Evelyn Felisa Ankers (August 17, 1918 – August 29, 1985) was a British-American actress who often played variations on the role of the cultured young

leading lady A leading actor, leading actress, or simply lead (), plays the role of the protagonist of a film, television show or play. The word ''lead'' may also refer to the largest role in the piece, and ''leading actor'' may refer to a person who typica ...

in many American

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoca ...

s during the 1940s, most notably '' The Wolf Man'' (1941) opposite

Lon Chaney Jr. Creighton Tull Chaney (February10, 1906 – July12, 1973), known by his stage name Lon Chaney Jr., was an American actor known for playing Larry Talbot in the film '' The Wolf Man'' (1941) and its various crossovers, Count Alucard (Dra ...

, a frequent screen partner.

Early years

Ankers was born to British parents in

Valparaíso Valparaíso (; ) is a major city, seaport, naval base, and educational centre in the commune of Valparaíso, Chile. "Greater Valparaíso" is the second largest metropolitan area in the country. Valparaíso is located about northwest of Santiago ...

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

. She was educated at

The Latymer School The Latymer School is a selective, Coeducation, mixed grammar school in Edmonton, London, Edmonton, London, England, established in 1624 by Edward Latymer. According to league tables, Latymer is one of the top state-schools in the country. Histo ...

, the Golophyn School, the Tacchomo School of Music and Dramatic Art, and the

Royal Academy of Dramatic Art The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the Sen ...

in London.

Stage

Ankers' stage debut came in

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

at age 10 when she had the title role in ''The Daughter of Dolores''. On

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

, she had the role of Lucy Gilham in ''Ladies in Retirement'' (1940). In London, she acted in ''Bats in the Belfry''.

Film

Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror (1942) 1

Known as "the Queen of the Bs", Ankers starred in films including ''The Wolf Man'' (1941), ''

The Ghost of Frankenstein ''The Ghost of Frankenstein'' is a 1942 American horror film directed by Erle C. Kenton and starring Cedric Hardwicke, Lon Chaney Jr. and Bela Lugosi. It is the fourth film in the ''Frankenstein'' series by Universal Pictures, and the follow-up ...

'' (1942), ''

Captive Wild Woman ''Captive Wild Woman'' is a 1943 American horror film directed by Edward Dmytryk. The film stars Evelyn Ankers, John Carradine, Milburn Stone, and features Acquanetta as Paula, the Ape Woman. The film involves a scientist, Dr. Sigmund Walters, w ...

'' (1943), '' Son of Dracula'' (1943), '' The Mad Ghoul'' (1943), ''

Jungle Woman ''Jungle Woman'' is a 1944 American horror film directed by Reginald LeBorg. The film stars Evelyn Ankers, J. Carrol Naish, Samuel S. Hinds, Lois Collier, Milburn Stone, and Douglass Dumbrille. The film involves Dr. Carl Fletcher who is in court ...

'' (1944), ''

Weird Woman ''Weird Woman'' is a 1944 Inner Sanctum film noir mystery and horror film directed by Reginald Le Borg and starring Lon Chaney Jr., Anne Gwynne, and Evelyn Ankers. The "Inner Sanctum" franchise originated with a popular radio series and all ...

'' (1944), ''

The Invisible Man's Revenge ''The Invisible Man's Revenge'' is a 1944 American horror film directed by Ford Beebe and written by Bertram Millhauser. The film stars John Carradine as a scientist who tests his experiment on Jon Hall, a psychiatric hospital escapee who takes ...

'' (1944), and ''

The Frozen Ghost ''The Frozen Ghost'' is a 1945 American film noir mystery film starring Lon Chaney, Jr., Elena Verdugo, Evelyn Ankers, Tala Birell, and Martin Kosleck, and directed by Harold Young. It is the fourth of the six " Inner Sanctum" mystery films. ...

'' (1945). She appeared in ''

Hold That Ghost ''Hold That Ghost'' is a 1941 horror comedy film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello and featuring Joan Davis, Evelyn Ankers and Richard Carlson. On August 1, 1941, Abbott and Costello performed a half-hour live version of the film ...

'' (1941), ''

Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror ''Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror'' is a 1942 American mystery thriller film based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes detective stories. The film combines elements of Doyle's short story " His Last Bow", to which it is credited ...

