Parsons, Harriet Oettinger (23 August 1906–2 January 1983), journalist, filmmaker, and producer, was born in Burlington, Iowa, the only child of famed Hollywood columnist Louella Parsons and John Dement Parsons, a real estate salesman. When her parents’ marriage fell apart, she and her mother moved to Chicago. While Louella Parsons wrote scripts for Essanay Studios, Harriet was molded into a child star, “Baby Parsons,” and appeared in two films written by her mother, ...