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Merry Anders
1932-
Updated 3/24/2008 with more photos and more films available on DVD.
biography
As a child, beautiful Merry Anders (born Mary Anderson in Chicago in May 1932) aspired to be an actress. By the late 1940s, she and her mother made their way to California, where Anders soon began acting and modeling lessons. While appearing in a small play in the early 1950s, Merry Anders was spotted by a 20th Century-Fox talent scout. After a screen test, she was put under contract by 20th Century-Fox in 1951.
Cheesecake photos
Although Anders was under contract to 20th Century-Fox, her film career did not exactly flourish at the studio. During this time, she took several small roles in Fox films, but Fox dropped her contract in 1954. She had more luck on television, where she was featured in two television series: The Stu Erwin Show (Anders was a regular during the show's last season in 1954-1955) and How to Marry a Millionaire (syndicated 1957-1959). Interestingly, Anders had a small role in the film version of How to Marry a Millionaire while under contract at Fox. In 1955, Anders married casting director/producer John G. Stephens; the marriage lasted just a few months, but in the middle of the divorce, Anders learned that she was pregnant. Her daughter was born in 1956.
Without a studio contract, Anders began freelancing at other studios. She used this newfound freedom to her advantage, chalking up an amazing eight film releases in 1957 alone. Also, she began making numerous guest appearances on popular TV programs, including Cheyenne, Bronco, Perry Mason, and The Addams Family.
the films of merry anders
The Stu Erwin Show (1950-1955 ABC TV Series)
With Stu Erwin from his series The Stu Erwin Show
Death in Small Doses (1957)
Government agent Peter Graves shakes down Merry Anders in a scene from the Allied Artists release Death in Small Doses
Hear Me Good (1957)
From the Paramount comedy Hear Me Good with Joe E. Ross and Hal March
No Time To Be Young (1957)
Poster from Columbia's No Time To Be Young
How to Marry a Millionaire (1957-1959 Syndicated TV Series)
Promotional photos from the series How to Marry a Millionaire with Lori Nelson and Barbara Eden
The Hypnotic Eye (1960)
Anders falls prey to The Hypnotic Eye
The Walking Target (1960)
Promotional still from the crime drama The Walking Target
When the Clock Strikes (1961)
From the low budget noir When the Clock Strikes, released by United Artists
Beauty and the Beast (1962)
With Michael Pate and Walter Burke in Beauty and the Beast, released by United Artists
Police Nurse (1963)
With Ken Scott in the low-budget crime drama Police Nurse
House of the Damned (1963)
From the 20th Century-Fox horror release House of the Damned with Richard Crane and Ronald Foster
The Time Travelers (1964)
From American International's The Time Travelers with John Hoyt, Dennis Patrick, and Philip Carey
Raiders from Beneath the Sea (1964)
From the 20th Century-Fox crime drama release Raiders from Beneath the Sea with Ken Scott
Dragnet (1967-1970 NBC TV Series)
Anders as Policewoman Dorothy Miller from her recurring role on Jack Webb's Dragnet series
By the mid 1960s, roles began to dry up for Merry Anders. After a stint on Dragnet 1967, a few more films, and a few guest shots on other TV programs, she retired from the screen. She went to work for Litton Data Systems in the late 1960s. Anders remarried in the 1970s and is now retired from Litton.
Perry Mason: 50th Anniversary Edition [DVD] DVD
Twelve of the series's best episodes--including "The Case of the Wary Wildcatter," "The Case of the Treacherous Toupee," "The Case of the Counterfeit Crank," "The Case of the Shoplifter's Shoe," and "The Case of the Final Fade-Out"--have been collected in this four-disc set. Also included is "Perry Mason Returns" (1985), the TV movie that finds the legal eagle (Raymond Burr), now a judge, stepping down from the bench to defend former secretary Della Street (Barbara Hale) when she's accused of murder. 12 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; featurette; interviews; photo gallery; TV spots; screen tests; more.
Belles On Their Toes [DVD](1952) DVD
Heartfelt and funny sequel to 1950's "Cheaper by the Dozen" finds the widowed Myrna Loy trying to fend for herself and her 12 kids. After receiving rejections from potential employers because of her gender, Loy takes a job training engineers for Edward Arnold's company. Meanwhile, eldest daughter Jeanne Crain finds romance with young physician Jeffrey Hunter. With Debra Paget, Hoagy Carmichael. 89 min. Standard; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital stereo, Dolby Digital mono, Spanish Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish.
