{{Short description|American actress and model (1931–1985)}} {{Use American English|date=October 2022}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2022}} {{Infobox person | name = Tina Carver | image = Tina Carver.jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = | birth_name = Bertenia June Brown | birth_date = {{Birth date|1923|11|02|mf=yes}}<ref name="DC"/> | birth_place = Salina, Kansas<ref name="KC">Bertenia J Brown in the ''Kansas, U.S., State Census Collection, 1855-1925'', 1925 Saline, Salina</ref><ref name="ark">Bertenia J Brown in the ''1930 United States Federal Census'', Arkansas Pulaski, Little Rock, District 0028</ref> | death_date = {{Death date and age|1982|02|18|1923|11|02|mf=yes}}<ref name="DC"/><ref name="DN">{{cite news|title=Death Notices: Mrs. Bertenia June Brown-Carver|work=The Houston Post|date=February 24, 1982|page=18C}}</ref> | death_place = Edmonds, Washington, U.S.<ref name="DC"/> | alma_mater = | occupation = {{hlist|Actress|model}} | years_active = 1954-1960 | spouses = {{unbulleted list| {{marriage|M. M. Dickason|1940|1945|reason=divorced}}<ref name="LC"/> {{marriage|Thomas H. Carver|1947|1956|reason=divorced}}<ref name="Marriage"/><ref name="Divorce"/>}} | children = 3 }}
'''Tina Carver''', born '''Bertenia June Brown''', (November 2, 1923 – February 18, 1982) was an American actress and model active in the 1950s and early 1960s. Born in Salina, Kansas, Carver lived in Little Rock, Arkansas and Houston, Texas during her growing up years. She trained as a pianist and worked in that capacity in Houston before becoming an actress. She studied drama at the University of Houston, and began her stage career in Europe in the early 1950s performing in theaters in Berlin and Paris. After performing in plays in Texas and California in 1953, she signed with Columbia Pictures in 1954. She made films with Columbia through 1957, and also worked in films with other Hollywood Studios in the mid 1950s. She also worked as an actress on American television from 1954-1961. In her later life she lived in Seattle, Washington where she worked as a realtor. She died at the age of 58 from complications of lung cancer at Stevens Memorial Hospital in Edmonds, Washington in 1982.
==Early life== The daughter of Herbert Weir Brown<ref name="DC"/><ref name="Pair"/> and Opha Estelle Cox,<ref name="DC">Tina J. Carver in the ''Washington, U.S., Death Records, 1907-2017'', State File No. 2 04061, Local File Number 335</ref> Tina Carver was born with the name Bertenia June Brown<ref name="DC"/><ref name="DN"/><ref name="Pair">{{cite news|title=Pair of Melodramas Showing at Delman|first=Mildred|last=Stockard|work=The Houston Chronicle|date= April 11, 1956|page= 40}}</ref> on November 2, 1923<ref name="DC"/> in Salina, Kansas.<ref name="KC"/><ref name="ark"/> By the time of the 1930 United States Federal Census she was living with her parents and siblings in Little Rock, Arkansas.<ref name="ark"/> She later moved with her family to Houston, Texas. Her first marriage was to a Mr. M. M. Dickason<ref name="LC">{{cite news|title=Local Court|work=The Houston Chronicle|date= December 20, 1945|page= 4}}</ref> with whom she had two sons, Robert and Charles.<ref name="Young"/> That marriage ended in divorce in December 1945.<ref name="LC"/>
Tina originally trained to be a musician and worked as a pianist in Texas.<ref>{{cite news|title=King Farce Next at Playhouse|work=The Houston Post|date=September 23, 1953|page= 25}}</ref> In 1946 she was enrolled at the University of Houston and starred in a student production of Karel Čapek's ''R.U.R.''; performing under the name Tina Dickason.<ref>{{cite news|title=Two Performances of R.U.R. Slated By Houston U. Unit|work=The Houston Chronicle|date= November 24, 1946|page=17D}}</ref> It was reported in ''The Houston Chronicle'' in December 1947 that she was living in Germany and had recently married a second time to Tom Carver who was employed in the Allied Military Government of Occupied Territories in Berlin.<ref name="Marriage">{{cite news|title=Boys, 5 and 3, To Fly to Germany to Rejoin Mother|work=The Houston Chronicle|date= December 19, 1947|page=30A}}</ref> They married in the autumn of 1947.<ref name="Young">{{cite news|title=Youngsters Fly to Europe|work=The Houston Post|date= December 19, 1947|page= 1}}</ref> The couple separated in November 1952 around the time their daughter Victoria was born, and later filed for divorced in October 1955.<ref>{{cite news|title=Actress Receives Default Divorce|work=Valley Times|date= October 28, 1955|page= 2}}</ref> Their divorce was finalized in January 1956.<ref name="Divorce">{{cite news|title=Actress Tina Carver Divorces Professor|work=Washington Evening Star|date= January 14, 1956|page=B9}}</ref> At the time of their divorce Tom Carver was a professor at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law.<ref name="Divorce"/>
