Monday, February 21, 2005

Sandra Dee - a Tribute

~ Sandra Dee, actress and recording artist has died at the age of 63 on Feb. 20, 2005. She was born Alexandra Zuck in 1942 in Bayonne, New Jersey. She was discovered at the age of 12 and signed with Universal Studios in 1954.
~ Dee was the original Gidget in 1959. She replace Debbie Reynolds in Tammy Tell Me True, 1961. She also appeared in a series of dramas: A Summer Place 1959, Imitation of Life 1959, and Portrait in Black 1960. In 1960, while filming Come September , released in 1961, the 18 year old co-starred and fell in love with Bobby Darin. They were married in Dec. of 1960, which led to the birth of a son, Dodd the following year. The couple starred together in If a Man Aswers, 1962, and That Funny Feeling in 1965. Their marriage ended in 1967. When Darin died at the age of 37 from congestive heart failure, Dee went into severe depression and began drinking heavily and abusing drugs.
~ In the 70s she made a few appearances in TV movies. But ironically, it was the 1978 movie, Grease, with the song "Look at me, I'm Sandra Dee," which poked fun at her wholesome personality. It also renewed her popularity with a new generation of movie goers.
~ Until her death, she had lived in Beverly Hills. She had been continuously battling her addictions with the help of her son.
~ In addition to her acting career, Sandra Dee also had a brief recording life. Her songs include: "Do It While You're Young" , and its B-side, "Questions" in 1960. Also in 1960, was "Dear Johnny"/"When I Fall in Love." Her final record was "Tammy Tell Me True"/"Let's Fall in Love" in 1961.
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Some of the information above was found at the "Official Sandra Dee Web Site" : www.geocities.com/Hollywood
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~No. 45
Johnny Carson
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