Paula Hill - A Cartoon Tribute. 2025 by Stephen B. Whatley
A new cartoon tribute by artist Stephen B. Whatley celebrating the 1950s Hollywood actress film & TV Paula Hill (USA 1926-2000).
The actress was born Paula Mary Hill in Alabama, USA and came to Hollywood in the 1940s, determined to pursue her ambition to be an actress; first setting up a hot dog stand business as security.
She was credited as Mary Hill in some of her movies ; as she was in her only leading lady role in the now cult sci-fi movie Mesa of Lost Women (1953) and her small role in the classic monster picture, The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms (1952).
She is one of many Hollywood actors uncredited - including Bob Hope, Bing Crosby & Mona Freeman - shown in the audience enjoying the show at the circus in the 1952 film The Greatest Show On Earth.
A striking beauty - sometimes blonde, red-haired and brunette - the actress possessed a velvet voice and was capable of a whole range of acting in her mainly minor roles in 40s and 50s pictures- but remains mainly unknown and unsung - except to some classic film buffs.
Her film work seems to have petered out by 1958, though she did much TV work in that decade, including memorable roles on the Burns & Allen Show (1955) and Dragnet (1956) ; and by the early 1960s she was singing in clubs in New York City and acting in the theatre in Los Angeles.
In 1963 the Hollywood Reporter reported that Paula Hill had opened a theatrical school in Hollywood.
She made a surprise return to the screen in the last decade of her life in two cameos in film maker Steve Burrows's films Soldier of Fortune (1991) and Chump Change (2000). He 'rediscovered' the film actress of the 1950s, having bumped into her in an elevator of his apartment building in Hollywood in 1989; where she also lived.
This cartoon tribute is the third in the artist's series celebrating Paula Hill - you can see the previous 2 tributes from 2020 and 2024 in this photostream; or via Stephen's Cartoon Tributes album..
Artist Stephen B. Whatley is primarily known as a painter of expressionist oil paintings - whose vibrant work is permanently show-cased outside the Tower of London, through his series of 30 paintings charting the Tower's history that were commissioned in 2000.
The artist has long been fascinated in biographical research of the stars and players of Hollywood's Golden Age - and enjoys creating cartoon tributes to the classic stars as well as often unsung actors - like Miss Hill - active in that classic era.
Most recently, Stephen B. Whatley was commissioned by Hollywood film star Mamie Van Doren (1931-) to illustrate her forthcoming memoirs, You Thought I Was Dead, to be published in 2026.
To see more of the artist's work or contact him, please visit:
Paula Hill - A Cartoon Tribute. 2025 by Stephen B. Whatley
A new cartoon tribute by artist Stephen B. Whatley celebrating the 1950s Hollywood actress film & TV Paula Hill (USA 1926-2000).
The actress was born Paula Mary Hill in Alabama, USA and came to Hollywood in the 1940s, determined to pursue her ambition to be an actress; first setting up a hot dog stand business as security.
She was credited as Mary Hill in some of her movies ; as she was in her only leading lady role in the now cult sci-fi movie Mesa of Lost Women (1953) and her small role in the classic monster picture, The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms (1952).
She is one of many Hollywood actors uncredited - including Bob Hope, Bing Crosby & Mona Freeman - shown in the audience enjoying the show at the circus in the 1952 film The Greatest Show On Earth.
A striking beauty - sometimes blonde, red-haired and brunette - the actress possessed a velvet voice and was capable of a whole range of acting in her mainly minor roles in 40s and 50s pictures- but remains mainly unknown and unsung - except to some classic film buffs.
Her film work seems to have petered out by 1958, though she did much TV work in that decade, including memorable roles on the Burns & Allen Show (1955) and Dragnet (1956) ; and by the early 1960s she was singing in clubs in New York City and acting in the theatre in Los Angeles.
In 1963 the Hollywood Reporter reported that Paula Hill had opened a theatrical school in Hollywood.
She made a surprise return to the screen in the last decade of her life in two cameos in film maker Steve Burrows's films Soldier of Fortune (1991) and Chump Change (2000). He 'rediscovered' the film actress of the 1950s, having bumped into her in an elevator of his apartment building in Hollywood in 1989; where she also lived.
This cartoon tribute is the third in the artist's series celebrating Paula Hill - you can see the previous 2 tributes from 2020 and 2024 in this photostream; or via Stephen's Cartoon Tributes album..
Artist Stephen B. Whatley is primarily known as a painter of expressionist oil paintings - whose vibrant work is permanently show-cased outside the Tower of London, through his series of 30 paintings charting the Tower's history that were commissioned in 2000.
The artist has long been fascinated in biographical research of the stars and players of Hollywood's Golden Age - and enjoys creating cartoon tributes to the classic stars as well as often unsung actors - like Miss Hill - active in that classic era.
Most recently, Stephen B. Whatley was commissioned by Hollywood film star Mamie Van Doren (1931-) to illustrate her forthcoming memoirs, You Thought I Was Dead, to be published in 2026.
To see more of the artist's work or contact him, please visit: