James Best Laura Devon Anne Francis Twilight Zone Jess Belle

Anne Francis (also known as Anne Lloyd Francis; September 16, 1930 – January 2, 2011) was an American actress known for her ground-breaking roles in the science-fiction film '' Forbidden Planet'' (1956) and the television action-drama series '' Honey West'' (1965–1966). ''Forbidden Planet'' marked a first in color, big-budget, science-fiction-themed motion pictures. Nine years later, Francis challenged female stereotypes in ''Honey West'', in which she played a perky blonde private investigator who was as quick with body slams as witty one-liners. She earned a

Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

and

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

nomination for her performance. Francis was known largely for her physical assets, including a trademark mole near her lower lip. The beauty mark was even written into the script of one of her films. In 2005, '' TV Guide'' ranked Francis at number 18 on its "50 Sexiest Stars of All Time" list.

Early life

Francis was born in Ossining, New York, on September 16, 1930. Contrary to some sources, which erroneously claim she was born Ann Marvak (rather than Francis), her parents' marriage registration and census records from 1925 and 1930 confirm that their names were Philip Ward Francis (19001974) and Edith (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Albertson) Francis (19011995).Wagner, Laura. ''Anne Francis: The Life and Career'', McFarland & Company, 2011; . She was their only child. Francis entered show business as a child, working as a model at 5 years old to assist her family during the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

. She made her Broadway debut at the age of 11.Weaver, Tom. ''Double Feature Creature Attack: A Monster Merger of Two More Volumes of Classic Interviews'', p. 162 (McFarland & Company, 2003);

Career

Motion pictures

Francis made her first film appearance in '' This Time for Keeps'' (1947). She played supporting roles in the films ''

So Young, So Bad ''So Young, So Bad'' is a 1950 American drama film.ot to be confused with Rosita Moreno, a Spanish actress who was 43 years old at the time. Production Vorhaus received his idea after he read a newspaper article about abuses at a women's reformat ...

'' (1950), ''

Susan Slept Here ''Susan Slept Here'' is a 1954 American romantic comedy film directed by Frank Tashlin and starring Dick Powell (in his last film role) and Debbie Reynolds. Shot in Technicolor, the film is based on the play of the same name by Steve Fisher and A ...

'' (1954), and '' Bad Day at Black Rock'' (1955); her first leading role was in '' Blackboard Jungle'' (1955). Her best-known film role is that of Altaira in ''Forbidden Planet'' (1956), a science-fiction classic that was nominated for a best-effects Oscar. Her movie roles were then confined to low-budget efforts: a call girl in '' Girl of the Night'' (1960); a scheming trophy wife in '' Brainstorm'' (1965); the role of Georgia James in '' Funny Girl'' (1968); as

Jerry Lewis Jerry Lewis (born Joseph Levitch; March 16, 1926 – August 20, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, singer, filmmaker and humanitarian. As his contributions to comedy and charity made him a global figure in popular culture, pop culture ...

's wife in '' Hook, Line & Sinker'' (1969) and as co-star to a young

Burt Reynolds Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. (February 11, 1936 – September 6, 2018) was an American actor, considered a sex symbol and icon of 1970s American popular culture. Reynolds first rose to prominence when he starred in television series such as ' ...

in the adventure movie '' Impasse'' (1969). An exception was her role as lead chorine in '' Funny Girl'' (1968).

Television

When motion picture opportunities became scarcer for Francis near the close of the 1950s she moved - successfully - to television. Beginning as a guest on '' The Untouchables'' and as the title character in ''The Doreen Maney Story'', she appeared in two episodes of '' The Twilight Zone'' (" The After Hours" and " Jess-Belle"), two episodes of ''

Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was ren ...

'' ("Hooked" and in "Keep Me Company"), and three episodes of ''The Alfred Hitchcock Hour'' ("What Really Happened", "Blood Bargain", and "The Trap"). In 1961, she appeared twice in ''Route 66'', first in "Play it Glissando" and then "A Month of Sundays". Francis appeared in two episodes of the Western series '' The Virginian'', two episodes of ''Columbo'' ("Short Fuse" and "A Stitch in Crime") and the episode "Incident of the Shambling Man" on the CBS Western '' Rawhide''. She was cast in an episode of

Gene Kelly Eugene Curran Kelly (August 23, 1912 – February 2, 1996) was an American actor, dancer, singer, filmmaker, and choreographer. He was known for his energetic and athletic dancing style and sought to create a new form of American dance accessibl ...

's drama series, '' Going My Way'', based on the 1944 film of the same name. During 1964, she guest-starred in "Hideout" and "Rachel's Mother" in '' The Reporter'', as well as two successive appearances in '' The Man from U.N.C.L.E.''. She appeared Season 4, Episode 10 of Mission Impossible titled "The Double Circle".

''Honey West''

''Honey West'' was an action drama: the character formally introduced in the April 21, 1965 episode of '' Burke's Law'' titled "Who Killed the Jackpot?", after which it was spun off as a series that lasted one season of 30 half-hour episodes. Honey was a shrewd, high-energy private investigator who collaborated with assistant Sam Bolt ( John Ericson) in a company that was inherited from her father. At home, she cared for her pet

ocelot The ocelot (''Leopardus pardalis'') is a medium-sized spotted wild cat that reaches at the shoulders and weighs between on average. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. Two subspecies are recognized. It is native to the southwes ...

named Bruce. The show was cancelled due to budgetary considerations and ABC executives importing from the UK the similarly themed hit show ''

The Avengers Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to: Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes ** Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes o ...

''.

Late television career

Francis made a guest appearance in a 1967 episode of '' The Fugitive'' and in '' The Invaders'' the same year. She guest-starred in a 1973 episode of '' Barnaby Jones'', "Murder in the Doll's House". At the start of the final season of '' My Three Sons'' in 1971, Francis played bowling-alley waitress Terri Dowling, who married character Laird Fergus McBain Douglas of Sithian Bridge, Scotland, and returned to his homeland as royalty. (

Fred MacMurray Frederick Martin MacMurray (August 30, 1908 – November 5, 1991) was an American actor. He appeared in more than one hundred films and a successful television series, in a career that spanned nearly a half-century. His career as a major film le ...

played the dual-character roles of Steve Douglas and Fergus McBain Douglas in this four-part story arc.) She appeared twice as a guest star on ''

Columbo ''Columbo'' () is an American crime drama television series starring Peter Falk as Lieutenant Columbo, a homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. After two pilot episodes in 1968 and 1971, the show originally aired on NBC f ...

'', once as the manipulated lover of the murderer ( "Short Fuse", 1972) and once as the murder victim (" A Stitch in Crime", 1973). In 1974, Francis appeared as Ida, the madame of a

bawdy house A brothel, bordello, ranch, or whorehouse is a place where people engage in sexual activity with prostitutes. However, for legal or cultural reasons, establishments often describe themselves as massage parlors, bars, strip clubs, body rub par ...

on the series '' Kung Fu'' in the episode "Night of the Owls, Day of the Doves". In 1975, she appeared as Abby in an episode of '' Movin' On'' titled "The Price of Loving". In 1976, she appeared as Lola Flynn in an episode of '' Wonder Woman'', entitled "Beauty on Parade". In 1977, she appeared as Lieutenant Commander Gladys Hope, the head nurse in two episodes of the World War II series ''

Baa Baa Black Sheep "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep" is an English nursery rhyme, the earliest printed version of which dates from around 1744. The words have not changed very much in two and a half centuries. It is sung to a variant of the 1761 French melody '' Ah! vous di ...

''. She portrayed Melissa Osborne in the episode "How Do I Kill Thee?" of '' The Eddie Capra Mysteries'' in 1978. During the 1980–81 season of '' Dallas'', Francis had a recurring role as Arliss Cooper, the mother of Mitch and Afton Cooper. In 1982, she played the armored car-robbing mother in "In the Best of Families" episode of '' CHiPs''. She later played Mama Jo in the first few episodes of the 1984 TV-detective series '' Riptide''. In that same year, she guest-starred in the premiere episode of ''

Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The series f ...

'', credited as Anne Lloyd Francis; she went on to guest-star in two more episodes during the show's run. In December 1984 and again credited as Anne Lloyd Francis, she guest-starred in a Christmas-themed episode of '' The Love Boat'' playing the mother of Kim Lankford's character, Carol, in the storyline of "Noel's Christmas Carol". She appeared on episodes of '' Matlock'' and ''

The Golden Girls ''The Golden Girls'' is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris that aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning seven seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Bea Arthur, Betty White ...

''. In 1996, Francis appeared in the '' Wings'' episode "The Lady Vanishes", as Vera, a 1940s gun moll-type character. In 1997, in the '' Home Improvement'' episode "A Funny Valentine", she appeared as Liddy, Tim Allen's high-school classmate's mother. She guest-starred in 1998 on '' The Drew Carey Show'' as the mother of Drew's girlfriend Nicki in the episodes "Nicki's Parents" and "Nicki's Wedding". Francis' final television acting role was in "Shadows", a 2004 episode of '' Without a Trace''.

Personal life

Francis was married to United States Air Force pilot Bamlet Lawrence Price, Jr., from May 1952 through April 1955, and to Robert Abeloff from 1960 through 1964; she never remarried after divorcing Abeloff. Francis was a Democrat and supported

Adlai Stevenson Adlai Stevenson may refer to: * Adlai Stevenson I (1835–1914), U.S. Vice President (1893–1897) and Congressman (1879–1881) * Adlai Stevenson II (1900–1965), Governor of Illinois (1949–1953), U.S. presidential candida ...

's campaign during the 1952 presidential election. Francis and Abeloff had one daughter, Jane Elizabeth Abeloff (born March 21, 1962).Michael, Paul and Parish, James Robert. ''The American Movies Reference Book: the Sound Era'', p. 110. (Celestial Arts), 1969; . Francis later adopted Margaret "Maggie" West in 1970, one of the first adoptions granted to an unmarried person in California. Francis studied flying toward the end of the 1960s, eventually earning her pilot's license. In 1982, Francis published an autobiography, ''Voices from Home: An Inner Journey''. On its cover, she wrote that the book "is my spiritual exposé. It is about our essence of being, the inner workings of mind and spirit which contribute to the growth of the invisible and most important part of us." A subsequent biography titled ''Anne Francis: The Life and Career'' was written by Laura Wagner and published by McFarland & Company in 2011. A smoker for much of her adult life, Francis said that she quit the habit in the mid-1980s but was diagnosed with nonsmall-cell lung cancer in 2006. Francis died from complications due to pancreatic cancer on January 2, 2011, at a retirement home in Santa Barbara, California. Her ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean.

Partial TV/Filmography

* 1947 '' This Time for Keeps'' as Bobby Soxer (uncredited) * 1948 '' Summer Holiday'' as Elsie Rand * 1948 '' The Pirate'' as Nina, Showgirl (uncredited) * 1948 '' Portrait of Jennie'' as Teenager In Art Gallery (uncredited) * 1950 ''

'' as Loretta Wilson * 1951 '' The Whistle at Eaton Falls'' as Jean * 1951 '' Elopement'' as Jacqueline "Jake" Osborne * 1952 '' Lydia Bailey'' as Lydia Bailey * 1952 ''

Dreamboat "Dreamboat" is a popular music song, the words and music to which were written by Jack Hoffman, (sometimes incorrectly attributed to Al Hoffman). A version produced by Walter Ridley, and performed by Alma Cogan, reached number 1 in the UK ...

'' as Carol Sayre * 1953 ''

A Lion Is in the Streets ''A Lion Is in the Streets'' is a 1953 American drama film directed by Raoul Walsh and starring James Cagney as a southern politician loosely based on Huey Long. Cagney's brother William was the producer, while his younger sister Jeanne was a m ...

'' as "Flamingo" McManamee * 1954 '' The Rocket Man'' as June Brown * 1954 ''

'' as Isabella Alexander * 1954 '' Rogue Cop'' as Nancy Corlane * 1955 '' Bad Day at Black Rock'' as Liz Wirth * 1955 ''

Battle Cry A battle cry or war cry is a yell or chant taken up in battle, usually by members of the same combatant group. Battle cries are not necessarily articulate (e.g. "Eulaliaaaa!", "Alala"..), although they often aim to invoke patriotic or religious ...

