Background
Blyth was born to parents who divorced shortly after her birth.
Blyth was born to parents who divorced shortly after her birth.
She has been a devout Roman Catholic all her life. Blyth began her acting career initially as "Anne Blyth," but changed the spelling of her first name back to "Ann" at the beginning of her film career. Her first acting role was on Broadway in Watch on the Rhine (from 1941 until 1942).
She was signed to a contract with Universal Studios, and made her film debut in Chip Office the Old Block in 1944.
In musical films such as Babes on Swing Street, and Bowery to Broadway (both 1944), she played the part of the sweet and demure teenager. On loan to Warner Brothers Blyth was cast "against type" as Veda Pierce, the scheming, ungrateful daughter of Joan Crawford in the 1945 film Mildred Pierce.
Having injured her back after Mildred Pierce, Blyth was not able to capitalize on its success completely, although she was still able to make a few films. Her other films include: Our Very Own (with Farley Granger), The Great Caruso (with Mario Lanza), One Minute to Zero (with Robert Mitchum), The World in His Arms (with Gregory Peck), Rose Marie, The Student Prince, Kismet, The Buster Keaton Story, and her final film role, The Helen Morgan Story (with Paul Newman).
Even though her voice was more like the original Helen Morgan, her vocals were dubbed by Gogi Grant.
That soundtrack was much more successful than the film itself. During the late 1950s and 1960s Blyth worked in musical theater, summer stock, and television, including a starring role in a 1960 adaptation of A. J. Cronin"s The Citadel. She guest-starred on October 8, 1958, on National Broadcasting Company The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford, the episode in which the 1959 Ford vehicles were introduced to the public.
She appeared as Martha in Suspected in December 1959 in the Columbia Broadcasting System anthology series, The DuPont Show with June Allyson.
Blyth also became the spokesperson for Hostess Cupcakes. Her last television appearances were in episodes of Quincy, Mechanical Engineering in 1983 and Murder, She Wrote in 1985.
Blyth has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6733 Hollywood Boulevard for her contribution to motion pictures.