From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Betta St. John (born November 26, 1929, Hawthorne, California) is an American actress, singer and dancer. Born as Betty Jean Striegler, St. John made her film debut at the age of ten in Destry Rides Again (1939) and as an orphan in Jane Eyre (1944). She was discovered by Rodgers and Hammerstein and played a small role in the Broadway musical, Carousel in 1945. By 1949, she created the role of Liat in the musical South Pacific and followed the production t
