Lydia Reed (born August 23, 1944) [1] [2] is an American former child actress who was known primarily for roles in 1950s films like The Vampire and High Society ; she also appeared as Hassie in several seasons of the TV series The Real McCoys .
Born at Mitchel Field, New York, also known as Mitchel Air Force Base, Reed began a career as an actress as a child after attending the Professional Children's School. She appeared in Broadway productions before acquiring roles in film and television. [3] [4] Her Broadway debut came in Mrs. McThing with Helen Hayes. [5]
Reed's education included three hours of schooling on the Desilu set. That ended at 12:30, after which she took afternoon classes at a private school in Hollywood. She also took classes two nights a week. She sought anonymity among students at the school by wearing her hair differently from what she did on TV and by adopting Tracy as her first name. [5]
Reed was one of three actresses who portrayed Kim Emerson on the television version of the soap opera Valiant Lady . [6] Her acting credits end at age 18.[ citation needed ]