Claims she had a nose job in 1959 because she felt her nose was "too prominent." She later questioned this decision, wondering if she would have gotten more sympathetic roles if her nose were less aquiline.
Claims she had her first marriage annulled because her husband was still in love with his first wife, and so they rarely lived together.
Died the day before her 81st birthday.
First child of Etta and Lane Bertelsen, she was christened Emily Marie. She was 11 when brother Jerry was born and 17 when her sister Louise arrived, by which time, Emily Marie was already in her first year at Brigham Young University.
Husband Jack is the son of silent screen actor/writer/director Earle Rodney.
In her later years, she suffered from arthritis.
Measurements: 37 1/2-25-39 1/4 (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine)
Often cast as an adulterous wife, slutty girlfriend, female gang leader or gun moll, she proved so convincing in those roles that she often received Bibles in the mail with passages underlined that covered the "sins" she had committed onscreen, warning her that she would go to hell if she didn't reform. Several of those types of letters dwelt so much on her "immorality" and "evil ways" that, unnerved, she turned them over to the police.
Profiled in "Killer Tomatoes: Fifteen Tough Film Dames" by Ray Hagen and Laura Wagner (McFarland, 2004).
She served as a director of the Screen Actors Guild for 25-years.
She was a lifelong member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
She was one of the 500 stars nominated to become one of the 50 greatest American screen legends as part of the American Film Institutes 100 years... 100 stars event. AFI revealed the list on a three-hour CBS television special June 15, 1999.
Step-son, Chris, from Jack's first marriage. He lived with them starting at age 13. Son Richard Rodney born January 11, 1963. She claimed having Chris around was a big help in raising Ricky.
Was a Republican.