Mary Ann Mobley (February 17, 1937 – December 9, 2014) was an American actress, television personality, and

Miss America Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 17 and 25. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is now judged on competitors' talent performances and interviews. As ...

1959.

Career

Mobley was born in 1937 in

Biloxi, Mississippi Biloxi ( ; ) is a city in and one of two county seats of Harrison County, Mississippi, United States (the other being the adjacent city of Gulfport). The 2010 United States Census recorded the population as 44,054 and in 2019 the estimated popu ...

. After her reign as Miss America 1959, Mobley embarked on a career in both film and television. She signed a five-year contract with MGM. She made her first television appearances on ''Be Our Guest'' in 1960, followed by five appearances on '' Burke's Law'' from 1963 to 1965. In 1966 she was the female guest star on the first two-part episode of '' Mission: Impossible'', in the episode “Old Man Out.” She went on to make multiple appearances on ''

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a c ...

,'' ''

Love, American Style ''Love, American Style'' is an anthology comedy television series that aired on ABC from 1969 to 1974. The series was produced by Paramount Television. During the 1971–72 and 1972–73 seasons, it was a part of ABC's Friday primetime lineup ...

,'' and ''

Fantasy Island ''Fantasy Island'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Gene Levitt. It aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984. The series starred Ricardo Montalbán as the mysterious Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize as his assistant, Tatto ...

.'' She played a recurring role as Maggie McKinney Drummond on ''

Diff'rent Strokes ''Diff'rent Strokes'' is an American television sitcom, which aired on NBC from November 3, 1978, to May 4, 1985, and on ABC from September 27, 1985, to March 7, 1986. The series stars Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges as Arnold and Willis Jackso ...

'' in the final season of the series, having taken over the role from

Dixie Carter Dixie Virginia Carter (May 25, 1939 – April 10, 2010) was an American actress. She starred as Julia Sugarbaker on the sitcom ''Designing Women'' (1986–1993) and as Randi King on the drama series ''Family Law'' (1999–2002). She was nomin ...

. She also played Arnold’s teacher on ''Diff'rent Strokes'' in season 2, episode 24. In Carter's later series, ''

Designing Women ''Designing Women'' is an American television sitcom created by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason that aired on CBS from September 29, 1986, to May 24, 1993, producing seven seasons and 163 episodes. It was a joint production of Bloodworth/Thomason M ...

'', Mobley guest-starred as Karen Delaporte, the snide head of a historical society, who crosses swords with Carter's character, Julia Sugarbaker. She made two films with Elvis Presley in 1965, '' Girl Happy'' and '' Harum Scarum.'' She was given the

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 ...

for New Star of the Year – Actress in 1965. She was active in many charitable causes and was awarded the Outstanding Young Woman of the Year Award in 1966 by

Lady Bird Johnson Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Johnson (''née'' Taylor; December 22, 1912 – July 11, 2007) was First Lady of the United States from 1963 to 1969 as the wife of President Lyndon B. Johnson. She previously served as Second Lady from 1961 to 1963 whe ...

. Mobley also made occasional appearances on ''

Match Game ''Match Game'' is an American television panel game show that premiered on NBC in 1962 and has been revived several times over the course of the last six decades. The game features contestants trying to match answers given by celebrity panelis ...

'' as one of the celebrity panelists from 1973 to 1977. From 1984 to 1988, Mobley joined husband Gary Collins in co-hosting the Pillsbury Bake-Off on CBS. She appeared in the

documentary film A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in te ...

'', which PBS aired as the January 27, 2002, episode of ''

American Experience ''American Experience'' is a television program airing on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) in the United States. The program airs documentaries, many of which have won awards, about important or interesting events and people in American his ...

''. Mobley is briefly depicted in the third season of the

Amazon Prime Amazon Prime is a paid subscription service from Amazon which is available in various countries and gives users access to additional services otherwise unavailable or available at a premium to other Amazon customers. Services include same, one- ...

series ''

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel ''The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel'' is an American period comedy-drama television series, created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, that premiered on March 17, 2017, on Amazon Prime Video. Set in the late 1950s and early 1960s, it stars Rachel Brosnahan as ...

