Hartford Courant from Hartford, Connecticut • 133

Tragic Accident Failed To Daunt Karen Steele 1 1 tir y7Zf J- I i I Jul fUI A I By CHARLES WITBECK Watching Karen Steele, a pretty blonde, statuesque actress on the Warner Brothers lot, one would think she has the world by the tah She appears to be an extremely happy, outgoing person, a little naive, perhaps, but what's the matter with that? She believes almost anything and TV crews love to point to an imaginary hole in her stocking so she will lift her skirt a bit to hunt for it. In return, crews help her out. When there isn't time for a lighting check, a grip will tell Karen where to stand to get the right overhead. Karen has also been known to go to bat for a crew member who is being dressed down and will take the blame herself if she can to take the heat cff. During the past few years, Karen has gone up the salary grade in TV westerns like Maverick, The deputy shows in which she rides a horse, dismounts and makes eyes at the hero.

In the calico dresses fans get a general idea that Miss Steele has a stunning figure. On 77 Sunset Strip ana Hawaiian Eye, she slips into something more revealing and then doesn't have to utter a line of dialogue; her figure takes care of everything. Karen says she first made the grade in TV because she could ride a horse, and willingly did her bit, thereby allowing the company to save on a female stunt rider. Of all people who could make excuses about riding Karen could come the closest, because she has a left leg that is put together by wires, metal, a screw and the talent of an extremely able orthopedist. "Should I tell him about my leg?" Karen asked a publicity agent.

He nodded and Karen began her amazing tale. Natural Athlete Born in Honolulu, Karen grew up riding surfboards, diving, puttering around with her hands. Her father, a former Harvard athlete, says the first time Karen held a tennis racket she used a natural swing. Everything she did was rhythmic and coordinated. She would ride boards standing on her hands while the big waves loomed up behind.

At 13 Karen took a spill and hit coral on the bottom. Fragments cut into her leg. Undaunted she went back surfing again. Later the Steele family moved to the mainland and Karen took' up tennis. Soon she was playing at the Los Angeles Tennis Club with stars like Beverly Baker Fleitz, Maureen Connolly and was ranked among the top girl tennis players in the country.

Groucho Marx and other film celebrities, who were tennis bugs, watched her slug away in big tournaments. Suddenly, osteomolitis set in her left leg, a kickback perhaps from her surfing accident, and Karen went to the hospital. Long months lying flat in hospitals followed and Karen was no better. It looked as if her leg would have to be amputated. Karen even recalls planning what she would do with a wooden leg and she was determined to make it work like a normal one.

Finally, a Chinese doctor -was called in from Hong Kong, and he stopped the infection. Following this came the jime to rebuild the leg using wires for ligaments, metal caps for knee bone, etc-Started In Radio During these long months in the hospital, Groucho Marx dropped in occasionally to cheer Karen up. When she told him she would probably be in a wheelchair the rest of her life, he suggested that she might try working in radio since she had a pleasant low voice and she could work in her chair. Groucho went on and suggested she make a record of her voice. She might do impersonations.

Then she should send Ihe record to the networks. It would be a beginning to get her mind off her troubles. Karen took to the idea and began imitating the familiar voices who droned on the soap operas she heard daily. She had a record cut and sent it to the radio stations. The record made its rounds and one day at CBS, Norman MacDon-nell, now producer of TVs Gun-smoke, heard Karen's impersa- GIRL WITH COURAGE: Luscious Karen Steele usually plays the siren in mysteries like 77 Sunset Strip and Hawaiian Eye.

A former tennis and diving champion, Karen is making a new career as an actress as she saunters about on a leg patched up with wire, metal and talent. like everyone else once again. She is so happy to be out of a hospital arid well again, she doesn't believe anything could destroy her delight in life. Take a good look at Karen Steele on that little screen. There's a lot more to her than meets the eye- CRICKET-KOOKIE CONFAB: Despite the fact that an ocean (the Pacific) separates their bases on ABC-TV operation Cricket (Connie Stevens) in "Hawaiian Eye," in Hawaii, and Kookie (Edd Byrnes) in southern California with "77 Sunset Strip" the recording duo get together in, of all places, New York City.

Both shows are seen on Ch. 8. tSi'H'MJIIBIIBil RerU" mVieS reviewed bj TV Ky Excellent (xxxx) Good (xxx) Fair lions and called her in. Soon she had her first radio job. This led to others such as Lux Theater and tennis player Karen Steele had a new career During this time Karen was making gains with her leg.

After her 22nd operation she found she would be able to walk again. She began exercising with an iron boot to develop the few muscles she could use in her calf. Nothing would stop her from making that leg normal again. Today, though Karen's left leg is a half inch shorter than the other, no one can tell the difference in her walk. Though the only feeling Karen has in her leg come from two toes, she moves, dances, rides and swims like the athlete she once was.

Thanks to a brillant doctor and her own determination, Karen is "Greece," a tiny country of mountains and seaports with an ancient heritage will be explored. 8:30 Leave It to Beaver 8, 40, 53 The Man and the Challenge 10, 22, 30 Wanted Dead or Alive 3, 12 9:00 Movie at Nine 18 The Deputy 22, 30 Lawrence Welk 8, 40, 53 Mr. Lucky 3, 12 9:30 Journey to Understanding 10, 22, 30 Have Gun, Will Travel 3, 12 Paladin teaches a young man to be a fast gun, then regrets the consequences. 10:00 Divorce Court 8 Four Just Men 40 Gunsmoke 3, 12 26 Men 53 10:30 Man From Interpole 3d Tombstone, Territory 3 Markham 40 Jubilee USA 53 11:00 News Weather 8, 30 i 9 A.M. 9 P.M.

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