Mimi Forsythe was a 1940s starlet who suffered several heartbreaks before her early death
She was born Betsy Marie Armstrong on December 13, 1921 in Chicago, Illinois. Sadly her mother, Marie Armstrong, died when she was nine. Her father, Arthur Armstrong, was a wealthy oil executive. When he died in 1938 Mimi inherited a large fortune. At the age of seventeen she married thirty-four year old real estate developer Benedict Bogeaus. After living in New York City for a year she convinced her husband to move to Hollywood. Mimi wanted to become an actress but she had trouble finding work. On June 3, 1941 she gave birth to a son named Geoffrey. Director Gregory Ratoff signed her to a contract in 1942. She made a 16mm amateur film called Mimi, Queen of The Crap Shooters. A producer saw it and cast her in the 1943 drama Three Russian Girls. Her performance received positive reviews. Then she appeared in the films The Bridge Of San Luis Rey and Sensations Of 1945. The beautiful blonde told reporters "I'm having the most amazing luck."
Mimi was heartbroken when her husband left her for actress Dolores Moran. Their divorce caused her to have a nervous breakdown and she began drinking. She also decided to quit acting. In September of 1946 she married Warren McCanless. Tragically he was killed in a car accident just two months later. Mimi married James Parnell Turner, a Chicago auto dealer, in 1947. Unfortunately their marriage was tumultuous and they separated several times. The couple divorced in June of 1951. By this time she was suffering from depression and her drinking was out of control. She decided to send her son to live with his father. On August 17, 1952 she was found dead in a hotel room at the age of thirty. There were rumors that she had committed suicide. However her death certificate proves she died from advanced cirrhosis caused by chronic alcoholism. Mimi was buried at Rosehill Cemetery in Chicago, Illinois.
