Ushering Herself to Stardom
After her family moved from Iowa to Los Angeles when she was a teenager, Van Doren started working as an usher at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood. While it might not have been the most glamorous job, it helped her get into the world of acting. After just one year at the theater, she got a small part on a TV series.
Photo by Earl Leaf/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
After her small acting role, Van Doren started singing with Ted Fio Rito’s band and entered several beauty contests. She was determined to become a star, and nothing was going to stop her. Van Doren knew she wanted to be an entertainer, so she was trying to get her foot in the door through the beauty world, and something almost got in her way.