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Anne Francis
1930-
Updated 4/6/2009 with a new Photos Available section!
biography
Glamorous Anne Francis has done many films and has appeared in hundreds of hours of TV programming during her 60-year career. Born in Ossining, New York, on September 16, 1930, Francis became a model while still a child. In the late 1930s and early 1940s, she appeared on early TV broadcasts originating in New York, and she did a lot of radio work during the 1940s. Her first credited film appearance came in the the MGM musical Summer Holiday (1948; with Mickey Rooney). The following year, Francis returned to television, appearing on the series Versatile Varieties during the 1949-1950 season as "Bonny Maid." With a couple more films under her belt, she entered into a contract with 20th Century-Fox; her first starring role for the studio was Elopement (1951; with Clifton Webb). Francis later signed with MGM.
Beautiful photos of Anne Francis from the 1950s
By the mid 1950s, Anne Francis had established herself as a star in pictures. Some of her films from the era include Bad Day at Black Rock (1955; with Spencer Tracy), Blackboard Jungle (1955; with Glenn Ford), Battle Cry (1955; with Tab Hunter), and my personal favorite Forbidden Planet (1956; with Walter Pidgeon). Although her film career was going very well, by the late 1950s Francis left MGM and took a hiatus from film work, preferring television guest-starring roles instead. Girl of the Night (1960; with Lloyd Nolan) and The Crowded Sky (1961; with Rhonda Fleming) marked her brief return to movie screens. Following the events of her second marriage and birth of her daughter in the early 1960s, she wouldn't make another film until The Satan Bug (1965; with George Maharis and Dana Andrews). Francis then signed with Warner Bros., acting in the suspense thriller Brainstorm (1965; with Jeffrey Hunter).
Also produced by Warner Bros., Anne Francis' detective series Honey West premiered during ABC's fall 1965 season. This half-hour show was spawned from a spring 1965 episode of Burke's Law, in which Francis portrayed sultry private-eye Honey West.
the films of anne francis
Rogue Cop (1954)
Francis casts a watchful eye on cop Robert Taylor in MGM's film noir entry Rogue Cop
The Scarlet Coat (1955)
From MGM's costume adventure The Scarlet Coat with Cornel Wilde
The Great American Pastime (1956)
From the comedy The Great American Pastime. Francis portrays Betty Hallerton, whose husband Bruce (Tom Ewell) coaches a little league baseball team
Forbidden Planet (1956)
From MGM's science fiction classic Forbidden Planet. LEFT: With Leslie Nielsen and Robby the Robot. CENTER: With Robby the Robot. RIGHT: Wardrobe test photo
The Hired Gun (1957)
From the western The Hired Gun with Rory Calhoun
Girl of the Night (1960)
From Girl of the Night
Brainstorm (1965)
With Jeffrey Hunter in the Warner Bros. thriller Brainstorm
The Satan Bug (1965)
From the United Artists science fiction thriller The Satan Bug. LEFT: With George Maharis. RIGHT: With Dana Andrews
Honey West (1965-1966 ABC TV Series)
Francis as the title character in ABC's Honey West. This series also featured John Ericson
More Dead Than Alive (1969)
From the offbeat western More Dead Than Alive with Clint Walker
anne francis today
In 1966, Francis was nominated for an Emmy (Actress in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Series) for her role in Honey West. Unfortunately, the show lasted only one season, and after 30 episodes, the series was shelved. Although the show's ratings were good, ABC cited high production costs as the reason for the show's demise.
From the late 1960s onward, Anne Francis has concentrated most of her efforts on television, with great success. She has appeared in hundreds of hours of TV programming throughout her career, acting in numerous TV series and making a number of TV movies. And she still looks terrific today. Visit the Official Anne Francis site, listed in the Links section below.
Honey West: Complete Series [DVD](1965) DVD
Based on the mystery novels by G.G. Fickling, this fantastic "Burke's Law" spin-off was TV's first action-drama with a female lead. Join sexy and glamorous private eye Honey West (Anne Francis) as she uses her wits and martial arts skills to investigate a diverse assortment of cases with the help of partner Sam Bolt (John Ericson). Irene Hervey co-stars. All 30 episodes of the series--including "The Swingin' Mrs. Jones," "A Stitch in Crime," "The Fun-Fun Killer," "Little Green Robin Hood," and "An Eerie, Airy Thing"--are featured in a four-disc set. 15 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; commercials; photo gallery.
The Twilight Zone, Vol. 11 [DVD] DVD
Includes "The Dummy," "The Fever," "Living Doll" and "The After Hours."
