Dorothy Malone, Actress, Realtor, R.I.P.
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Update: Readers tell me Ms. Malone lived on Livingston near Inwood Road, and lived her later years as a recluse.
I had no idea that the great actress Dorothy Malone lived in Dallas. She moved here from Chicago with her family, attended Ursuline, Hockaday, and SMU, and then returned in 1971 when she married Charles Huston Bell, a Dallas businessman and hotel executive.
They divorced in 1974, but Dorothy Malone stayed on in Dallas. And according to a little internet research, she dated a Dr. Phillip Montgomery from Dallas in the late 1940’s and… was a real estate agent in later years, about 1991. Anyone remember working with her?
Dorothy Malone died Friday morning in a Dallas assisted living facility, where she had been living for the last ten years, according to the New York Times. Dorothy Malone was 93.
Ms. Malone, who was married and divorced three times, had two daughters from her first marriage to French actor Jaques Bergerac. She is survived by those daughters, Mimi Vanderstraaten and Diane Thompson, six grandchildren, and her brother, Robert B. Maloney, an inactive senior federal district judge in Dallas.
Though her acting career was brilliant, and she won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, it was her role in “Peyton Place”, a late 1960’s soap opera based on Grace Metalious’s best-selling novel, that put her on the map. It was the golden era of television shows, and Malone’s role as Constance McKenzie, “a sexy but seemingly repressed small-town New England mother with a dark secret,”, ruled the ratings game for years. It also launched the careers of Mia farrow, Ryan O’Neal, and Barbara Parkins.
The cast of the TV series “Peyton Place”: Front, from left, Tim O’Connor, Mia Farrow and Ryan O’Neal. Top, from left, Ms. Malone, Ed Nelson, Barbara Parkins and Christopher Connelly. Credit 20th Century Fox Televisio
I recall my older sister watching it. I was told to leave the room, because the content was too risque for a child, my mother would say. She would also call the story content trash — but she’d watch it! “Peyton Place” was so popular, at one point it ran three times a week! Think a New England version of Dynasty meets Dallas with more repression.
Dorothy Malone, Dallas, TX: January 30, 1924 to January 19, 2018.
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I believe Dorothy had a brother who was killed by a lightning strike while playing golf, I think at DAC Country Club in the 50’s
He was, and I wondered where it happened. Tragic.
Ms. Malone’s youngest sibling, George William Maloney was indeed killed, at the age of 16, when he was struck by lightning as he and friends played golf at the DAC. Two sisters, Patsy Jane and Joan Esther, died in 1936 of complications from polio. Patsy was born circa 1928 and Joan in 1931. When Dorothy Malone won the Oscar for “Written on the Wind”, she dedicated the award to her late brother Bill.
Another comment. Ms Malone did live on LIvingston Ave in the home that had belonged to her parents, R, I, and Esther Maloney. Tax records show that the property was owned by both Dorothy and Robert B Maloney, then later Ms Malone. The house was sold within the past few years. Ms Malone was a resident at Caruth Haven Assisted Living and later at Walnut Place.
I had the pleasure of knowing and spending time with her for many years…. We would spend many evenings talking and she would tell me in life always believe.. I always knew it was an honor to be with her and it was her who told me of the best place in Dallas to buy pizza… It’s been many years now since I’ve had the pleasure of being with you and due to my health I’m bringing myself to a close thank you Dorothy… Rob Manapeli
hi Candy ! I’ve been a fan of Dorothy’s for years .She was a lovely lady. Why was ms. Malone living in an assisted living facility when she had a brother living close by and two daughters and six grandchildren ? hmmmmmm.
A legendary Braniff lady – she opened our Braniff International Drive-In Ticketing Office at the Braniff Operations and Maintenance Base on Lemmon Avenue at Love Field in 1967 and in 1959 she shot a full-length movie produced by Braniff titled Buenos Aires Holiday. The movie starred Ms. Malone and her husband Jacques Bergerac. We have both the color version and black and white. The color version was used for splicing the film and was not used. You will be able to view this movie soon at one of our An Evening with Braniff in South America events in the DFW area – begins in February 2024.