Year of Ann Dvorak: Day 71

Yesterday, I had the unfortunate experience of spending the morning with my dear friend Darin while he had his terminally ill cat, Betty, put to sleep. Betty was a fine lady, and a Siamese cat. As with most things in my life, I was reminded of Ann Dvorak because she too had a Siamese cat named Omar who lived with her in Hawaii in the 1960s. Ann absolutely doted on Omar, so much so that he gets a couple of paragraphs in the book. This love of animals was something Ann exhibited her entire life.

I never came across any mentions of childhood pets, and since Ann moved around so much as a kid, it’s possible she never had any. However, once Ann and first husband, Leslie Fenton, settled down in the San Fernando Valley, they more than made up for it. The couple deliberately built a small home to discourage house guests, but had no problem sharing their digs with furry and feathered friends.  The raised rabbits and chickens, had a couple of cows for awhile along with two Cocker Spaniels and a Daschund named Heinzie.

Nothing could throw Ann into a blind rage the way cruelty to animals did. If she became aware of any critters being harmed during a film shoot, she had no problem reporting her studio to the ASPCA. Her last husband once had to physically restrain her from going after some neighborhood boys in Hawaii who had been throwing stones at cats.  As if we needed another reason to love Ann Dvorak!

Here’s to Ann, her cat Omar and our dearly departed friend Betty. Hope you’re all hanging out somewhere.