Actress. She is best remembered for her portrayal of the glamorous gossip Sylvia Fowler in the technicolor musical "The Opposite Sex" (1956). Born Sylvia Finklestein, she was raised in Los Angeles, California, and during her senior year at Polytechnic High School she was performing within the Glee Club during a public assembly when she happened to be discovered by famed singer - actor Rudy Vallee. Impressed by her beautiful blonde looks, charming wit, and eloquent voice, following her senior graduation, he arranged for her to begin a career in the entertainment industry beginning with her being a regular performer on his own radio show. She later circulated as a nightclub singer and became a national star between the United States and the United Kingdom. After attaining her degree in theatrical arts from The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England, she made her stage debut in the leading role of Annie Oakley in "Annie Get Your Gun" (1947) followed by an autumn engagement with The Old Vic performing in "Good King Charles Golden Days" (1948). After returning to America, she became a familiar face between the film industry and the Broadway stage. Often typecast as debutantes, socialites, businesswomen, glamour dolls, playgirls, exotics, divas, attractive wives, love interests, and, in her later years, matriarchs, she appeared in leading roles in such films as "It's Always Fair Weather" (1955), "Kismet" (1955), and "Designing Women" (1957). With the advent of television, she flourished as a household name, appearing in numerous guest spots on such syndicated sitcoms as "Lucky Dip," "The Saturday Night Review with Jack Carter," "The U.S. Royal Showcase," "The Milton Berle Show," "Hollywood Preview," "The Vic Damone Show," "Igor Cassini's Million Dollar Showcase," "Person to Person," "The Pat Boone-Chevy Showroom," "The Dinah Shore Show," "The Steve Allen Plymouth Hour," "The Big Record," "The Arthur Murray Party," "Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall," "The Voice of Firestone," "The Tonight Show," "Stump the Stars," "The Merv Griffin Show," "The Bell Telephone Hour," "The Mike Douglas Show," "The Ed Sullivan Show," "Girl Talk," "The Good Old Days," "The Eddie Fisher Show," "The United States Steel Hour," "Wogan," and "Doctor Who". In addition, she headlined on the stage appearing in "Are You With It?," "Two on the Aisle," "Pygmalion," "Carnival in Flanders," "Can-Can," "Silk Stockings," "Destry Rides Again," "Lady in the Dark," "Sherry!," "Gypsy," "All Dressed Up," "Going Hollywood," "42nd Street," "Star Dust," "Follies," and "Broadway at the Bowl." During her career, she was a member of the Screen Actors Guild, was supportive of the Motion Picture and Television Fund, was active in Catholic Charities, presided as a chairwoman for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, was involved with the California and New York State Republican Committees, was a theatrical instructor for The Pasadena Playhouse, presided on the production board of the Metropolitan Opera House, recorded a 1957 solo album, was a recipient of the 1954 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical, and was married to prestigious banker and thoroughbred race horse breeder Andrew J. Crevolin from 1966 until his death in 1992 (their union was childless). After retiring from acting in 1989, she spent the final years of her life dividing time between her homes in Manhattan, New York, and Los Angeles, California, occasionally traveled to London, England, and frequently appeared at social functions celebrating the Golden Age of Musicals where she was often featured as an honorary guest speaker. A lifelong smoker, she died from complications of a heart attack.