How To Marry A Millionaire [DVD](1953) DVD
Delicious comedy about three man-crazed models out for eligible (and wealthy) bachelors who rent a posh Manhattan apartment and pose as rich gals in order to get their guys. Marilyn Monroe is wooed by a playboy, but is snagged by tax-dodging crook David Wayne; Betty Grable hooks on to well-off Fred Clark, but falls for forest ranger Rory Calhoun; and Lauren Bacall attracts aging, affluent William Powell, but opts for the seemingly poor Cameron Mitchell--who turns out to be a millionaire! Based on 1933's "The Greeks Had a Word for Them." 95 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby 4.0 and stereo, French mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish; Movietone newsreel; theatrical trailers; scene access.
All That Heaven Allows [DVD](1955) DVD
Producer Ross Hunter reunited "Magnificent Obsession" stars Rock Hudson and Jane Wyman and director Douglas Sirk for this lush romance in which small-town widow Wyman is drawn to handsome gardener Hudson, a man 15 years her junior, and faces scandal and scorn from her friends and family. With Agnes Moorehead, Gloria Talbot, Conrad Nagel. 89 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby mono; Subtitles: English; documentary; featurette; photo gallery; theatrical trailer.
Desk Set [DVD](1957) DVD
Spry romantic comedy with an office setting, as research department leader Katharine Hepburn pits her workers' wits against the electronic brain being brought in by efficiency expert Spencer Tracy. With Joan Blondell, Gig Young. 103 min. Widescreen; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital stereo, Dolby Digital mono, Spanish Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish; audio commentary; photo gallery; theatrical trailer; newsreel footage.
Five Bold Women [VHS](1960) VHS
The ladies are definitely the deadlier of the species in this frontier actioner which finds U.S. marshal Jeff Morrow charged with escorting five female convicted killers across Texas to prison. Dangerous weather, Indian attacks, and one woman's outlaw hubby put the mission in jeopardy. Merry Anders, Lucita Blain, Dee Carroll, Irish McCalla and Kathryn Marlowe also star.
The Shame Of Patty Smith (1962)/You've Ruined Me, Eddie [DVD](1959) DVD
Campy exploitation double feature opens with "The Shame of Patty Smith," in which the title teenager is gang raped and, upon learning she is pregnant, must decide whether to have an illegal abortion. Tabloid drama that remains timely today features Dani Lynn, Merry Anders and Bruno Ve Sota. Then, the well-to-do daughter of a small town's leading doctor discovers she, too, is "in the family way" and battles tooth and nail over having the child with her lover, a poor orphan lad, in "You've Ruined Me, Eddie," starring Jeanne Rainer and Ted Marshall. AKA: "The Touch of Flesh." 163 min. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; bonus short; art gallery; more.
House Of The Damned [DVD](1963) DVD
An isolated hillside castle in California gives two vacationing couples the shivers and shakes when weird sights and sounds begin to disrupt their peace and quiet. Creepy circus performers, a headless woman, and a half-man, half-monster join in the frightful fun. Ron Foster, Merry Anders, Erika Peters, and Richard Kiel star. 63 min. Standard and Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital stereo, Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French.
Elvis: The Hollywood Collection [DVD] DVD
Six-disc set includes "Kissin' Cousins," "Tickle Me," "Girl Happy," "Stay Way, Joe," "Live a Little, Love a Little," and "Charro!"
Tickle Me [DVD](1965) DVD
A light-hearted Elvis romp, with the handsome crooner playing a former rodeo star who signs on to work at a health ranch whose clientele includes bevies of beautiful girls. With Julie Adams, Jocelyn Lane. Songs include "If It Feels So Right" and "I'm Yours."
Women Of The Prehistoric Planet(1966) VHS
"Hi-keeba!" An interplanetary expedition, searching for the sole survivor of an earlier rocket crash, lands on a savage world filled with giant lizards doing dinosaur imitations and beautiful, leopard-skin clad women. Don't dare give away the surprise ending to this "so bad it's good" sci-fi saga starring Wendell Corey, John Agar, Irene Tsu and the immortal Stuart Margolin. 87 min.