'', played by Amanda Dela Cruz.

Miss America

Mobley was crowned Miss America 1959, the first Mississippian to achieve this honor, winning the national talent award. Mobley joined husband Gary Collins as co-host of the 1989 Miss America pageant in September 1988, the 30th anniversary year of her own Miss America victory.

Personal life

Mobley grew up in

Brandon, Mississippi Brandon is a city in and the county seat of Rankin County, Mississippi, United States. It was incorporated on December 19, 1831. The population was 21,705 at the 2010 census. Brandon is part of the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is l ...

, and graduated from Brandon High School. She was a member of

Chi Omega Chi Omega (, also known as ChiO) is a women's fraternity and a member of the National Panhellenic Conference, the umbrella organization of 26 women's fraternities. Chi Omega has 181 active collegiate chapters and approximately 240 alumnae chap ...

sorority at the

University of Mississippi The University of Mississippi ( byname Ole Miss) is a public research university that is located adjacent to Oxford, Mississippi, and has a medical center in Jackson. It is Mississippi's oldest public university and its largest by enrollment ...

, and in 1981 was inducted into the University of Mississippi Alumni Hall of Fame. She married actor and television host Gary Collins in 1967 at Brandon United Methodist Church. The couple separated in 2010 but reconciled and were living in Biloxi when Collins died on October 13, 2012. Collins and Mobley had one daughter together, Mary Clancy Collins. Mobley was also stepmother to Melissa Collins and Guy William Collins, children from his first marriage.

Health and death

Mobley had

Crohn's disease Crohn's disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that may affect any segment of the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms often include abdominal pain, diarrhea (which may be bloody if inflammation is severe), fever, abdominal distensi ...

and had at times been an activist for improvements in treatment. She was treated in 2009 for Stage III breast cancer. Mobley died at her home in

Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. ...

, on December 9, 2014, aged 77, from breast cancer.

Filmography

Film

*1964: '' Get Yourself a College Girl'' - Teresa "Terry" Taylor *1965: '' Girl Happy'' - Deena *1965: ''

Young Dillinger ''Young Dillinger'' is a 1965 gangster film directed by Terry O. Morse. It stars Nick Adams as the notorious criminal John Dillinger, and co-stars Robert Conrad, John Ashley and Mary Ann Mobley. Plot With help from Elaine, his girlfriend, you ...

'' - Elaine *1965: '' Harum Scarum'' - Princess Shalimar *1966: '' Three on a Couch'' - Susan Manning *1967: '' The King's Pirate'' - Princess Patna *1968: '' For Singles Only'' - Anne Carr

Television

*1960: ''Be Our Guest'' (CBS daytime TV show) *1963: ''

General Hospital ''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the longest-running American soap opera in production, and the second in American history after '' ...

'' - Jonelle Andrews (1979) *1963-1965: '' Burke's Law'' - Teri / Cindy / Girl / Denise / Sugar *1964-1966: ''

'' - Sharon Carmody / Dianne Adler *1965-1966: '' Run for Your Life'' - Laura Bronson / Clarice Newell *1966: '' The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' - April Dancer *1966: '' Mission: Impossible'' - Crystal Walker *1967: '' The Virginian'' - Ellie Willard *1967: '' The Legend of Custer'' - Ann L'Andry *1968: ''Istanbul Express'' (TV Movie) - Peggy Coopersmith *1969: ''My Dog the Thief, Part 1'' (TV Movie) - Kim Lawrence *1969: ''My Dog the Thief, Part 2'' (TV Movie) - Kim Lawrence *1969–1973: ''

'' - Linda / Joanne Fergusson / Carol / Pat *1969: '' Ironside'' - Marcy Atkins *1972: ''

Search Searching or search may refer to: Computing technology * Search algorithm, including keyword search ** :Search algorithms * Search and optimization for problem solving in artificial intelligence * Search engine technology, software for find ...

