Carol Thurston

Carol Thurston (September 27, 1920 – December 31, 1969) was an American film and television actress who played the fictitious Emma Clanton in eight episodes (1959-1961) of the ABC/Desilu western television series, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, starring Hugh O'Brian as frontier peace officer Wyatt Earp.

Background

Betty Lou Thurston was born in North Dakota of Irish descent to Harvey E. Thurston and the former Marie O'Loughlin. By 1930, she was residing with her family in Forsyth in Rosebud County in southeastern Montana. By the time she was twelve, she began to work in her father's country repertory company. The Thurstons moved to Billings, Montana,where she was active in the Billings Civic Theater and graduated from Billings High School. In 1942, she moved with her family to Hollywood, where her father began employment with Lockheed Aircraft.

Film

Thurston was typecast in the role of exotic native girls. She made her motion picture debut in 1944, when Louella Parsons reported that Thurston had been selected over several other actresses by director Cecil B. De Mille to play the role of the Indonesian girl "Three Martini" in The Story of Dr. Wassell.