Born in Chile to English parents in 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.).
Pretty 1940s pinups of Evelyn Ankers
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)
From the low-budget Universal adventure Burma Convoy. LEFT: With Keye Luke, Turhan Bey, and C. Montague Shaw. RIGHT: Turhan Bey romances Evelyn Ankers
With Lon Chaney Jr. as Larry Talbot, the Wolf Man, in Universal's classic The Wolf Man
The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942)
In Universal's entertaining The Ghost of Frankenstein, Evelyn Ankers gets carried around so much that she should have come with a handle. LEFT: Ankers recoils from Lon Chaney Jr. as Frankenstein's monster. RIGHT: With Lon Chaney Jr. and Bela Lugosi as Ygor
North to the Klondike (1942)
With Lon Chaney Jr. and Dorothy Granger in Universal's adventure North to the Klondike
Pierre of the Plains (1942)
Ankers was loaned out to MGM for the drama Pierre of the Plains. Pictured are Ruth Hussey, John Carroll, Ankers, and Bruce Cabot
Captive Wild Woman (1943)
LEFT: Mad scientist John Carradine turns an eye to Evelyn Ankers and decides to transform gorilla Ray 'Crash' Corrigan into beautiful Acquanetta in Universal's campy horror flick Captive Wild Woman. RIGHT: Milburn Stone protects Evelyn Ankers
The Mad Ghoul (1943)
From the fun Universal science fiction/horror film The Mad Ghoul with Turhan Bey
Son of Dracula (1943)
From Universal's Son of Dracula with Robert Paige, Frank Craven, and Louise Allbritton
The Invisible Man's Revenge (1944)
Ankers and Alan Curtis are terrified of The Invisible Man's Revenge
The Pearl of Death (1944)
Ankers starred alongside Nigel Bruce and Basil Rathbone in the Sherlock Holmes mystery The Pearl of Death, released by Universal
Weird Woman (1944)
Ankers with frequent co-star Lon Chaney Jr. in Weird Woman, part of Universal's Inner Sanctum series of films
The Frozen Ghost (1945)
Ankers is hypnotized by Lon Chaney Jr. in Universal's The Frozen Ghost,
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 in 1985 at the age of 67.
The Monster Legacy DVD Gift Set [DVD] DVD Deluxe six-disc boxed set includes "Dracula: The Legacy Collection," which includes "Dracula" (1931), the Spanish version of "Dracula" (1931), "Dracula's Daughter" (1936), "Son of Dracula" (1943), and "House of Dracula (1945); "Frankenstein: The Legacy Collection," which includes "Frankenstein" (1931), "Bride of Frankenstein" (1935), "Son of Frankenstein" (1939), Ghost of Frankenstein" (1942), and "House of Frankenstein" (1945); and "The Wolf Man: The Legacy Collection," which includes "The Wolf Man" (1941), "Werewolf of London" (1935), "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man" (1943), and "She-Wolf of London" (1946). Also includes three hand-cast, hand-painted mini busts of Dracula, the Wolf Man, and Frankenstein's monster. 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." 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. The Villiers Diamond(1938) VHS Fine crime caper drama in which a former crook gets a hold of the famous Villiers Diamond, but finds that the person he got it from and his penniless daughter are after him for cash. Edward Ashley, Evelyn Ankers and Frank Birch star. 60 min. Over The Moon(1940) VHS Frothy British farce featuring Merle Oberon as an impoverished woman living in a rickety mansion who inherits $90 million from her uncle after he dies. Her physician fiance (Rex Harrison) isn't fond of Oberon's new social status, so she travels across Europe, where she's wooed by various suitors. Will true love prevail? Ursula Jeans, Robert Douglas co-star. 78 min. Hit The Road(1941) VHS Members of the Dead End Kids and the Little Tough Guys get together in a comedy-drama detailing the kids' exploits out of reform school, as they try to find the murderer of one boy's father. Huntz Hall, Billy Halop and Gabriel Dell star alongside Barton MacLane, Evelyn Ankers, and Shemp Howard as "Dingbat." 60 min. 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. Hers To Hold [DVD](1943) DVD Well-to-do debutante Penny Craig (Deanna Durbin) won't take no for an answer! An overly amorous pilot (Joseph Cotten) gets a classic case of cold feet when Penny falls for his charms but he's suddenly called up for military service overseas. Durbin and Cotten's sweetly sublime romantic jostling is enlivened by the leading lady's delightful musical numbers. Evelyn Ankers, Charles Winninger also star. 94 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English. Captive Wild Woman(1943) VHS The first of three Universal "ape woman" chillers finds mad scientist John Carradine injecting an orangutan with a dying woman's blood, turning it into a beautiful she-creature that turns back into her murderous anthropoid state when her jealous streak is aroused. Evelyn Ankers, Milburn Stone, and Acquanetta as "Paula" co-star. 61 min. NOTE: This Title Is Out Of Print; Limit One Per Customer. 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. Jungle Woman [VHS](1944) VHS The alluring Acquanetta returns as half-woman, half-ape Paula, revived from death by doctor J. Carrol Naish to continue her deadly rampage that starts when jealousy turns her into a bloodthirsty jungle beast. With Evelyn Ankers, Milburn Stone and Douglas Dumbrille. 61 min. NOTE: This Title Is Out Of Print; Limit One Per Customer. 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 commentar The Invisible Man's Revenge(1944) VHS A criminal enlists the aid of a scientist to turn him invisible so he can terrorize a wealthy couple in the hopes of gaining their fortune and their daughter. Jon Hall, Evelyn Ankers, Alan Curtis and John Carradine star in this creepy Universal production. NOTE: This Title Is Out Of Print; Limit One Per Customer. 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(1947) VHS After fleecing his girlfriend for money to open his cannery, conniving salmon fisherman Paul Kelly dumps her in favor of a girl 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. 66 min. Parole, Inc.(1949) VHS Dark crime story about an FBI agent (Michael O'Shea) who takes a dangerous undercover assignment to squelch a parole racket that rewards convicts loyal to mob bosses. Turhan Bey and Evelyn Ankers co-star. 71 min.
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 Tormé 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)
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