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Heather Menzies

Heather Menzies Urich (December 3, 1949 – December 24, 2017)[2] was a Canadian actress. She was known for her roles as Louisa von Trapp in the 1965 film The Sound of Music and Jessica 6 in the TV series Logan's Run.[3]

Early life

Heather Margaret Brotherston Menzies[4] was born in Toronto on December 3, 1949, to Scottish parents[5][6] who had left the United Kingdom for Canada after the war.[7] Her father was a struggling artist. By Menzies' 14th birthday, she had lived in Vancouver, Miami, London, and Southern California. She had a younger sister, Sheila, and an older brother, Neil, who died in 2019.[5]

Menzies was a graduate of John Burroughs High School in Burbank, California, in 1967, and she studied at Falcon Studio's University of the Arts.[8]

Career

Menzies' first appearance on-screen was in 1964, when she appeared in the TV series The Farmer's Daughter.[2] She was cast in The Sound of Music as Louisa, the third-oldest of the von Trapp children, at age 14, with no prior acting experience.[citation needed] Menzies sang "So Long, Farewell" and the "Lonely Goatherd" in the film. In the rowboat scene, Heather rescued Kym Karath, who played Gretl and couldn't swim.[9]

Menzies went on to appear in a number of television series such as Alias Smith and Jones, T. J. Hooker, Dragnet, Room 222, Bonanza, Marcus Welby, M.D., Vega$, and The Bob Newhart Show. She starred as Jessica 6 in the short-lived TV series Logan's Run.[9] In addition, Menzies appeared in Hawaii,[2] How Sweet It Is!,[10] Hail, Hero!,[10] Piranha,[2] and Endangered Species.[2]

Menzies was featured in Playboy magazine during 1973 in a pictorial titled "Tender Trapp", in reference to her The Sound of Music role.[citation needed] She was later cast in four television films: The Keegans,[11] James Dean,[12] Tail Gunner Joe,[13] and Captain America.[14]

Personal life

Menzies married John Cluett in 1969 and divorced him in 1973. She married Robert Urich in 1975. Urich and Menzies first met in 1974 while filming a commercial in which they "got married."[5][15] They adopted 3 children. After Urich's death in 2002 of a rare form of cancer,[16] Menzies established the Robert Urich Foundation[17][18] and spent most of her time in her last years devoted to the organization, which raises money for cancer research and support for cancer patients.[19]

Death

Menzies-Urich was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in November 2017.[20] She died on December 24, 2017[21] surrounded by her children and family members.[22] According to her son Ryan Urich, “She was an actress, a ballerina and loved living her life to the fullest. She was not in any pain but, nearly four weeks after her diagnosis of terminal brain cancer, she had enough and took her last breath on this earth at 7:22 pm.”[23]

Filmography

TV and Film

References

  1. ^ "'Sound of Music' actress Heather Menzies-Urich dies at 68". The Trentonian. Associated Press. 26 December 2017. Archived from the original on 3 August 2019. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e McNary, Dave (December 25, 2017). "'Sound of Music' Actress Heather Menzies-Urich Dies at 68". Variety. Los Angeles: Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  3. ^ French, Megan (December 25, 2017). "Celebrity Deaths in 2017: Stars We've Lost". Us Weekly. New York City: American Media, Inc. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  4. ^ "Ancestry Library Edition". www.ancestrylibrary.com.
  5. ^ a b c Reilly, Sue (October 23, 1978). "Actress Heather Menzies' Bets Ride on Husband Bob Urich, a Winner on TV in Vega$". People. United States: Time Inc. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  6. ^ Us Weekly (December 25, 2017). "'Sound of Music' Actress Heather Menzies-Urich Dead at 68". MSN. United States: Microsoft. Retrieved December 25, 2017.[permanent dead link]
  7. ^ Fletcher, Bernie (29 June 2015). "Heather Menzies-Urich talks about The Sound of Music". BeachMetro.
  8. ^ "Heather Menzies, 68". Classic Images (512): 46. February 2018.
  9. ^ a b Gregory, Julia (December 25, 2017). "Sound of Music actor Heather Menzies-Urich dies aged 68". The Guardian. London, UK. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  10. ^ a b c d Strause, Jackie (December 25, 2017). "Heather Menzies-Urich, Star of 'Sound of Music,' Dies at 68". The Hollywood Reporter. Los Angeles: Eldridge Industries. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  11. ^ "The Keegans". Turner Classic Movies. United States: Turner Broadcasting System. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  12. ^ "James Dean". Turner Classic Movies. United States: Turner Broadcasting System. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  13. ^ "Tail Gunner Joe". Turner Classic Movies. United States: Turner Broadcasting System. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  14. ^ "Captain America". Turner Classic Movies. United States: Turner Broadcasting System. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  15. ^ Armstrong, Richard (November 27, 2017). "Interview with Heather Menzies Urich'". Classic Film & TV Cafe. United States. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  16. ^ McNary, Dave (2017-12-25). "'Sound of Music' Actress Heather Menzies-Urich Dies at 68". Variety. Retrieved 2024-08-15.
  17. ^ Yan, Holly; Chan, Stella (December 25, 2017). "'Sound of Music' actress Heather Menzies-Urich dies at 68". ABC News. New York City: ABC. Associated Press. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
  18. ^ "Heather Menzies-Urich, actress in 'The Sound of Music,' dies at 68". Washington Post. Associated Press. 2017-12-27. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2017-12-30.
  19. ^ Levin, Gary (December 25, 2017). "Heather Menzies-Urich, who played a von Trapp sister in 'The Sound of Music,' dies at 68". USA Today. McLean, Virginia: Gannett Company. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
  20. ^ "Heather Menzies-Urich, The Sound of Music's Louisa von Trapp, dies". BBC News. London: BBC. December 25, 2017. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  21. ^ Yan, Holly; Chan, Stella (December 25, 2017). "'Sound of Music' star Heather Menzies Urich dies at 68". CNN. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
  22. ^ McNary, Dave (2017-12-25). "'Sound of Music' Actress Heather Menzies-Urich Dies at 68". Variety. Retrieved 2024-08-15.
  23. ^ McNary, Dave (2017-12-25). "'Sound of Music' Actress Heather Menzies-Urich Dies at 68". Variety. Retrieved 2024-08-15.
  24. ^ "The Sound of Music". Turner Classic Movies. United States: Turner Broadcasting System. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  25. ^ "Hawaii". Turner Classic Movies. United States: Turner Broadcasting System. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  26. ^ "How Sweet It Is!". Turner Classic Movies. United States: Turner Broadcasting System. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  27. ^ "Outside In". Turner Classic Movies. United States: Turner Broadcasting System. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  28. ^ "Piranha". Turner Classic Movies. United States: Turner Broadcasting System. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  29. ^ "Endangered Species". Turner Classic Movies. United States: Turner Broadcasting System. Retrieved December 25, 2017.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Heather Menzies.