Bathing Beauties XIV

Thelma Bates was born on April 1, 1903 in New York. She was the second child born to Walter Bates, who worked for a telephone company, and his wife, Florence Frazier. Thelma had an older brother, Dean and two younger siblings, Ralph and Verna Lillian. 

Her career was relatively short, only 8 films/shorts from 1919 until 1921. She married Frank Stransky the same year she retired from films and they remained married until his death in 1961.

Thelma passed away on April 4, 1979 in Oregon. She is buried next to her husband at Winona Cemetery in Tualtin, Oregon.

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Isabelle Keith was born on May 27, 1898 in New York City. Her film career consisted of 53 films/shorts and lasted from 1919 until 1937. She appeared under a variety of different names including: 'Claudelle Kaye,' 'Elizabeth Keith,' 'Isabelle Keep,' and 'Isobel Keep.' I am not sure if any of these were her given name, but a few of them sound like someone was hearing her name through a game of Telephone. 

Her career wasn't stellar, but she did become a well known face, especially to Laurel and Hardy fans. She also had a bit part in The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse with Rudolph Valentino. Later in her career she had small parts (usually as a secretary) in pretty big pictures like 1931's Mata Hari with Greta Garbo, Manhattan Melodrama with Myrna Loy and Clark Gable, and 1935's Anna Karenina again with Garbo. 

She was married at least once, to writer Richard Weil, but I am not sure of the dates. I also read rumors that she had lesbian affairs, notably with singer and actress Lillian Roth, but I can't find anything to substantiate these claims.

Isabelle passed away on July 20, 1979 in Mill Valley, California. I do not know where she is buried. 

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Lucille Miller was born on November 11, 1909 in Los Angeles. She was a beauty right from the get go and was actually voted the first Miss Venice. Her film career consisted of 43 films/shorts from 1927 until 1941. While she wasn't a huge star like Crawford or Bow, she did appear in a few big pictures (usually as a dancer or chorus girl) like Dancing Lady in 1933 and Week-End in Havana in 1941. 

She was married at least once, to Colonel Robert Johnston. I am not sure when they married, but I believe they remained married until death. After she retired from film, she and her husband traveled frequently and they owned and operated a store in downtown Los Angeles called Colonel Bob's Hobby Shop. 

Lucille passed away on August 28, 2002 in Camarillo, California. I do not know where she is buried.

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Aloha Porter was born Eugenia Aloha Porter on June 5th in Los Angeles. I have seen her birth year span from 1908 all the way to 1911. She was born to Lewis Porter, a mining expert, and his wife, Eugenia Stevens. I read somewhere that she had a twin brother named Harold who also worked briefly in Hollywood but I can't find anything to substantiate that. Aloha's film career lasted from 1926 until 1935, with 16 film/short appearances. She was also named Miss California of 1926. After she retired from films she became heavily involved in the show horse circuit.

She was married at least twice. Her first marriage was to Leonard Lee Roy Thomas in 1926, but the marriage was annulled the following year. Her second husband was a dentist named Eugene Jess Robinson who she married in 1936. The couple remained married until his death in 1967.

Aloha lived a long life, passing away on June 1, 2004.