Helen Westcott

Helen Westcott (January 1, 1928, Los Angeles, California – March 17, 1998, Edmonds, Washington) was an American stage and screen actor and former child actor. She is best known for her work in The Gunfighter (1958).

Early years

Born Myrthas Helen Hickman, she was the daughter of singer Hazel Beth McArthur and Warner Bros. studio actor Gordon Westcott who died when Helen was 7 years old, in 1935. She attended Los Angeles City College.

When she was 2, Westcott appeared in vaudeville with her mother, and when she was 7 she began a nine-year run playing the daughter on stage in a production of The Drunkard in Los Angeles.

Film

When Westcott was 4 years old, she appeared in a series of short films. At 5, she appeared in the full-length Thunder Over Texas. She appeared opposite Gregory Peck in the western classic The Gunfighter released in 1950. She was also known in part for her role in Charles Lamont's 1953 comedy horror film Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Television

Westcott moved from the big screen to television roles in the late 1950s. In 1958 she appeared on Perry Mason as murderer Marcia Greeley in "The Case of the Haunted Husband." She also made guest appearances on Bonanza, The Twilight Zone and Wanted Dead Or Alive.

Later years

Westcott also appeared on the stage later in her career, as well as in films including Anthony Mann's God's Little Acre in 1958.

Personal life

Westcott wed actor Don Gordon on February 18, 1948. In 1950, they had a daughter, Jennifer. They were divorced in 1953.

Death

On March 17, 1998, Westcott died of cancer in Edmonds, Washington. Her body was cremated.

Partial filmography

• Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1953)
• The Battles of Chief Pontiac
• Homicide (1949)
• Invisible Avenger (1958)
• A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935)
• Monster on the Campus (1958)
• 13 Lead Soldiers (1948)

The Gunfighter (1950)

Source: The Encyclopedia of Fantastic Film: Ali Baba to Zombies