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Donna Loren
1947-
Updated 4/25/2007.
biography
Born Donna Zukor on March 7, 1947, in Boston, Massachusetts, pretty Donna Loren started her music career while still a child. At the age of 8, Loren sang a jingle for an ice cream commercial. Soon afterward, she began making TV appearances on such shows as Playhouse 90 and The Mickey Mouse Club. She was also a regular performer on a country and western radio show. Although Loren began making recordings in the mid-1950s, she would have to wait until 1963 to find fame as a singer, when she was signed as the "Dr. Pepper Girl." Loren did radio spots and appeared in TV commercials and print ads for the soft drink company until 1968. Capitol Records signed Donna Loren to a recording contract in 1964, a deal which resulted in several singles and the release of Loren's Beach Blanket Bingo album. Loren later recorded for other labels, including Warner Bros. While her career was going very well, in 1968 Loren married and started a family; in the process, she walked away from performing.
LEFT: Capitol Records promotional photo. RIGHT: Photo of Loren used for her Beach Blanket Bingo album
The success of Donna Loren's singing career led her to make several films and numerous television appearances. She appeared in four beach party films (Muscle Beach Party (1964), Bikini Beach (1964), Pajama Party (1964), and Beach Blanket Bingo (1965), as well as another American International release, Sergeant Deadhead (1965). In fact, Loren was one of the very few actual teenagers in AIP's beach party flicks. Much of Donna Loren's TV work was on the ABC network, where she appeared on such popular shows as Shindig, Batman, and The Milton Berle Show both as a singer and actress.
the films of donna loren
Donna Loren and Dick Dale in a still from Muscle Beach Party (thanks to Alan Gordon)
Promotional still from AIP's Bikini Beach
From AIP's fourth beach party entry Pajama Party. LEFT: Loren sings That's the Way It's Done Among the Young as Candy Johnson frugs. CENTER: With Annette Funicello. RIGHT: Promotional photo with Jody McCrea, Harvey Lembeck, and Candy Johnson
Shindig! (1964-1966 ABC TV Series)
LEFT: Loren was a series regular on ABC's Shindig!. RIGHT: With Shindig! host Jimmy O'Neill
Donna Loren sings It Only Hurts When I Cry in these stills from AIP's Beach Blanket Bingo
Batman (1966-1968 ABC TV Series)
LEFT: Donna Loren as Suzie in a March 1966 episode of ABC-TV's Batman. RIGHT: With Burt Ward
The Milton Berle Show (1966-1967 ABC TV Series)
LEFT: With Milton Berle in The Milton Berle Show. RIGHT: Publicity still
donna loren today
After Loren's first marriage ended, in the 1980s she attempted to revive her music career, but this time she returned to her country music roots rather than pop. However, Loren eventually abandoned her singing in favor of fashion design at which she has become very successful. Check out the links section below to find out more about Loren's designs.
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filmography
FILM
Beach Blanket Bingo (1965) with Frankie Avalon, Deborah Walley, Annette Funicello, and Jody McCrea, and John Ashley
Sergeant Deadhead (1965) with Frankie Avalon, Deborah Walley, John Ashley, Eve Arden, Cesar Romero, Harvey Lembeck, Buster Keaton, and Pat Buttram
Pajama Party (1964) with Tommy Kirk, Annette Funicello, Jody McCrea, Bobbi Shaw, Buster Keaton, Jesse White, Elsa Lanchester, and Dorothy Lamour
Bikini Beach (1964) with Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello, Jody McCrea, Martha Hyer, John Ashley, Keenan Wynn, and Don Rickles
Muscle Beach Party (1964) with Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello, Jody McCrea, Peter Lupus, John Ashley, Luciana Paluzzi, and Don Rickles
TELEVISION SERIES
The Milton Berle Show, 1966-1967, series regular
Shindig, 1964-1966, series regular
TELEVISION GUEST SPOTS
The Monkees, episode Everywhere A Shiek, Shiek, originally aired September 25, 1967
Batman, episode The Joker Goes to School, originally aired March 2, 1966
Batman, episode He Meets his Match, The Grisly Ghoul, originally aired March 3, 1966
The Mothers-in-Law, with Eve Arden, Deborah Walley, and Kaye Ballard, episode ?, series aired 1967-1969.
Dr. Kildare
The Danny Thomas Hour
The Red Skelton Show
Gomer Pyle
Hollywood Squares
Dr. Pepper commercials, aired 1964-1968
donna loren links
The Adasa Hawaii Site
This site highlights Donna Loren's fashion designs and offers many photos, old and new, of Loren. A great site, and a must-see for Donna Loren fans!
Somewhere Down the Road: An Interview with Donna Loren
Donna Loren sits down with Adam Gerace to reminisce about her swinging sixties, talk of her new passion, and to tell the world what she still believes.
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This page premiered August 15, 1999.
Counter reset March 1, 2001.
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