'' (1942), '' His Butler's Sister'' (1943), ''

The Pearl of Death ''The Pearl of Death'' is a 1944 Sherlock Holmes film starring Basil Rathbone as Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson, the ninth of fourteen such films the pair made. The story is loosely based on Conan Doyle's short story "The Adventure of the ...

'' (1944), ''

Pardon My Rhythm ''Pardon My Rhythm'' is a 1944 movie starring Gloria Jean, Patric Knowles, and Evelyn Ankers, featuring Mel Tormé and Bob Crosby, and directed by Felix E. Feist. Cast *Gloria Jean as Jinx Page *Patric Knowles as Tony Page *Evelyn Ankers as Ju ...

'' (1944), ''

Tarzan's Magic Fountain ''Tarzan's Magic Fountain'' is a 1949 Tarzan film directed by Lee Sholem and starring Lex Barker as Tarzan and Brenda Joyce as his companion Jane. The film also features Albert Dekker and Evelyn Ankers. It was co-written by Curt Siodmak. This ...

'' (1949), and played

Calamity Jane Martha Jane Cannary (May 1, 1852 – August 1, 1903), better known as Calamity Jane, was an American frontierswoman, sharpshooter, and storyteller. In addition to many exploits she was known for being an acquaintance of Wild Bill Hickok. Late ...

in ''

The Texan Meets Calamity Jane ''The Texan Meets Calamity Jane'' also known as ''Calamity Jane and the Texan'' in a 1952 re-release, is a 1950 Cinecolor Western movie starring Evelyn Ankers as Calamity Jane and written, produced and directed by Ande Lamb. The film was Anke ...

'' (1950), one of many movies for which she received top billing. A frequent screen partner was Lon Chaney Jr., although they privately disliked each other. Ankers made over fifty films between 1936 and 1950, then retired from movies at the age of 32 to be a

housewife A housewife (also known as a homemaker or a stay-at-home mother/mom/mum) is a woman whose role is running or managing her family's home—housekeeping, which includes caring for her children; cleaning and maintaining the home; making, buying an ...

. She occasionally played television roles, such as that of saloon owner Robbie James in the 1958 episode "Gambler" of the

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American Film studio, film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, Califo ...

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

series ''

Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. Their Cheyenne language belongs to the Algonquian language family. Today, the Cheyenne people are split into two federally recognized nations: the Southern Cheyenne, who are enroll ...

'', with

Clint Walker Norman Eugene "Clint" Walker (May 30, 1927 – May 21, 2018) was an American actor. He played cowboy Cheyenne Bodie in the ABC/Warner Bros. western series ''Cheyenne'' from 1955 to 1963. Early life Clint Walker was born Norman Eugene Wal ...

in the title role. Ten years later she made her last film, '' No Greater Love'' (1960), with her husband

Richard Denning Richard Denning (March 27, 1914 – October 11, 1998) was an American actor who starred in science fiction films of the 1950s, including ''Unknown Island'' (1948), ''Creature from the Black Lagoon'' (1954), '' Target Earth'' (1954), ''Day the ...

Personal life

On September 6, 1942, Ankers married

, to whom she remained married until her death in 1985. The couple had one child, Diana Denning (later Dwyer).Evelyn Ankers obituary
nytimes.com, August 31, 1985; accessed June 20, 2016. Ankers moved to Hawaii when her husband accepted the role of the governor in '' Hawaii 5-0''.Actress Evelyn Ankers, 67, Former `Queen` Of B Movies
August 31, 1985, Chicago Tribune; retrieved August 16, 2016. She died of ovarian cancer at the age of 67 on August 29, 1985 in

Maui The island of Maui (; Hawaiian: ) is the second-largest of the islands of the state of Hawaii at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2) and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is the largest of Maui County's four islands, which ...

. Ankers and Denning are buried at Makawao Veterans' Cemetery in

Makawao, Hawaii Makawao is a census-designated place (CDP) in Maui County, Hawaii, United States. The population was 7,297 at the 2020 census. Located on the rural northwest slope of Haleakala on East Maui, the community is known for being the hub of the "Upc ...

. Ankers became an American citizen in August 1946.

Selected filmography

Evelyn Ankers pin-up from Yank, The Army Weekly, July 1945

Skip Homeier Evelyn Ankers GE Theater 1954

* ''

Land Without Music ''Land Without Music'' is a 1936 British comedy film directed by Walter Forde and starring Richard Tauber, Diana Napier and Jimmy Durante. It was made at Denham Studios. The film was one of a number of operetta films made in Britain during the ...

