Lynne Baggett won't be remembered her for her lackluster screen career. Almost half of her appearances in film were uncredited, including a moment in Mildred Pierce as a waitress. Her last on screen gig occurred in 1951. She was 21 when she met producer Sam Spiegel, 19 years her senior. Before she married Spiegel in '48, she had a fling with George Tobias (Abner Kravitz on Bewitched). Speigel and Lynne had a rocky marriage. Lynne consorted with writer Irwin Shaw while hubby was busy producing The African Queen. (John Huston, the director, had been a witness at the Spiegel nuptials). After Spiegel threw Baggett out, she had a brief affair with Huston. In 1952, Sam filed for divorce and Lynne became a dance instructor at Arthur Murray.
On July 7, 1954 while on her way home from a party at Arthur Treacher's, she hit a station wagon filled with boy's coming home from summer camp. Joel Watnick was killed in the accident, an accident she doesn't report. Two days later, the police bring her in for questioning. The car she drove is traced to Tobias. Seems he'd loaned the car to her that day.
Baggett is arrested, husband Sam pays her bail. She's convicted on a felony charge of hit and run driving, but is acquitted of a second felony count of manslaughter. She is given a 60 day sentence in jail of which she served 50 days.
June 1959, Lynne attempts suicide, but makes a phone call prior to losing consciousness and is rescued. Prior to her successful suicide in 1960, she was diagnosed as partially paralyzed due to drug addiction.
She sounds like she was a bit of a caution. Especially when you consider that Sam Spiegel (no angel himself) felt he had enough of the goods on her to file a counter divorce suit, something that a man almost never did.
ReplyDeleteGreat work doll!!!
Hah! So I was right that was Tobias!!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for this story, Norma Desmond.
ReplyDelete63m: you're entirely welcome darling!
ReplyDeletecookie, when you're right, you're right!
Uh, I got the name right.
ReplyDeleteI would like to receive a jar of Dippity-Do to give my hair the sleek boost my follicles deserve.
X David
Was it pronounced BAG-it?
ReplyDeleteOr Bag-ET, like the French bread?
She left Texas at 19 and was dead by 35! Sounds like she got around in those 16 years. And that poor Joel Watnick, tragic.
ReplyDeleteI remember my mother telling me this story when i was a baby, thanks for bringing back the memory for me.
ReplyDeletew
mj, are you considering becoming a bag hag?
ReplyDeleteyes hayward, she was a busy lady.
wally, your mother sounds like a gem!