Gail Kobe was a versatile and talented actress and producer who had a long and successful career in the entertainment industry. She appeared in many popular TV shows and movies, as well as produced some of the most iconic soap operas in history. She passed away on August 1, 2013 in Michigan from natural causes, aged 82. In this article, we will look back at her life and achievements, and pay tribute to her legacy.
Early Life and Career
Gail Kobe was born Gabriella Kieliszewski on March 19, 1932 in Hamtramck, Michigan, the younger child of Benjamin and Theresa Kobe, who later Americanized their surname. She had one sibling, an older sister, Beatrice, who predeceased her. Kobe had polio as a child and began dancing as a form of therapy. A heart murmur that she developed in her high school years caused her to cease dancing. She graduated from Hamtramck High School and UCLA earning a fine arts degree in theatre and dance.
Kobe started her acting career in the 1950s, appearing in various TV series and films. She portrayed Penny Adams on the TV series Trackdown, and also appeared on the Alcoa Theatre, The O. Henry Playhouse, The Californians, The Rebel, Mackenzie’s Raiders, Blue Light, Felony Squad, Ironside, The Outer Limits, Richard Diamond, Private Detective, The Fugitive , Bourbon Street Beat, Maverick, M Squad, Whirlybirds, Perry Mason, Hogan’s Heroes, The Twilight Zone , Dr. Kildare, Empire, Gunsmoke , Cheyenne, Daniel Boone, Mission: Impossible , The Untouchables , Have Gun – Will Travel , The Mod Squad , The Alfred Hitchcock Hour , Bewitched and Mannix. She also appeared in the classic 1956 film The Ten Commandments.
Later Career and Production Work
In the 1960s and 1970s, Kobe continued to act in various TV shows and movies. She portrayed Doris Schuster on TV’s Peyton Place, and also appeared on daytime television in the NBC serial Bright Promise as Ann Boyd Jones. She also appeared in Combat! as Francois, Rawhide as Dr. Louise Amadon, Rescue 8 as Ellen Mason, Laramie as a saloon girl, and The Fugitive episode “Ticket to Alaska”.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Kobe began to work behind the camera as supervising producer and associate producer on such daytime programs as CBS’s The Edge of Night and NBC’s Return to Peyton Place. From 1981 to 1982, its final year on the air, Kobe became executive producer of the NBC soap opera Texas. From 1983 to May 1986, she was the executive producer of CBS’s Guiding Light (for which she was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award) and then served as a producer on CBS’s The Bold and the Beautiful from its debut in 1987 through the early 1990s.
Death and Legacy
Kobe died on August 1, 2013 in Michigan from natural causes. She was survived by eight cousins, including veteran TV casting director Greg Orson. For the last two years of her life, the actress and producer lived at the Motion Picture & Television Fund , a retirement community in Southern California reserved exclusively for members of the entertainment industry.
Kobe was a remarkable woman who made a lasting impact on the entertainment industry. She was admired for her acting skills and her production work. She was also known for being a kind and generous person who cared for others. She will be remembered as a trailblazer and a legend in the world of television.
