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Darlene Fields 1927 - 1976

Darlene Lavena (Cook) Fields of Arkansas United States was born on January 2, 1927 in Little Rock, Pulaski County, and died at age 49 years old on April 26, 1976 at Reed Cemetery in Story, Montgomery County. Darlene Fields was buried at Reed Cemetery in Story.

Darlene Lavena (Cook) Fields

Arlene Fields

Arkansas United States

January 2, 1927

Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas, United States

April 26, 1976

Reed Cemetery in Story, Montgomery County, Arkansas, 71970, United States

Female

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Darlene Fields Darlene Fields (1927 - 1976)

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Darlene Lavena (Cook) Fields' History: 1927 - 1976

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Introduction

Darlene Fields, birth name Darlene L. Cook, was born to Dewey Emery Cook (born 1903) and Lura Reed (born 1908). Both parents were born in Arkansas. She had one brother, Dewey Eugene Cook (1929 - 2017). Darlene Lavena Fields was born in Arkansas and married 21-year-old Loyd Keeland when she was 19 on July 12, 1946 in Carroll Arkansas. At the time Darlene was living in Shell Knob, Barry, Missouri and Loyd was living in Berryville Carroll Arkansas. Darlene was a former Miss New Orleans Beauty Queen who used her good looks and charm to become a frequent television actress from 1952 through 1963. She is likely best remembered for playing Dolly Owners in the 1957 film 'Spook Chasers', as Rosa in 'Gunsight Ridge' which was a 1957 American Western film starring Joel McCrea, and as Marby's wife in the 1955 film 'Betrayed Women'. She might have used her good looks to get started in acting, however, she really dedicated herself to fitting the roles of the women she played. See The Bags Under Her Eyes Are Real, But It's All for Art for a fascinating interview with Darlene in 1957 where she described what she did to her diet and sleep habits to play the part of a woman with 'baggy eyes'. Regarding her role in 'Spook Chasers', it's interesting to note that on December 15th 1957 the Springfield News-Sun in Springfield Ohio wrote: "Darlene Fields really learned how to roughhouse the men for her role in "Spook Chasers," which stars Huntz Hall and the Bowery Boys and now is at the Liberty. She had to take a course in Jujutsu because the script calls for her to toss Hall and his sidekicks all over the room for one of the hilarious scenes of the film." In 1958, she was described in an article in the Rocky Mount Telegram as "a young actress who is starting to make a name for herself in Hollywood." See Darlene Fields: Professions to find an extensive list of her television credits. Also see Darlene Fields: Obituary.
01/2

1927

Birthday

January 2, 1927

Birthdate

Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas United States

Birthplace

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Ethnicity & Family History

Darlene was Caucasian. Both of her parents were born in Arkansas. The birthplace of her maternal and paternal grandparents isn't known.
Nationality & Locations

When Darlene was married in 1946 she was living in Shell Knob Barry County Missouri and her husband Loyd was living in Berryville Carroll County Arkansas. Darlene was born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas and despite her Hollywood career, she lived much of her life in Little Rock, dying there at the age of 49. She is buried in Reed Cemetery in Story, Montgomery County, Arkansas.
Professional Career

