Betsy Gay
{{Short description|American yodeler and actress (1929–2025)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Betsy Gay
| image = File:Betsy Gay pic.jpg
| image_size =
| caption =
| birthname = Elizabeth Ann Gunst
| birth_date = {{birth date|1929|2|2}}
| birth_place = Waterford, Connecticut, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2025|06|13|1929|2|2}}
| death_place =
| occupation = {{hlist|Film actress|singer}}
| yearsactive = 1935–1970s
| spouse = {{marriage|Thomas Cashen|1954|2005|end=died}}
| children = 5
}}
Betsy Gay (February 2, 1929 – June 13, 2025) was an American actress and country singer and yodeller.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/732240211|title=Los Angeles After Dark|newspaper=The Southwest Wave|date=February 21, 1946|accessdate=January 26, 2023}}
Gay was best known as a child star in the 1930s and 1940s appearing in the Hal Roach short film series Our Gang and made appearances in around 40 feature films.{{cite web|url=https://hillbilly-music.com/artists/story/index.php?id=12984|title=Hillbilly Music}}
Early life
Gay was born as Elizabeth Ann Gunst in Waterford, Connecticut, to Charles and Helen Gay, who were also entertainers. They ran a music store and taught singing, piano, banjo, and violin, guitar, bass, steel guitar and accordion.
Career
{{expand section|date=June 2025}}
Gay appeared in films, on television, and in radio shows. Her film career mostly consisted of bit-part roles during the Golden Age of Hollywood, such as Our Gang Follies of 1938 (1937), The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938), and Mystery Plane (1939).{{cite news|url=https://scvtv.com/2019/06/03/betsy-gay-original-little-rascal-musician/|title=Betsy Gay, Original 'Little Rascal', Musician|newspaper=SCV TV|date=June 3, 2019|accessdate=January 26, 2023}} Her final role was in 1943.
Throughout her singing career, she worked alongside the likes of Dale Evans, Stuart Hamblen, and Tex Williams. She won a yodelling competition in California two years in a row in the mid-1940s. She had several music recordings with labels such as Capitol Records and Decca Records.{{cite web|url=http://www.hillbilly-music.com/artists/story/index.php?id=12984|title=Betsy Gay|publisher=Hillbilly Music|accessdate=January 26, 2023}}
Personal life and death
Gay was married to Thomas Cashen from 1954 until his death in 2005.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/695540000|title=Untitled|newspaper=The Tidings|date=February 21, 1946|accessdate=January 26, 2023}} The couple had five children. She died on June 13, 2025, at the age of 96.{{Cite web |last=Levy |first=Giana |date=June 14, 2025 |title=Betsy Gay, 'Little Rascals' Actress, Dies at 96 |url=https://variety.com/2025/film/news/betsy-gay-little-rascals-actress-dies-1236431544/ |access-date=June 14, 2025 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}
Filmography
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
!Title !Role |
|---|
| rowspan=2|1935
|The Pinch Singer (short) |Broadway number performer |
| Arbor Day
|Dancing girl |
| rowspan=4|1937
|Performing arts student |
| Nothing Sacred
|Group singing role |
| It Happened in Hollywood
|Sis |
| Our Gang Follies of 1938 (short)
|Blonde girl fan of Alfalfa |
| rowspan=2|1938 |
| Came the Brawn (short)
|Effie |
| rowspan=3|1939
|Betty Lou as a young girl |
| The Zero Hour
|Orphan |
| At the Circus
|Circus midget |
| 1941
|Girl at the movie |
| 1942
|How Spry I Am |Young girl |
| 1943
|Saree |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|0310741}}
- {{discogs artist|Betsy Gay}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gay, Betsy}}