'Forbidden Planet' Star Anne Francis Dies at Age 80

By PopEater / Wire Services Posted Jan 3rd 2011 12:15PM

Actress Anne Francis, who was the love interest in the 1950s science-fiction classic "Forbidden Planet" and later was sexy private eye in "Honey West" on TV, has died at age 80.

Francis died Sunday at a Santa Barbara nursing home, said Bill Guntle, a funeral director McDermott-Crockett & Associates Mortuary in Santa Barbara.

Francis, who had surgery and chemotherapy after being diagnosed with lung cancer in 2007, died of complications of pancreatic cancer, her daughter, Jane Uemura, told the Los Angeles Times.

Francis, a stunningly beautiful blonde with a prominent beauty mark, appeared opposite such stars as Spencer Tracy, Paul Newman, Robert Taylor and Glenn Ford in some of the most popular films of the 1950s. But "Forbidden Planet" and "Honey West" made her reputation.

Francis in 'Forbidden Planet'

"Forbidden Planet" was hailed in Leonard Maltin's "2006 Movie Guide" as "one of the most ambitious and intelligent films of its genre."

A science-fiction retelling of Shakespeare's "The Tempest," the 1956 film had Leslie Nielsen and other space travelers visiting a planet where expatriate scientist Walter Pidgeon, his daughter (Francis) and their helper, Robby the Robot, built a settlement.

Before filming began, the actors held a meeting and agreed "to be as serious about this film as we could be," Francis said in a 1999 interview.

"We could have hammed it up, but we wanted to be as sincere as we could," she said.

In "Honey West," which aired from 1965 to 1966, Francis' private detective character - who kept a pet ocelot, a wildcat - was a female James Bond: sexy, stylish and as good with martial arts as she was with a gun.

She was nominated for an Emmy for the role, which lasted 30 episodes.

"A lot of people speak to me about Honey West," Francis recalled. "The character made young women think there was more they could reach for. It encouraged a lot of people."

After a childhood career in New York radio and television and on the Broadway stage, Francis arrived in Hollywood when she landed a movie contract at MGM. She later went to 20th Century-Fox, then returned to MGM, and the two big studios afforded her the chance to act opposite the biggest male stars of the day.

In "Blackboard Jungle," the landmark 1955 film about an idealistic teacher (Ford) in a violent city school, Francis played his pregnant wife who is targeted for harassment by one of his students.

Among her other films: "Bad Day at Black Rock" with Tracy and Robert Ryan, "Rogue Cop" with Taylor, "The Rack" with Newman, "A Lion Is in the Streets" with James Cagney, and "Hook, Line and Sinker" opposite Jerry Lewis.

When her movie career declined, Francis became active in television, appearing in dozens of series, including "Mission Impossible," `'The Virginian," `'My Three Sons," `'Ironside," `'Gunsmoke," `'The Twilight Zone," `'Charlie's Angels," `'The Golden Girls," `'Home Improvement" and "Nash Bridges."

Her name was Ann Marvak when she was born Sept. 16, 1930, in Ossining, N.Y.

By age 5 she was working as a model, and by 11 she was appearing on daytime radio serials, winning the nickname the Little Queen of Soap Operas. She also had some small roles on Broadway.

After her first MGM contract, during which she attended studio school with Elizabeth Taylor, Jane Powell and Natalie Wood, she returned to New York. There, she took part in television's Golden Age, acting in such acclaimed dramatic series as "Studio One" and "U.S. Steel Hour" before returning to Hollywood.

Francis' early marriage to actor Bam Price ended in divorce.

In addition to Jane, Francis and her second husband, Robert Abeloff, had another daughter, Maggie, before divorcing. She also is survived by a grandson.

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Comments

(26)

Monday 03 January

By djj5369

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I think she also had a small part in Funny Girl with Barbra Streisand.

By VINCE

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SHE DID, AS ONE OF THE ZIEGFELD GIRLS....AND SHE WAS GORGEOUS! MUCH BETTER LOOKING THAN BARBRA. SHE WAS OVERSHADOWED....AND I DO MEAN SHADOWED....BY BARBRA'S NOSE!!! REST IN PEACE, ANNE.

By kevinbgood621

She was a foxy lady for sure . " Forbidden Planet " is one of my all time favorite Sci-fi movies . " Honey West " was ahead of it's time and the network didn't give the show a chance to catch on . My prayers and thoughts to her friends and family ...she will be missed .

By David

A brilliant actress and, I understand, quite a writer.
I have quite good memories in many of her movie roles and the Twilight Zone episodes. Thank you for all the great years of providing us with screen and TV entertainment! God bless you, Anne, and your family. Rest in peace!

Tuesday 04 January

By Fromthepast

I loved her mole......sexy

By Plato

I hope Anne is as happily busy in Heaven as she was on Earth using her Honey West skills to deal with any crooks or thugs who may have snuck past the Pearly Gates and then charming all God's creatures as she did as Altaira on Forbidden Planet. You were always a very beautiful and talented actress and will be missed very, very much.

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