'' (1936) as A Lady of the Court (segment "Who said Carlini?") (uncredited) * ''

Rembrandt Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (, ; 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), usually simply known as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker and draughtsman. An innovative and prolific master in three media, he is generally consid ...

'' (1936) as Party Girl (uncredited) * ''

Fire Over England ''Fire Over England'' is a 1937 London Film Productions film drama, notable for providing the first pairing of Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh. It was directed by William K. Howard and written by Clemence Dane from the 1936 novel ''Fire Over ...

'' (1937) as Lady-in-Waiting (uncredited) * '' Wings of the Morning'' (1937) as Party Guest (uncredited) * ''

Knight Without Armour ''Knight Without Armour'' (styled as ''Knight Without Armor'' in some releases) is a 1937 British historical drama film starring Marlene Dietrich and Robert Donat. It was directed by Jacques Feyder and produced by Alexander Korda from a screenp ...

'' (1937) as Minor Role (uncredited) * ''

Murder in the Family ''Murder in the Family'' is a 1938 British crime film directed by Albert Parker and starring Barry Jones, Jessica Tandy and Evelyn Ankers. The film's sets were designed by the art director Carmen Dillon. It was adapted from a 1936 novel of th ...

'' (1938) as Dorothy Osborne * '' The Claydon Treasure Mystery'' (1938) as Rosemary Shackleford * ''

Coming of Age Coming of age is a young person's transition from being a child to being an adult. The specific age at which this transition takes place varies between societies, as does the nature of the change. It can be a simple legal convention or can b ...

'' (1938) as Christine Squire * ''

The Villiers Diamond ''The Villiers Diamond'' is a 1938 British crime film directed by Bernard Mainwaring and starring Edward Ashley, Evelyn Ankers and Frank Birch. The screenplay concerns a man who is threatened with scandal when he accidentally acquires a stolen ...

'' (1938) as Joan Raymond * '' Second Thoughts'' (1938) as Molly Frame * '' Over the Moon'' (1939) as Sanitarium Patient (uncredited) * ''

Bachelor Daddy ''Bachelor Daddy'' is a 1941 American comedy film directed by Harold Young and written by Robert Lees and Frederic I. Rinaldo. The film stars Baby Sandy, Edward Everett Horton, Donald Woods, Raymond Walburn, Evelyn Ankers, Kathryn Adams Doty, ...

'' (1941) as Beth Chase * '' Hit the Road'' (1941) as Patience Ryan * ''

'' (with

Abbott and Costello Abbott may refer to: People *Abbott (surname) *Abbott Handerson Thayer (1849–1921), American painter and naturalist * Abbott and Costello, famous American vaudeville act Places Argentina * Abbott, Buenos Aires United States * Abbott, Arkansas ...

) (1941) as Norma Lind * ''

Burma Convoy ''Burma Convoy'' is a 1941 film about a truck convoy on the Burma Road directed by Noel M. Smith and starring Charles Bickford and Evelyn Ankers. It was also known as ''Halfway to Shanghai''. Plot In the Burmese town of Lashio, the convoys of ...

'' (1941) as Ann McBragel * '' The Wolf Man'' (with

Lon Chaney, Jr. Creighton Tull Chaney (February10, 1906 – July12, 1973), known by his stage name Lon Chaney Jr., was an American actor known for playing Larry Talbot in the film '' The Wolf Man'' (1941) and its various crossovers, Count Alucard (Dra ...

and

Bela Lugosi Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó (; October 20, 1882 – August 16, 1956), known professionally as Bela Lugosi (; ), was a Hungarian and American actor best remembered for portraying Count Dracula in the 1931 horror classic ''Dracula'', Ygor in ''S ...

) (1941) as Gwen Conliffe * '' North to the Klondike'' (with

Broderick Crawford William Broderick Crawford (December 9, 1911 – April 26, 1986) was an American stage, film, radio, and television actor, often cast in tough-guy roles and best known for his Oscar- and Golden Globe-winning portrayal of Willie Stark in ''All t ...

and

) (1942) as Mary Sloan * ''

'' (with

and

) (1942) as Elsa Frankenstein * ''

Eagle Squadron The Eagle Squadrons were three fighter squadrons of the Royal Air Force (RAF) formed with volunteer pilots from the United States during the early days of World War II (circa 1940), prior to America's entry into the war in December 1941. Wit ...

