NANCY COLEMAN
(Eleanor Hilliard)

    Nancy Coleman was born in Everett, Washington, daughter of famed Northwest newspaper editor, Charles Sumner Coleman. His major contributions were to pass on to her his red hair, his spirit that matched it, and his conviction that the most abject person alive is one who fears--anything. He taught her from the time she could listen never to fear, and she has accordingly moved bravely along to stardom in the theatre, motion pictures and television. After graduation from the University of Washington in Seattle, she proceeded to San Francisco and a career in radio, notably as a principal in a radio serial called "Death Valley Days." When she had saved $1000 she bought a de-luxe steamship ticket to New York--the Mecca for young actresses the country over. Besides being fearless, Nancy Coleman also was lucky; six weeks after she landed in New York John Golden gave her the role replacing Nancy Kelly (en route to Hollywood) in "Susan and God" with Gertrude Lawrence. In the autumn of 1940 she had a choice between the title roles in "Liberty Jones" by Philip Barry and "Claudia" by Rose Franken. She chose the former which closed in three weeks, while the latter lasted nearly two years. But the night after the opening of "Liberty Jones" she was stunned to find her name in lights on the theatre marquee, a reward ordered by the author after he read the glowing notices of her performance. She has made a dozen Hollywood pictures, starring in five. They included the still discussed "Kings Row" and "Mourning Becomes Electra" with Rosalind Russell. Back in New York in 1949, Nancy Coleman became an important television actress. A year later she went to Spain to make a picture and the following summer became leading lady at Elitch Gardens in Denver. Summer over, she resumed her TV activities, did a revival on Broadway of "The Sacred Flame" by Somerset Maugham, and in 1953 was offered the title role in the appropriately named television serial "Valiant Lady," in which she starred for fourteen months, withdrawing only to accept her present starring role in "The Desperate Hours." Despite all these arduous activities, Miss Coleman manges with efficiency a household that includes husband Whitney Bolton, well-known dramatic critic, and their twin daughters Grania and Charla, aged ten.