Evelyn Ankers (1918-1985)

biography

Born in Chile to English parents on August 17, 1918, beautiful Evelyn Ankers found fame in the 1940s as Universal's reigning scream queen. Upon her parents' relocation to England in the 1920s, Ankers began harboring a desire to act. By the time she completed her studies in school in the mid 1930s, Ankers was landing small roles in British film productions, including Fire Over England (1937; with Raymond Massey) and Bells of St. Mary's (1937). Even in these small parts, Ankers beauty and talent shined through, so much that she soon was cast in starring roles in the low budget crime dramas The Villiers Diamond (1938) and The Claydon Treasure Mystery (1938). With these early successes, the young actress crossed the Atlantic and headed for Hollywood, where she signed with Universal in 1940. The studio cast her in the highly successful comedy-horror release Hold That Ghost (1941; with Bud Abbott and Lou Costello) and the classic horror film The Wolf Man (1941; with Lon Chaney Jr.), thus beginning Ankers' association with Universal's popular horror franchises. In 1942, Ankers married handsome B-movie lead Richard Denning. While he went off to war, Ankers' signature blood-curdling scream heightened the tension in such horror flicks as The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942; with Lon Chaney Jr. and Bela Lugosi), The Invisible Man's Revenge (1944; with Jon Hall), and The Frozen Ghost (1945; with Lon Chaney Jr.).

After the war, Ankers' career began to dim as Universal's monster movies went out of favor with audiences. She left the studio in 1945 and freelanced at PRC, Republic, and Columbia, mainly in mysteries and dramas. She also acted with husband Richard Denning in the 20th Century Fox release Black Beauty (1946). By 1950, Ankers had settled into married life and motherhood and walked away from her film career.

the films of evelyn ankers

Burma Convoy (1941)

Hold That Ghost (1941)

The Wolf Man (1941)

The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942)

North to the Klondike (1942)

Pierre of the Plains (1942)

Captive Wild Woman (1943)

The Mad Ghoul (1943)

Son of Dracula (1943)

The Invisible Man's Revenge (1944)

The Pearl of Death (1944)

Weird Woman (1944)

The Frozen Ghost (1945)

Last of the Redmen (1947)

later years

After bowing out of films in 1950, while raising her daughter Ankers worked sporadically in the then-new medium of television, finally retiring from acting in the late 1950s. She and Richard Denning moved to Hawaii in the 1960s, and the couple enjoyed a marriage that lasted until her death from cancer on August 29, 1985, at the age of 67. She was survived by her husband, Richard Denning, a daughter, Diana, and two grandchildren.

