Westport News
January 18, 2016
Doris Elliott of Weston, CT died peacefully in her home on July 17th, 2015.
Doris left her birth home of Dusseldorf, Germany in 1933, fleeing Hitler's regime. She moved from Holland to Belgium, to Aruba, then Mexico and finally landed in New York City at the age of 17 where she was accepted at New York University where she majored in languages. She became extremely proficient in eight languages and graduated in 1948.
Doris then returned to Europe to pursue a career in film. She appeared with Marlon Brando in The Young Lions as well as other films and several TV shows, notably The Bob Cummings Show and as a hostess on the $65,000 Challenge. Upon returning to the U.S she married the well-known jazz musician Don Elliott and took over the management of his career.
Don Elliott had been successfully playing with jazz greats such as George Shearing, Artie Shaw, Dave Brubeck, Quincy Jones, Jerry Mulligan and others. Additionally, Doris created new avenues for his talent in the world of TV commercial jingles. Upon her husband’s death in 1984, Mrs. Elliott started a nanny agency and listed celebrities such as Leona Helmsley, Christie Brinkley and Renee Fleming among her various clients.
Mrs. Elliott was politically active as well, hosting many gatherings for Martin Luther King and also played a large part in introducing young unknown talent such as Billy Charlap, Marcus Roberts and others to the jazz world.
She is survived by a daughter, Doriane, son, Dean and three grandchildren.
A memorial gathering will be held at the Weston home sometime in the spring.
WISS, Doris
Born: 193?, Dusseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Died: 7/17/2015, Weston, Connecticut, U.S.A.
Doris Wiss’ westerns – actress:
The Adventures of Jim Bowie (TV) – 1958 (Guadalupe Smith)
The Rebel (TV) – 1960 (Flory)