Vera Miles

Born in Boise City, Oklahoma, 'Vera Miles' (qv) attended school in Pratt, Kansas and Wichita, Kansas. The patrician beauty of Miss Miles won her the title of "Miss Kansas" in 1948, leading soon to small roles in Hollywood films and television series. Fame came to the forthright, spirited Miles when she attracted the attention of two master directors, 'Alfred Hitchcock' (qv) and 'John Ford' (qv). Ford cast her in the classic western _The Searchers (1956)_ (qv) and Hitchcock, who put her under personal contract and hailed her as his "new 'Grace Kelly' (qv)", paired her with the great 'Henry Fonda' (qv) in _The Wrong Man (1956)_ (qv). Hitchcock cast Miles in the potentially star-making role of Judy Barton in _Vertigo (1958)_ (qv), but Miles withdrew from the film when she became pregnant. Hitchcock gave Miles a supporting role in another masterpiece _Psycho (1960)_ (qv), as did Ford when he cast her opposite 'John Wayne' (qv) and 'James Stewart' (qv) in _The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)_ (qv), She also starred in such films as _Beau James (1957)_ (qv) opposite 'Bob Hope' (qv), _The FBI Story (1959)_ (qv) opposite Stewart, _Back Street (1961)_ (qv) opposite 'Susan Hayward' (qv) and 'John Gavin' (qv) and _Sergeant Ryker (1968)_ (qv) opposite 'Lee Marvin' (qv), as well as showing her consistently remarkable and versatile talent on dozens of popular television movies and series including The 'Alfred Hitchcock' (qv) Hour (1962), _The Twilight Zone (1959)_ (qv), _The Outer Limits (1963)_ (qv), _The Fugitive (1963)_ (qv), _My Three Sons (1960)_ (qv), _Bonanza (1959)_ (qv), _Columbo (1971)_ (qv) and _Murder, She Wrote (1984)_ (qv). In 1983, she reprised her role as "Lila Crane" in the film sequel _Psycho II (1983)_ (qv), starring 'Anthony Perkins' (qv). Although, too often, the stunningly beautiful Miles' gifts were underutilized, before her retirement in 1995, hers was a most intriguing and enduring Hollywood career.::alfiehitchie