Overview

Laraine Day (born La Raine Johnson; October 13, 1920 – November 10, 2007) was an American actress whose screen career was most active from the 1930s through the 1950s. She worked in motion pictures and later appeared on radio and television. Day was noted for her poised, wholesome screen persona and steady supporting and leading roles in studio-era Hollywood.

Early life

Day was born in Roosevelt, Utah, and was sometimes credited early in her career under the billing La Raine Johnson. Details of her childhood and early training are often summarized as part of the trajectory of many actors of her generation who moved from regional stages or theatrical work to Hollywood auditions and studio contracts during the 1930s.

Career and screen persona

Beginning in films, Day established herself as a reliable leading lady and supporting player. She took roles across drama and light comedy, and became familiar to audiences through recurring character work. Like many actors of the studio era, she expanded into radio and later television, where her experience and recognizable voice made her a frequent guest on variety and dramatic programs.

Notable roles

Among the parts most frequently associated with Day are Miss Carol Banning in Painted Desert and Mary Lamont, the romantic interest in Calling Dr. Kildare. Her work in the Dr. Kildare pictures in particular brought her wider recognition as part of a popular medical-drama franchise of the period. Critics and fans often described her as embodying the era's ideal of a gracious, sympathetic heroine.

Later life and legacy

In later decades Day reduced her public acting work but continued to make occasional television appearances and to participate in public events. She retired from regular performance and returned to live in Utah. Day died in Ivins, Utah, on November 10, 2007, of natural causes at the age of 87. Her career is remembered as part of the body of work of mid-20th-century American studio cinema and early broadcast entertainment.

Selected film work and references

  • Painted Desert — role: Miss Carol Banning
  • Calling Dr. Kildare — role: Mary Lamont
  • Other films and appearances in the Dr. Kildare series and in radio/television anthologies

For further reading on her life and filmography consult contemporary biographical sources and film reference guides or visit a dedicated biography page: biographical sources on Laraine Day.