In Remembrance: Lynn Merrick

     Lynn Merrick, the blond, blue-eyed actress who appeared in numerous Republic Pictures westerns before moving on to Columbia Studios, has passed away on March 25, 2007 in West Palm Beach, FL. She was 85.

     Born on November 19, 1919 in Fort Worth Texas, Merrick moved to Hollywood to pursue a modeling career while studying acting. While appearing in a theatrical production, she was spotted by a Republic talent scout.

     Merrick’s first film, Two Gun Sheriff (1940), saw her cast opposite one of the studio’s more popular leads Don “Red” Barry. The two immediately clicked on screen and the studio would ultimately pair them for an additional 15 westerns during her three years at the studio.

     In 1943, Merrick moved from Republic to Columbia Studios. Although she started at the studio in supporting roles, she was soon appearing opposite lead actors like Bob Crosby in Meet Miss Bobby Socks (1944) and headlining films like The Blonde From Brooklyn (1945). She also appeared as the femme fatale in two entries of Columbia’s Boston Blackie series- Boston Blackie Booked On Suspicion (1945) and A Close Call For Boston Blackie (1946). Her final film at the studio was 1948’s I Love Trouble.

     Leaving Columbia, Merrick traveled to Europe where she did some television work. She would only appear in one more film, the 1955 thriller Flugten Til Denmark, released in the United States as Escape From Terror. Retiring from acting in the late 50s, Merrick would go on to work in the fashion industry and serve as an executive field director for the Barbizon School of Modeling from 1967 to 1974.