evelyn ankers films available from movies unlimited

Inner Sanctum Mysteries: The Complete Movie Collection [DVD] DVD
Lon Chaney, Jr. starred in these six horror yarns made for Universal and based on the popular "Inner Sanctum" suspense radio program. Chaney plays a respected neurologist who can't remember if he's responsible for his unfaithful wife's murder, in "Calling Dr. Death" (1943). Next, based on Fritz Leiber's "Conjure Wife," "Weird Woman" (1944) stars Anne Gwynne as the island-raised new wife of professor Chaney, who comes to believe his bride is using voodoo to get rid of his enemies. Blinded by acid thrown by jealous model Acquanetta, artist Chaney's only chance at seeing again is a transplant...but does he resort to murder to gain "Dead Man's Eyes" (1944)? A stage hypnotist (Chaney) is accused of killing an audience member and takes a job in a wax museum, in "The Frozen Ghost" (1945). Chemist Chaney returns from South America looking for revenge on boss J. Carrol Naish, in "Strange Confession" (1945). And, Chaney is a murder suspect again, accused of smothering his victims with the "Pillow of Death" (1945). 6 1/3 hrs. total on two discs. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English (SDH), French.
The Wolf Man (Special Edition) [DVD](1941) DVD
"Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers by night, may become a wolf when the wolf bane blooms and the autumn moon is bright." Classic chiller stars Lon Chaney, Jr. as a man marked with the sign of the beast. Returning to his family's Welsh ancestral home, Chaney is the recipient of a lycanthropic curse when he's attacked by a vicious werewolf. With Claude Rains, Evelyn Ankers, Bela Lugosi, and the ever-wizened Maria Ouspenskaya. 70 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English (SDH), French, Spanish; audio commentary; featurettes; theatrical trailers. Two-disc set.
The Wolf Man: The Legacy Collection [DVD] DVD
Once in a full moon comes a howlingly good two-disc set like this. Lon Chaney, Jr. is cursed man-beast Larry Talbot in "The Wolf Man" (1941), with Claude Rains, Evelyn Ankers and Bela Lugosi. Next, Henry Hull is the rather urbane "Werewolf of London" (1935), Universal's first lycanthrope thriller; Chaney returns to battle Lugosi's Frankenstein Monster in "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man" (1943); and future TV mom June Lockhart fears she's inherited the mark of the beast in "She-Wolf of London" (1946). 4 3/4 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: French, Spanish; documentary; audio commentary on "The Wolf Man."
Universal Horror: Classic Movie Archive [DVD] DVD
Greedy relatives wait for their wealthy aunt to die so they can collect the inheritance, in "The Black Cat" (1941). One of them murders her, but that's only the start of the killing of heirs and the old lady's many cats--who must die before the money is released. Basil Rathbone, Bela Lugosi star. A group of people travels to "Horror Island" (1941) in search of hidden treasure, but wind up getting picked off one at a time by a mysterious cloaked figure. With Dick Foran, Peggy Moran. Lon Chaney, Jr. makes his horror film debut as the "Man Made Monster" (1941), a sideshow freak who becomes a guinea pig for mad scientist Lionel Atwill's plot to build a race of supermen. A man whose legs were amputated and replaced by prosthetics stalks the doctors he blames for his handicap, in "Night Monster" (1942). Ralph Morgan, Lugosi, Atwill star. And, "Captive Wild Woman" (1943) finds doc John Carradine injecting an orangutan with a dying woman's blood, transforming it into a beautiful she-creature that turns into a murderous anthropoid when her jealous streak is aroused. Acquanetta co-stars. 5 1/2 hrs. total on two discs. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English (SDH), French; theatrical trailers.
The Best Of Bud Abbott And Lou Costello, Vol. 1 [DVD] DVD
Abbott and Costello's screen debut finds them as detectives cracking an insurance scam in "One Night in the Tropics" (1940); boot camp becomes a course in basic comedy training in the team's first starring film, "Buck Privates" (1941); the boys set sail for seafaring silliness in the service comedy "In the Navy" (1941); there are high spirits when the pair get trapped in a haunted house in "Hold That Ghost!" (1941); take off for laughs with the duo as would-be pilots in "Keep 'Em Flying" (1941); "Ride 'Em Cowboy" (1942) has them as city slickers-turned-comical cowhands; Chicago bus drivers Bud and Lou take a really wrong turn in "Pardon My Sarong" (1942); and, in "Who Done It?" (1942), they're private eyes "helping" the police catch a killer. 11 hrs. on two discs. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: French, Spanish.
Son Of Frankenstein (1939)/The Ghost Of Frankenstein [DVD](1942) DVD
Third entry in the series stars Basil Rathbone as Wolf von Frankenstein, returning to the ancestral estate with his family to atone for his father's mistakes. With the aid of crippled shepherd Ygor (Bela Lugosi), he brings the monster (Boris Karloff) back to murderous life. Lionel Atwill co-stars. Then, Lon Chaney, Jr. replaces Karloff in the eerie fourth entry in Universal's series. Ygor (Lugosi) saves the monster from a sulphur pit and takes him to Baron Frankenstein (Cedric Hardwicke), who plans on giving the creature a "normal" brain. Ralph Bellamy, Lionel Atwill star. 168 min. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: French, Spanish; theatrical trailer; filmographies.
Sherlock Holmes And The Voice Of Terror [DVD](1942) DVD
In his first "modern" adventure, the great detective must find the secret Nazi conspirator who's responsible for a reign of espionage and destruction throughout England. Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Reginald Denny and Evelyn Ankers star. Based on Conan Doyle's "His Last Bow." 66 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English mono.
