Anne Francis

**Anne Lloyd Francis** was an American actress best known for her role in the science fiction film "Forbidden Planet" and the Sixties television series "Honey West," the first TV series with a female detective character's name in the title. She won a Golden Globe Award and a Emmy nomination for her role in the series.

Born September 16, 1930 in Ossining, New York, she was the daughter of Philip and Edith Francis. She entered show business at a young age, working as a model at age five to help her family during the Great Depression and made her Broadway debut at the age of 11. Her film debut was in the 1947 movie "This Time for Keeps," followed by supporting roles in the films "Susan Slept Here," "So Young, So Bad" and "Bad Day at Black Rock" with Spencer Tracy. Her first leading role was in "Blackboard Jungle" in 1955, but her best-known film role became that of Altaira in the iconic science fiction flick, "Forbidden Planet," which was nominated for an Oscar. In 1952, she married United States Air Force pilot Bamlet Lawrence Price, Jr., but they were divorced by 1955.

Well-known for her blonde hair, striking blue eyes and right mole, Francis soon played a high-priced call girl in the 1960 film "Girl of the Night," and in 1965, she had a leading role in the William Conrad film "Brainstorm." In 1968, she starred in the feature film "Funny Girl," the comedy "Hook, Line and Sinker" with Jerry Lewis and the adventure film "Impasse" with Burt Reynolds.

In 1960, Francis married Robert Abeloff, getting divorced four years later, but she never remarried afterward. They had one daughter, Jane Elizabeth Abeloff. Through the 1960s to the 1980s, she became known as a television actress and worked steadily on TV. She appeared on "The Untouchables," "The Virginian," "Rawhide," "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." three episodes of "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour" and two memorable episodes of "The Twilight Zone," namely "The After Hours" and in "Jess-Belle."

In 1965, Francis played the character of Honey West, a sexy private detective, on an episode of "Burke's Law," but the character became so memorable that she was spun off into her own TV series from 1965 to 1967. The role seems to inspired her to pursue flying, and she studied to get her own pilot's license. In 1970, she adopted Margaret "Maggie" West and became one of the first unmarried persons in California history to be granted an adoption. She continued to make appearances in other TV shows, such as "The Fugitive," "The Invaders," "My Three Sons," "Columbo," "Barnaby Jones," "Kung Fu," "Wonder Woman," "The Eddie Capra Mysteries" and two episodes as Lieutenant Commander Gladys Hope, the head nurse in two episodes of "Baa Baa Black Sheep."

During the 1980 season of "Dallas," Francis had a recurring role as Arliss Cooper, the mother of the characters Mitch and Afton Cooper, played by Leigh McCloskey and Audrey Landers. During the 80s, she went on to have roles in "Riptide," "Fantasy Island," "Matlock," "The Golden Girls" and "Murder She Wrote." In 1982, she published an her autobiography, *Voices from Home*, subtitled *An Inner Journey*. In the 90s, she appeared on "Nash Bridges," "Wings" with David Schramm and "The Drew Carey Show" with Ryan Stiles. Her last television role was episode of "Without a Trace."

In 2007, Francis was diagnosed with lung cancer, keeping her followers informed of her progress at her website until she died on January 2, 2011. She passed away at the age of 80 from complications due to pancreatic cancer at a retirement home in Santa Barbara, California. She was survived by her two daughters and one grandchild.

In 2005, TV Guide ranked Francis #18 on its "50 Sexiest Stars of All Time" list.