Not to be confused with the singer-actress Helen Roberts Walker
| Helen Walker | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 17, 1920 Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | March 10, 1968 (aged 47) North Hollywood, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | cancer |
| Years active | 1942–1960 |
| Spouse | Edward DuDomaine (1950-1952) (divorced) Robert Blumofe (1942-1946) (divorced) |
Helen Walker (born July 17, 1920 – March 10, 1968) was an American movie actress of the 1940s and 1950s.[1]
She was born in Worcester, Massachusetts and made her film debut in 1942. After a promising start in Hollywood, Walker was involved in a 1946 car wreck. A hitchhiker was killed, and Walker and two others were seriously injured, for which she was charged with drunk and reckless driving. She made a comeback, but her career never fully recovered. She retired from acting at the age of 35, then died in North Hollywood, California from cancer.
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She was filming Heaven Only Knows [1] when an auto accident drastically disrupted her career. On January 1, 1947, while driving from Palm Springs to Hollywood in the car of director Bruce "Lucky" Humberstone she gave a ride to three hitchiking soldiers named Robert E. Lee, Philip Mercado and Joseph Montaldo. Near Redlands, California the car hit a divider and flipped over, killing Lee, and causing serious injuries to Helen and the other two passengers. She was charged with drunk driving and reckless driving. Mercado brought a civil suit for $150,000 against her.[2]
Her criminal trial for manslaughter ended with dismissial on the motion by San Bernardino County District Attorney Jerome B. Kavanaugh.[3]
She was married to Paramount studio lawyer Robert Blumofe (1942, divorced 1946) and department store executive Edward DuDomaine (1950, divorced 1952).[1] When her house burned in 1960, other actresses held a benefit to assist her.[1]