Diane Baine played Daphne Dutton In ABC-TV's "Surfside 6".
In contrast to most Hollywood success stories of extreme struggle, Diane McBain, Daphne Dutton of ABC-TV's "SurfSide 6" , with virtually no stress or strain, in less than two years became a co-star of a series and completed three major motion pictures. The curvaceous, blonde, and blue-eyed Diane attended a modeling school while a senior in Glendele (Calif. ) High School, and was seen by talent scout Bill Barnes while on a modeling assignment. Barnes considered her excellent screen materiel and secured several small parts in such series as ABC-TV's Maverick, Sunset Strip, and Lawman.
Director Vincent Sherman saw her in a Maverick episode and tested her for the important role of Christine Storm in the motion picture version of Edna Ferber's Ice Palace, with Richard Burton and Robert Ryan. She landed the part, and before the picture was completed, Diane was assigned to co—star in another picture, in Parrish, in which she appears with Troy Donahue, Claudette Colbert and Karl Malden. She also stars in the title role of the movie Claudelle Inglish, based on the Erskine Caldwell novel. Diane was the only child of Walter and Cleo McBain and was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Her father iwa a member of the merchant marine. When he returned to civilian life, the family moved to Glendale, California.
Diane claims she was something of a tomboy while in grade school. In fact, she was so good at baseball that the 7th-grade boys' baseball team in her school invited her to fill the pitcher's position. Although Diane says her athletic prowess was her greatest asset in her early' school days, her grandmother, who lived with the family, felt that Diane should concentrate on becoming a more graceful young lady.
Diane entered the Loretta Young Charm School. She progressed so rapidly that at the age of 15 she was appearing on at least two magazine covers a model. She appeared as a model for the National Dairy Association and filmed commercials for Colgate and Max Factor.
The fact that the charm school training was successful was evidenced by Diane recently. While she was presenting an award at a recent Foreign Press Awards Dinner, Loretta Young turned to another beautiful actress, Greer Garson, and asked, "Who is that beautiful girl?"
Diane's free time was spent reading and swimming. Her favorite food was steak—medium rare,
In "SurfSide 6," Diane plays Daphne Dutton, one of the richest, most chic, and beautiful girls in the world. She loves the role not only because the character is interesting but because her first love is television. "Television gives one the opportunity of being seen in the home often with a certain intimacy one can't achieve elsewhere," she says.
