IRENE HERVEY, MOTION PICTURE AND TV ACTRESS.

Byline: Daily News

Irene Hervey, longtime Calabasas resident and one of Hollywood's leading ladies during the 1930s and '40s, died Sunday of natural causes at the Motion Picture and Television Fund hospital in Woodland Hills. She was 89.

Hervey began working under contract for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1933, playing feature roles in movies, until she became a free-lance actress in the mid-'30s.

She joined Universal Pictures in 1938.

Hervey secured her place in Hollywood history with her role as James Stewart's love interest in ``Destry Rides Again'' with Marlene Dietrich.

She appeared in numerous films, including ``The Count of Monte Cristo,'' ``Frisco Lil,'' ``A Cry In The Night,'' ``Cactus Flower,'' and ``Play Misty for Me.''

She also starred in the Broadway production and national company of ``State of the Union'' in the late 1940s.

Hervey also appeared in many television series, including ``Charlie's Angels,'' ``Family Affair,'' ``Twilight Zone,'' ``Perry Mason,'' ``The Wide Country,'' and ``Richard Diamond, Private Detective.''

She received an Emmy nomination for a guest appearance on ``My Three Sons.''

Married to movie star Allan Jones, Hervey is survived by two children, writer Gail Christensen and Grammy Award-winning singer Jack Jones.

Memorial services will be private. The family suggests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to the Motion Picture and Television Fund.