Gale Storm | TV's 'My Little Margie,' 87
Gale Storm, 87, whose wholesome appearance and perky personality made her one of early television's biggest stars on My Little Margie and The Gale Storm Show, died Saturday in Danville, Calif. She had been in failing health in recent years.
Before landing the starring role in My Little Margie in 1952, Ms. Storm starred in numerous B movies opposite such stars as Roy Rogers, Eddie Albert and Jackie Cooper. After The Gale Storm Show ended in 1960, she went on to a successful singing career while continuing to make occasional TV appearances.
She was a Bloomington, Texas, high schooler named Josephine Owaissa Cottle when she entered a talent contest for a radio show in 1940. She was brought to Los Angeles for the finals, where she won over the radio audience and was awarded a movie contract. Given the quirky name Gale Storm, she went from contracts with RKO to Monogram to Universal, appearing in low-budget films.
My Little Margie debuted on CBS as a summer replacement for I Love Lucy in 1952. Its 126-episode run ended in 1955.
-AP