Controversial Classics [DVD] DVD
Seven-disc set includes "I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang," "Fury," "Blackboard Jungle," "Bad Day at Black Rock," "A Face in the Crowd," "Advise and Consent," and "The Americanization of Emily,"
Portrait Of Jennie [DVD](1948) DVD
Classic tale of a romance that transcends time stars Joseph Cotten as a struggling painter in Depression-era New York who becomes inspired by--and obsessed with--otherworldly beauty Jennifer Jones after a series of chance meetings. David O. Selznick's haunting production also stars Ethel Barrymore, Cecil Kellaway, David Wayne. 86 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French.
Battle Cry (1955)/Battleground [DVD](1949) DVD
Based on the Leon Uris novel, the gritty war saga "Battle Cry" follows a group of marines from basic training to combat fighting during World War II. Van Heflin is the disciplinarian major who whips his men into shape, while Aldo Ray and Tab Hunter are among the jarheads preppingfor battle and dealing with domestic predicaments. Mona Freeman, Nancy Olson, James Whitmore, Raymond Massey, and John Lupton also star; directed by Raoul Walsh ("White Heat"). Then "Battleground" is an Oscar-winning account of the Battle of the Bulge, and the American foot soldiers who were trapped by the Germans in Bastogne during the fihting. Van Johnson, John Hodiak, Ricardo Montalban and George Murphy star in this stirring wartime drama, directed by William Wellman. 266 min. total on two discs.
Battle Cry [DVD](1955) DVD
Gritty war saga, based on the Leon Uris novel, follows a group of marines from basic training to combat fighting during World War II. Van Heflin is the disciplinarian major who whips his men into shape, while Aldo Ray and Tab Hunter are among the jarheads prepping for battle and dealing with domestic predicaments. Mona Freeman, Nancy Olson, James Whitmore, Raymond Massey and John Lupton also star; directed by Raoul Walsh ("White Heat"). 149 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital 5.1; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese, Thai.
Bad Day At Black Rock [DVD](1955) DVD
The quiet of a small Southwest town shortly after WWII is shattered by the arrival of a one-armed stranger (Spencer Tracy), whose presence threatens to unearth a dark secret. Compelling drama with a prejudice theme also stars Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan, Walter Brennan. 81 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital Surround stereo, French Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French; audio commentary; theatrical trailer.
Blackboard Jungle [DVD](1955) DVD
Richard Brooks' gritty look at life inside the inner-city high school stars Glenn Ford as the earnest teacher determined to reach his hood students. Great support from Sidney Poitier, Anne Francis, Vic Morrow, Louis Calhern; soundtrack includes historic film debut of "Rock Around the Clock." 100 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital mono, French Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French; audio commentary; theatrical trailer; bonus short "Blackboard Jumble" (1957).
Forbidden Planet [DVD](1956) DVD
Milestone science fiction adventure, loosely based on Shakespeare's "The Tempest." A rescue ship's crew locates the survivors of an interplanetary expedition, but an eons-old force of great power and evil may destroy them all. Leslie Nielsen, Anne Francis, Walter Pidgeon and Robby the Robot star. 98 min. Widescreen and Standard; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital Surround, Spanish Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, French, Spanish; scene access; theatrical trailer.
The Perry Como Show(1956) VHS
Perry is a cowboy in a western sketch with guests Henry Fonda and Anne Francis. Paul Winchell and Jerry Mahoney provide some comedy relief. The Platters sing, and Robby the Robot makes a surprise appearance. 60 min.
Burke's Law: Season One, Vol. 1 [DVD](1963) DVD
The first 16 episodes from the first season--including "Who Killed Holly Howard?," "Who Killed Cable Roberts?," "Who Killed Alex Debbs?," "Who Killed the Kind Doctor?," and "Who Killed Snooky Martinelli?"--have been collected in a four-disc set. 13 1/3 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; vintage commercials; more.
Funny Girl [DVD](1968) DVD
Classic musical comedy based on the life of singer-actress Fanny Brice (Barbra Streisand) and her love affair with and marriage to gambler Nicky Arnstein (Omar Sharif). Songs include "People" and "Don't Rain on My Parade." 155 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.0, Dolby Digital Surround, French Dolby Digital stereo; Subtitles: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, Thai; filmographies; theatrical trailers; interactive menus; scene access; featurettes.
Funny Girl (1968)/Funny Lady [DVD](1975) DVD
More Dead Than Alive [DVD](1968) DVD
Released from prison after 18 years, murderer Cain becomes determined to start a new life and never touch a gun again. Unable to find any other work, he is forced to take a job as a sharpshooter for a travelling sideshow. But when a group of his old enemies resurface, Cain risks everything to make peace with his troubled past. Clint Walker, Vincent Price, Anne Francis, and Mike Henry star. 101 min. Standard and Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital mono, Spanish Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, French, Spanish.