'' as Rae * 1955 '' Blackboard Jungle'' as Anne Dadier * 1955 '' The Scarlet Coat'' as Sally Cameron * 1956 '' Forbidden Planet'' as Altaira Morbius * 1956 '' The Rack'' as Aggie Hall * 1956 ''

The Great American Pastime ''The Great American Pastime'' is a 1956 American comedy film about Little League baseball, directed by Herman Hoffman and starring Tom Ewell, Anne Francis, and Ann Miller. It was made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Plot In a small New York town calle ...

'' as Betty Hallerton * 1957 '' The Hired Gun'' as Ellen Beldon * 1957 '' Don't Go Near the Water'' as Lieutenant Alice Tomlen * 1959 ''The Ten Commandments'' (TV Movie) * 1960 '' The Untouchables'' (TV series) as Doreen Maney * 1960 '' The Crowded Sky'' as Kitty Foster * 1960 '' Girl of the Night'' as Robin "Bobbie" Williams * 1960-1961 ''

'' (TV series) as Julia Reddy / Nyla Foster * 1961 ''

Route 66 U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) was one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The h ...

'' (TV series) as Arline Simms (season two, episode one) * 1960-1963 '' The Twilight Zone'' (TV series) as Jess-Belle Stone / Marsha White * 1963-1965'' Burke's Law'' as Suzanne Foster (season one, episode 5 "Who Killed Wade Walker?") / as Honey West (season two, episode 30 "Who Killed the Jackpot?") * 1964 '' Death Valley Days'' (TV series) as

Pearl Hart Pearl Hart (born Pearl Taylor; 1871–1955) was a Canadian-born outlaw of the American Old West. She committed one of the last recorded stagecoach robberies in the United States, and her crime gained notoriety primarily because of her gender. M ...

(episode from March 17, 1964, titled "The Last Stagecoach Robbery") * 1964 '' The Virginian'' (TV series) as Victoria Greenly * 1964 '' The Man From U.N.C.L.E.'' as Gervaise Ravel (season one, episode 3 "The Quadripartite Affair" and season one, episode 7 "The Giuoco Piano Affair") * 1965 '' The Satan Bug'' as Ann Williams * 1965 '' Honey West'' (TV series) as Honey West * 1965 '' Brainstorm'' as Lorrie Benson * 1967 '' The Invaders'' (TV series) as Annie Rhodes (season two, episode two "The Saucer") * 1968 '' Funny Girl'' as Georgia James * 1969 ''

More Dead Than Alive ''More Dead Than Alive'' is a 1969 American Western film directed by Robert Sparr and produced by Aubrey Schenck. It was filmed at Agua Dulce, California. Plot An incarcerated killer named Cain (Clint Walker) is released from prison after 18 ...

'' as Monica Alton * 1969 '' Hook, Line & Sinker'' as Nancy Ingersoll * 1969 '' Impasse'' as Bobby Jones * 1969 '' The Love God?'' as Lisa LaMonica * 1970 ''

Lost Flight ''Lost Flight'' is a 1969 dramatic film written and produced for television based on producer Frank Price's unsuccessful 1966 TV pilot, ''Stranded'', that instead had a theatrical release in the US and Australia from mid-1970 through 1971. The p ...

'' (TV movie) as Gina Talbott * 1970 ''Wild Women'' (TV movie) as Jean Marshek * 1970 '' Dan August'' as Gina Talbott (season one, episode 1 "Murder by Proxy") * 1970 '' The Intruders'' (TV movie) as Leora Garrison * 1971 ''The Forgotten Man'' (TV movie) as Marie Hardy Forrest * 1971 ''

Steel Wreath ''Mongo's Back in Town'' is a 1971 crime made-for-television film, directed by Marvin J. Chomsky, with Telly Savalas, Joe Don Baker and Martin Sheen. It was released in some regions under the title ''Steel Wreath''. Plot Telly Savalas plays th ...

'' (TV movie) as Angel * 1971 ''

'' (Columbo, season one, episode "Short Fuse") * 1972 '' Fireball Forward'' (TV movie) as Helen Sawyer * 1972 '' Haunts of the Very Rich'' (TV movie) as Annette Larrier * 1972 '' Pancho Villa'' as Flo * 1972 ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central character ...

