Vivian Blaine was born Vivian Stapleton in Newark, New Jersey on November 21, 1921. Her parents divorced during her childhood, but she maintained relationships with both of them. Through her father, Lionel Stapleton, a theatrical booking agent, Blaine was exposed to the word of show business at an early age. She attended the Academy of Dramatic Arts at age twelve and at fourteen was working as a big-band singer in nightclubs in New Jersey and New York. During her early singing career, she tried out a series of stage names, finally settling on Vivian Blaine.

While singing at a nightclub, Blaine was spotted by a talent scout from 20th Century Fox Motion Picture Studio, who signed to her first film contract. However, when she arrived in Hollywood, she was only cast in minor roles in such films as (1942), (1942) and (1943). Although she played the female lead in a Laurel and Hardy vehicle, (1943), Blaine didn’t get her big break until she was asked to step into a role intended for one of the studio’s top stars, Alice Faye, who was expecting a baby. For this film, (1944), Blaine’s hair was dyed a bright shade of red that popped in Technicolor and she was given a publicity build-up as “The Cherry Blonde.” She landed her next starring role in the same way, filling in during Betty Grable’s pregnancy as the star of (1944).

Although she continued to have starring roles in (1945), (1945) and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s (1945), Blaine never achieved the status of the A-list stars and she became frustrated by the studio shunting her to be second lead, behind June Haver in (1946). She decided to buy up her contract from Fox and moved back to New York, where she booked nightclub singing and touring theater engagements.

After Blaine had been back in New York for a few years she was cast in the role for which she would be best known for the rest of her career, Miss Adelaide, the nasal-voiced, long-suffering fiancée of gambler Nathan Detroit in Frank Loesser’s acclaimed and popular musical (1950). For this role, she won the Donaldson award for Best Debut Performance by an Actress. Blaine went on to recreate her legendary performance in the London production, the 1955 film version and various revivals.

After her stage triumph in , Blaine made a few unsuccessful attempts to reestablish a film career with (1952) and (1957) and she worked steadily in television and as a recording artist during the 1950s. However, she primarily worked in theater. She made her first foray into serious acting when she replaced Shelley Winters as the pregnant wife of a drug addict in in 1954. She originated starring roles in the Jule Styne/Comden & Green musical (1958) and the comedy (1963).

During the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s, Blaine continued to perform in many touring, regional and stock productions, appearing in musicals like (1962), (1967) and (1973) as well as comedies, such as (1974), (1975) and (1981) and dramas, including (1960) and (1972). Some highlights of her later career were playing Madame Hortense in the national tour of Kander and Ebb’s in 1969 and reprising the role opposite Anthony Quinn in the 1984 Broadway revival, during Lila Kedrova’s vacation and replacing Elaine Stritch and Jane Russell as Joanne in Stephen Sondheim’s in 1971. She also continued her concert and nightclub career, making acclaimed personal appearances in New York and San Francisco. She did occasional work on the big and small screens. She had small film roles in (1972), (1979) and (1982) and television appearances on (1975) and in 1985. She had a personal triumph when she sang “Adelaide’s Lament” from on the 25th Anniversary Tony Awards broadcast in 1971.

In 1945 Blaine married her business manager, Manny Frank, but the couple divorced in 1956. She was briefly married to Milton Rackmill, the President of Universal Studios and Vice President of Decca Records, from 1959-1961. Her third marriage to Stuart Clark, a business man in the garment industry, lasted until her death. In 1985, Blaine retired and she passed away on December 9, 1995, due to congestive heart failure.