Rosemary La Planche

Back in the days, winning the title of "Miss America" sometimes provided a springboard to Hollywood and a film career as a leading lady. This was certainly true in the case of California-born Rosemary La Planche. Born on October 11, 1923, in the Southern California city of Glendale, Rosemary and her older sister Louise La Planche (by four years) both expressed a desire to perform as children. Each found work as a toddler in a silent movie before focusing on a normal public school upbringing. The interest in acting didn't wane in either of them, however, and during her years at John Marshall High School, Rosemary was cast in minor roles in two of Deanna Durbin Universal film vehicles. In the meantime, both girls entered the beauty pageant circuit. Louise earned the title of "Miss Catalina" in 1939 and then "Miss North America" the following year. This notoriety led to a minor MGM career with bits in such films as Strike Up the Band (1940) and Ziegfeld Girl (1941). Rosemary followed su