- Cheryl Holdridge
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Cheryl Holdridge 
in The Mickey Mouse Club (1957)Born Cheryl Lynn Phelps
June 20, 1944
New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.Died January 6, 2009 (aged 64)
Santa Monica, California, U.S.Other names Cheryl Reventlow Post Occupation Actress Years active 1955–2000 Spouse Lance Reventlow
(1964–1972)
Albert James Skarda (1974–1988)
Manning J. Post
(1994–2000)Cheryl Holdridge (June 20, 1944 – January 6, 2009)[1] was an American actress, best known as a cast member of the original Mickey Mouse Club.
Contents
Early life
Holdridge was born Cheryl Lynn Phelps in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her mother, Julie A. Phelps (October 19, 1908 - October 24, 2003), was a former dancer who had performed on Broadway with her partner, Dick Mason; her biological father has not been identified. Julie brought her to Burbank, California shortly after her birth. In 1950 her mother married Herbert Charles Holdridge, a retired Brigadier General active in fringe political movements. He adopted her in 1953 and gave her his surname.[2] Holdridge grew up in Sherman Oaks, California. She started dance lessons from an early age with Joyce Cole in North Hollywood, learning both ballet and tap.
Career
Holdridge first performed professionally at the age of nine, when she landed a role in the New York City Ballet's version of The Nutcracker in Los Angeles. Her first screen appearance was as an uncredited extra in the 1956 film production of Carousel.
She auditioned for The Mickey Mouse Club in the spring of 1956, was hired, and joined the club's "Red Team"--the most visible and popular of the Mouseketeers. Though a good dancer, her weak singing voice kept her in the background of most musical numbers performed by the Mouseketeers. A competent actress with a pleasant speaking voice, she was employed for two of the show's episodic serials: Boys of the Western Sea and Annette.
After the show's run ended, Cheryl returned to Van Nuys High School and graduated from Grant High School with the winter 1961 class. She was cast in two episodes of Leave It to Beaver in 1959 as 'Gloria Cusick'; she later played an occasional, recurring role as Wally Cleaver's girlfriend, Julie Foster.
In May 1960, Holdridge went on a live tour to Australia with other former Mouseketeers. While there, she became involved with Lucky Starr, an Australian singer.[3] She was later linked in fan magazines and gossip columns with many other celebrities, including Elvis Presley.
Holdridge's television career prospects improved from 1960. She made guest appearances on over twenty different shows, including The Rifleman, My Three Sons, Bewitched, Bringing Up Buddy, and The Dick Van Dyke Show. She was also cast in the lead role of Betty in an unsold television series pilot based on the Archie Comics. While still in demand, Holdridge left acting abruptly in 1964 to get married to Lance Reventlow, her first husband.
After the death of her third husband, Holdridge made a cameo appearance in the 2000 feature film, The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas. In 2005 she appeared at Disneyland for 50th anniversary celebrations of both the opening of the park and The Mickey Mouse Club. More recently, she appeared in televised documentary specials about Cary Grant (2005) and Barbara Hutton (2006), and has also appeared in a special feature interview for a Disney DVD.
Personal life
While touring Australia in May 1960 with the Mouseketeers, Holdridge was involved in a sex scandal just before her 16th birthday with local teen singer "Lucky Starr," who was 19.[4]
Holdridge's first husband was sportsman and athlete Lance Reventlow, the only child of Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton; his father was a Danish count. Reventlow, a pilot, died in the crash of a small plane in 1972.
Her second husband was Albert James "Jim" Skarda. They married in 1974. He ran a car rental service in Aspen, Colorado.[5]
Her third husband, Manning J. Post (January 3, 1918[6] - March 13, 2000), was a major figure in Democratic politics in California. He died of natural causes aged 82.[7] All of her marriages were childless. Holdridge was a long-time supporter of environmental causes and charities including the Children's Burn Foundation for which she served as a Council Member, and with her third marriage became more active in fund-raising events.
Holdridge died on January 6, 2009 from lung cancer.[8]
Filmography
Film Year Film Role Notes 1956 Carousel Young Girl #2 Uncredited 1959 A Summer Place Girl in dormitory at Briarwood School for Girls Uncredited 2000 The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas Genevieve Television Year Title Role Notes 1956–1958 The Mickey Mouse Club Mouseketeer Cheryl 1957–1980 The Wonderful World of Disney Mouseketeer Cheryl 2 episode 1958 Walt Disney Presents: Annette Madge Markham 2 episodes 1959–1963 Leave It to Beaver Gloria Cusick
Julie Foster8 episodes 1960–1961 Bachelor Father Lila Meredith 3 episodes 1960–1964 My Three Sons Judy Doucette
Juliet Johnson3 episodes 1961 Westinghouse Playhouse Mona Morgan 1 episode Bringing Up Buddy Sharon 1 episode 1962 Life with Archie Betty Television movie 1961–1962 The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet Joyce Maynard
Norma Lane4 episodes 1962 The Rifleman Sally Walker 1 episode The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis Daphne Winsett 1 episode King of Diamonds Chick Hendricks 1 episode Dennis the Menace Helen Franklin 1 episode The Donna Reed Show Pat Walker 1 episode 1963 Hawaiian Eye Mary Anne Sayer 1 episode Ripcord Angie Carter 1 episode 1964 The Dick Van Dyke Show Joan Delroy 1 episode Mr. Novak Betty 1 episode Dr. Kildare Nurse Reynolds 1 episode The Eleventh Hour Judy Gormley 2 episodes Wagon Train Annbelle 1 episode Bewitched Liza Randall 1 episode 1984–1987 The New Leave It to Beaver Julie Foster 2 episodes References
- ^ "Cheryl Holdridge, a Mouseketeer Known for Her Smile, Dies at 64". The New York Times. 2009-01-10. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/11/arts/television/11holdridge.html. Retrieved 2009-04-27.
- ^ Retired General Adopts Daughter of His Wife,Los Angeles Times,March 14, 1953, pg 12
- ^ Forever Hold Your Banner High, by Jerry Bowles, 1976, pg 65 ISBN 0-385-11622-5
- ^ "Mouseketeer Cheryl dies at 64, linked to Lucky Starr, Presley". The Canberra Times (Fairfax Media). January 12, 2009. http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/mouseketeer-cheryl-dies-at-64-linked-to-lucky-starr-presley/1404511.aspx. Retrieved February 8, 2010.
- ^ "Did you know?". Star-News (Pasadena, California). 3 July 1977.
- ^ Social Security Death Index
- ^ Manning J. Post; Democratic Fund-Raiser Advised Party’s Candidates for 40 Years
- ^ "Cheryl Holdridge dies at 64; popular Mouseketeer". Los Angeles Times. January 9, 2009. http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-cheryl-holdridge9-2009jan09,0,6897570.story.
External links
- Cheryl Holdridge at the Internet Movie Database
- Images of Cheryl from her appearance on Bewitched
- Cheryl Holdridge, before and after the Mickey Mouse Club
- Cheryl Holdridge profile
- "Cheryl Holdridge". Find a Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=32726540. Retrieved August 28, 2010.
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- 2009 deaths
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