==Career== Carver began her acting career in Europe in the early 1950s, performing in theaters in Paris and Berlin.<ref>{{cite news|title=Houston Actress Doing Summer Stock in Paris|work=The Houston Post|date= July 17, 1951|page= 13}}</ref> In Paris she starred in Meyer Levin's ''The Good Old Days'' in 1951 for the opening of the American Theatre.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1951/07/18/archives/american-theatre-opens-in-paris.html?searchResultPosition=1|title=American Theatre Opens in Paris|date=July 18, 1951|page= 21|work=The New York Times}}</ref> In 1953 she portrayed the vicar's wife, Penelope Toop, in Philip King's ''See How They Run'' at the Playhouse Theatre in Houston,<ref>{{cite news|title=''See How They Run'' Gives Playhouse Audiences Big Laughs|work=The Houston Chronicle|date= October 1, 1953|page=D2}}</ref> and the part of nurse Ruth Kelly in Mary Chase's ''Harvey'' in a production in La Puente, California.<ref>{{cite news|title=This and That|work=The Houston Chronicle|date= November 6, 1953|page=D9}}</ref>
By June 1954 Carver was under contract with Columbia Pictures.<ref>{{cite news|title=Between the Lines|first=Gilbert|last=Gorman|work=The Houston Chronicle|date= June 27, 1954|page=2, section Feature Magazine}}</ref> For Columbia she starred as Joni Calvin in the film noir crime film ''Inside Detroit'' (1955),<ref name="IND">{{cite journal|url=https://archive.org/details/variety201-1955-12/page/n78/mode/1up?q=%22Tina+Carver%22|title=Inside Detroit|work=Variety|date=December 14, 1955|page=6|author=Brog.}}</ref> Gail Windsor in ''Uranium Boom'' (1956),<ref name="NYDN"/> as Mrs. Benko (Nick's wife) in the boxing movie ''The Harder They Fall'' (1956)<ref name="NF"/> and Big Marge in ''The Man Who Turned to Stone'' (1957).<ref name="STONE"/> She had a minor role in the United Artists film ''A Bullet for Joey'' (1955).<ref name="BFJ"/> For Warner Bros. she portrayed Marie Holzapple in ''A Cry in the Night'' (1956)<ref name="CRY"/> and Bessie in ''Hell on Frisco Bay'' (1956).<ref name="B"/> She appeared in two films for Allied Artists Pictures: Dr. Terry Mason in the science-fiction horror film ''From Hell It Came'' (1957)<ref name="FHIC"/> and Claire Ramsey in the film noir ''Chain of Evidence'' (1957).<ref name="WBE"/>
On television Carver guest starred in a 1954 episode of ''Big Town'',<ref>{{cite news|title=What's On Air|work=The Zanesville Signal|date= October 20, 1954|page= 6}}</ref> and performed opposite Alan Ladd as his love interest in the episode "Committed" on ''General Electric Theater'' in December 1954; the latter of which was hosted by Ronald Reagan.<ref>{{cite news|title=Tele-Views|work=The Capital Journal|date= December 3, 1954|page=15}}</ref> She also starred opposite John Ireland in a 1954 episode of ''The Whistler''.<ref>{{cite news|title=Abbe Airs It|first=James|last=Abbe|work=Oakland Tribune|date= December 29, 1954|page= 16}}</ref> She starred in "The Quiet Wife" episode of ''The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse'' anthology in 1955.<ref>{{cite news|title=WHBQ-TV|work=The Commercial Appeal|date= February 27, 1955|page=12}}</ref> In 1956 she filmed the episode "After the Fact" with Keith Larsen and Robert Foulk for the anthology series ''The Web'' which aired in 1957.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1956/02/15/archives/screen-gems-begins-filming-the-web-series-of-suspense-melodramas.html?searchResultPosition=3|title=Screen Gems Begins Filming 'The Web,' Series of Suspense Melodramas for TV|date=February 15, 1956|page= 46|work=The New York Times}}</ref> Her other television credits included guest appearances on ''Crossroads'' (1955), ''Colt .45'' (1957), ''Perry Mason'' (1958), ''The Thin Man'' (1958), ''The Millionaire'' (1958), ''Bronco'' (1959), ''Wichita Town'' (1959), ''Mr. Lucky'' (1960), ''Surfside 6'' (1960), ''Shotgun Slade'' (1960, episode "The Golden Tunnel"),<ref>''The Hollywood Reporter'' (1960), Volume 159</ref> and ''Dante'' (1961, episode "Light Lady, Dark Room").<ref>"Dante", ''Television Index: Network series and special programs, advertisers, talent'' (1961), Volumes 13-14</ref>
