Diana Lynn born 5 July 1926

Diana Marie Lynn (July 5, 1926 – December 18, 1971) was an American stage and movie actress. 

Lynn was born Dolores Eartha Loehr in Los Angeles, California. Her father, Louis Loehr, was an oil supply executive, and her mother, Martha Loehr, was a concert pianist. Lynn was considered a child prodigy. She began taking piano lessons at age 4, attends Miss Grace’s Private School in Los Angeles and by the age of 12 was playing with the Los Angeles Junior Symphony Orchestra. 

Dolores Loehr made her film debut playing the piano in They Shall Have Music and was once again back at the keyboard, accompanying Susanna Foster, in There's Magic in Music, (1941) when it was decided that she had more potential than she had been allowed to show. Paramount Pictures changed her name to "Diana Lynn" and began casting her in films that allowed her to show her personality and developed her skills as an actress. In 1942, Parents magazine named Lynn "the most talented juvenile actress.

Her comedic scenes with Ginger Rogers in The Major and the Minor were well received, and in 1944 she scored an outstanding success in Preston Sturges' The Miracle of Morgan's Creek. She appeared in two Henry Aldrich films, and played writer Emily Kimbrough in two films Our Hearts Were Young and Gay and Our Hearts Were Growing Up both co-starring Gail Russell. During 1944 she continued taking piano lessons with Raissu Kaufman, and is named “Star of Tomorrow” by the Motion Picture Herald.

In 1946, a three-record album of Lynn's piano playing included Mozart's Rondo, Laura, and Body and Soul. As a solo pianist, she released a few singles on Capitol Records with backing by the Paul Weston orchestra.

 

 

                              

After a few more films, she was cast in one of the year's biggest successes, the comedy My Friend Irma with Marie Wilson as Irma, and Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis in their film debuts. The group reprised their roles for the sequel My Friend Irma Goes West, and five years later Lynn was reunited with Martin and Lewis for one of their last films, You're Never Too Young.

During the 1950s, Lynn acted in a number of films, portraying Spencer Tracy's daughter in the crime drama The People Against O'Hara and the female lead in the much lampooned Bedtime for Bonzo opposite Ronald Reagan. She also had many TV leading roles during the 1950s, particularly in the middle years of the decade. 

She acted frequently in television guest roles throughout the 1960s. By 1970, she had virtually retired from acting and had relocated to New York City, where she was running a travel agency. She appeared in Company of Killers, a film made for television. Paramount then offered her a part in a new film, Play It as It Lays, and after some consideration, Lynn accepted the offer and moved back to Los Angeles.  Before filming started on Play It as It Lays, Lynn suffered a stroke and died nine days later on December 18, 1971, at the age of 45. Lynn was cremated. A funeral service was held at Church of the Heavenly Rest in New York City, and a memorial service was held at All Saints Episcopal Church in Beverly Hills, California. 

Diana Lynn’s film career was relatively short–only lasting fifteen years and 30 movies–but with her wit, charm, and ever-exuding warmth, the actress was certainly a welcome screen presence in each and every film she undertook. (Edited mainly from Wikipedia)