Who was Carla Balenda? Grandson announces death of the ‘50s actress at 98

Carla Balenda, a beloved American film and TV actress from Hollywood's Golden Age, died at 98 on April 9. Her career spanned from the 1940s to the 1960s, marked by captivating performances and charm. Balenda passed away at Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, as her grandson Jim Martin reported to the Hollywood Reporter.

Notably, she co-starred in the RKO Pictures thriller Sealed Cargo with Dana Andrews and Claude Rains. She also played Mickey Rooney’s girlfriend on the NBC sitcom Hey Mulligan and was sometimes billed under her birth name, Sally Bliss. Her talent and versatility endeared her to fans and colleagues alike.

Balenda acted as a nurse when she was featured on the show The Adventures of Dr. Fu Manchu, which aired from 1955 to 1956 during the syndication period. She also played the regular role of Miss Hazlitt, a teacher in Timmy (Jon Provost), on CBS' Lassie from 1958 to 1963.

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Carla Balenda's Hollywood journey

Carla Balenda, originally born Sally Bliss, was born in Carthage, New York, on November 22, 1925. The daughter of a high school science teacher, she attended Baldwin High School on Long Island. Her passion for acting led her to participate in summer stock theatre and attend acting school in Rhode Island.

At 17, Balenda moved to Hollywood after signing with Columbia Pictures. She appeared in several films, including Swing in the Saddle (1944), Eadie Was a Lady (1945), and Rustlers of the Badlands (1945). She got married and moved back to New York. However, her passion for acting brought her back to Hollywood, where she signed with RKO Pictures.

Studio head Howard Hughes asked her to change her name from Sally Bliss to Carla Balenda.

Carla Balenda had contracts with RKO Pictures and Columbia Pictures. On TV, she played Pat in The Mickey Rooney Show (1954–1955) and Betty Leonard in The Adventures of Dr. Fu Manchu (1955–1956). Her diverse roles in film and TV made her a notable actress of her time.

In Sealed Cargo (1951), Balenda played a woman on a fishing trawler bound for Newfoundland. Alongside Dana Andrews as the skipper, they get entangled with Nazis led by Claude Rains' character in the North Atlantic. Balenda often said this was her favorite role.

When Mickey Rooney ventured into television, he starred in Hey Mulligan as Mickey Mulligan, a clumsy page for a TV network who dreams of becoming a performer. Balenda played his girlfriend, secretary Pat Harding, in the 1954-55 series. Created by Blake Edwards and Richard Quine, the show, also known as The Mickey Rooney Show, lasted one season with 36 episodes.

Carla Balenda married her high school boyfriend named John Martin and the union took place in the year 1944. Martin who was a World War II pilot had two sons with Balenda before they separated in 1959. She got married to William Rutter, a publisher in law study guides, in 1965 and stayed with him till his death in 2012.

She is survived by her children Paul, Joanna and Charles, and 14 grand children and 12 great grand children.