Judy Tyler

Judy Tyler (born Judith Mae Hess; October 9, 1932 – July 3, 1957) was an American actress.[1]

Judy Tyler
Tyler in 1957
Born	Judith Mae Hess October 9, 1932 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
Died	July 3, 1957 (aged 24) near Rock River, Wyoming, U.S.
Cause of death	Car accident
Resting place	Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1947–1957
Spouse(s)	Colin Romoff ​ ​ (m. 1950; div. 1956)​ Gregory Lafayette ​ ​ (m. 1957⁠–⁠1957)​

Early life and career

Tyler alongside Elvis Presley

Tyler in the broadway production of Pipe Dream (1955)

Judy Tyler was born Judith Mae Hess in Manhattan, New York, on October 9, 1932. She spent her teen years in Teaneck, New Jersey. She came from a show business family and was encouraged to study dance and acting. Tyler's acting career began as a teenager, with regular appearances on Howdy Doody as Princess Summerfall Winterspring from 1950 to 1953.

Like her mother, she became a chorus girl, but then went on to land a starring role in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Pipe Dream. Life did a story on rising Broadway talent with Tyler on the magazine's cover as one of the up-and-coming stars. Tyler lived with her parents in Teaneck, New Jersey while appearing on Howdy Doody and Broadway.[2]

Offered an opportunity in Hollywood, Tyler appeared in the film Bop Girl Goes Calypso (1957), then starred opposite Elvis Presley in Jailhouse Rock (1957). She made a guest appearance on Perry Mason as Irene Kilby in "The Case of the Fan Dancer's Horse", which aired on December 28, 1957, nearly six months after her death.

Death

After completing filming of the Presley movie, she and her second husband, Gregory Lafayette (born Earl Gregory Nisonger Jr.) left Hollywood to return to their home in New York. While driving through Wyoming on Wednesday, July 3, 1957, they were involved in an automobile accident on U.S. Route 287 near Rock River. She was killed instantly, aged 24, and her husband died the following day, also aged 24. A passenger in the other car was killed as well. Police said Lafayette swerved to avoid hitting a car that was towing a trailer, and collided with the other vehicle involved in the crash.[2]

Tyler's cremated remains are in the private family room of her husband's family mausoleum in Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York.

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1957	Bop Girl Goes Calypso	Jo Thomas
1957	Jailhouse Rock	Peggy Van Alden

References

1. Obituary Variety, July 10, 1957, page 127.
2. "JUDY TYLER DIES AS CARS COLLIDE; Actress and Husband Killed by Crash in Wyoming-- Was on 'Howdy Doody'", The New York Times, July 4, 1957. Accessed October 17, 2014.

External links

• Judy Tyler at IMDb
• Judy Tyler at the Internet Broadway Database
• Judy Tyler at Find a Grave