Departures of note

Abbe Lane, born Abigail Francine Lassman on December 14, 1932, in Brooklyn, New York, was an American singer and actress who gained prominence in the 1950s and 1960s for her revealing outfits and sultry performing style. She began her career as a child actress at age four and danced on Broadway as a teenager, later starring in productions such as Oh Captain! opposite Tony Randall in 1958.

Lane married Latin bandleader Xavier Cugat in 1952, becoming his third wife. During their marriage, she worked as a nightclub singer and recorded several albums for RCA Victor and Mercury, often incorporating Latin and rumba styles influenced by Cugat. She appeared on numerous television variety programs including The Ed Sullivan Show, The Tonight Show, and shows hosted by Red Skelton, Dean Martin, and Jack Benny.

Her film career included appearances in Italian productions and American films, with her last movie role in Twilight Zone: The Movie in 1983. Lane was the first female star of Italian television and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contributions to television. She divorced Cugat in 1964 and later married theatrical agent Perry Leff, with whom she had two sons. In 1992, she published the semi-autobiographical novel But Where Is Love?