The Sherlock Holmes Collection, Vol. 1 [DVD] DVD
Four-disc set of Holmes mysteries starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce includes "Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon," "Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror," "Sherlock Holmes Faces Death," and "Sherlock Holmes in Washington." Standard; Soundtrack: English mono; audio commentary; photo gallery; poster gallery.
The Mad Ghoul -- Exclusive! [DVD](1943) DVD
Diabolical but distinguished professor George Zucco discovers a life-preserving gas used by the ancient Egyptians and administers it on his young assistant after learning they're in love with the same woman. The stuff turns the assistant into a mummifying zombie, easily open to suggestions that he kill people or drop his engagement plans. Evelyn Ankers, David Bruce also star. 66 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; lobby cards; movie posters; photo gallery; more.
Universal Cult Horror Collection -- Exclusive! [DVD] DVD
Five-disc set includes "Murders in the Zoo," "The Mad Doctor of Market Street," "The Strange Case of Doctor Rx," "The Mad Ghoul," and "House of Horrors."
Dracula: The Legacy Collection [DVD] DVD
Toothy two-disc set of Universal chillers opens with director Tod Browning's "Dracula" (1931), with Bela Lugosi defining the title role of Bram Stoker's vampire lord; with Helen Chandler, Dwight Frye, Edward Van Sloan. Next, the Spanish-language version of "Dracula" (1931), shot simultaneously on the Universal sets and noted for its erotic style, stars Carlos Villarias and Lupita Tovar. Then, Gloria Holden is "Dracula's Daughter" (1936), trying to end her undead life and battling Van Sloan's Van Helsing; Count Alucard (spell it backwards) comes to America in the form of Lon Chaney, Jr. in "Son of Dracula" (1943) with Evelyn Ankers; and the Wolf Man and Frankenstein Monster are guests in the "House of Dracula" (1945), with Chaney and John Carradine. 6 3/4 hrs.
The Pearl Of Death [DVD](1944) DVD
What is the sinister secret behind a gruesome series of killings and the smashing of several busts of Beethoven? Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson (Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce) will find out, but first they must deal with the grotesque Creeper (Rondo Hatton). Miles Mander, Evelyn Ankers co-star. Based on Conan Doyle's "The Six Napoleons." 69 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English mono.
The Invisible Man: The Legacy Collection [DVD] DVD
It's apparent that you'll love this two-disc set! First, Claude Rains lends a sinister presence to "The Invisible Man" (1933). With Gloria Stuart, William Harrigan. Next, "The Invisible Man Returns" (1940) in the guise of Vincent Price as he attempts to clear his name. Nan Grey, Cedric Hardwicke co-star. Then, scientist John Barrymore turns Virginia Bruce into "The Invisible Woman" (1941), featuring Shemp Howard; and the "Invisible Agent" (1942) tries to stop a Nazi plot. Jon Hall, Peter Lorre star. Finally, it's "The Invisible Man's Revenge" (1944) when fugitive Hall terrorizes a rich couple. Evelyn Ankers, John Carradine, Leon Errol co-star. 6 1/2 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: French, Spanish; audio commentary.
The Fatal Witness [DVD](1945) DVD
Soon after a wealthy old British woman accuses her nephew of stealing an expensive brooch and threatens to have him disinherited, she is murdered. Simple mystery, you say? Not for the Scotland Yard inspector who believes he has the case wrapped up easily...until the prime suspect comes up with an airtight alibi. Richard Fraser, Evelyn Ankers, and Frederick Worlock star. Standard; Soundtrack: English.
Flight To Nowhere [DVD](1946) DVD
An odd assortment of plane passengers lands at a Death Valley hotel and smack into a dangerous plot involving a stolen map and secret uranium deposits in the South Pacific. Alan Curtis. 65 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English. Plays All Regions.
Spoilers Of The North [DVD](1947) DVD
After fleecing his girlfriend for money to open his cannery, conniving salmon fisherman Paul Kelly dumps her in favor of a gal whose Native American friends will illegally fish for him year-round. But when the woman's brother learns of Kelly's schemes, he sets out to expose him. Evelyn Ankers, Adrian Booth, James Millican, and Roy Barcroft co-star. 65 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English. Plays All Regions.
Parole, Inc. [DVD](1948) DVD
Dark crime story focuses on an FBI agent who takes a dangerous undercover assignment aimed at squelching a parole racket that rewards convicts who are loyal to mob bosses. Risking his life to stop the crooks, can he succeed in halting their operation before his ruse is discovered? Michael O'Shea, Evelyn Ankers, Turhan Bey, and Lyle Talbot star. 70 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English. Plays All Regions.
Tarzan's Magic Fountain [DVD](1949) DVD
Marking Lex Barker's debut as Edgar Rice Burroughs' loinclothed hero, this actioner finds Tarzan helping an aviatrix who emerges from a remote valley years after being declared lost, seemingly without having aged a day. The jungle king must stop some unscrupulous types from discovering the "fountain of youth" that kept her young. Brenda Joyce, Evelyn Ankers, and Albert Dekker co-star. 73 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English.
Golden Age Theater, Vol. 4 [DVD] DVD
Includes "Payment in Kind" with Howard Duff; Gloria Talbot as Pocahontas in "America's First Great Lady"; Charles Boyer and Natalie Wood in "The Wild Bunch"; and Edmond O'Brien, Joanne Woodward and Evelyn Ankers in "Dark Stranger." 100 min. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English. Plays All Regions.

