Diana Lynn

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Actress Born Dolores Marie Loehr on Oct. 7, 1926 in Los Angeles, CA

Diana Lynn soared to fame acting in popular films in the 1940s and '50s.

Born Dolores Loehr in Los Angeles, she was trained as a piano prodigy and was discovered accidentally by Paramount Pictures when she accompanied a young violist who was auditioning for a role in the film "There is Magic in Magic."

Makeup artists added a few years to her appearance and she was introduced to films as a light comedienne — often playing the bratty little sister to leading stars.

She appeared in "The Major and the Minor," "Our Hearts Were Young and Gay," and "Every Girl Should Be Married."

She shared star billing in one film — "Bedtime for Bonzo" — with an anonymous chimpanzee and Ronald Reagan.

Lynn also appeared on the stage, winning critical acclaim in London and Los Angeles as the feminine lead in "The Moon is Blue." In 1963, she starred on Broadway in Jean Kerr's "Mary, Mary."

— Los Angeles Times Dec. 19, 1971