Darlene Fields was a frequent television actress who had 48 acting credits from 1952 through 1963. She worked primarily for United Artists. Her acting credits include: - Gunsmoke (TV Series) as a Saloon Girl in an episode named Blind Man's Bluff (1963) - Hazel (TV Series) as a Stripper in an episode named Barney Hatfield, Where Are You? (1962) - Surfside 6 (TV Series) as Mrs. Carpenter / Mrs. Haney in two episodes Race Against Time (1961) and Deadly Male (1960) - Cheyenne (TV Series) as Belle in an episode named Two Trails to Santa Fe - The Comedy Spot (TV Series) as Caroline Hollander in an episode named Meet the Girls (1960) - Wagon Train (TV Series) as Sophie in an episode named The Amos Gibbon Story (1960) - Riverboat (TV Series) as Ruby in an episode named The Quick Noose (1960) - Man with a Camera (TV Series) as 'The Woman' in an episode named Girl in the Dark (1959) - The Detectives (TV Series) as a Waitress in an episode named My Name Is Tommy (1959) - Death Valley Days (TV Series) in three episodes: - Myrna Russell in Somewhere in the Vultures (1959) - Ellie Worth in Eruption at Volcano (1959) - Gisela in Empire of Youth (1958) - Johnny Ringo (TV Series) as Claire in an episode named Cully (1959) - The Lineup (TV Series) in three episodes: - The Murdered Blonde Case (1959) - The D. B. V. Cuddington Case (1959) - The Samson Magill Case (1958) - Dragnet (TV Series) in two episodes: - The Big Carnation (1959) - The Big Odd (1956) - The Donna Reed Show (TV Series) as Moll in an episode named Boys Will Be Boys (1959) - The Thin Man (TV Series) as Greta Clark in an episode named The Case of the Baggy Pants (1959) - Bat Masterson (TV Series) as Cherry in an episode named General Sherman's March Through Dodge City (1958) - 26 Men (TV Series) as Flo Brenner in an episode named My Brother's Keeper (1958) and also in an episode named Dog Eat Dog (1958) - I Married a Monster from Outer Space as Caroline Hanks (uncredited) in 1958 - Tales of Wells Fargo (TV Series) as Ellen Lambson in an episode named Stage West (1958) - Tales of the Texas Rangers (TV Series) as Bonnie Quigley in an episode named Double Reward (1957) - The Californians (TV Series) as Suzie in an episode named The Noose (1957) - Gunsight Ridge as Rosa - The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (TV Series) as Tessie in an episode named The Big Bellyache (1957) - The Joker is Wild as Chorine (1957) - The Adventures of McGraw (TV Series) as Elaine in an episode named Ballerina (1957) - 20 Million Miles to Earth as Miss Reynolds (uncredited) - Spook Chasers as Dolly Owens in 1957 - Circus Boy (TV Series) as Doris in an episode named Counterfeit Clown (1957) - Hey, Jeannie! (TV Series) as Marge in an episode named Jeannie the Policewoman (1957) - Highway Patrol (TV Series) as Ann in an episode named Stolen Car Ring (1956) - The Man Called X (TV Series) Voice on Tape (1956) - The Man Is Armed as Terrycloth (1956) - Between Heaven and Hell as Mrs. Raker (uncredited) in 1956 - The Rawhide Years as a Saloon Girl (uncredited) in 1956 - Miracle in the Rain as the Count's Girlfriend (uncredited) in 1956 - The Star and the Story (TV Series) as Helen in an episode named Arab Duel (1956) - The Millionaire (TV Series) as Linda Lee Norton Evans in an episode called The Larry Evans Story (1956) - The Girl Rush as a waitress (uncredited) in 1955 - Betrayed Women as Marby's Wife - Treasury Men in Action (TV Series) as a showgirl in an episode named Case of the Slippery Eel (1955) - The Man Behind the Badge (TV Series) in two episodes: - The Case of the Hot Stock (1955) as Mrs. Conklin - The Case of the Capital Crime (1955) as Miss La Rue - Topper (TV Series) in two episodes: - Topper Goes to School (1955) as Leslie - Topper's Amnesia (1955) as a Girl - The Whistler (TV Series) as Marilyn in an episode named The Glass Dime (1955) - Stage 7 (TV Series) as a Red Cross Girl in an episode named Appointment in Highbridge (1955) - I Led 3 Lives (TV Series) as Comrade Lucille in an episode named Minority Control (1954) - The Snow Creature as Joyce Parrish in 1954 - Adventures of the Falcon (TV Series) as Rita Shaw in an episode named The Baby Sitter (1954) - Gang Busters (TV Series) as Connie in an episode named Dillinger (1952)
Personal Life & Family

Darlene was married and had children: She was survived by two sons, James Hurshel Bennett of Hot Springs and C.R. Fields III of Russellville; five daughters, Mrs. Marlene Scyrkels of Fort Smith, Mrs. Deborah Moore of Greenville, Mississippi, Mrs. Dewey Cook of Leslie (Searcy County) and Miss Nina Bennett and Miss Rhetta Bennett of Little Rock, all located in Arkansas. Her headstone is inscribed: "Our Loving Mother" Darlene L. Fields, Jan 2, 1927 - April 26, 1976." Although Darlene died at the relatively young age of 49, she left behind a big legacy, both in terms of her personal life (she was survived by seven children) and her screen life, where her television acting credits were numerous. She was know for preparing for her roles in a realistic way, learning to properly fight and foregoing sleep and eating so that she would look haggard. She was the very definition of a "method" actress.
04/26

