The American actress Rhona Fleming – a star form the Golden Era of Hollywood – has passed away just weeks after turning 97.
The US star was dubbed the Queen of Technicolour for her work in early colour films in the 1940s and 1950s and featured on camera all the way to the 1990s.
Rhona passed away in Saint John’s Health Center, Santa Monica, California on Wednesday – although a cause of death has not yet been shared.
Variety reports that the death of the star – who celebrated her 97th birthday in August – was confirmed by her secretary on Friday.
Rhona performed as Mary Carmichael in the 1945 Alfred Hitchcock film Spellbound – a psychological mystery thriller in which the actress played a patient in Green Manors hospital.
She was also directed over the course of her career by Jacques Tourneur’s 1947 film Out of the Past and Robert Siodmak’s 1946 film The Spiral Staircase.
She also acted alongside Bing Crosby in the 1948 musical A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, and alongside John Payne in 1957’s Slightly Scarlet.
While Kirk Douglas, Burt Lancaster, Bob Hope, Rock Hudson and actor-turned US President Ronald Reagan were also among her co-stars.
While her final performance was in a 1990 short film titled Waiting for the Wind, the actress supported charitable organisations fighting cancer, homelessness and child abuse beyond her acting work.
Rhonda was married six times over the course of her life – first tying-the-knot with Tom Lane in 1940, divorcing in 1042, marrying Dr Lewis Morrill in 1952 and divorcing in 1954, then marrying Lang Jeffries in 1960, but divorcing in 1962.
She went on to marry Hall Bartlett in 1966, before splitting in 1972, then married Ted Mann in 1977 who she remained with until his death in 2001.
She then married Darol Carlson in 2003 until his death in 2017.
Rhonda is survived by her son, Kent Lane, granddaughter, Kelly Harman, granddaughter Kimberly Coleman, as well as well as great-grandchildren, Wagner Harman, Page Harman, Linden Harman, Lane Albrecht, Cole Albrecht and two great-great grandchildren, Ronan and Kiera Harman.