Carolyn Kearney was a B-movie actress who had a brief career in movies and TV in the 1950s and 1960s. She was best known for her roles in horror and juvenile delinquent flicks, such as The Thing That Couldn’t Die (1958) and Hot Rod Girl (1956). She also appeared in many TV shows, such as The Twilight Zone, Ben Casey, Bonanza, and Hazel. However, her life was not as glamorous as it seemed. She struggled with addiction, divorce, and health problems, until she died of heart complications in 2005. This article will explore her life story, her career highlights, and her cause of death.
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Early Life and Education
Carolyn Kearney was born on August 28, 1930, in Detroit, Michigan. She was raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, where she developed a love for dancing. She started taking ballet and tap lessons at the age of five, and later performed in local theaters. She also attended the Ursuline Academy, a Catholic girls’ school.
She moved to California in the mid-1950s to pursue an acting career. She enrolled at the Pasadena Playhouse, a prestigious theater school that trained many famous actors and actresses. There, she studied under the guidance of veterans such as Stuart Erwin, Edward Everett Horton, Gladys Cooper, Leo G. Carroll, and Cecil Kellaway.
Movie and TV Career
Carolyn Kearney made her film debut in 1956, playing the role of Judy in Hot Rod Girl. The film was a low-budget exploitation movie that capitalized on the popularity of hot rod racing among teenagers. It also featured Lori Nelson, Chuck Connors, and Frank Gorshin.
In 1958, she starred in two more B-movies: The Thing That Couldn’t Die and Damn Citizen. The former was a horror film about a cursed head that possessed people and caused them to kill each other. The latter was a crime drama based on the true story of Francis Grevemberg, a Louisiana state police superintendent who fought against corruption and organized crime. Kearney played the role of Nancy Sweeney, a drug addict who was involved with a gangster.
She also appeared in many TV shows throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Some of her notable credits include:
- The Twilight Zone: She played Marnie Kirk, a woman who was haunted by visions of her dead husband in the episode “The Parallel” (1963).
- Ben Casey: She played Carol Masterson, a woman who suffered from multiple personality disorder in the episodes “A Cardinal Act of Mercy: Part 1” and “Part 2” (1963).
- Bonanza: She played Sheila Reardon, a woman who was accused of murder by her jealous husband in the episode “The Tin Badge” (1963).
- Wagon Train: She played Annie Duggan, a woman who fell in love with a fugitive in the episode “The Annie Duggan Story” (1963).
- Hazel: She played Maggie, a woman who pretended to be Hazel’s niece in order to get a job in the episode “Hazel’s Niece” (1963).
Personal Life and Addiction
Carolyn Kearney was married twice in her life. Her first husband was Harold Jack Bloom, a screenwriter who wrote for movies such as The Naked Spur (1953) and You Only Live Twice (1967). They got married on June 12, 1958, and had one son named Charles Bloom. Charles later became a child actor who appeared on Little House on the Prairie (1974) in one episode. However, their marriage did not last long and they divorced.
Her second husband was Alan Hirshfeld, an advertising executive and writer who worked for agencies such as Young & Rubicam and McCann Erickson. They got married on April 8, 1965, and had one daughter named Jennifer Hirshfeld. They remained married until Kearney’s death.
Kearney’s life took a tragic turn when she was involved in a train accident in the late 1960s. She was trapped in her compartment for a while before she was rescued. She suffered from anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the incident. She was prescribed Xanax by her doctor to alleviate her symptoms. However, she became addicted to the drug for several years.
She realized that she had a problem when she noticed that she was taking more pills than prescribed. She also experienced withdrawal symptoms such as insomnia, tremors, nausea, and panic attacks when she tried to quit. She decided to seek help from various sources, such as psychiatrists, therapists, detox centers, and support groups. However, none of them worked for her.
She finally found a solution in 1987, when she joined a 12-step program called Benzodiazepine Anonymous. The program was founded by Kearney and two other women who had similar experiences with addiction to benzodiazepine drugs such as Xanax, Valium, and Klonopin. The program followed the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous and offered a safe and supportive environment for recovering addicts. Kearney became an active member and a leader of the program. She also wrote one of the essays for the book “Prescription Drug Addiction”, which was published in 1989.
Death and Legacy
Carolyn Kearney died on November 18, 2005, in Los Angeles, California. She was 75 years old. The cause of death was heart complications, according to her daughter Jennifer Hirshfeld. She was survived by her husband Alan Hirshfeld, her son Charles Bloom, her daughter Jennifer Hirshfeld, and her grandchildren.
Carolyn Kearney was a B-movie actress who had a brief but memorable career in movies and TV. She was known for her roles in horror and juvenile delinquent flicks, such as The Thing That Couldn’t Die and Hot Rod Girl. She also appeared in many TV shows, such as The Twilight Zone, Ben Casey, Bonanza, and Hazel. However, she also faced many challenges in her personal life, such as addiction, divorce, and health problems. She overcame her addiction by joining a 12-step program that she co-founded. She helped many people who suffered from the same problem. She left behind a legacy of courage, resilience, and compassion.
