Anne
Francis started her career as a child model in New York City at the
tender age of five. She progressed to children's radio (NBC) for "Coast
to Coast on a Bus" and then "Let's Pretend" at CBS
with Nila Mac. Her first play was on Broadway in "Lady in The
Dark" with Gertrude Lawrence. She grew up in the primary stages
of television performing on a daily childrens program at CBS
and participating in that station's first color tests before World
War II shut down all TV programming. Anne did her share of radio soap
operas, appearing on "Aunt Jenny", "Portia Faces Life",
"Rosemary", and she played Kathy Cameron on the soap "When
a Girl Marries", until called for a year's stint under contract
to MGM where she did two day's work on a film called "Summer
Holiday" with Mickey Rooney and a truly stellar cast. However,
you have to look fast to find her! She played Mickey Rooney's older
brother's girlfriend. The rest of that year she went to the little
MGM schoolhouse along with Elizabeth Taylor and Jane Powell, Dean
and Guy Stockwell, and Natalie Wood. Back to N.Y. she went, where
she went to work in the exciting and creative post War era of live
television performing on such shows as "Lights Out", "Climax",
"Studio One", "Playhouse 90", "U. S. Steel
Hour" and "Kraft Theatre". She also hosted a weekly
Variety show at NBC called, "The Bonnie Maid Versatile Variety
Show"! She wore Scottish kilts and did the lead ins and commercials
with two other fair maids at her side, Carol Ohmart and Eva Marie
Saint.
A
film shot in N.Y. brought her to the attention of Daryl Zanuck (then
head of Twentieth Century Fox). She played a teenage prostitute
with a baby in "So Young, So Bad", a story about delinquent
girls in a reform school setting. Two other principal players were
Rita (then Rosita) Moreno and Anne Jackson. Paul Henried
played a psychiatrist. Anne was on a shoot for Louis DeRochemont
called, "The Whistle at Eaton Falls" in which she appeared
with Lloyd Bridges, when she was asked to sign a contract with Twentieth
where she spent three years, and then went to MGM for three more
years after which she joined free lance status. It was the time
of the last days of the big studios' reign, and during that period
she starred in, "Lydia Bailey" with Dale Robertson, "Elopement",
and "Dreamboat" (both with Clifton Webb) "Bad Day
at Black Rock" with Spencer Tracy", "Blackboard Jungle"
with Glenn Ford, "Rogue Cop" with Robert Taylor, and "Forbidden
Planet" with Leslie Neilson. Other credits include, "The
Rack" with Paul Newman, "Hook, Line and Sinker" with
Jerry Lewis, "The Love God", with Don Knotts and "Funny
Girl", with Barbra Streisand. The latter experience was covered
in many a newspaper column, and Anne may speak about it in the future,
as so many rumors evolved at the time. Other film credits can be
found on the WORK
PAGE. Anne received the Golden Globe Award and was nominated
for an Emmy for her role as "Honey West" in the series
of the same name.
Miss Francis
has been active in many Movies of the Week and guested on major
sit coms. She's done theatre.
She wrote, directed, and produced an art film short released in
theatres and shown on PBS entitled, "Gemini Rising". It
is a collage of rodeo activities as seen through a boy's eyes, revealing
some of the dilemmas of life through sight and sound. The film may
eventually be available on the COLLECTIBLES
PAGE.
Anne has
written a book entitled "VOICES FROM HOME". It is a revealing
journey of the heart and spirit. The journey she has been taking
while proceeding down this path we call LIFE! The book was written
some years before folks were talking about such things and includes
many psychic experiences, past memories and even a poltergeist or
two! Interspersed are some of her show business experiences and
bits of fitting poetry along with wonderful sketches done by Christopher
Nickens, a fine biographer in his own right. You will find more
information and the availability of this book on the COLLECTIBLES
PAGE.
Anne won
a first place award at the Santa Barbara Writer's Conference for
film writing, and she has another book she is starting now. She
currently was on the "Drew Carey Show" and the last segment
of the "new" "Fantasy Island". We will try to
keep information updated as to future projects.
Miss Francis
wishes to share thoughts and feelings with others who are challenged
by life, and offers a NEWSLETTER.
So, WELCOME
ABOARD!!!
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