 (From Old Corral image collection) |  | Sheila Ryan Real name: |
| Born in Topeka, Kansas, pretty Sheila Ryan became a contract player at 20th Century Fox in the 1940s, and she had roles in various pictures at the studio including a Cesar Romero/Cisco Kid western, Charlie Chan and Michael Shayne mysteries, and a couple of the Laurel & Hardy escapades. Her best work - and biggest role - from this period is probably in THE GANG'S ALL HERE (20th Century Fox, 1943). That film stars Alice Faye and is a fun Busby Berkely musical in full Technicolor glory. The male love interest for Faye and Ryan is James Ellison (of Hopalong Cassidy films). You can also catch a glimpse of Sheila Ryan in the 1941 SUN VALLEY SERENADE. Starring ice skater Sonja Henie and John Payne, this film is generally remembered more as a showcase for Glenn Miller and his Orchestra. Keep on eye out for "pretty ladies doing bit parts" and you will see Sheila as well as Lynne Roberts as both were under contract to 20th Century Fox at the time. Hint: office receptionist and telephone operator. By the mid 1940s, Ryan had been dropped by 20th Century Fox and most of her subsequent roles were in B productions, generally of the mystery or potboiler type. For example, she had a meaty role in JUNGLE MANHUNT (Columbia, 1951), one of the 'Jungle Jim' adventures starring former Tarzan, Johnny Weissmuller. Somehow she connected with Gene Autry in the late 1940s. At that time, Autry was producing his own films and releasing them through Columbia Pictures, and Ryan appeared in THE COWBOYS AND THE INDIANS (1949), MULE TRAIN (1950), and several others. She also appeared in many of Autry's television shows. While working on the Autry oaters, Ryan met and fell in love with Gene's comedic trail pardner Pat Buttram. Sheila and Pat were married in 1952, a pairing that would last until her death in 1975. The Buttrams were proud parents of a daughter named Katherine. Ryan had also been married to Allan 'Rocky' Lane circa 1945, but that ended in divorce after only a few months of marriage.  Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) has information on Sheila Ryan: http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0752846/ |
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 (From Old Corral image collection) Sheila Ryan and star Alan Curtis in PHILO VANCE'S SECRET MISSION (PRC, 1947).  (From Old Corral image collection) Above from L-to-R are Vince Barnett, Sheila Ryan, Gene Autry and Pat Buttram in MULE TRAIN (1950). |