Peggie Castle

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Actress Born Dec. 22, 1927 in Appalachia, Va.

Peggie Castle appeared in more than a dozen movies, beginning in 1950 with a role in "Mr. Belvedere Goes to College."

Spotted by a talent scout while lunching in Beverly Hills, she got her start as "Miss Cheesecake" of 1949, making appearances on behalf of the Southern California Restaurant Assn. That same year, she was named "Miss Three Alarm" by the Junior Chamber of Commerce and helped get the word out about the dangers of forest fires.

Castle went on to star in mostly B-grade movies as "the other woman" rather than "the girlfriend" or "the wife." Her screen credits included "Overland Pacific," "Wagons West," "Miracle in the Rain" and "Target Zero."

After appearing for four seasons as the lead and dance-hall hostess Lily Merrill in the TV western series "Lawman," Castle retired from acting. She later developed a drinking problem and died from cirrhosis of the liver.

— Los Angeles Times Aug. 12, 1973