Tina Carver | |
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| Born | Bertenia June Brown (1923-11-02)November 2, 1923[1] |
| Died | February 18, 1982(1982-02-18) (aged 58)[1][2] Edmonds, Washington, U.S.[1] |
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| Years active | 1954-1960 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 3 |
Tina Carver, bornBertenia June Brown, (November 2, 1923 – February 18, 1982) was an American actress and model active in the 1950s and early 1960s. Born inSalina, Kansas, Carver lived inLittle Rock, Arkansas andHouston, Texas during her growing up years. She trained as a pianist and worked in that capacity in Houston before becoming an actress. She studied drama at theUniversity of Houston, and began her stage career in Europe in the early 1950s performing in theaters in Berlin and Paris. After performing in plays in Texas and California in 1953, she signed withColumbia Pictures in 1954. She made films with Columbia through 1957, and also worked in films with other Hollywood Studios in the mid 1950s. She also worked as an actress on American television from 1954-1961. In her later life she lived inSeattle, Washington where she worked as a realtor. She died at the age of 58 from complications of lung cancer at Stevens Memorial Hospital inEdmonds, Washington in 1982.
The daughter of Herbert Weir Brown[1][8] and Opha Estelle Cox,[1] Tina Carver was born with the name Bertenia June Brown[1][2][8] on November 2, 1923[1] inSalina, Kansas.[3][4] By the time of the1930 United States Federal Census she was living with her parents and siblings inLittle Rock, Arkansas.[4] She later moved with her family toHouston, Texas. Her first marriage was to a Mr. M. M. Dickason[5] with whom she had two sons, Robert and Charles.[9] That marriage ended in divorce in December 1945.[5]
Tina originally trained to be a musician and worked as a pianist in Texas.[10] In 1946 she was enrolled at theUniversity of Houston and starred in a student production ofKarel Čapek'sR.U.R.; performing under the name Tina Dickason.[11] It was reported inThe Houston Chronicle in December 1947 that she was living in Germany and had recently married a second time to Tom Carver who was employed in theAllied Military Government of Occupied Territories in Berlin.[6] They married in the autumn of 1947.[9] The couple separated in November 1952 around the time their daughter Victoria was born, and later filed for divorced in October 1955.[12] Their divorce was finalized in January 1956.[7] At the time of their divorce Tom Carver was a professor at theIndiana University Maurer School of Law.[7]
Carver began her acting career in Europe in the early 1950s, performing in theaters in Paris and Berlin.[13] In Paris she starred inMeyer Levin'sThe Good Old Days in 1951 for the opening of the American Theatre.[14] In 1953 she portrayed the vicar's wife, Penelope Toop, inPhilip King'sSee How They Run at the Playhouse Theatre in Houston,[15] and the part of nurse Ruth Kelly inMary Chase'sHarvey in a production inLa Puente, California.[16]
By June 1954 Carver was under contract withColumbia Pictures.[17] For Columbia she starred as Joni Calvin in thefilm noir crime filmInside Detroit (1955),[18] Gail Windsor inUranium Boom (1956),[19] as Mrs. Benko (Nick's wife) in the boxing movieThe Harder They Fall (1956)[20] and Big Marge inThe Man Who Turned to Stone (1957).[21] She had a minor role in theUnited Artists filmA Bullet for Joey (1955).[22] ForWarner Bros. she portrayed Marie Holzapple inA Cry in the Night (1956)[23] and Bessie inHell on Frisco Bay (1956).[24] She appeared in two films forAllied Artists Pictures: Dr. Terry Mason in the science-fiction horror filmFrom Hell It Came (1957)[25] and Claire Ramsey in the film noirChain of Evidence (1957).[26]
On television Carver guest starred in a 1954 episode ofBig Town,[27] and performed oppositeAlan Ladd as his love interest in the episode "Committed" onGeneral Electric Theater in December 1954; the latter of which was hosted byRonald Reagan.[28] She also starred oppositeJohn Ireland in a 1954 episode ofThe Whistler.[29] She starred in "The Quiet Wife" episode ofThe Pepsi-Cola Playhouse anthology in 1955.[30] In 1956 she filmed the episode "After the Fact" withKeith Larsen andRobert Foulk for the anthology seriesThe Web which aired in 1957.[31] Her other television credits included guest appearances onCrossroads (1955),Colt .45 (1957),Perry Mason (1958),The Thin Man (1958),The Millionaire (1958),Bronco (1959),Wichita Town (1959),Mr. Lucky (1960),Surfside 6(1960),Shotgun Slade (1960, episode "The Golden Tunnel"),[32] andDante (1961, episode "Light Lady, Dark Room").[33]
In her later life Carver lived inSeattle, Washington where she worked as a realtor.[1] She died at Stevens Memorial Hospital inEdmonds, Washington on February 18, 1982 frompneumonitis related tosmall-cell carcinoma.[1] Her body was cremated and then transported to Texas for interment at Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery in Houston.[2]
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