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Ann Blyth, Oscar-Nominated Star, Dies at 98

6/26/2026

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Summary

Ann Blyth Dies

Ann Blyth died June 24, 2026 at age 98 in Rancho Santa Fe, California.
She earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for “Mildred Pierce” (1945) and, after a 1946 toboggan accident that broke her back and required a seven-month body cast, returned to film.
After 1957 she performed in theatre, appeared on TV series like “Wagon Train,” and earned a Hollywood Walk of Fame star at 6733 Hollywood Boulevard.

Summary

Ann Blyth Legacy

Blyth became Hostess’s “official mom” in 1970s commercials for Twinkies, Crumb Cakes and Ding Dongs.
Trained as an opera singer, Blyth acted in over 30 films (1944-1957) and married Dr. James McNulty, Dennis Day’s brother.
After a sledding accident, she wore a custom back-brace-friendly gown at the 1946 Oscars.
In a 2013 Hollywood Reporter interview, Blyth said Joan Crawford’s screen-test involvement helped her land the Mildred Pierce role.

Summary

Ann Blyth Recognition

Ann Blyth, born Anne Blythe, dropped the final “e” from both names and, after her father left, moved to New York City, joining the Opera Company at nine.
Blyth’s devout Catholicism led studios to cast her in lighter roles, biographer Jacqueline T. Lynch notes.
In 1996, “Mildred Pierce” entered the National Film Registry, cementing Blyth’s performance as significant and prompting a 2015 biography that examined her private life’s impact on career.

History

Historical Context

Prompted by 1980s protests over colorization, Congress passed the National Film Preservation Act, which President Ronald Reagan signed on September 27 1988, establishing the Library of Congress’s National Film Registry. The board began selecting 25 films each year, starting with 25 titles in 1989; Ann Blyth’s 1945 performance in *Mildred Pierce* joined the Registry in 1996, preserving the studio-system era.

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Ann Blyth Dies

Ann Blyth died June 24, 2026 at age 98 in Rancho Santa Fe, California.
She earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for “Mildred Pierce” (1945) and, after a 1946 toboggan accident that broke her back and required a seven-month body cast, returned to film.
After 1957 she performed in theatre, appeared on TV series like “Wagon Train,” and earned a Hollywood Walk of Fame star at 6733 Hollywood Boulevard.

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