Kathryn Grayson, 88, star of MGM musicals

LOS ANGELES - Kathryn Grayson, 88, whose beauty and lilting soprano brightened such popular MGM musicals of the 1940s and 1950s as

Anchors Aweigh

,

Show Boat

, and

Kiss Me Kate

, has died.

Ms. Grayson died Wednesday at her Los Angeles home, the actress' longtime secretary and companion, Sally Sherman, told the Associated Press. "She just went to sleep and didn't wake up," Sherman said yesterday.

Her youthful ambition was to sing opera, but she was not able to accomplish that until after her movie career ended. While still a teenager, she was placed under contract at MGM at a time when the studio was assembling a stable of musical talent that would dominate the era of great musicals.

Like Lana Turner, Esther Williams, Donna Reed, and other MGM newcomers, Ms. Grayson was given a tryout as Mickey Rooney's sweetheart in the studio's popular Andy Hardy film series. She played the title role in Andy Hardy's Private Secretary and sang Strauss' "Voices of Spring." Studio boss Louis B. Mayer was convinced that he had a future star.

She was cast in three minor films, including a musical with Abbott and Costello, then played Gene Kelly's girlfriend in Thousands Cheer, a wartime revue that included major MGM stars.

Anchors Aweigh, a 1945 hit with Kelly and Frank Sinatra, confirmed her star status. Her bell-like soprano made her the ideal costar with Hollywood's full-voiced male singers in operettas and other musicals. She made three films with Howard Keel, two with Mario Lanza, one with Gordon MacRae.

Ms. Grayson was born Zelma Kathryn Hedrick on Feb. 9, 1922, in Winston-Salem, N.C. Her father was a building contractor and real estate agent. Because of his business, the family moved frequently, eventually settling in St. Louis. Her parents recognized her gifted voice and arranged an audition before opera star Frances Marshall, who encouraged the girl to continue her music lessons.

The family then moved to Los Angeles so Kathryn could have more professional training. She came to the attention of Mayer, who had been searching for a rival to Universal's Deanna Durbin.

After her movie career ended with The Vagabond King, MS. Grayson remained active, finally realizing her long-held ambition to sing opera. She also starred in stage productions of The Merry Widow, Rosalinda, Naughty Marietta, and Camelot. She and Keel toured extensively in Man of La Mancha and appeared together in Las Vegas.

She married and divorced MGM contract players John Shelton (1940-46) and Johnny Johnston (1947-51). The marriage to Johnston produced her only child, Patricia Towers.

She is survived by her daughter and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.