Dragnet 1967: Season 1 [DVD](1967) DVD
All 17 episodes from the first season--including "The LSD Story," "The Masked Bandits," "The Hit and Run Driver," "The Gun," and "The Bullet"--are collected in a two-disc set. Also includes a bonus CD featuring an episode of the original "Dragnet" radio series. 7 1/4 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: French, Spanish.
Airport Terminal Pack [DVD] DVD
All four entries in the action-packed disaster film series are available in a two-disc set. First, "Airport" (1970) mixes a blizzard, a bomb and a plane filled with passengers into a thrilling drama. Dean Martin, Burt Lancaster, Jacqueline Bisset, and George Kennedy star. A 747 and a small private plane collide in mid-air and now the pilotless jumbo jet is on a collision course with destruction in "Airport 1975" (1974), with Charlton Heston, Karen Black and Kennedy. "Airport '77" (1977) stars Jack Lemmon, James Stewart and Olivia de Havilland as passengers trapped in a jetliner that crashes in the Bermuda Triangle. And a ruthless businessman tries to blow up a goodwill U.S.-Soviet flight in "The Concorde: Airport '79" (1979).
Legacy Of Blood [DVD](1971) DVD
The children of a deceased millionaire are summoned to his estate, where they must stay the night in order in gain their inheritance. It soon becomes obvious that someone wants more than their fair share, as the heirs are murdered one by one. John Carradine, Faith Domergue, John Russell star. AKA: "Blood Legacy." 90 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English. Plays All Regions.
merry anders dvds available from amazon.com
filmography
Legacy of Blood (1971) with Faith Domergue, John Russell, Jeff Morrow, John Smith, Richard Davalos, and John Carradine
Airport (1970) with Dean Martin, Barbara Hale, Burt Lancaster, Jean Seberg, Jacqueline Bisset, George Kennedy, and Helen Hayes
Women of the Prehistoric Planet (1966) with John Agar, Keith Larsen, Wendell Corey, and Suzie Kaye
Young Fury (1965) with Rory Calhoun, John Agar, Lon Chaney Jr., Jody McCrea, William Wellman Jr., and Virginia Mayo
Tickle Me (1965) with Elvis Presley, Julie Adams, and Allison Hayes
Raiders from Beneath the Sea (1965) with Ken Scott and Russ Bender
The Quick Gun (1964) with Audie Murphy and James Best
A Tiger Walks (1964) with Brian Keith, Vera Miles, Sabu, and Peter Brown
The Time Travelers (1964) with Philip Carey, John Hoyt, Joan Woodbury, Dennis Patrick, and Preston Foster
FBI Code 98 (1963) with Ray Danton, Jack Kelly, William Reynolds, Philip Carey, Andrew Duggan, and Jack Cassidy
House of the Damned (1963) with Ron Foster, Richard Crane, and Richard Kiel
Police Nurse (1963) with Ken Scott
Beauty and the Beast (1962) with Mark Damon
Air Patrol (1962) with Robert Dix, Lee Patterson, Willard Parker, and Russ Bender
The Shame of Patty Smith (1962) with Bruno VeSota
20,000 Eyes (1961) with Gene Nelson, Bruno VeSota, James Brown, and Barbara Parkins
The Gambler Wore a Gun (1961) with Jim Davis
The Police Dog Story (1961) with James Brown and Barry Kelley
Secret of Deep Harbor (1961) with Barry Kelley and Billie Bird
When the Clock Strikes (1961) with James Brown
The Hypnotic Eye (1960) with Allison Hayes, Marcia Henderson, and Jacques Bergerac
Spring Affair (1960) with Coleman Francis
The Walking Target (1960) with Joan Evans
Young Jesse James (1960) with Robert Dix and Willard Parker
Five Bold Women (1960) with Jeff Morrow and Irish McCalla
Violent Road (1958) with Brian Keith, Dick Foran, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., and Ann Doran
Calypso Heat Wave (1957) with Joel Grey, Johnny Desmond, and Darla Hood
The Night Runner (1957) with Ray Danton and Colleen Miller
