Silver screen icon Kathryn Crosby has died aged 90 at her US home. or signup to continue reading The widow of fellow acting great and crooner Bing Crosby – who died in October 1977 while golfing with friends in Spain, after a sudden heart attack aged 74 – died on Friday from natural causes at her home in Hillsborough, California. A representative for the Crosby family announced the news to Variety on Saturday.
Kathryn Crosby was probably best known for her roles in The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, Anatomy of a Murder and Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window. She starred in more than 20 films throughout her stellar career, with other highlights including appearances in Operation Mad Ball and The Wild Party. Born Olive Kathryn Grandstaff in Texas, she typically performed under the stage names Kathryn Grant and Kathryn Grandstaff.
She also frequently appeared on Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas specials and hosted her The Kathryn Crosby Show. After Bing's death she performed in several stage productions such as the 1996 Broadway revival of 'State Fair', and hosted the Crosby National Golf Tournament for charity in Bermuda Run, North Carolina. Her showbiz career kicked off after she graduated from the University of Texas at Austin and won a beauty contest that landed her a screen test with William Holden.
She began her film career in 1953 while writing a column about Hollywood for her hometown newspaper and met Bing while conducting interviews for her articles on the set of the film Wh.