Vivian Blaine

American actress and singer. Born November 21, 1921, Newark, New Jersey, USA. Died December 9, 1995, New York City, New York, USA. Best known for her performance as Miss Adelaide, the long-suffering, perpetually engaged chorus girl, in the Broadway and film versions in [i]Guys and Dolls[/i]. She originated the role in 1950 on Broadway and stopped the show each night with her rendition of "Adelaide's Lament," in which she complains about having a bad cold because of her long engagement to gambler Nathan Detroit. She reprised her role in the film version of [i]Guys and Dolls[/i] (1955) with Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando. From 1973 until 1983, she appeared on many "Best Dressed Women in America" lists.