Kay Hughes was an American actress who is best known for Ride, Ranger, Ride, Dick Tracy, and The Mandarin Mystery.
Personal and Family Life
Kay Hughes, born Catherine Mary Rhoads on January 16, 1914, in Los Angeles, California, spent part of her childhood in Ohio. She faced serious health challenges early in life, suffering from pleurisy and undergoing multiple surgeries. After returning to California at the age of nine, she turned her focus to modeling and acting, despite her dream of being a dancer being thwarted by her health issues. Throughout her life, Kay was married three times and had two children.
Career
Kay began her acting career in the 1930s with her debut in the film Broadway Melody of 1936. She quickly gained recognition in various westerns and serials, often playing leading roles alongside well-known actors like Gene Autry and Robert Livingston. As her career progressed, she also took part in several crime dramas and serials. However, her acting career slowed in the 1940s following her marriages and the birth of her children, leading her to appear in fewer films.
Death and Legacy
Kay Hughes passed away on April 4, 1998, at the age of 84 in Palm Springs, California, after undergoing heart surgery the previous December. Despite being a “B”-level actress, she is remembered for her contributions to the film industry and her roles in classic westerns and serials. Her early health struggles and perseverance in the acting world serve as an inspiration to many.
Filmography
| Title | Release Date | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Ride, Ranger, Ride | 1936-11-30 | Dixie Summerall |
| The Mandarin Mystery | 1936-12-23 | Irene Kirk |
| The Big Show | 1936-11-16 | Marion Hill |
| Enemy of the Law | 1945-05-07 | Ruby Martin |
| Dick Tracy | 1937-02-20 | Gwen Andrews |
| Ghost-Town Gold | 1936-10-26 | Sabina Thornton |
| Fighting Bill Carson | 1945-10-31 | Jeanne Darcy |
| A Man Betrayed | 1936-12-27 | Marjorie Norton |
| The Vigilantes Are Coming | 1936-08-21 | Doris Colton |
| Robin Hood of El Dorado | 1936-03-17 | Louise |
| Slightly Static | 1935-09-07 | Telephone Operator (uncredited) |
| Radio Patrol | 1937-10-03 | Molly Selkirk |
| Strike Me Pink | 1936-01-24 | Goldwyn Girl (uncredited) |
| Trouble at Midnight | 1937-10-16 | Catherine Benson (as Catherine Hughes) |
| The Three Mesquiteers | 1936-09-22 | Marian Bryant |
| Riders of the Badlands | 1941-12-18 | Celia Barton |
| Men in Black | 1934-09-28 | Nurse (uncredited) |
| Brides Are Like That | 1936-04-18 | Mary Ann Coleridge |
| Honolulu Lu | 1941-12-11 | Nurse |
| Saturday’s Millions | 1933-09-30 | Student |
| His Old Flame | 1935-01-25 | |
| Every Saturday Night | 1936-03-13 | Patty Newall |
| Snowed Under | 1936-03-29 | Miss Jones (uncredited) |
| The Last of the Secret Agents? | 1966-05-25 | Book Ends (uncredited) |
| George White’s 1935 Scandals | 1935-03-29 | One of Do’s Four Girls (uncredited) |