'' (with

Robert Stack Robert Stack (born Charles Langford Modini Stack; January 13, 1919 – May 14, 2003) was an American actor. Known for his deep voice and commanding presence, he appeared in over forty feature films. He starred in the highly successful ABC tele ...

and

Diana Barrymore Diana Blanche Barrymore Blythe (March 3, 1921 – January 25, 1960), known professionally as Diana Barrymore, was an American film and stage actress. Early life Born Diana Blanche Barrymore Blythe in New York, New York, Diana Barrymore was t ...

) (1942) as Nancy Mitchell * '' Pierre of the Plains'' (1942) as Celia Wellsby * ''

'' (with

Basil Rathbone Philip St. John Basil Rathbone MC (13 June 1892 – 21 July 1967) was a South African-born English actor. He rose to prominence in the United Kingdom as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in more than 70 films, primarily costume ...

) (1942) as Kitty * '' The Great Impersonation'' (1942) as Lady Muriel Dominey * ''

Keep 'Em Slugging ''Keep 'Em Slugging'' is a 1943 American film starring the Little Tough Guys and directed by Christy Cabanne for Universal Pictures. This was the final film in Universal's Little Tough Guys series, and although Universal still billed the group as ...

'' (1943) as Sheila * ''

'' (1943) as Beth Colman * ''

All by Myself "All by Myself" is a song by American singer-songwriter Eric Carmen released in 1975. The verse is based on the second movement (''Adagio sostenuto'') of Sergei Rachmaninoff's circa 1900–1901 '' Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor'', Opus 18. The ...

'' (1943) as Jean Wells * ''

Hers to Hold ''Hers to Hold'' (aka ''Three Smart Girls Join Up'') is a 1943 American romantic musical comedy film and is the third film in the unofficial '' Three Smart Girls'' trilogy. In ''Hers to Hold'', Deanna Durbin reprises her role as Penny Craig, wh ...

'' (1943) as Flo Simpson * '' Crazy House'' (1943) as Evelyn Ankers (uncredited) * '' Son of Dracula'' (with

) (1943) as Claire Caldwell * '' You're a Lucky Fellow, Mr. Smith'' (1943) as Lynn Smith * '' The Mad Ghoul'' (with Robert Armstrong) (1943) as Isabel Lewis * '' His Butler's Sister'' (1943, directed by

Frank Borzage Frank Borzage (; April 23, 1894 – June 19, 1962) was an Academy Award-winning American film director and actor, known for directing '' 7th Heaven'' (1927), '' Street Angel'' (1928), '' Bad Girl'' (1931), '' A Farewell to Arms'' (1932), ''Man's ...

) as Elizabeth Campbell * ''

Ladies Courageous ''Ladies Courageous'' (also called ''Fury in the Sky'' in a 1950 Realart re-release) is a 1944 war film based on the novel ''Looking For Trouble'' (1941) by Virginia Spencer Cowles. Directed by John Rawlins, the film stars Loretta Young and Gera ...

'' (with

Loretta Young Loretta Young (born Gretchen Young; January 6, 1913 – August 12, 2000) was an American actress. Starting as a child, she had a long and varied career in film from 1917 to 1953. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the fil ...

and

) (1944) as Wilhelmina * ''

'' (1944) as Ilona Carr * '' Follow the Boys'' (1944) as Evelyn Ankers (uncredited) * ''

'' (1944) as Julia Munson * ''

'' (1944) as Beth Mason * ''

'' (with

John Carradine John Carradine ( ; born Richmond Reed Carradine; February 5, 1906 – November 27, 1988) was an American actor, considered one of the greatest character actors in American cinema. He was a member of Cecil B. DeMille's stock company and later Jo ...

) (1944) as Julie Herrick * ''

'' (with

and

Rondo Hatton Rondo Hatton (April 22, 1894 – February 2, 1946) was an American journalist and actor. After writing for ''The Tampa Tribune'', Hatton found a career in film due to his unique facial features, which were the result of acromegaly. He headlin ...

) (1944) as Naomi Drake * ''

Bowery to Broadway ''Bowery to Broadway'' is a 1944 American film starring Maria Montez, Jack Oakie, and Susanna Foster. Donald O'Connor and Peggy Ryan also had a small specialty act, and it was the only film they were in together where they didn't have a name or ...

