Tragic Facts About Deannie Best, Hollywood’s Lost Femme Fatale
Everyone knows the dark history of actresses like Lana Turner and Natalie Wood, but they've almost completely forgotten Deannie Best’s wild story. A chorus girl turned actress, Best's scandalous exploits offscreen overshadowed her tragically short career. From her secret marriage to her involvement in a murder, Best’s life was a non-stop rollercoaster ride from start to finish. Here are jaw-dropping facts about the life of Deannie Best, the forgotten femme fatale.
1. She Had Surprising Beginnings
Deannie Best may have ended up in Hollywood, but she came from humble beginnings. She was born Willia Dean Doughty in 1926 in a small town Altus, Oklahoma.
Unlike many, Best's family seemed to avoid the worst of the Great Depression, but this was probably the last time that Best was able to escape horrifically bad fortune.
2. She Had Big Dreams
Best had a tumultuous childhood. When she was just three years old, her parents divorced, remarried, and the little girl ended up in Oklahoma City. Other than this information, however, much of Best's past is mysterious.
That said, we know one thing for sure: By the time that she was a teenager, Deannie was more than ready to leave Oklahoma behind for good.
3. She Was a Dropout
Best fled her family’s home of Oklahoma when she was just a teenager, likely before she even finished high school. Besides, she didn’t need an education where she was going.
She had a much different plan; Best was ready for the bright lights of Hollywood. As least at first, it seemed like the beautiful starlet would inevitably make her way to the A-list.
4. She Got Lucky—At First
With her good looks, it didn’t take long for Best to get noticed. Soon after she arrived in Hollywood, she landed a plum gig as a Goldwyn Girl, a stock company of female dancers who appeared in films made by the big-time Hollywood producer Samuel Goldwyn. Before they were famous, both Lucille Ball and Betty Grable were Goldwyn Girls. It was a great stepping stone for her career, but Best was also in for some falls.