Don Knotts Reluctant Hero Pack [DVD] DVD
In "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken" (1966), Knotts plays a milquetoast newspaper typesetter whose big chance to become a reporter has arrived--and all he has to do is spend the night in a supposedly haunted house; he's got all the "wrong stuff" as an amusement park operator who ends up in a NASA training program in "The Reluctant Astronaut" (1967); "The Shakiest Gun in the West" (1968) features Knotts as a cowardly dentist who gets mistaken for a famous gunslinger; and he becomes "The Love God?" (1969) when his birdwatching magazine gets turned into a girlie mag. 6 3/4 hrs. total. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: French, Spanish.
The Love God? [DVD](1969) DVD
And who better than Don Knotts to play the title role in this offbeat satire, as the meek editor of a birdwatching magazine becomes a national celebrity when his new publisher, without Knotts' knowledge, turns it into a girlie mag. Anne Francis, Edmond O'Brien also star. 103 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital mono, Spanish Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: Spanish, French.
Banjo Hackett [DVD](1976) DVD
Shot as a pilot to a possible TV series, this lighthearted frontier drama stars "Monday Night Football" legend Don Meredith as Banjo, a wandering horse-trader in the 1880s West who helps his orphaned 9-year-old nephew (Ike Eisenmann) locate the scurvy bounty hunter who stole the boy's prize mare. Chuck Connors, Jennifer Warren also star. 96 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Japanese.
Dallas: The Complete Fourth Season [DVD](1980) DVD
All 23 episodes from the show's fourth season--including the two-part "No More Mister Nice Guy," "Who Done It?," "Start the Revolution with Me," "The Quest," and "Ewing-Gate"--are collected in a four-disc set. 18 3/4 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, French, Spanish; documentary.
Riptide: The Complete First Season [DVD](1984) DVD
All 13 episodes from the debut season--including the feature-length "Riptide," "Somebody's Killing the Great Geeks of America," "The Mean Green Love Machine," "Raiders of the Lost Sub," and "Something Fishy"--are featured in a three-disc set. 11 1/4 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono.
Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story [DVD](1987) DVD
Farrah Fawcett stars as the Woolworth heiress, who, despite fame and tremendous fortune, never found true happiness. Her relationships with her seven husbands (including Cary Grant) are chronicled in this acclaimed biodrama. With James Read, Kevin McCarthy. 5 hrs. total on two discs. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo.
anne francis dvds available from amazon.com
filmography
FILM
Lover's Knot (1996) with Bill Campbell, Jennifer Grey, and Adam Ant
Have You Seen My Son? (1996) with Lisa Hartman
The Double 0 Kid (1993) with Brigitte Nielsen and Karen Black
Love Can Be Murder (1992) with Jaclyn Smith and Bruce Vilanch
Little Vegas (1990) with Catherine O'Hara and Jerry Stiller
My First Love (1988) with Beatrice Arthur, Joan Van Ark, and Julia Meade
Jake and the Fatman (1987) with William Conrad and Joe Penny
Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story (1987) with Farrah Fawcett and Burl Ives
Laguna Heat (1987) with Jason Robards and Harry Hamlin
A Masterpiece of Murder (1986) with Bob Hope, Don Ameche, Yvonne De Carlo, and Kevin McCarthy
Return (1985) with Frederic Forrest
The Murder of Sherlock Holmes (1984) with Angela Lansbury, Brian Keith, and Bert Convy
Mazes and Monsters (1982) with Tom Hanks, Lloyd Bochner, and Vera Miles
Detour to Terror (1980) with O.J. Simpson, Lorenzo Lamas, and Chris Noel
Beggarman, Thief (1979) with Jean Simmons and Glenn Ford
The Rebels (1979) with Andrew Stevens, Don Johnson, Doug McClure, Jim Backus, Richard Basehart, Joan Blondell, Macdonald Carey, Rory Calhoun, and Peter Graves
Born Again (1978) with Dean Jones and Dana Andrews
Little Mo (1978) with Anne Baxter, Leslie Nielsen, and Martin Milner
The Young Runaways (1978) with Barbara Hale
Survival (1976) with Sheree North and Barry Sullivan
Banjo Hackett: Roamin' Free (1976) with Don Meredith, Gloria DeHaven, and Chuck Connors