'' (1944) as Bonnie Latour * ''

'' (with

) (1945) as Maura Daniel * ''

The Fatal Witness ''The Fatal Witness'' is a 1945 American mystery film directed by Lesley Selander and written by Jerry Sackheim and Cleve F. Adams. The film stars Evelyn Ankers, Richard Fraser, George Leigh, Barbara Everest, Barry Bernard and Frederick Worlock. ...

'' (1945) as Priscilla Ames * ''

The French Key ''The French Key'' is a 1946 American mystery film directed by Walter Colmes and written by Frank Gruber. The film stars Albert Dekker, Mike Mazurki, Evelyn Ankers, John Eldredge, Frank Fenton and Selmer Jackson. The film was released on May 18 ...

'' (1946) as Janet Morgan * ''

Queen of Burlesque ''Queen of Burlesque'' is a 1946 American mystery thriller film directed by Sam Newfield and starring Evelyn Ankers, Carleton G. Young and Marion Martin. The film was distributed by the low-budget Producers Releasing Corporation. Rose La Rose, w ...

'' (1946) as Crystal McCoy * ''

Black Beauty ''Black Beauty: His Grooms and Companions, the Autobiography of a Horse'' is an 1877 novel by English author Anna Sewell. It was composed in the last years of her life, during which she was bedridden and seriously ill.Merriam-Webster (1995). ...

'' (with

) (1946) as Evelyn Carrington * ''

Flight to Nowhere ''Flight to Nowhere'' is a 1946 American film noir crime film directed by William Rowland and stars Alan Curtis (American actor), Alan Curtis and Evelyn Ankers. ''Flight to Nowhere'' was one of the first postwar productions to deal with the atom ...

'' (1946) as Catherine Forrest * ''

Spoilers of the North ''Spoilers of the North'' is a 1947 American film directed by Richard Sale and starring Paul Kelly, Lorna Gray (billed as "Adrian Booth"), and Evelyn Ankers. Plot summary Cast * Paul Kelly as Matt Garraway *Lorna Gray as Jane Koster (Bi ...

'' (1947) as Laura Reed * ''

Last of the Redmen ''Last of the Redskins'' (aka ''Last of the Redmen'') is a 1947 American Western film directed by George Sherman and starring Joh Hall and Michael O'Shea. The film was shot in Vitacolor but released in Cinecolor. Unlike other adaptations th ...

'' (1947) as Alice Munro * ''

The Lone Wolf in London ''The Lone Wolf in London'' is a 1947 American crime film directed by Leslie Goodwins and starring Gerald Mohr, Nancy Saunders and Eric Blore. The picture features the fictional Scotland Yard detective the Lone Wolf who travels to London, and ...

'' (with

Gerald Mohr Gerald Mohr (June 11, 1914 – November 9, 1968) was an American radio, film, and television character actor and frequent leading man, who appeared in more than 500 radio plays, 73 films, and over 100 television shows. Early years Mohr wa ...

and

Eric Blore Eric Blore Sr. (23 December 1887 – 2 March 1959) was an English actor and writer. His early stage career, mostly in the West End of London, centred on revue and musical comedy, but also included straight plays. He wrote sketches for and appe ...

) (1947) as Iris Chatham * '' Parole, Inc.'' (with Michael O'Shea and

Turhan Bey Turhan Bey (born Turhan Gilbert Selahattin Şahultavi, 30 March 192230 September 2012). was an Austrian-born actor of Turkish and Czech-Jewish origins. Active in Hollywood from 1941 to 1953, he was dubbed "The Turkish Delight" by his fans.. Aft ...

) (1948) as Jojo Dumont * ''

'' (with

Lex Barker Alexander Crichlow Barker Jr. (May 8, 1919 – May 11, 1973), known as Lex Barker, was an American actor. He was known for playing Tarzan for RKO Pictures between 1949 and 1953, and portraying leading characters from Karl May's novels, notably a ...

) (1949) as Gloria James Jessup * ''

'' (1950) as Calamity Jane * '' No Greater Love'' (with

) (1960, Short) (final film role)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ankers, Evelyn 1918 births 1985 deaths American film actresses American television actresses British film actresses British television actresses Deaths from ovarian cancer Deaths from cancer in Hawaii People with acquired American citizenship 20th-century British actresses British expatriates in Chile British emigrants to the United States 20th-century American actresses People from Valparaíso People educated at The Latymer School