'' (TV Series, season-18 episode "Sarah") as Sarah * 1973 ''

'' as Nurse Sharon Martin (season two, episode "A Stitch in Crime") * 1973 '' Cannon'' as Peggy Angel (season three, episode "Murder by Proxy”) * 1973 '' Barnaby Jones'' as Miriam Woodridge (season one, episode "Murder in a Dolls House") * 1974 ''

Cry Panic ''Cry Panic'' is a 1974 American television film, made-for-television mystery film directed by James Goldstone and starring John Forsythe, Earl Holliman, Ralph Meeker, Norman Alden, Claudia McNeil and Anne Francis. The film premiered as the ''ABC ...

'' (TV movie) as Julie * 1974 ''The F.B.I. Story: The FBI Versus Alvin Karpis, Public Enemy Number One'' (TV movie) as Colette * 1975 ''The Last Survivors'' (TV movie) as Helen Dixon * 1975 '' A Girl Named Sooner'' (TV movie) as Selma Goss * 1976 '' Banjo Hackett: Roamin’ Free'' (TV movie) as Flora Dobbs * 1976 '' Survive!'' as Anne * 1978 '' Little Mo'' (TV movie) as Sophie Fisher * 1978 ''

Born Again Born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelicalism, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is distinctly and sepa ...

'' as Patty Colson * 1979 '' The Rebels'' (TV movie) as Mrs. Harris * 1979 ''

Beggarman, Thief ''Beggarman, Thief'' is a 1977 novel written by Irwin Shaw. It was a sequel to his 1970 bestseller '' Rich Man, Poor Man'' and focuses on the surviving Jordache siblings, Gretchen and Rudolph; their deceased brother Thomas' teenage son Wesley Jor ...

'' (TV movie) as Teresa Kraler * 1980 ''Detour to Terror'' (TV movie) as Sheila * 1980 '' Dan August: The Jealousy Factor'' (TV movie) as Nina Porter * 1981 '' Dallas'' 4 episodes as Arliss Cooper * 1982 '' Mazes and Monsters'' (TV movie) as Ellie * 1983 ''O'Malley'' (TV movie) as Amanda O'Malley * 1983 ''Charley's Aunt'' (TV movie) as Donna Lucia D'Alvadorez * 1984 '' Riptide'' 6 episodes as Mama Jo * 1985 ''

Return Return may refer to: In business, economics, and finance * Return on investment (ROI), the financial gain after an expense. * Rate of return, the financial term for the profit or loss derived from an investment * Tax return, a blank document o ...

'' as Eileen Sedgeley * 1986 '' A Masterpiece of Murder'' (TV movie) as Ruth Beekman * 1987 '' Laguna Heat'' (TV movie) as Helene Long * 1987 '' Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story'' (TV movie) as Marjorie Post Hutton * 1988 '' My First Love'' (TV movie) as Terry * 1989 ''

'' as Trudy McMahon (1989, season four, episode 19 "Til Death Do We Volley") * 1990 ''Little Vegas'' as Martha * 1992 ''Love Can Be Murder'' (TV movie) as Maggie O'Brien * 1992 '' The Double 0 Kid'' as Maggie O'Brien * 1994 '' Burke's Law'' as Honey Best (season one, episode 3 "Who Killed Nick Hazard?") * 1995 ''Lover's Knot'' as Marian Hunter * 1996 ''Have You Seen My Son'' (TV movie) as Catherine Pritcher * 1997 '' Conan the Adventurer'' as Gagool (season one, episode 9 "The Curse of Afka") * 1999 '' Fantasy Island'' as Cassie (season one, episode 13 "Heroes") * 2004 '' Without a Trace'' as Rose Atwood (season two, episode 20 "Shadows")

References

External links

* * *
obituary
guardian.co.uk, January 3, 2011; accessed July 26, 2015. {{DEFAULTSORT:Francis, Anne 1930 births 2011 deaths Actresses from Los Angeles Actresses from New York (state) Actresses from Santa Barbara, California American child actresses American child models American film actresses American stage actresses American television actresses Best Drama Actress Golden Globe (television) winners California Democrats Deaths from cancer in California Deaths from pancreatic cancer Female models from California Female models from New York (state) People from Ossining, New York New York (state) Democrats Western (genre) film actresses Writers from New York (state) 21st-century American women