A Girl Named Sooner (1975) with Richard Crenna, Lee Remick, Cloris Leachman, and Don Murray
The Last Survivors (1975) with Martin Sheen, Diane Baker, and Christopher George
F.B.I. Story (1974) with Robert Foxworth and Chris Robinson
Cry Panic (1974) with John Forsythe and Ralph Meeker
Columbo: A Stitch in Crime (1973) with Peter Falk, Leonard Nimoy, Nita Talbot, and Aneta Corsaut
Pancho Villa (1973) with Clint Walker, Telly Savalas, and Chuck Connors
Columbo: Short Fuse (1972) with Peter Falk, Ida Lupino, and James Gregory
The Weekend Nun (1972) with Beverly Garland, Vic Morrow, Ann Sothern, and Lynn Borden
Haunts of the Very Rich (1972) with Lloyd Bridges, Cloris Leachman, Robert Reed, and Donna Mills
Fireball Forward (1972) with Ricardo Montalban, Ben Gazzara, and Eddie Albert
Mongo's Back in Town (1971) with Telly Savalas, Sally Field, and Martin Sheen
The Forgotten Man (1971) with Dennis Weaver, Lois Nettleton, and Pamelyn Ferdin
Impasse(1970) with Burt Reynolds and Lyle Bettger
The Intruders (1970) with Don Murray, John Saxon, and Edmund O'Brien
Wild Women (1970) with Hugh O'Brian, Marie Windsor, and Marilyn Maxwell
Lost Flight (1969) with Lloyd Bridges, Ralph Meeker, Kasey Rogers, and Bobby Van
The Love God? (1969) with Don Knotts, Edmund O'Brien, and James Gregory
Hook, Line & Sinker (1969) with Jerry Lewis and Peter Lawford
More Dead Than Alive (1969) with Clint Walker, Vincent Price, Mike Henry, and Beverly Hills
Funny Girl (1968) with Barbra Streisand, Omar Sharif, and Gerald Mohr
Brainstorm (1965) with Jeffrey Hunter, Dana Andrews, and Viveca Lindfors
The Satan Bug (1965) with George Maharis, Dana Andrews, and Richard Basehart
The Crowded Sky (1961) with Dana Andrews, Troy Donahue, Rhonda Fleming, Patsy Kelly, and Efrem Zimbalist Jr.
Girl of the Night (1960) with Lloyd Nolan
Don't Go Near the Water (1957) with Glenn Ford, Russ Tamblyn, Eva Gabor, and Jeff Richards
The Hired Gun (1957) with Rory Calhoun, Vince Edwards, and Chuck Connors
The Great American Pastime (1956) with Tom Ewell and Ann Miller
The Rack (1956) with Paul Newman, Wendell Corey, Walter Pidgeon, and James Best
Forbidden Planet (1956) with Leslie Nielsen, Walter Pidgeon, Jack Kelly, and Warren Stevens
The Scarlet Coat (1955) with Cornel Wilde, Michael Wilding, and George Sanders
Blackboard Jungle (1955) with Glenn Ford, Sidney Poitier, Vic Morrow, and Rafael Campos
Battle Cry (1955) with Tab Hunter, Van Helfin, Mona Freeman, Dorothy Malone, and Aldo Ray
Bad Day at Black Rock (1955) with Spencer Tracy, Robert Ryan, John Ericson, and Lee Marvin
The Rocket Man (1954) with Charles Coburn, John Agar, Beverly Garland, and Spring Byington
Rogue Cop (1954) with Robert Taylor, Steve Forrest, Janet Leigh, and Vince Edwards
Susan Slept Here (1954) with Dick Powell, Debbie Reynolds, Alvy Moore, and Les Tremayne
A Lion is in the Streets (1953) with James Cagney, Barbara Hale, and Lon Chaney Jr.
Dreamboat (1952) with Ginger Rogers, Clifton Webb, and Jeffrey Hunter
Lydia Bailey (1952) with Dale Robertson and William Marshall
Elopement (1951) with Clifton Webb and William Lundigan
The Whistle at Eaton Falls (1951) with Lloyd Bridges and Parker Fennelly
So Young, So Bad (1950) with Paul Henreid and Rita Moreno
Summer Holiday (1948) with Gloria DeHaven, Mickey Rooney, and Agnes Moorehead
TELEVISION SERIES
Riptide, 1984-1986 TV series. Francis portrayed Mama Jo during the 1984-1985 season
Dallas, 1978-1991 CBS TV series. Francis portrayed Arliss Cooper during the 1981-1982 season
My Three Sons 1960-1972 CBS TV series. Francis portrayed Terri Dowling during the 1971-1972 season
Honey West, 1965-1966 ABC TV series. Francis portrayed Honey West. Also starring in this series was John Ericson
Versatile Varieties, 1949-1951 TV series. Francis appeared as "Bonny Maid" from 1949 through 1950
anne francis links
The Official Anne Francis Web Site
This site is the last word about gorgeous Anne Francis, from the actress herself. You'll find biographical information, a photo gallery, a monthly on-line newsletter, and autographed photos are available for sale.
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This page premiered September 19, 2000.
Counter reset March 1, 2001.
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