Tedi Thurman

Tedi Thurman
Thurman, c. 1950s
Born
Dorothy Ruth Thurman

(1923-06-23)June 23, 1923
Midville, Georgia, U.S.
DiedSeptember 17, 2012(2012-09-17) (aged 89)
Palm Springs, California, U.S.
Other namesMiss Monitor
Occupation(s)Actress, model, radio announcer

Theodora "Tedi" Thurman (born Dorothy Ruth Thurman; June 23, 1923 – September 17, 2012) was an American fashion model and actress who found fame in the 1950s as Miss Monitor on NBC's Monitor, a 40-hour weekend radio show developed by Pat Weaver.[1]

Born in Midville, Georgia, the daughter of a banker, Thurman originally planned to become a painter, studying at the Corcoran Institute in Washington, D. C. Her career plans changed, and she went to New York for modeling. Her first shoot wound up as a Vogue cover, bringing with it many other modeling jobs and some work on television soap operas.[2] Columnist Alice Hughes described her appearance:

She's 5-feet-7, weight 115, sea-blue eyes, long loosely combed red hair and a 33-21-33 figure. Ingredients like hers can turn the morning dew into a monsoon.[citation needed]

She had film offers, but only one role, in the z-grade 1954 Ed Wood movie, Jail Bait. In 1954, Leopold Stokowski needed an accomplished jew's harpist for a performance of Charles Ives' symphony, New England Holidays. Thurman was one of the 22 who auditioned, but she lost the gig to two professional musicians.[3]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Sultry was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Slifka, Adrian M. (25 October 1956). "'Temperatoors' Climb As 'Monitor' Gal Talks". Youngstown Vindicator. Retrieved 31 October 2010.
  3. ^ "Jew's-harp Virtuoso Found By Stokowski". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. 15 February 1954. Retrieved 31 October 2010.