Yes, I know it's a stretch, but she was born in Bellevue Hospital in 1946 and I traced her father's 1930 residence to 335 East 25th Street.
From her biography at her web site:
Anyone could look at her brilliant work in classic films such as The Miracle Worker, ground-breaking television like My Sweet Charlie, and the eternally fun-to-watch Patty Duke Show and Valley of the Dolls and think they know this actress known to the world as Patty Duke. But there is a lot more to her story than what is seen on the screen. The teenager, and later woman, who seemed to possess everything any American ever wanted: fame, fortune, and respectability, has lived a life far from most of the various characters she has played over the years. This is the story of a tortured young girl who beat all of the odds, to become one of the greatest survivors of our time. This is the story of Anna Patty Duke Pearce.
Born in Bellevue hospital on December 14 1946 , Anna Marie Duke was the youngest of three children to be born to John and Frances Duke. The Duke’s lived on a modest income, with John working several jobs, most frequently as a cab driver. Anna’s recollections of her father are mostly positive. No matter what he was doing, he never went without a smile on his face. Frances , however, was suffering from severe undiagnosed depression. On top of her own mental disorder, Frances would frequently get fed up with John’s over-drinking and eventually kicked him out of the house around the time Anna was six.
Anna Marie would rarely ever see her father again. But little did she know until many years later, that John would quit drinking and save up enough money to buy a “standing room only” ticket at Broadway’s The Playhouse Theatre, where The Miracle Worker, starring his twelve-year-old daughter, was playing. He watched his little girl brilliantly perform the role of Helen Keller on stage several times but because of his fear of interfering with her seemingly now-charming life, never did he go backstage.
No comments:
Post a Comment