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Carol Ohmart
1927-
Updated 4/19/2008 with more films and television episodes on DVD!
biography
Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, in July 1927, beautiful Carol Ohmart grew up to become Miss Utah 1946. She entered the 1946 Miss America contest and was fourth runner-up. Beginning a modeling career in the late 1940s, Ohmart often appeared on the covers of a variety of magazines through the mid 1950s. She also did commercials for early TV programs, appearing on the NBC program Versatile Varieties in 1949 doing floor wax commercials alongside Anne Francis and Eva Marie Saint; the three actresses also hosted the show, which ended in 1951. That same year, Ohmart married Ken Grayson, but the short-lived union ended in 1953.
LEFT and CENTER A: Magazine covers featuring Carol Ohmart: 1947 National Police Gazette cover and October 1953 American Hairdresser cover. CENTER B and C: Paramount promotional photos. RIGHT: Ohmart with husband Wayde Preston, star of the 1957-1960 TV series Colt .45. Preston and Ohmart parted company in 1958
In 1955, Ohmart signed a contract with Paramount Studios, and studio press releases proclaimed her their answer to Marilyn Monroe. Though she was indeed gorgeous, her roles were the opposite of Monroe's vulnerable, naive characters. Rather, Ohmart excelled in portraying ruthless characters who were often driven to murderous, deviant behavoir. Her first two films were the film noir entries The Scarlet Hour (1956; with Tom Tryon and James Gregory) and The Wild Party (1956; with Anthony Quinn and Arthur Franz). Paramount did not pick up Ohmart's contract option, so from there she acted in numerous television shows, including Bronco and Hawaiian Eye and freelanced in several low-budget films, such as Born Reckless (1958; with Mamie Van Doren and Jeff Richards) and House on Haunted Hill (1959; with Vincent Price and Richard Long).
the films of carol ohmart
The Scarlet Hour (1956)
LEFT and CENTER A: As femme fatale Paulie Nevins in Paramount's The Scarlet Hour, Ohmart's first film. CENTER B: With Tom Tryon. RIGHT: With James Gregory
The Wild Party (1956)
From the film noir release The Wild Party. LEFT: United Artists promotional photo. CENTER and RIGHT: With Arthur Franz and Anthony Quinn
House on Haunted Hill (1958)
From the Allied Artists horror gem House on Haunted Hill, directed by William Castle. LEFT: With Vincent Price as Ohmart's husband. CENTER A, B, and C: As Annabelle Loren (thanks to Michael Barnum). LEFT: Ohmart meets her end
One Man's Way (1964)
From the United Artists biopic One Man's Way with Don Murray as Norman Vincent Peale
Spider Baby (1964)
With cult favorite Sid Haig in Jack Hill's brilliant horror flick Spider Baby
more carol ohmart
Carol Ohmart is remembered best for her role as Annabelle Loren in the 1958 Allied Artists release The House on Haunted Hill, in which she portrays Vincent Price's murder-plotting wife. This film was directed by William Castle, who used to spice up his horror films with "ballyhoo" designed to bring in audiences. The gimmick used in The House on Haunted Hill was "Emerg-O," which amounted to little more than a skeleton mounted on a wire that would swoop down on audiences during climactic moments.
While Ohmart's film career was never what it should have been, she logged many hours as a guest-star on popular television shows, including Perry Mason, Route 66, Get Smart, and Mannix, among others. Her few film appearances in the 1960s include Jack Hill's Spider Baby (1964; with Lon Chaney, Jr. and Sid Haig), One Man's Way (1964; with Don Murray), and the seldom-seen Caxambu (1967; with John Ireland and Keith Larsen). In the late 1960s, Ohmart abandoned her acting career, briefly picking it up again in the early 1970s on television and in her final film, The Spectre of Edgar Allen Poe (1974; with Robert Walker Jr. and Cesar Romero). Afterward, Ohmart abandoned acting for good in favor of studying metaphysics.
Route 66: Season One, Vol. 2 [DVD](1961) DVD
The final 15 episodes from the first season--including the two-part "Fly Away Home," "An Absence of Tears," "Don't Count Stars," "A Skill for Hunting," and "Incident on a Bridge"--are presented in a four-disc set. 14 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English.
Perry Mason: 50th Anniversary Edition [DVD] DVD
Twelve of the series's best episodes--including "The Case of the Wary Wildcatter," "The Case of the Treacherous Toupee," "The Case of the Counterfeit Crank," "The Case of the Shoplifter's Shoe," and "The Case of the Final Fade-Out"--have been collected in this four-disc set. Also included is "Perry Mason Returns" (1985), the TV movie that finds the legal eagle (Raymond Burr), now a judge, stepping down from the bench to defend former secretary Della Street (Barbara Hale) when she's accused of murder. 12 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; featurette; interviews; photo gallery; TV spots; screen tests; more.
The Life And Legend Of Wyatt Earp: From Ellsworth To Tombstone [DVD] DVD
An assortment of 26 episodes from the program's run--including "Wyatt Earp Becomes a Marshal," "Dodge City Gets a New Marshal," "When Sherman Marched Through Kansas," "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral," and "The Outlaws Cry Murder"--are collected in a four-disc set. 11 1/3 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English; biography; interviews; featurette.
House On Haunted Hill [DVD](1959) DVD
A sinister host offers a group of people $10,000 each if they'll spend the night in his macabre mansion, then does his best (or worst) to see that no one collects! Spook-filled shocker from the legendary William Castle stars Vincent Price, Richard Long, Carol Ohmart and Elisha Cook, Jr.; not in "Emergo." 75 min. Side A: Widescreen; Side B: Standard; Soundtracks: English, French; Subtitles: English, French; theatrical trailer; scene access.
