Zale Parry
American scuba diver, photographer and actress (born 1933)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Zale Parry (born March 19, 1933)[1] is an American pioneer scuba diver, underwater photographer and actress. She has been described as "California's underwater queen without a rival in sight".[2]
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Zale Parry | |
|---|---|
Parry as a guest star on Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, 1965 | |
| Born | March 19, 1933 |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Spouse |
Parry Bivens
(m. 1955; div. 1963) |
Early years
Parry was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin,[3] and is one of seven children. She learned to swim at an early age to avoid "being perpetually dunked" by her siblings.[4] When she was in the ninth grade she joined a Florida water show, and for three years she toured with the show through the Midwestern United States.[3] She was a swimming champion and studied dramatics at UCLA.[5]
Diving
As a young woman, while working in Santa Monica, California, for the Douglas Aircraft Company, Parry became involved in pioneering diving and scientific work Sports Illustrated magazine.[6]
In 1954, Parry set a women's depth record to 209 feet,[4] exceeding the previous record of 80 feet.[5]
Acting
Later in 1954, Parry made her screen debut in Kingdom of the Sea, a Jack Douglas Production.[7] She appeared in 78 episodes of the series.[8] Because of her work in Kingdom of the Sea, Parry was tapped by the producers of the new show, Sea Hunt. Parry has referred to Sea Hunt as an "underwater western".[citation needed] The lead character, Mike Nelson (played by Lloyd Bridges), was introduced to an undersea problem or villain at the start of the show. By the end of the half-hour show, he had resolved the problem.
Parry's acting continued on other shows, including GE Theatre, Wagon Train, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Peter Gunn, The Magic Circus, and others. Parry continued as an actor for a number of years including many commercials and as a stunt woman on a wide variety of shows involving underwater scenes. By 1967, Parry's TV work was primarily in commercials.[2]
Parry doubled for Sophia Loren in the film Boy on a Dolphin (1957).[9] In 2006 she was in the film Tillamook Treasure, in which she played Sam, the owner of a hardware store.
Offices and recognition
Parry was a member of the board of directors of the Underwater Photographic Society[5] She later became the society's president.[9] She was co-director of the International Underwater Film Festival.[9]
She was featured on the cover of the May 23, 1955 issue of Sports Illustrated magazine,[10] and she received the 1960 Water Sports Championship Award from Argosy magazine.[9]
