Barbara Jo Lawrence

 Barbara Jo Lawrence (February 24, 1930 – November 13, 2013)

Lawrence's career began as a child photographer's model. She appeared in her first film, Billy Rose's Diamond Horseshoe (1945), as a night-club patron. A year later, she made a strong impression in her second film at 20th Century-Fox, Margie, in which she played outgoing flapper Maryville. She was featured in the swashbuckler Captain from Castile (1947) with Tyrone Power. While finishing her studies at UCLA, she attracted the attention of talent scouts, and Lawrence was soon featured in a number of additional 20th Century-Fox movies, including You Were Meant for Me, Give My Regards to Broadway, A Letter to Three Wives, The Street with No Name, and Thieves' Highway. At Universal in the early 1950s were Peggy and Here Come the Nelsons. Upon moving to MGM, Lawrence appeared with Gig Young in the 3D movie Arena (1953) and in Her Twelve Men with Greer Garson. She also played the role of Gertie Cummings in the film version of Oklahoma!. Between 1958 and 1962, Lawrence made four guest appearances on the CBS-TV series Perry Mason. In 1958 she guest-starred in Cimarron City (TV series), in the second episode "Terror Town". In 1960, she guest starred as Della Thompson in the Bonanza episode "The Abduction".

Lawrence was married three times, and had four children. Lawrence died of kidney failure on November 13, 2013, aged 83. She was cremated and her ashes scattered in North Carolina, where she had a vacation home.