Deannie Best, born Willia Dean Doughty on September 25, 1926, in Altus, Oklahoma, began her life amidst the challenges of a childhood marked by her parents' divorce when she was just three years old. As a teenager, Deannie made the bold decision to move to Hollywood, where she was handpicked to join the prestigious Goldwyn Girls. Her early years in the city of stars were filled with glamour and excitement.
On April 12, 1944, Deannie married Greg Balzer, but their union was short-lived, and they soon parted ways. Tragedy struck in September of the same year when her mother, Willia Best, was brutally murdered at the tender age of thirty-five. Deannie's acting career continued to flourish, with notable roles in films such as Wonder Man and The Big Sleep.
In 1945, she embarked on a USO tour with Kay Kayser's troupe, entertaining troops across the country. Deannie's personal life was filled with romantic entanglements, including a brief engagement to yacht salesman Willis Hunt, who had previously been married to Carole Landis.
In 1948, Deannie landed a supporting role in the Charlie Chan mystery Shanghai Chest. That same year, she married Hollywood attorney Albert Pearlson, only to have the marriage annulled a few months later. The couple remarried on March 7, 1949, but their union was short-lived, and they divorced in 1952. Deannie then married James Neil Kennedy, a soldier, and began a new chapter in her life.
However, her happiness was short-lived, as she suffered a miscarriage in the Fall of 1949. Tragedy struck again in June 1953, when Deannie gave birth to a premature daughter who sadly passed away. The couple split up in 1957, shortly before the birth of their daughter Dru.
Deannie's life took a dramatic turn when she reunited with her ex-fiancé Willis Hunt and married him in July 1965. The following year, he legally adopted her nine-year-old daughter Dru. Unfortunately, Willis struggled with a drinking problem and was abusive. On December 14, 1969, Deannie and Willis got into a violent argument at their Newport Beach home, which escalated into a struggle. During the chaos, Deannie picked up a butcher knife and stabbed Willis, who later succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.
Deannie was arrested and charged with manslaughter but was found innocent on all charges after a brief trial in November 1970. She continued to live in California, away from the spotlight, until her passing on May 16, 2000, at the age of seventy-three.
