Betty Furness

Biography

Elizabeth Mary Furness was an American actress and consumer advocate who rose to fame in the 1930s, starring alongside Fred Astaire in Swing Time (1936). Her career also included notable roles in Magnificent Obsession (1935) and Thirteen Women (1932), although her scenes were deleted from the latter. After struggling to find acting work in the 1940s, Furness leveraged her charisma to promote Westinghouse products on TV, eventually securing a contract with the company.