Abby Dalton is an American retired film and television actress. She had an illustrious five-decade-long screen career during which she made a name for herself in television shows like Hennesey, The Joey Bishop Show, and Falcon Crest.
Abby Dalton was born Gladys Marlene Wasden on August 15, 1932, in Las Vegas, Nevada. As of October 2020, she is 88 years old.
Early Career
Abby Dalton began her professional career in her teens as a magazine cover model. She was also featured on a handful of record album covers of the time. Dalton transitioned into acting and trained under mentors like Jackie Cooper, Joey Bishop, and Jane Wyman.
Dalton made her on-screen debut in 1957 in the musical crime-drama film Rock All Night. She appeared in numerous movies in the subsequent years including Teenage Doll, Carnival Rock, Stakeout on Dope Street, and The Saga of the Viking Women and Their Voyage to the Waters of the Great Sea Serpent.
Began appearing on Famous television shows
During this time, she also began appearing on television shows like Schlitz Playhouse, The Rifleman, Jefferson Drum, Sugarfoot, Maverick, and Rawhide.
She landed upon her breakthrough role as the lead character, Lt. Martha Hale, RN, in the CBS military sitcom Hennesey. Her performance earned her a nomination at the 1961 Emmy Awards for Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role.
From 1962 to 1965, she starred as Ellie Barnes in the NBC/CBS sitcom The Joey Bishop Show, and from 1970 to 1974, she Barbara Finletter / Delores on Love, American Style.
Famous movies
Throughout that, she continued to work in movies like Girls on the Loose, The Plainsman, A Whale of a Tale, Roller Blade Warriors: Taken by Force, Cyber Tracker, Buck, and the Magic Bracelet, and Prank.
Dalton retired from performing in 2008 at the age of 76. By the time she retired, she had an illustrious body of work to her name with nearly 50 movie and television credits.
Ex-Husband
Abby Dalton has three children with her second husband, now her ex-husband, businessman Jack David Smith. They were married for 12 years from December 22, 1960, to 1972. Abby was previously married to Joe Moudragon.
Mother of three children
Among her three children are her daughter Kathleen Kinmont (born Kathleen Kinmont Smith on February 3, 1965) and her son Matthew David Smith (born on June 13, 1963).
Both are actors in their own right with Kathleen making a name for herself in movies like Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, Midnight, Final Impact, Dead of Night, and Ernesto's Manifesto; Matthew, on the other hand, is known for playing Joey Barnes Jr. on The Joey Bishop Show.
Net Worth
Abby Dalton is estimated to have a net worth of around $5 million. Her wealth comes from her career as a screen actress, including her salary from film and television appearances, media appearances, etc.
A fifty-one-year veteran of acting, she has appeared in numerous commercially successful films and television shows.
by shrijan, 15 Sep, 2022
