Lyn Wilde was one of the famous Wilde twins, blonde beauties who sang with the big bands of Ray Noble and Bob Crosby, appearing in many musicals and comedies in the ‘40s, often in specialty acts as themselves.

Born a day apart (Oct. 9 and 10), 1922, in East St. Louis (and no relation to actress Lois Wilde), the twins got their break singing on old riverboats that cruised up and down the Mississippi in 1940. That experience was no doubt quite helpful when Lyn was later featured in Howard Keel’s 1951 “Showboat”.

Originally billed “Lee, Lyn and Lou”, the trio signed with Ray Noble Dec. 31, 1940, and in the Spring of ‘41 recorded their only record, “Kiss the Boys Goodbye”/“Walking Down Mockingbird Lane” w/the Ray Noble Orchestra. Snooky Lanson was on the disc also.

Lou (Sidwell) left the trio, retiring to marry musical director Earle Hagen late in ‘41. It was as a duet the girls really clicked in such films as “Reveille With Beverly” (‘43). But after appearing in Republic’s “Campus Honeymoon” (‘48) and Warner’s “Look For the Silver Lining” (‘49), Lee retired to raise a family.

Lyn continued for another four years, doing her first solo effort in “Sheriff of Wichita” with Allan “Rocky” Lane. “That was such a dumb picture. I spend half of it looking like a guy, lugging my rifle around. But, I must say it was fun to do. The director (R. G. Springsteen) had us all in a line talking. It really did look ridiculous—like a play or something. Allan Lane was so handsome, but he was so full of himself. He had nothing at all to do with me, like I was a total nobody. He was the so-called star and he knew it. He never got anything dirty or messed up. He always looked perfect. What a character!”

“I later did ‘Tucson’ with Jimmy Lydon, Penny Edwards (and the Cass County Boys). That was a much more pleasurable experience. It was especially good being with Jimmy again. We’d played sweethearts in ‘Twice Blessed’ four years earlier. Jimmy is a real doll.”

One of the Wilde twins’ most famous pictures is “Andy Hardy’s Blonde Trouble” (‘44). “The studio wrote that just for us, and it was great.”

Lyn now lives in Michigan City, IN, near the windy city. “I enjoyed being in show business, but like Sis, I retired (in 1952) to raise a family. (after ‘spots’ in a few more musicals such as “Showboat”, “Belle of New York”, “Girl Next Door” and “Has Anybody Seen My Gal”.) Incidentally, we were married to brothers, not twins, but siblings just the same.”

Lyn’s Western Filmography

MOVIES: Sheriff of Wichita (‘49 Republic)—Allan “Rocky” Lane; Tucson (‘49 Fox)—Jimmy Lydon.