American actress, singer and dancer Betta St. John, best known for the Tarzan films, passed away on June 23 at the age of 93, her son, television producer Roger Grant, confirmed Saturday in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. Roger confirmed that his mother, who was active in the industry from 1939 to 1965, died of natural causes at the assisted living facility where she lived in Brighton, UK.
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St. John took part in Tarzan and the Lost Safari (which was the first Tarzan film to be shot in color). Her last film as an actress was the 1960 horror film The City of The Dead.
Born Betty Jean Strigler in California, St. John began her career in the entertainment industry at the age of 10 in the 1939 film Destry Rides Again alongside actress Marlene Dietrich. In 1943, she starred in Jane Eyre alongside Orson Welles and Joan Fontaine (she was not credited in either film). In 1953, she co-starred with Cary Grant in Dream Wife, where she said she played her "first adult role" as a princess engaged to a businessman.
Betta St. John. Photo: GettyImages
St. John, who was also a singer and actress, was married to actor and singer Peter Grant from 1952 until his death in 1992. The two lived in London, where she took part in several films, including the horror films Corridors of Blood and Horror Hotel.
On her decision to retire from acting in the 60s after starring in films as well as on Broadway and West End stages, she previously said: "I thought my career was long enough and I didn't really feel like I was giving up much at that point. I decided to retire mainly to stay home and raise the children. My family was much more important. Few actors, however successful, can maintain a family and marriage while pursuing a successful career. At that point, I realized I didn't have enough acting skills to hold me forever."
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