1976

Death

April 26, 1976

Death date

Unknown
Cause of death

Reed Cemetery in Story, Montgomery County, Arkansas 71970, United States
Death location

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Gravesite & Burial

mm/dd/yyyy
Funeral date
Reed Cemetery in Story, Montgomery County, Arkansas 71970, United States
Burial location
Obituary

Mrs. Darlene Fields Mrs. Darlene Cook Fields, aged 49, of 2900 West Twenty-fifth Street died Monday. She was born at Hot Springs, daughter of the late Dewey and Lura (Qualls) Cook. Survivors are two sons, James Hurshel Bennett of Hot Springs and C.R. Fields III of Russellville; five daughters, Mrs. Marlene Scyrkels of Fort Smith, Mrs. Deborah Moore of Greenville, Mississippi, Mrs. Dewey Cook of Leslie (Searcy County) and Miss Nina Bennett and Miss Rhetta Bennett of Little Rock, and a brother, Eugene Cook of Hot Springs. Funeral will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Gross Mortuary at Hot Springs by Reverend D.C. Garrett. Pallbearers will be Harold Qualls, James Reed, Jerry Garrett, Erwin Garrett, Edwin Lowther, Earl Duncan, Fred Glidewell and Gerald Glidewell. Burial will be at Reed Cemetery at Story (Montgomery County). Local arrangements are by Griffin Leggett Healey and Roth. - Arkansas Gazette, Tuesday, April 17, 1976, page 10B.

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5 Memories, Stories & Photos about Darlene

Daniel Pinna

9.25k+ favorites

08/25/2022

Darlene Fields & Mark Stevens

The following appeared in an advertisement in the Shawnee News-Star in Shawnee Oklahoma on Sunday March 22 1959. It reads: Western: Darlene Fields pleads with Mark Stevens not to leave her in a scene from "Gunsight Ridge," an adult western, at the Bison theater Thursday through Saturday. The United Artists release will show with "Sierra Baron."

Date & Place: 1959

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Daniel Pinna

9.25k+ favorites

08/25/2022

Darlene Fields - 1957 Los Angeles Times

The following appeared on Saturday February 9th 1957 in The Los Angeles Times highlighting how different movie production companies were hiring new talent. It reads: "Darlene Fields, lately in "Stranger at Soldier Springs," will join the Bowery Boys, headed by Huntz Hall and Stanley Clements in "The Chasers" at Allied Artists.

Date & Place: 1957

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Daniel Pinna

9.25k+ favorites

08/25/2022

The Bags Under Her Eyes Are Real, But It's All for Art

The following appeared in The Racine Journal-Times Sunday Bulletin in Racine Wisconsin on Sunday July 21st 1957:
Hollywood - There are many instances in which actors and actresses have gone to great lengths in the interests of authenticity. Sometimes a costume will be the real clothing worn by the actual person portrayed in the film. Or perhaps a pen used by the late hero will appear in the star's hand. With Darlene Fields it's a little different. She's interested in authenticity, but she's afraid some may think she's overdoing it. However, her stand is that it's justified in the interests of art.

Plays Dance Hall Girl: "Makeup just didn't work in the closeups," she said. "That's why I worked to have real circles and bags under my eyes. I just had to get that dissipated look." The former New Orleans beauty contest winner was talking about her role of an 1885 dance hall girl in "Gunsight Ridge." The girl was supposed to have loved and played and lived a lot - and her face showed it.

"As I said, the closeups didn't look good," she said. "The makeup was put on as well as it could be, but the bags didn't look honest. So I set out on my program to get that well-worn, rundown look. I stayed up as late as I could, drinking lots of coffee. That didn't do too well- I fell asleep all the time - so I began to have quite a night life. I had a drink or two or three, too, but I didn't realize how healthy I was. It took several months to wear myself down to the point where I had that look that makes people wonder how long I'll last -if then."

Sleepless Diet: The thing that did it was leaving the sack at six in the morning to be ready for shooting at eight - after having been out until the wee hours. The steadiness of this schedule der her in and produced the real beat look. "I'm sorry to say that it looks as if the whole thing's going to pay off," Miss Fields said. "The story is getting around of how well I and my baggy eyes look for certain kinds of roles, and I'm getting offers of some darn good parts - as long as I keep my bags, of course. I could say with fear of contradiction that my career is in the bag."

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