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Joi Lansing
1928-1972
Updated 2/5/2008 with more films available on DVD.
biography
Gorgeous actress and model Joi Lansing was born Joyce Wassmandorff in Salt Lake City, Utah, in April 1928 (some sources cite 1929 and 1935 as her year of birth). By the late 1940s, she had made her way to Hollywood, where she began modeling assignments and making brief walk-ons in films. In 1951, she married fellow actor Lance Fuller, soon after both had made brief appearances in the big-budget 1952 musical Singin' in the Rain. Fuller also acted in a number of B films throughout the 1950s, including This Island Earth with Faith Domergue and the Ed Wood-penned The Bride and the Beast. However, Lansing's marriage to Fuller was short-lived and ended in 1953. With her film career going nowhere fast, Lansing returned to modeling, for which her gorgeous figure came in handy.
Early modeling shots of Lansing
Lansing's career finally took off in 1956, but the medium was television, not film; she landed a recurring role on TV's Love that Bob, starring Robert Cummings. She also made a number of guest shots on late 1950s TV shows, and even did a few commericals. When her role on Love that Bob ended, Lansing was soon offered another TV show, Klondike, which premiered in the fall of 1960.
Various shots of Joi Lansing
While appearing on TV programs, Lansing also had occasion to appear in a few films, such as Queen of Outer Space (1958) with Eric Fleming and Zsa Zsa Gabor. During the same year, she made a brief appearance in the Orson Welles classic Touch of Evil, a film in which Gabor also appears. Still, however, her film career didn't come to fruition, so she resumed her television career in a series of guest spots on the CBS TV series The Beverly Hillbillies, where she appeared as Gladys Flatt.
the films and television appearances of joi lansing
Hot Shots (1956)
Lansing in a promotional photo from Hot Shots
The Bob Cummings Show (1955-1959 CBS and NBC TV Series)
LEFT: Lansing portrayed Shirley Swanson for three seasons on The Bob Cummings Show. In reruns, the series was retitled Love that Bob. RIGHT: CBS file photo of Lansing holding kewpie dolls
Hot Cars (1956)
Climax! (1954-1958 CBS TV Series)
Lansing with Jack Lord in a June 6, 1957, episode of Climax! titled Mr. Runyon of Broadway
The Jack Benny Program (1950-1964 CBS TV Series)
Lansing with Jack Benny and Danny Thomas on the February 8, 1959 episode of The Jack Benny Program entitled Jack Goes to a Nightclub
Klondike (1960-1961 CBS TV Series)
With Ralph Taeger on the short-lived series Klondike
The Beverly Hillbillies (1962-1971 CBS TV Series)
Lansing as Gladys Flatt with Irene Ryan as Granny Clampett in a 1964 CBS promotional photo. Lansing made sporadic appearances on the series for five seasons
Marriage on the Rocks (1965)
Lansing with Dean Martin in a scene from Marriage on the Rocks
Bigfoot (1970)
Lansing starred alongside John Carradine in her last film, Bigfoot
final days
In addition to films, Lansing also made guest appearances on such popular 1960s programs as The Mothers in Law, which starred Deborah Walley and Eve Arden. In the late 1960s, Lansing briefly resumed her film career in such campy low-budget pictures as Hillbillys in a Haunted House (1967), the sequel to Las Vegas Hillbillys (which featured Jayne Mansfield and Mamie Van Doren. She lensed her final film Bigfoot in late 1969, and the film was was released in October 1970. Sadly, as her career was winding down Lansing was stricken with cancer and passed away in August 1972 at the age of 44. She was survived by her third husband, to whom she'd been married for many years. Frank Sinatra is rumored to have paid her medical bills after her death.
More photos of Joi Lansing (like these) can be found in the Joi Lansing Gallery
Love That Bob, Vol. 1 [DVD] DVD
Includes five episodes. Standard; Soundtrack: English. Plays All Regions.
Love That Bob, Vol. 2 [DVD] DVD
Includes five episodes. Standard; Soundtrack: English. Plays All Regions.
Love That Bob, Vol. 3 [DVD] DVD
Includes five episodes. Standard; Soundtrack: English. Plays All Regions.
Adventures Of Superman: The Complete Fifth And Sixth Seasons [DVD](1957) DVD
All 13 episodes from the fifth season and all 13 episodes from the sixth and final season--including "Peril in Paris," "The Stolen Elephant," "Whatever Goes Up," "The Last Knight," and "All That Glitters"--are featured in a five-disc set. 11 1/4 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: French, Spanish; featurette.
Take Me Out To The Ball Game [DVD](1949) DVD
Fast and fun turn-of-the-century musical teams Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly as baseball players trying to deal with their team's new female owner (Esther Williams). The score includes "O'Brien to Ryan to Goldberg"; Betty Garrett, Edward Arnold, Jules Munshin co-star under Busby Berkeley's direction. 93 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, French; deleted scenes; theatrical trailers; scene access.
Forgotten Noir: Collector's Set Series Two [DVD] DVD
Three-disc set includes "Tough Assignment," "Fingerprints Don't Lie," "F.B.I. Girl," "Mask of the Dragon," "I'll Get You," and "The Man from Cairo."
