"S A N D Y"
This article appeared in the February 1958 issue of Modern Teen Magazine
Sparkly Sandra Dee, fifteen years old, is one of the brightest new teenagers in Hollywood today. Modeling, TV, and now motion pictures have all played a big part in establishing her career to date.
Sandy, as she is called, wanted to become an actress at a very early age, six, to be exact. Her parents never discouraged her in her dream of stardom. On the other hand, they weren't stagestruck parents who force their offspring into something they don't want, either. They just let her do it the way she pleased, which was a very wise move.
As a member of the Girl Scouts, she modeled for one of her troop's benefit fashion shows. Harry Conover saw her and asked to sign her as a professional model. She was only twelve at the time and asked her parents if it would be all right. They realized she was a levelheaded girl, so they approved her wish. The day after she was signed, an art director from a national magazine requested her for one of their covers and Sandy's career was on its way, and it has been going well since.
By the time Sandy was thirteen, she was modeling at the Huntington Hartford Agency at a very cool $30 an hour. The same year, she was chosen as one of the top ten models in America, appeared on the covers of seven national magazines.
She was dancing with her father at the Waldorf Astoria annual charity ball when dress designer Oleg Cassini spotted her and asked her if she would model at one of his society fashion shows modeling an original he had designed and to top it off, a $165,000 diamond necklace, quite a bauble for a teen!
One thing followed another. A few days after, Craig Allen signed Sandy to play Vaughn Monroe's daughter on his TV show, and she transfered her talent to television acting. In rapid succession she appeared on General Electric Theatre, Studio One, and did a number of TV commercials, too.
Only a short while before she was to come to Hollywood for a screen test, her father died, but not before he knew that his prophesy that Sandy would be a star one day was coming true. Ross Hunter, a Universal-International producer, watched her on TV one night and was very impressed. He arranged to interview her in New York, then Sandy flew to Hollywood for a screen test opposite John Saxon. The studio executives were so pleased with the results of the test that she was signed to a contract, cast opposite John in "The Wonderful Years." Before she could start the picture, MGM wanted her to play the youngest sister in James Michener's story "Until They Sail," so that was her first film.
Poised, beautiful Sandy has had no formal dramatic training. Her talent is natural and so good, it's almost fantastic! In her latest film, she plays a rather opposite type from her own vivacious, glamourous self.
In the film, she is a young high school student, an outcast in high school, whose mother keeps her in very young clothes. Johnny Saxon moves to town and is attracted to the shy girl. Too backward to try for the school play, Sandy finally overcomes her fear and makes the grade. Meanwhile, she and John fall in love, but her mother opposes the match, not trusting John's intentions toward her daughter since years before, Sandy's father had refused to marry her mother. The film is a must-see; playing in it, also, are Teresa Wright, Luana Patten, and Jody McCrea.
In real life, Sandra is very close to her mother. They are almost like sisters, living in a Hollywood apartment co-operatively. Sandy cooks and does the marketing. Her mother buys most of her clothes, but they aren't the immature styles she wears in the movie. Sandy's mother knows her taste and picks out things she knows Sandy would like, to save her time in her busy schedule. For the most part, she wears casual clothes, sweaters and skirts. For evening, she used to like full skirts, but now that she's older, prefers sheaths.
Also living in their hilltop house are Sandy's two puppies, Tiki, a blonde Pomeranian, and Melinda, a blonde toy poodle. Eventually, she hopes to redecorate her home in white antique furniture, blues, silver, and orchid, her favorite colors.
Sandy likes ice skating and horseback riding, but has little time for them now. She hasn't much time for boyfriends, either, with her fulltime schedule--the price you pay for stardom. Like most teens, she loves records, movie mags. Oddly enough, she hates sweets, prefers steaks.
The brown-eyed blonde is 99 lbs. of solid talent. Her next film is "A Stranger In My Arms". Looks like Sandy is riding a rocket to the top!
More Pictures
Sandra and her mother Mary
Sandra and her mother Mary
Sandra reading
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