Anne Francis
1932 -
American born Ossining, New York
Height 5' 8" (1.73 m) . Beautiful, curvaceous, mole-lipped Anne Francis got into show business quite early in life. At age 6, she became a John Robert Powers model and swiftly moved into radio soaps in New York. By 11, she was on Broadway with Gertrude Lawrence in "Lady in the Dark". MGM put her under contract after WWII where she appeared in a couple of obscure starlet bits, both musical and dramatic, but nothing came of it. Trekking back to New York, she appeared to good notice during TV's "Golden Age" and was discovered by Darryl F. Zanuck as a juvenile delinquent in the low budget film So Young So Bad (1950), which led to a 20th-Century Fox contract. She soon starred in a number of promising blonde ingenue roles, including Elopement (1951), Lydia Bailey (1952) and Dreamboat (1952), along with co-starring opposite some of Hollywood's finest leading man in some noteworthy 50s classics: Bad Day at Black Rock (1955) opposite Spencer Tracy and Robert Ryan, Blackboard Jungle (1955) starring Glenn Ford and a rising Sidney Poitier, and the sci-fi classic Forbidden Planet (1956) with a dead-serious Leslie Nielsen. But, for the most part, her roles emphasized her fetching looks than her acting ability and she soon refocused, finding a comfortable niche on 60s television. She found a most appreciative audience as an Emma Peel-like detective in the short-lived cult series "Honey West" (1965), where she combined glamour and a sexy veneer with judo throws and karate chops. She returned to films only on occasion after that, the most controversial being Funny Girl (1968), in which her co-starring role as Barbra Streisand's chorine pal was reduced to a glorified cameo and a lawsuit ensued. She also appeared gratuitously opposite top film comics in some of their worst vehicles: Hook, Line & Sinker (1969) starring Jerry Lewis, and The Love God? (1969) with Don Knotts, which did absolutely nothing to further her career. She remained, however, a bright, colorful, decorative, wise-cracking presence in a slew of TV-movies well into the 90s. For such a promising start and with such amazing stamina and longevity, the girl with the sexy mole really deserved better. Spouse Dr. Robert Abeloff (1960 - 1964) (divorced) 2 children, Bamlet Lawrence Price Jr. (May 1952 - 6 April 1955) (divorced).
"Without Trace" (2004) , "Fantasy Island" (1999) , "The Drew Carey Show" (1998) , "Nash Bridges" (1998) , "Conan" (1997) , "Home Improvement" (1997) , Lover's Knot (1996) , "Wings" (1996) , Have You Seen My Son (1996) , "Fortune Hunter" (1994) , "Burke's Law" (1994) , "Dark Justice" (1993) , Love Can Be Murder (1992) , The Double 0 Kid (1992) , "Murder, She Wrote" (1990) , Little Vegas (1990) , "The Golden Girls" (1989), "Matlock" (1989) , My First Love (1988) , Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story (1987) , Laguna Heat (1987), "Jake and the Fatman" (1987) , Jake and the Fatman (1987) , Return (1986) , A Masterpiece of Murder (1986) , "Finder of Lost Loves" (1985) , "Hardcastle and McCormick" (1985) , "Crazy Like a Fox"(1985) , "Riptide" (1984) , "Partners in Crime" (1984) , "The Love Boat" (1984) , The Murder of Sherlock Holmes (1984) , "Trapper John, M.D." (1983) , "Simon & Simon" (1983) , Charley's Aunt (1983) , Mazes and Monsters (1982) , "CHiPs" (1982) , "Fantasy Island" (1981) , "Dallas" (1981) , "Charlie's Angels" (1980) , "The