Linda Darnell in Critical Condition after House Fire

Apr. 9, 1965 - Actress Linda Darnell (pictured in 1954) is in critical condition tonight at Cook County Hospital in Illinois with severe burns over 80% of her body. The burns were suffered in a fire early this morning in a Glenview home in which she was a guest.

Miss Darnell, 43, was taken to the burn center in County hospital from the Skokie Valley Community hospital, where she had undergone 2½ hours of surgery for second and third degree burns.

Miss Darnell, often listed as one of the world’s most beautiful women, had been visiting Mrs. Jeanne Curtis, a friend for 18 years and formerly Miss Darnell’s personal secretary, and her daughter Patricia for two weeks. The fire broke out early this morning in their home at 675 Carriage Hill Drive.

Firemen found Miss Darnell unconscious in the burning living room after Mrs. Curtis and her daughter escaped through a second-floor window.

Neighbors said Mrs. Curtis, 40 years old, cried that Miss Darnell was still in the house. Mrs. Curtis had pushed her 16-year-old daughter from the second floor window and was standing on the ledge when firemen rescued her. She said they had been watching a movie on television, in which Miss Darnell starred, before retiring.

Mrs. Curtis said her daughter had been awakened by the smoke and woke the other two.

“Intense heat was coming from the living room,” Mrs. Curtis said. “Linda told us to grab wet towels, so we did. The smoke came almost instantly. The flames were shooting up the stairs.

“I thought she was behind me, but she was not. Linda went into the living room, apparently thinking we had gone downstairs. There was no panic.”

Capt. Harold Burmeister of the Glenview fire department said Miss Darnell walked into the worst part of the fire. She collapsed near a sofa, in which the fire had started. Both Mrs. Curtis and Miss Darnell are smokers.

Mrs. Curtis is the wife of Richard Curtis, formerly Miss Darnell’s agent. He now is sales manager of Wilson Manufacturing company and was in Los Angeles at the time of the fire.

Miss Darnell has an adopted daughter, Lola, 16. She made more than 50 movies during her screen career, among them “A Letter to Three Wives,” “Forever Amber,” “The Song of Bernadette,” and “Blood and Sand.”

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