Ann Blyth, the actress of Hollywood’s Golden Age, has di£d at the age of 98.
The Academy Award nominee “d!ed peacefully of natural causes” on Wednesday, June 24, two months before her 99th birthday, according to KABC’s George Pennacchio.
Born on August 16, 1927, in New York, Blyth began performing on children’s radio shows at age 6, before landing her first Broadway role in Lillian Hellman’s Watch on the Rhine in 1941.
After landing a contract with Universal Studios, she made her onscreen debut in the 1944 teen musical Chip Off the Old Block.
One year later, Blyth gave her breakout performance in Mildred Pierce (1945) as Veda Pierce, the daughter of Joan Crawford’s titular character.
The role earned 16-year-old Blyth an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
Throughout the rest of her career, Blyth went on to appear in films such as Killer McCoy (1947), Brute Force (1947) and Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid (1948).
She also featured in Our Very Own (1950) and The Great Caruso (1951), as well as episodes of Wagon Train, The Twilight Zone, Quincy M.E. and Murder She Wrote.
In theatre, she starred in shows such as The King and I, The Sound of Music and Show Boat.
Writing on Facebook, reporter Pennacchio paid tribute by writing: “She was only 16 when she was nominated for an Oscar!
“Ann began performing on the radio when she was only six. She was Broadway at the age of 12 and she made her first film at 14.
“Her career spanned more than 70 years in musical theatre, on television and in 35 movies. She also toured for years, singing songs from the Great American Songbook with Bill Hayes and Donald O’Connor.
“Ann was active in philanthropy and volunteered for many causes. Her family says she loved her garden, knitting and oil painting. She was known for gifting her work to friends and family.
“There’s also a star that bears her name on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
“Her family says she was known for personally answering all of her fan mail, which she was grateful to receive. May this lovely lady R.I.P.”
Blyth is survived by her five children, whom she shared with late husband Dr. James McNulty, as well as 10 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.