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filmography

The Texan Meets Calamity Jane (1950) with James Ellison and Grace Lee Whitney
Tarzan's Magic Fountain (1949) with Lex Barker, Brenda Joyce, Albert Dekker, Charles Drake, and Alan Napier
Parole, Inc. (1948) with Michael O'Shea, Turhan Bey, and Lyle Talbot
The Lone Wolf in London (1947) with Gerald Mohr Eric Blore, and Alan Napier
Last of the Redmen (1947) with Jon Hall, Michael O'Shea, Julie Bishop, and Buster Crabbe
Spoilers of the North (1947) with Paul Kelly
Flight to Nowhere (1946) with Alan Curtis, Jack Holt, and Jerome Cowan
Black Beauty (1946) with Richard Denning and Mona Freeman
Queen of Burlesque (1946) with Carleton Young and Craig Reynolds
The French Key (1946) with Albert Dekker and Mike Mazurki
The Fatal Witness (1945) with Richard Fraser
The Frozen Ghost (1945) with Lon Chaney Jr., Elena Verdugo, and Milburn Stone
Pardon My Rhythm (1944) with Gloria Jean, Patric Knowles, and Mel Torme
Bowery to Broadway (1944) with Maria Montez, Jack Oakie, Turhan Bey, Ann Blyth, Louise Allbritton, Rosemary DeCamp, Leo Carrillo, Andy Devine, and George Dolenz
The Pearl of Death (1944) with Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, and Rondo Hatton
The Invisible Man's Revenge (1944) with Jon Hall, Leon Errol, John Carradine, Alan Curtis, and Gale Sondergaard
Jungle Woman (1944) with J. Carrol Naish, Milburn Stone, and Acquanetta
Weird Woman (1944) with Lon Chaney Jr. and Anne Gwynne
Ladies Courageous (1944) with Loretta Young, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Anne Gwynne, Phillip Terry, and Kane Richmond
His Butler's Sister (1943) with Deanna Durbin and Franchot Tone
The Mad Ghoul (1943) with David Bruce, George Zucco, Robert Armstrong, Turhan Bey, and Milburn Stone
Son of Dracula (1943) with Lon Chaney Jr., Robert Paige, and Louise Allbritton
You're a Lucky Fellow, Mr. Smith (1943) with Allan Jones, Billie Burke, and David Bruce
Keep 'Em Slugging (1943) with Huntz Hall, Elyse Knox, Frank Albertson, Don Porter, Shemp Howard, and Milburn Stone
Hers to Hold (1943) with Deanna Durbin and Joseph Cotten
All by Myself (1943) with Rosemary Lane, Patric Knowles, Neil Hamilton, and Grant Mitchell
Captive Wild Woman (1943) with John Carradine, Milburn Stone, Acquanetta, Martha Vickers, and Ray 'Crash' Corrigan
The Great Impersonation (1942) with Ralph Bellamy
Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror (1942) with Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, and Reginald Denny
Pierre of the Plains (1942) with John Carroll, Ruth Hussey, and Bruce Cabot
Eagle Squadron (1942) with Robert Stack, Diana Barrymore, Jon Hall, Eddie Albert, Nigel Bruce, Leif Erickson, Alan Hale Jr., and Don Porter
The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942) with Lon Chaney Jr., Bela Lugosi, Cedric Hardwicke, Ralph Bellamy, and Lionel Atwill
North to the Klondike (1942) with Broderick Crawford, Andy Devine, and Lon Chaney Jr.
The Wolf Man (1941) with Lon Chaney Jr., Claude Rains, Ralph Bellamy, Patric Knowles, Bela Lugosi, and Maria Ouspenskaya
Burma Convoy (1941) with Charles Bickford, Frank Albertson, Cecil Kellaway, and Turhan Bey
Hold That Ghost (1941) with Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Richard Carlson, Joan Davis, Mischa Auer, Shemp Howard, and the Andrews Sisters
Hit the Road (1941) with Huntz Hall and Billy Halop
Bachelor Daddy (1941) with Edward Everett Horton and Franklin Pangborn
The Claydon Treasure Mystery (1938)
Coming of Age (1938)
Murder in the Family (1938) with Glynis Johns, Roddy McDowall, and Jessica Tandy
Second Thoughts (1938)
The Villiers Diamond (1938)
Bells of St. Mary's (1937)

evelyn ankers film now showing

Watch Evelyn Ankers starring in the Republic drama Spoilers of the North (1947)