Billie Worth

Billie Worth, born Wilhelmina E. Rothmund on October 20, 1916, in Rome, New York, was an American actress whose career spanned Broadway, regional theater, and productions in Europe and Australia. She is also identified in some sources as Billy Worth and Billie Worth Burr. Worth came from a show business family and, in her youth, developed tennis skills that made her a ranked junior player in the Eastern states. She died on December 3, 2016, at the age of 100.

Worth's Broadway career extended from 1934 to 1951 and encompassed a range of productions. Her first Broadway credit was Thumbs Up! in 1934, followed by Higher and Higher in 1940. She appeared in Bright Lights of 1944 in 1943, then Jackpot and Seven Lively Arts, both in 1944. South Pacific followed in 1949, and she took the starring role in Courtin' Time in 1951.

Beyond Broadway, Worth built a substantial international career. In 1953 she was referred to as the toast of the British Isles for her performance as the leading lady in a London production of Call Me Madam, which ran for eighteen months. She also appeared in a London production of Anything Goes and performed in five musical comedies in Australia. In the United States, her regional theater work included engagements at the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera and the Muny Opera in St. Louis, and she directed some regional productions as well.

In November 1935, Worth married actor Edgar Burr Lush, who performed under the stage name Donald Burr. The couple had two children and remained together until Burr's death on February 27, 1979, at the age of 71. In the early 1970s, Worth worked in real estate. She later resided in Wellington, Florida.