==Later life== In her later life Carver lived in Seattle, Washington where she worked as a realtor.<ref name="DC"/> She died at Stevens Memorial Hospital in Edmonds, Washington on February 18, 1982 from pneumonitis related to small-cell carcinoma.<ref name="DC"/> Her body was cremated and then transported to Texas for interment at Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery in Houston.<ref name="DN"/>
==Filmography== *''A Bullet for Joey'' (1955) as Counter girl<ref name="BFJ">{{cite book|url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/George_Raft/Qi7JiuIsQbsC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22Tina+Carver%22+%22A+Bullet+for+Joey%22&pg=PA162&printsec=frontcover|page=162|title=George Raft: The Films|first=Everett|last= Aaker|year= 2013|isbn=9780786493135|publisher=McFarland & Company}}</ref> *''Inside Detroit'' (1955) as Joni Calvin<ref name="IND"/> *''A Cry in the Night'' (1956) as Marie Holzapple<ref name="CRY">{{cite journal|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_variety_1956-08-15_203_11/mode/2up?q=%22Tina+Carver%22|journal=Variety|date=August 15, 1956|volume=203|number= 11|title=Film Reviews: A Cry in the Night|page=18}}</ref> *''Uranium Boom'' (1956) as Gail Windsor<ref name="NYDN">{{cite news|title=Film Sparked By Uranium|author=S. A.|work=New York Daily News|date= April 1, 1956|page=7, section 2}}</ref> *''The Harder They Fall'' (1956) as Mrs. Benko (Nick's wife)<ref name="NF">{{cite book|page=174|title=Feature Films, 1950-1959: A United States Filmography|first=Alan G.|last=Fetrow|year=1999|isbn=9780786404278|publisher=McFarland & Company}}</ref> *''Hell on Frisco Bay'' (1956) as Bessie<ref name="B">{{cite book|title=The Films of Fay Wray|first= Roy|last= Kinnard|first2= Tony|last2= Crnkovich|year= 2015|isbn=9781476604152|publisher=McFarland & Company|url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Films_of_Fay_Wray/eyOCpuGkuykC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22Tina+Carver%22+%22Hell+on+Frisco+Bay%22+%22Bessie%22&pg=PA166&printsec=frontcover}}</ref> *''From Hell It Came'' (1957) as Dr. Terry Mason<ref name="FHIC">{{cite book |last1=Craig |first1=Rob |title=It Came from 1957: A Critical Guide to the Year's Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films |date=21 September 2013 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-1-4766-1243-0 |page=157 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Zdv7AAAAQBAJ&dq=Tina+Carver&pg=PA157 |access-date=7 October 2022 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Blum |first1=Daniel |title=Screen World: 1958 |date=1969 |orig-date=1st pub. 1958 |publisher=Biblo & Tannen Publishers |isbn=978-0-8196-0264-0 |page=172 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bdob6Dp77uIC&dq=Tina+Carver&pg=PA172 |access-date=7 October 2022 |language=en}}</ref> *''Chain of Evidence'' (1957) as Claire Ramsey<ref name="WBE">{{cite book |last1=Blottner |first1=Gene |title=Wild Bill Elliott: A Complete Filmography |date=30 September 2011 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-0-7864-6903-1 |page=35 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yIShCAAAQBAJ&dq=Tina+Carver&pg=PA35 |access-date=7 October 2022 |language=en}}</ref> *''The Man Who Turned to Stone'' (1957) as Big Marge<ref name="STONE">{{cite book|url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/It_Came_from_1957/Zdv7AAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22Tina+Carver%22+%22The+Man+Who+Turned+to+Stone%22&pg=PA89&printsec=frontcover|page=89|title=It Came from 1957: A Critical Guide to the Year's Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films|first=Rob|last=Craig|year=2013|isbn=9781476612430|publisher=McFarland & Company}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Find a Grave | 164121663 |Tina Carver}} * {{IMDb name|0142588}} * {{TCMDb title|id=113304%7C79697}}
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Category:1923 births Category:1982 deaths Category:20th-century American actresses Category:American female models Category:American film actresses Category:American television actresses Category:University of Houston alumni