Patty Duke is remembered for playing identical cousins on her 1960s’ television show but she was an entertainer with far more than two personalities.
Duke, 69, a Baby Boomer icon who died Tuesday morning, won an Academy Award, had a couple of hit records, and in later years became a mental health advocate.
Duke first came to national attention at the age of 12 in the late 1950s’ quiz show, “The 64,000 Question.” She won $32,000.
But her real dramatic breakthrough was her role as Helen Keller in “The Miracle Worker,” first on Broadway and then in the movies.
Duke, 16, captured the Best Supporting Actress Award in the 1962 film.
Then came television.
In the fall of 1963, a few months before the Beatles’ conquered America, “The Patty Duke Show” premiered on ABC-TV.
Duke played two roles: Patty Lane, the cool American baby boomer teen who “likes her rock and roll.” She also played Cathy Lane, her reserved, scholarly cousin from Scotland who liked “the minuet and crepes suzette.”
Now, it you were a teenager in the ‘60s, Patty Duke was the ideal girl next door (not counting Sally Field in “Gidget.)”
Here is the theme song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQTqKcojrVY
Duke would come on every week, dancing the Monkey or the Frug. She had singing guest stars like Chad and Jeremy, Sammy Davis Jr. and Frankie Avalon.
It didn’t take long for Patty Duke to have a hit record. “Don’t Just Stand There” hit the charts in 1965 and before you knew it, there was Patty performing on “Shindig,” a weekly music show.
As Patty Duke aged, like became much more complicated. She still made movies “Valley of the Dolls,” and won a couple of Emmy Awards. Offstage, life was much tougher. Duke was married four times and battled various addictions.
In her autobiography, “Call Me Anna,” she detailed her manic-depressive illness. It was later made into a television movie.
“Her cause of death was sepsis from a ruptured intestine,” stated Mitchell Stubbs, her representative. “She was a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a friend, a mental health advocate and a cultural icon. She will be missed.”
Especially by baby boomers, who grew and aged right along with Patty Duke.