Betty Brodel – an actress and the sister of golden age ingénue Joan Leslie – has passed away at 104.
The veteran actress died Sunday in Florida a family member named Cathy Palmer told The Hollywood Reporter on Thursday.
Betty had appeared with her Hollywood legend sister in Thank Your Lucky Stars (1943) and Hollywood Canteen (1944), plus Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942), Too Young to Know (1945) and Cinderella Jones (1946).
Her sister Joan Leslie was one of the most popular film ingénues of the 1930s and 40s as she is best known for her work in 1941’s Sergeant York and High Sierra.
Elizabeth Ann Brodel was born in Detroit on Feb. 5, 1920.
Betty Brodel – an actress and the sister of golden age ingénue Joan Leslie – has passed away at 104; she is seen in the lobbycard from Swing Hostess in 1941
Their mother Agnes Brodel (right) and Betty (left) are seen visiting Joan (center) on a Warner Bros. set back in June 1942
Betty and Joan’s parents were father John Brodel who was a bank teller while their mother Agnes was a pianist and homemaker.
The two also had older sister named Mary who was born in 1916 as the trio sang and danced in a vaudeville act called The Brodel Sisters.
The talented trio performed in their hometown in addition to New York City before touring from Canada to Florida.
Their Hollywood careers began when a talent scout had signed eldest sister Mary to a contract at MGM.
The entire family relocated to Burbank, California before the trio of sisters appeared in 1936 short film Signing Off.
Betty’s other roles included Ladies Courageous (1944), Cover Girl (1944) and Swing Hostess (1944).
She married Joe Franzalia in 1948 as they enjoyed an over 50 year marriage until he passed away in 1999.
Betty had lived in Fort Walton Beach, Florida from 1963 until her death.
Betty seen in Hollywood Canteen with sister Joan Leslie in addition to Robert Hutton and Andrea King
Betty’s roles included Ladies Courageous (1944), Cover Girl (1944) and Swing Hostess (1944; pictured right)
She is survived by her children Toni and Chuck; grandchildren Polly, Sonny and Danielle; and great-grandchildren, Taylor, Joe, Layla and Lily.
Betty had another son named Joseph who sadly passed away in 1951 just days after he was born.
Meanwhile in her sister Joan’s 20-year career, the Detroit native performed in over 30 films.
She romanced Gary Cooper in Sergeant York, danced with Fred Astaire in The Sky’s the Limit, and sang with James Cagney in Yankee Doodle Dandy.
Eldest sister Mary appeared in films including Sunset Murder Case (1938), Down the Wyoming Trail (1939) and Signing Off (1936).
Joan passed away aged 90 in October 2015 and their older sister Mary died aged 98 in June 2015.