Betta St. John (born Betty Jean Striegler, November 26, 1929 – June 23, 2023) was an American actress, singer, and dancer who worked on Broadway, the West End, and in Hollywood films. She started her career aged 10 as a child actress in uncredited movie parts in her native USA. As an adult actress her first starring role was in the MGM film Dream Wife opposite Cary Grant in 1953. In 1954 she starred with Victor Mature in Dangerous Mission. Later residing in England she appeared in starring roles in British films including High Tide at Noon, two Tarzan films, and the horror features Corridors of Blood with Boris Karloff and Horror Hotel with Christopher Lee.
She was an inductee into the Hawthorne Hall of Fame in 2019.[1][2]
St. John played a small role in the Rodgers and HammersteinBroadway musical Carousel from 1945 until 1947. She was a member of the show's touring company until 1949. Later that year, she created the role of Liat in the musical South Pacific, first on Broadway[7] and then London.
Betta St. John starred in two Tarzan films the first in 1957 Tarzan and the Lost Safari which was the first Tarzan film to be filmed in colour, she returned to the franchise in Tarzan the Magnificent in 1960.[1]
She continued to act in films and appear in TV series until 1965 before leaving the entertainment industry
St. John was married to English actor Peter Grant from 1952[9] until his death in 1992. They had three children.[10][11]
Betta St. John died at an assisted living facility in Brighton, England, on June 23, 2023, at the age of 93.[2][12]