F.B.I. Girl (1951)/Tough Assignment [DVD](1949) DVD
Cesar Romero doesn't joke around as a federal agent assigned to get the goods on a crime ring, and Audrey Totter is the "F.B.I. Girl" working in the identification division who lends her expertise to try and nab the group's leader (Raymond Burr). George Brent co-stars. Then, a daring reporter takes on a "Tough Assignment," going undercover to bring down a modern-day cattle rustling operation. With Don "Red" Barry, Marjorie Steele, Steve Brodie. 143 min. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English.
The Brave One [DVD](1956) DVD
This simple and charming drama about a Mexican boy's efforts to save his beloved pet bull from a certain death in the arena was marked by controversy (blacklisted scripter Dalton Trumbo, writing under a pseudonym, won an Academy Award), but remains a warm story for the entire family. Michel Ray, Rodolfo Hoyos star. Restored, remastered edition; 100 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack: English Dolby stereo; scene access.
The Brave One(1956) VHS
This simple and charming drama about a Mexican boy's efforts to save his beloved pet bull from a certain death in the arena was marked by controversy (blacklisted scripter Dalton Trumbo, writing under a pseudonym, won an Academy Award), but remains a warm story for the entire family. Michel Ray, Rodolfo Hoyos star. Restored, remastered edition; 100 min.
Touch Of Evil [DVD](1958) DVD
Orson Welles' twisting cinematic masterpiece of style and suspense features Welles as a corrupt cane-wielding official in a seedy Mexican border town at odds with a newly married narcotics cop (Charlton Heston). Embroiled in the murder mystery are Janet Leigh, Akim Tamiroff, Joseph Cotten, Marlene Dietrich and Joseph Calleia. Reissued in theaters in 1998, this restored edition of the masterful film noir features the editing and musical alterations the director/star suggested in a 58-page memo to the studio. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: French, Spanish; Welles' memo; biographies; theatrical trailer.
Queen Of Outer Space [DVD](1958) DVD
Camp masterpiece about a group of astronauts who land on Venus and discover a civilization populated by voluptuous women, including chief scientist Zsa Zsa Gabor. And you thought the Beverly Hills Police Department was in trouble! Eric Fleming, Paul Birch, Laurie Mitchell co-star; the script was inspired by a Ben Hecht story. 80 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English (SDH), French; audio commentary; theatrical trailer.
Cult Camp Classics, Vol. 1: Sci-Fi Thrillers [DVD] DVD
Three-disc set includes "Attack of the 50-Foot Woman" (1958), "Queen of Outer Space" and "The Giant Behemoth."
A Hole In The Head [DVD](1959) DVD
Fine family favorite stars Frank Sinatra as a head-in-the-clouds Florida hotelier who's trying to keep from losing his business and his 12-year-old son. Able support from Edward G. Robinson, Thelma Ritter, Eleanor Parker and Eddie Hodges under Frank Capra's direction; includes the Oscar-winning song "High Hopes." 120 min. Widescreen; Soundtracks: English Dolby mono, Spanish Dolby mono, French Dolby mono; Subtitles: Spanish, French; theatrical trailer.
Monsters And Madmen [DVD] DVD
First, "The Haunted Strangler" (1957) stars Boris Karloff as a novelist who has a startling revelation while investigating the case of the notorious "Haymarket Strangler," a man responsible for a series of gruesome murders. With Jean Kent, Elizabeth Allan. AKA: "Grip of the Strangler." Then, a 19th-century British doctor (Karloff) experimenting with anesthetics becomes addicted to his new drug and is later blackmailed by two Burke-and-Hare types to assist in their graverobbing, in "Corridors of Blood" (1958). Co-stars Christopher Lee. Next, "The Atomic Submarine" (1959) journeys to the North Pole to find the cause of disasters occurring in the world's oceans and finds a UFO controlled by a cyclopean creature on a mission of world destruction. Arthur Franz, Dick Foran, Tom Conway, and Sid Melton star. And, an American test pilot becomes the "First Man Into Space" (1959), only to turn into a hideous monster, in an early blending of horror and space-age sci-fi. Marshall Thompson, Maria Landi star. 5 1/4 hrs. total on four discs. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English; audio commentary; interviews; photo gallery; theatrical trailers; more.
Dean Martin Double Feature [DVD] DVD
First, in "How to Save a Marriage (And Ruin Your Life)" (1968), Dean Martin shines as a lawyer who discovers that his best friend is having an affair. Trying to save his pal's marriage by seducing his buddy's mistress, Dino makes matters worse when he woos the wrong woman. With Stella Stevens, Eli Wallach, Anne Jackson. Then, in "Who Was That Lady?" (1960), Martin helps married college professor pal Tony Curtis cook up an explanation when his wife (played by Curtis' then real-life spouse Janet Leigh) catches him smooching a student. But when the ruse gets out of hand, a series of wacky adventures ensues. James Whitmore, John McIntire co-star. 3 1/2 hrs. total. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English.
