Crosby made her film debut in an uncredited part in So This is Love in 1953. Over the next couple of years she had uncredited roles in the movies Arrowhead (1953), Forever Female (1953), Casanova's Big Night (1954), Living It Up (1954), Rear Window (1954), Unchained (1955), and Tight Spot (1955). Her first credited role was as Jo-Anne in Cell 2455, Death Row (1955). Over the next few years she appeared in the movies 5 Against the House (1955), The Phenix City Story (1955), Storm Center (1956), Reprisal! (1956), The Wild Party (1956), Mister Cory (1957), The Guns of Fort Petticoat (1957), The Night the World Exploded (1957), Operation Mad Ball (1957), The Brothers Rico (1957), Gunman's Walk (1958), The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958), Anatomy of a Murder (1959), and The Big Circus (1959). She was a the voice of Princess Yasminda in the animated movie 1001 Arabian Nights (1959). On television she guest starred on the shows Damon Runyon Theatre, My Sister Eileen, Father Knows Beat, Celebrity Playhouse, The Ford Television Theatre, and The George Sanders Mystery Theatre.
During her acting career Kathryn Crosby wrote a weekly column called Texas Girl for newspapers i Texas. In 1953 she also worked temporarily in Paramount's wardrobe department. It was there she first met Bing Crosby. It was a few months later that she would meet him again when she was escorting guests around the set of White Christmas (1954). They married in 1957, after which she retired from acting.
Kathryn Crosby would continue to appear with Bing Crosby when he hosted the Christmas editions of The Hollywood Palace as well as on his Christmas specials. In the Sixties she guest starred on Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, an episode of The Bing Crosby Show, and an episode of Ben Casey (produced by Bing Crosby Productions). She also appeared on Broadway in 1976 in Bing Crosby on Broadway. In 1971 she appeared on Great Performances in a performance of Cyrano de Bergerac,
Following Bing Crosby's death in 1977, Kathryn Crosby appeared in the 1978 TV movie The Initiation of Sarah. an episode of This is the Life, and Queen of the Lot (2010). She appeared on Broadway in State Fair in 1996.
Many probably best remembered Kathryn Crosby best as Bing Crosby's wife who appeared in his many TV specials, although many others may remember her best for playing Princess Parisa in The 7th Voyage of Sinbad. She was a talented actress capable of playing a wide variety of roles, from Johnny Rico's long-suffering wife Norah in The Brothers Rico to hostess and informant Ellie Rhodes in The Phenix City Story to Mary Plaint in Anatomy of a Murder. While her career was not very long, she left an impression with her many fine performances.
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