'' - Lilia Moen *1973: ''

The Partridge Family ''The Partridge Family'' is an American musical sitcom starring Shirley Jones and featuring David Cassidy. Jones plays a widowed mother, and Cassidy plays the oldest of her five children, in a family who embarks on a music career. It ran from S ...

'' - Audrey Parson *1973–1977: ''

'' - Herself - Panelist *1974: ''

The Girl on the Late, Late Show ''The Girl on the Late, Late Show'' is a 1974 American TV film directed by Gary Nelson. It was designed as a pilot of a weekly TV series starring Don Murray. Plot A man tries to track down an old screen star. Cast * Don Murray as William Martin ...

'' (TV Movie) - The Librarian *1974–1977: ''

Tattletales ''Tattletales'' is an American game show produced by Goodson- Todman Productions in association with Fremantle. The program had two runs on the CBS daytime schedule between February 1974 and June 1984. It was hosted by Bert Convy, with severa ...

'' - Herself *1977: '' The Fantastic Journey'' - Rhea *1978–1984: ''

'' - Bryana Spencer / Nancy Carsons / Florence Richmond / Linda Roth / Amanda DeHaven / Ellie Drake / Sheila Crane / Pamela Deering *1978–1985: ''

The Love Boat ''The Love Boat'' is an American romantic comedy/drama television series that aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986; in addition, four three-hour specials aired in 1986, 1987, and 1990. The series was set on the luxury passenger cruise ship MS ''Pa ...

'' (3 episodes) - Annette Epshaw / Marion Vail / Mrs. Diller *1979-1980 “Whew!” (TV Game Show) - Herself - Celebrity Contestant *1980–1986: ''

'' - Maggie McKinney Drummond / Nancy Osborne *1980: ''

Vega$ ''Vegas'' (stylized as ''Vega$'') is an American crime drama television series that aired on ABC from September 20, 1978, to June 3, 1981, with the pilot episode airing April 25, 1978. ''Vegas'' was produced by Aaron Spelling and created by Mic ...

'' - Paula Conway *1984: ''

Hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...

'' - Catherine Stevens *1986: '' Super Password'' - Herself - Celebrity Contestant *1986: ''Rosie'' (as Sally Sugarbaker) Episode: "Peach's Sweet Treats" *1988: ''

Falcon Crest ''Falcon Crest'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired for nine seasons on CBS from December 4, 1981, to May 17, 1990. The series revolves around the feuding factions of the wealthy Gioberti/Channing family in the California ...

'' (4 episodes) - Dr. Beth Everdene *1990: ''

'' - Karen Delaporte *1992: ''

Hearts Afire ''Hearts Afire'' is an American television sitcom created by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, starring John Ritter and Markie Post that aired on CBS from September 14, 1992, to February 1, 1995. The series' title is taken from a line in the Earth, ...

'' - Mary Fran Smithers *1999: ''

Sabrina, the Teenage Witch ''Sabrina the Teenage Witch'' is a comic book series published by Archie Comics about the adventures of a fictional American teenager named Sabrina Spellman. Sabrina was created by writer George Gladir and artist Dan DeCarlo, and first appeared ...

'' - Mary Ann Mobley *2003: ''

Dead Like Me ''Dead Like Me'' is an American comedy-drama television series starring Ellen Muth and Mandy Patinkin as grim reapers who reside and work in Seattle, Washington. Filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, the show was created by Bryan Fuller f ...

'' (TV Series) - Mary Ann Mobley (final appearance)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mobley, Mary Ann 1937 births 2014 deaths Actresses from Mississippi American film actresses American television actresses American television personalities American women television personalities Deaths from cancer in California Deaths from breast cancer Miss America 1950s delegates Miss America Preliminary Talent winners Miss America winners Miss Mississippi winners New Star of the Year (Actress) Golden Globe winners People from Biloxi, Mississippi People from Brandon, Mississippi University of Mississippi alumni Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players 20th-century American actresses People with Crohn's disease 21st-century American women