The Joey Bishop Show: The Complete Second Season [DVD](1962) DVD
Airing on NBC, then CBS, from 1961-1965, this sitcom featured deadpan funnyman Bishop as publicist-turned-talk show host Joey Barnes. Abby Dalton played Joey's Texas-born wife Ellie, Guy Marks (replaced in 1963 by Corbett Monica) was his agent, and Joe Besser was the Barnes' apartment building super. All 34 episodes from the series's second season--including "The Honeymoon," "Joey's Replacement," "A Woman's Place," "Deep in the Heart of Texas," and "The Baby Cometh"--are featured in a six-disc set. 13 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English; bonus pilot episode; more.
Hillbillys In A Haunted House [DVD](1967) DVD
Ghosts meet grits as two country-and-western singers stop at an abandoned mansion filled with spooks. Ferlin Husky, Joi Lansing, John Carradine, Lon Chaney, Basil Rathbone star. 88 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English; scene access.
Bigfoot [DVD](1970) DVD
A junk trader (John Carradine) ventures into the Pacific Northwest hoping to bag everyone's favorite cryptozoological creature. Carradine joins forces with the local sheriff and a motorcycle gang trying to rescue two foxy babes kidnapped by Sasquatch and his tribe (brood? herd? gaggle?) of huge-footed beast-men. Buxom women, mythological monsters and John Carradine...who could ask for more? Lindsay Crosby, Ken Maynard, Christopher Mitchum co-star. 83 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English.
From Movie Goods
filmography
FILM
Bigfoot (1970) with John Carradine, Chris Mitchum, and James Craig
Hillbillys in a Haunted House (1967) with Lon Chaney Jr., John Carradine, Basil Rathbone, Ferlin Husky, and Merle Haggard
Marriage on the Rocks (1965) with Frank Sinatra, Deborah Kerr, Dean Martin, Cesar Romero, and Nancy Sinatra
Who Was That Lady? (1960) with Barbara Nichols, Tony Curtis, Dean Martin, and Janet Leigh
A Hole in the Head (1959) with Frank Sinatra, Edward G. Robinson, Carolyn Jones, Thelma Ritter, and Keenan Wynn
The Atomic Submarine (1959) with Brett Halsey, Jean Moorhead, and Arthur Franz
Touch of Evil (1958) with Charlton Heston Orson Welles, Janet Leigh, Joanna Moore, Ray Collins, and Dennis Weaver
Queen of Outer Space (1958) with Zsa Zsa Gabor and Eric Fleming
The Brave One (1956) with Carlos Navarro
Hot Cars (1956) with John Bromfield, Mark Dana, and Dabbs Greer
Hot Shots (1956) with Huntz Hall, Robert Shayne, and Mark Dana
So You Think the Grass Is Greener (1956) with George O'Hanlon, Jane Frazee, and Del Moore
So You Want to Be a Policeman (1955) with George O'Hanlon
So You Want to Be a V.P. (1955) with George O'Hanlon, Del Moore, and Minerva Urecal
So You Want to Be On a Jury (1955) with George O'Hanlon
So You're Taking in a Roomer (1954) with George O'Hanlon, Jane Frazee, and Herb Vigran
So You Want to Go to a Nightclub (1954) with George O'Hanlon, Jane Frazee, and Del Moore
The French Line (1954) with Jane Russell, Gilbert Roland, and Craig Stevens
The Merry Widow (1952)
Singin' in the Rain (1952)
FBI Girl (1951) with Cesar Romero, George Brent, Audrey Totter, Tom Drake, and Raymond Burr
On the Riviera (1951) with Danny Kaye, Gene Tierney, Corinne Calvet, and Mari Blanchard
Pier 23 (1951) with Hugh Beaumont, Edward Brophy, Mike Mazurki, Peter Mamakos, and Ann Savage
Two Tickets to Broadway (1951)
The Girl from Jones Beach (1949)
Take Me Out to the Ball Game (1949)
Easter Parade (1948)
The Counterfeiters (1948)
Julia Misbehaves (1948)
TELEVISION SERIES
The Beverly Hillbillies, 1962-1971 CBS TV Series. Lansing had a recurring role as Gladys Flatt from 1963-1968.
Klondike, 1960-1961 NBC TV Series. Also in the regular cast were Ralph Taeger, James Coburn, and Mari Blanchard
Love That Bob, 1955-1959 CBS and NBC TV Series. Lansing had a recurring role as Shirley Swanson from 1956-1959
In addition, Lansing made many guest appearances on TV shows from the 1950s through the 1970s, including The Mothers-in-Law, Perry Mason, I Love Lucy, and others.
joi lansing links
Denny Jackson's Joi Lansing page
Denny Jackson's tribute to Joi Lansing contains lots of information and many photos of gorgeous Joi Lansing.
Classic Images: An Interview with Lance Fuller
This is a November 1997 interview with Lance Fuller, in which he discusses his film career and marriage to Joi Lansing.
The Jukebox That Ate the Cocktail Lounge: The Story of Scopitone
This is a lengthy article about the birth and death of "Scopitones," a mid 1960s version of music video played on video jukeboxes. There is information here on Joi Lansing's Scopitones, including her single Web of Love.
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This page premiered August 4, 1998.
Counter reset March 1, 2001.
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