House On Haunted Hill [VHS](1959) VHS
A sinister host offers a group of people $10,000 each if they'll spend the night in his macabre mansion, then does his best (or worst) to see that no one collects! Spook-filled shocker from the legendary William Castle stars Vincent Price, Richard Long, Carol Ohmart and Elisha Cook, Jr.; not in "Emergo." 75 min. NOTE: This Title Is Out Of Print; Limit One Per Customer.
The Scavengers [DVD](1959) DVD
While trafficking stolen goods in Hong Kong, reluctant smuggler Vince Edwards encounters his missing wife and, as he tries to put his past behind him, gets swept up in her dangerous world of drugs and intrigue. Can Edwards rescue his self-destructive love from her numerous demons? Gritty drama also stars Carol Ohmart, Tamar Benamy. AKA: "City of Sin." 79 min. Soundtrack: English.
Teen Mania Box Set [DVD] DVD
A gang turns high school hellcat Cassandra (Barbara Marks) into a pot-smoking, pill-popping, garbage-scrounging street walker and asylum inmate. "Teenage Devil Dolls" (1955) co-stars Kurt Martell, Lucille Price. AKA: "One-Way Ticket to Hell." "Rock Baby, Rock It!" (1957) has kids fighting mobsters who want to use their dance club for a bookie parlor. The rockabilly soundtrack features Johnny Carroll and The Hot Rocks, Don Coates and The Bon-Aires, and Preacher Smith and The Deacons. Kay Wheeler (Elvis Fan Club founder), Linda Wheeler, and Lee Young star. Two teen "honor farm" inmates escape, joining up with a murderer on the lam. They search for a heroin stash, but will the "Naked Youth" (1960) instead get into a heap of trouble? Carol Ohmart, Robert Hutton star. Take a look at how Hollywood and Washington viewed the J.D. threat in "Teenage Confidential" (1987), a collection of trailers, newsreels, and government "scare films" from the '40s and '50s. Lastly, "Teen Mania" (2005) takes a wild spin through youth culture from the '40s through the '70s. 5 1/2 hrs. total. Soundtrack: English; audio commentary; bonus shorts; theatrical trailers.
Spider Baby [DVD](1964) DVD
AKA "Cannibal Orgy," "The Liver Eaters" and even "The Maddest Story Ever Told," this gory goodie stars Lon Chaney Jr. as the manservant to a family of cannibals who helps out at mealtimes. Wonderful low-budget horror-comedy from director Jack Hill ("Switchblade Sisters") features a title song sung by Chaney himself! With Sid Haig, Carol Ohmart and Mantan Moreland. 80 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack: English mono; audio commentary by Hill; footage from the 30th anniversary reunion; scene access.
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filmography
FILM
The Spectre of Edgar Allan Poe (1974) with Robert Walker Jr., Tom Drake, and Cesar Romero
Caxambu (1967) with John Ireland and Keith Larsen
Spider Baby (1964) with Lon Chaney, Jr., Sid Haig, Beverly Washburn, Jill Banner, and Quinn Redeker
One Man's Way (1964) with Don Murray and Diana Hyland
Naked Youth (1960) with Robert Hutton
The Scavengers (1959) with Vince Edwards and Vic Diaz
Born Reckless (1958) with Mamie Van Doren, Jeff Richards, Arthur Hunnicutt, and Don 'Red' Barry
House on Haunted Hill (1958) with Vincent Price, Elisha Cook, Jr., and Richard Long; directed by William Castle
The Wild Party (1956) with Anthony Quinn, Arthur Franz, Kathryn Grant, and Barbara Nichols
The Scarlet Hour (1956) with Tom Tryon, James Gregory, Elaine Stritch, E.G. Marshall, Billy Gray, and Nat 'King' Cole
TELEVISION
Barnaby Jones, episode A Little Glory, a Little Death, originally aired April 29, 1973
Mannix, episode The Crimson Halo, originally aired October 1, 1972
Branded, episode Headed for Doomsday, originally aired April 10, 1966
Get Smart, episode Aboard the Orient Express, originally aired December 11, 1965
Route 66, episode Sheba, originally aired 1961
Coronado 9, episode Blonde Herring, originally aired May 23, 1961
77 Sunset Strip, episode Open and Close In One, originally aired March 19, 1961
Perry Mason, episode The Case of the Angry Dead Man, originally aired February 25, 1961
Men Into Space, episode Dark of the Sun, originally aired 1960
Bat Masterson, episode Six Feet of Gold, originally aired February 25, 1960
Richard Diamond, Private Detective, episode Seven Swords, originally aired January 1960
Bachelor Father, episode Bentley and the Dog Trainer, originally aired 1959
How To Marry A Millionaire, episode The Golf Tournament, originally aired 1959
Hawaiian Eye, episode The Quick Return, originally aired December 2, 1959
Bat Masterson, episode Promised Land, originally aired June 10, 1959
Bronco, episode Backfire, originally aired April 7, 1959
Man Without a Gun, episode Devil's Acres, originally aired June 30, 1959
Shotgun Slade, episode Marked Money, originally aired November 16, 1959
Lux Video Theatre, The Guilty, costarring Ralph Meeker and Fay Spain, originally aired 1956
Versatile Varieties, live NBC variety series produced from 1949 through 1951.
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This page premiered June 16, 1998.
Counter reset March 1, 2001.
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