Marlene Cameron

Two weeks after Marlene returned to New York her mother received a phone call from Ruth Mitchell, Joshua Logan's secretary. She called to ask if Marlene could come into the City to audition for a new musical Mr. Logan was to direct. The name of the musical was "Annie Oakley". The next day Marlene and her mother arrived at the penthouse of the Zeigfield Theater. There were some 200 mothers and children there as well for the audition. After 7 auditions Marlene was cast as Annie Oakley's youngest sister, Nellie. The show was renamed "Annie Get Your Gun" starring Ethel Merman. The show ran for over three years at the Imperial Theater while Marlene gradually stepped up from the role of Nellie to Minnie, Annie's oldest sister. Marlene left the show in 1948 after being cast in Michael Todd's musical "As The Girls Go" where she remained as understudy to Betty Lou Barto while retaining a minor role in the show. This show ran for 1 1/2 yr., first at the Winter Garden Theater and later at the Broadway Theater.In 1949 Marlene was called back into the Rodgers and Hammerstein office for an interview with John Fearnley, the R&H casting director. She did not have to audition but was immediately cast in R&H's new play "The Happy Time."The Happy Time" opened at the Plymouth Theater in 1950 and ran for over 2 yr. In 1952 Marlene was called to audition for Stanley Kramer for the film "The Happy Time." In January of 1952 Marlene and her mother flew to Hollywood to make the film.She recreated the role she originated, Sally O'Hare "the fighting American." The role was renamed Peggy O'Hare. "The Happy Time" opened at Radio City Music Hall in October of 1952. Her sister, Gloria, was a Radio City Music Rockette at the same time the film opened. After completing the work in Hollywood Marlene returned to New York, graduated from Rhodes Preparatory School and went on to St. John's University in Brooklyn in pursuit of a Bachelor's Degree. She appeared in one last Broadway production called "The Other Foot", went on to do 3 yr. of Summer Stock, completed an AAS degree from The Fashion Institute of Technology where she won The Berdorf Goodman Award, which took her to Paris for the Paris openings in the fall of 1961. She married 2nd Lt. George D. Kastner in June of 1961 and there began yet another career.