Roseanne Murray

Roseanne Murray was born on January 6,1917 in Chester, SC. She was the youngest of three daughters born to Irish-Scots parents, James Murray and Jean McCuen Murray, who had immigrated to the US from Scotland only a few years before her birth. A beautiful redhead, she trained to be a model and by the time she was 20 years old was already working for the prestigious John Powers Modeling Agency. She studied acting in New York City and went on to become a successful stage actress, co-starring in the play, 'The House of Bernada Alba' among many others. A talent scout spotted her onstage and, admiring her beauty and talent, invited her to come to Hollywood to act in movies. She moved to California and was soon offered roles in 'That Night in Rio' and 'Yank in the R.A.F'. starring Danny Kaye. She continued her modeling career while finding roles in many films produced by Universal Pictures, Samuel Goldwyn and 20th Century Fox. She accepted a role in 'Wonder Man', another movie starring Danny Kaye for which he won an Academy Award. Other films she was in include 'Night in Paradise', 'My Gal Sal', 'Jane Eyre', 'Happy Land', 'The Powers Girls', 'Thunder Birds', 'Iceland, and 'Rise and Shine'. In 1947, she met writer, Everett Freeman, who had recently written the screenplay for the successful film, 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty'. The two became smitten with each other and they married in early 1948. They had three children together, two daughters and a son. Roseanne chose to give up her career as an actress to devote herself to raising her children. She never lost her love for the beauty of language and the spoken word. She maintained a lifelong friendship with her speech coach from acting school. After her children were grown, she applied her beautiful speaking voice to reading books aloud for the blind and provided the voice talent for some audio books. Roseanne and Everett divorced in 1966 and she eventually relocated to Santa Barbara, CA. She kept her married surname. Roseanne Murray Freeman died in Santa Barbara, CA on January 9, 1999 at the age of 82 years old of natural causes. She was buried at Mount Tamalpais Mortuary and Cemetery in San Rafael, CA, where her sister, Jean Murray Watson, was also laid to rest. She is survived by her three children and one grandson: Elizabeth Freeman - an artist and event producer who lives in Kilauea, Kauai; Andrea Freeman - an author, Celtic harpist, poet, teacher, artist, naturalist, and nature photographer who lives in Woodacre, California; and Michael Freeman - a woodworker and contractor who lives in Petaluma, California. Elizabeth's son, Wyatt Taubman, is an environmental entrepreneur and avid surfer who lives in San Diego, California.