Desk Set (1957) with Spencer Tracy, Katherine Hepburn, Gig Young, Joan Blondell, and Dina Merrill
The Dalton Girls (1957) with John Russell, Penny Edwards, and Lisa Davis
Death in Small Doses (1957) with Peter Graves, Mala Powers, and Chuck Connors
Escape from San Quentin (1957) with Johnny Desmond
Hear Me Good (1957) with Hal March and Joe E. Ross
No Time to Be Young (1957) with Robert Vaughn, Roger Smith, and Tom Pittman
All That Heaven Allows (1955) with Jane Wyman, Rock Hudson, Agnes Moorehead, Gloria Talbott, Virginia Grey, William Reynolds, Charles Drake, and Leigh Snowden
Princess of the Nile (1954) with Jeffrey Hunter, Debra Paget, Michael Rennie, Lee Van Cleef, and Jack Elam
Phffft! (1954) with Judy Holliday, Jack Lemmon, Kim Novak, and Jack Carson
How to Marry a Millionaire (1953) with Betty Grable, Lauren Bacall, Marilyn Monroe, Rory Calhoun, Cameron Mitchell, William Powell, and David Wayne
The Farmer Takes a Wife (1953) with Betty Grable and Dale Robertson
Les Miserables (1952) with Debra Paget, Michael Rennie, Edmund Gwenn, Sylvia Sidney, Cameron Mitchell, and Elsa Lanchester
Wait Till the Sun Shines, Nellie (1952) with Jean Peters, Hugh Marlowe, Albert Dekker, and David Wayne
Belles on Their Toes (1952) with Jeffrey Hunter, Debra Paget, Myrna Loy, Jeanne Crain, and Barbara Bates
TELEVISION SERIES
Dragnet '67, 1967-1970 NBC TV series. Anders had a recurring role as policewoman Dorothy Miller.
How to Marry a Millionaire, 1957-1959 syndicated TV series. Anders portrayed Mike McCall. Also in the cast were Barbara Eden, Lori Nelson, and Lisa Gaye. 64 episodes.
It's Always Jan, 1955-1956 CBS TV series. Also in the cast were Janis Paige and Arte Johnson
The Stu Erwin Show , 1950-1955. Anders replaced Ann Todd for the show's final season. The cast included Stu Erwin, June Collyer, Martin Milner, and Sheila James.
TELEVISION GUEST APPEARANCES
Gunsmoke, episode Waste: Parts One and Two, originally aired September 27 and October 4, 1971.
The Addams Family, episode Fester's Punctured Romance, originally aired October 2, 1964.
Bonanza, episode ?, originally aired 1963.
The Jack Benny Show, episode Jack Is Kidnapped, originally aired March 12, 1963.
The Virginian, episode A Man Called Kane, originally aired May 6, 1964.
Perry Mason, episode The Case of the Garrulous Go-Between, originally aired March 12, 1964.
Perry Mason, episode The Case of the Glamorous Ghost, originally aired February 3, 1962.
Maverick, episode Three Queens Full, originally aired November 12, 1961.
Alfred Hitchcock Presents, episode Maria, originally aired October 24, 1961.
Perry Mason, episode The Case of the Blind Man's Bluff, originally aired March 11, 1961.
Bronco, episode Ordeal at Dead Tree, originally aired January 2, 1961.
Maverick, episode Destination: Devil's Flat, originally aired December 25, 1960.
Cheyenne, episode The Long Rope, originally aired October 3, 1960.
Maverick, episode The Town that Wasn't There, originally aired October 2, 1960.
Bronco, episode Winter Kill, originally aired May 31, 1960.
Maverick, episode The People's Friend, originally aired February 7, 1960.
Richard Diamond, Private Detective, episode Bookie, originally aired October 19, 1959.
Broken Arrow, episode Smoke Signal, originally aired December 10, 1957.
Cheyenne, episode Big Ghost Basin, originally aired March 12, 1957.
links
Merry Anders at Glamour Girls of the Silver Screen
This site contains photos of Merry Anders and an interesting bulleted biography.
Click on the logo to go back to Brian's Drive-In Theater
This page premiered April 4, 2000.
Counter reset March 1, 2001.
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