Littlest Hobo" (1980) ,Detour to Terror (1980) , Beggarman, Thief (1979) , The Rebels (1979) , "Quincy M.E." (1979) , "Greatest Heroes of the Bible" (1978) , Born Again (1978) , "Vega$" (1978) , "Flying High" (1978) , "The Eddie Capra Mysteries"(1978) , Little Mo (1978) , "Disneyland" (1978) , The Young Runaways (1978) , "Hawaii Five-O" (1978) , "Police Woman" (1978) , "Baa Baa Black Sheep" (1977) , "Wonder Woman" (1976) , "Bert D'Angelo/Superstar"(1976) , Banjo Hackett: Roamin' Free (1976) , Survival (1976) , "Mobile One" (1975) , "S.W.A.T." (1975) , "Petrocelli" (1975) , "Barnaby Jones" (1975) , "Ellery Queen" (1975) , A Girl Named Sooner (1975) , "Movin' On" (1975) , "Archer" (1975) , The Last Survivors (1975) , "Insight" (1974) , The F.B.I. Story: The FBI Versus Alvin Karpis, Public Enemy Number One (1974) , "Kung Fu" (1974) , Ironside" (1974) , Cry Panic (1974) , "Banacek" (1974) , "The F.B.I." (1973) , "Cannon" (1973) , "Wide World of Mystery" (1973) , Columbo: A Stitch in Crime (1973) , "Search" (1973) , The Weekend Nun (1972) , "Assignment Vienna" (1972) , Pancho Villa (1972) , "Gunsmoke" (1972) , Haunts of the Very Rich (1972) , Fireball Forward (1972) , Columbo: Short Fuse (1972) , Mongo's Back in Town (1971) , "My Three Sons"(1971) , The Forgotten Man (1971) , The Intruders (1970) , "Love, American Style" (1970) , "The Virginian" (1970) , Wild Women (1970) , "Dan August" (1970) , "The Name of the Game" (1970) , "Mission: Impossible" (1969) , The Love God? (1969) , Impasse (1969/I) , Hook, Line & Sinker (1969) , Lost Flight (1969) , More Dead Than Alive (1968) , Funny Girl (1968) , "The Invaders" (1967) , "The Fugitive" (1967) , "Honey West" (1966) , "The Further Adventures of Gallegher" (1965) , Brainstorm (1965) , "Burke's Law" (1965) , The Satan Bug (1965) , "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour"(1965) , "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." (1964) , "The Reporter" (1964), "Ben Casey" (1964) , "Death Valley Days" (1964) , "Temple Houston" (1964) , "Kraft Suspense Theatre" (1963) , "Arrest and Trial" (1963) , "The Eleventh Hour" (1963) , "The Twilight Zone" (1963) , "Alcoa Premiere" (1963) , "Going My Way" (1962) , "The New Breed" (1961) , "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" (1961) , "Dr. Kildare" (1961) , "Route 66" (1961) , "Hong Kong" (1961) , "The United States Steel Hour"(1960) , Girl of the Night (1960) , The Crowded Sky (1960) , "The Untouchables" (1960) , "Startime" (1960) , "Adventures in Paradise" (1959) , "Rawhide" (1959) , "The David Niven Show" (1959) , The Ten Commandments (1959) , "Climax!" (1958) , "Studio One" (1958) , Don't Go Near the Water (1957) , The Hired Gun (1957) , "Producers' Showcase" (1957) , The Great American Pastime (1956) , The Rack (1956) , Forbidden Planet (1956) , The Scarlet Coat (1955) , Blackboard Jungle (1955) , Battle Cry (1955) , Bad Day at Black Rock (1955) , Rogue Cop (1954) , Susan Slept Here (1954) , "Lux Video Theatre" (1954) , "The Ford Television Theatre" (1954) , The Rocket Man (1954) , A Lion Is in the Streets (1953) , Dreamboat (1952) , Lydia Bailey (1952) , Elopement (1951) , The Whistle at Eaton Falls (1951) , "Kraft Television Theatre" (1950) , So Young So Bad (1950) , "Lights Out" (1950) ,"Versatile Varieties" (1949) , Portrait of Jennie (1948) , Summer Holiday (1948) , This Time for Keeps (1947)
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