Pamela Franklin (born 3 February 1950) is a British former actress. She is best known for her role in the film '' The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie'' (1969), for which she won a NBR Award and received a

BAFTA Award The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTA Film Awards is an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to film. The cer ...

nomination. Franklin made her acting debut at the age of 11 in the film '' The Innocents'' (1961). She later established herself as a scream queen in the 1970s by appearing in the films ''

Necromancy Necromancy () is the practice of magic or black magic involving communication with the dead by summoning their spirits as apparitions or visions, or by resurrection for the purpose of divination; imparting the means to foretell future even ...

'' (1972) and ''

The Legend of Hell House ''The Legend of Hell House'' is a 1973 supernatural horror film directed by John Hough, and starring Pamela Franklin, Roddy McDowall, Clive Revill, and Gayle Hunnicutt. It follows a group of researchers who spend a week in the former home of a ...

'' (1973).

Early life

Franklin, who had three brothers, was born in

Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of T ...

, Japan, and grew up in the

Far East The ''Far East'' was a European term to refer to the geographical regions that includes East and Southeast Asia as well as the Russian Far East to a lesser extent. South Asia is sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons. The t ...

, where her father was an importer/exporter. The family lived in Japan, Hong Kong, Australia, and Ceylon before returning to England. When she was eight she was sent to the Elmhurst School of Ballet in the UK (now the

Elmhurst School for Dance Elmhurst Ballet School is an independent school for professional classical ballet in the United Kingdom. It takes students aged 11–19 years who intend to pursue a career in professional classical ballet. Elmhurst provides a full academic day in ...

Early career

Franklin made her film debut at the age of 11 in ''The Innocents'' (1961), and her television debut in the '' Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color''s ''The Horse Without a Head'' (1963). Franklin played opposite

William Holden William Holden (born William Franklin Beedle Jr.; April 17, 1918 – November 12, 1981) was an American actor, and one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1950s. Holden won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the film ''Stalag 17'' (1953) ...

and

Trevor Howard Trevor Wallace Howard-Smith (29 September 1913 – 7 January 1988) was an English stage, film, and television actor. After varied work in the theatre, he achieved star status with his role in the film ''Brief Encounter'' (1945), followed by ''T ...

in the British film '' The Lion'' (1962) and co-starred with

Luke Halpin Luke Austin Halpin (born April 4, 1947) is a former American actor, stuntman, marine coordinator, diver and pilot. He became a child actor at the age of eight and is widely known for his role as Sandy Ricks in the feature films '' Flipper'' and ...

in '' Flipper's New Adventure'' (1963) as a wealthy industrialist's daughter abandoned on a tropical island, but saved by Halpin and his pet dolphin, Flipper. In 1963, Franklin was voted 10th place for the

Laurel Awards The Laurel Awards was an American cinema awards system established to honor films, actors, actresses, producers, directors, and composers. This award was created by the ''Motion Picture Exhibitor'' magazine, and ran from 1948 to 1971 (with the ...

Top New Female Personality. She was 14 when she appeared in '' The Third Secret'' (1964), in which she played a troubled young daughter. When she was interviewed about the film in 1979, she said that she "and

Stephen Boyd Stephen Boyd (born William Millar; 4 July 1931 – 2 June 1977) was a Northern Irish actor. He appeared in some 60 films, most notably as the villainous Messala in '' Ben-Hur'' (1959), a role that earned him the Golden Globe Award for Bes ...

had become friends and the warmth on screen was genuine." In 1966, she had a lead role in the BBC TV series ''

Quick Before They Catch Us ''Quick Before They Catch Us'' was a 1966 British action/adventure children's television series. It starred then child actors Pamela Franklin, Teddy Green and David Griffin as three teenagers who become amateur detectives in Swinging London d ...

''.

Later career in film and television

Franklin received favourable notices for her portrayal of an unusually worldly teenager in the suspense film ''

The Nanny ''The Nanny'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from November 3, 1993, to June 23, 1999, starring Fran Drescher as Fran Fine, a Jewish fashionista from Flushing, Queens, New York, who becomes the nanny of three ch ...

'' (1965) starring

Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress with a career spanning more than 50 years and 100 acting credits. She was noted for playing unsympathetic, sardonic characters, and was famous for her p ...

. She also received an

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

nomination for her supporting role in the TV movie ''

Eagle in a Cage ''Eagle in a Cage'' is an Anglo-American historical drama film, produced in 1972. Plot summary After his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo and surrender to the British Empire, Napoleon Bonaparte is delivered into exile and imprisonment on St. He ...

'' (also 1965) in which she again acted opposite Trevor Howard. She acted with

Dirk Bogarde Sir Dirk Bogarde (born Derek Jules Gaspard Ulric Niven van den Bogaerde; 28 March 1921 – 8 May 1999) was an English actor, novelist and screenwriter. Initially a matinée idol in films such as '' Doctor in the House'' (1954) for the Rank Org ...

, who played her father in '' Our Mother's House'' (1967), a film that was nominated for the

Golden Lion The Golden Lion ( it, Leone d'oro) is the highest prize given to a film at the Venice Film Festival. The prize was introduced in 1949 by the organizing committee and is now regarded as one of the film industry's most prestigious and distinguis ...

at the

Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival h ...

. Not long afterwards, Franklin played opposite

Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academ ...

and

Rita Moreno Rita Moreno (born Rosa Dolores Alverío Marcano; December 11, 1931) is a Puerto Rican actress, dancer, and singer. Noted for her work across different areas of the entertainment industry, she has appeared in numerous film, television, and thea ...

in ''

The Night of the Following Day ''The Night of the Following Day'' is a 1969 American Technicolor crime film directed by Hubert Cornfield starring Marlon Brando, Richard Boone, Rita Moreno and Pamela Franklin. Filmed in France, around Le Touquet it tells the story of a kidnap ...

'' (1969) as the kidnap victim in the crime thriller. This was her first "adult" role, with one scene showing her topless. She appeared with

Michele Dotrice Michele Dotrice (born 27 September 1948) is an English actress. She portrayed Betty Spencer, the long-suffering wife of Frank Spencer, portrayed by Michael Crawford, in the BBC sitcom ''Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em'', which ran from 1973 to 1978, ...

in the horror thriller '' And Soon the Darkness'' (1970), a film that was remade in 2010. For her role as Sandy in '' The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie'' (1969), Franklin won the

National Board of Review The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures is a non-profit organization of New York City area film enthusiasts. Its awards, which are announced in early December, are considered an early harbinger of the film awards season that culminat ...

award for Best Supporting Actress. In the same year, she starred in the

John Huston John Marcellus Huston ( ; August 5, 1906 – August 28, 1987) was an American film director, screenwriter, actor and visual artist. He wrote the screenplays for most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered ...

movie ''

Sinful Davey ''Sinful Davey'' is a 1969 picaresque adventure/ crime/ comedy film directed by John Huston and starring John Hurt, Pamela Franklin, and in early appearances Fionnula Flanagan and Anjelica Huston. John Huston later said the film was "very good" ...

'' with a young

John Hurt Sir John Vincent Hurt (22 January 1940 – 25 January 2017) was an English actor whose career spanned over five decades. Hurt was regarded as one of Britain's finest actors. Director David Lynch described him as "simply the greatest actor in t ...

, which was not successful and failed to boost her career. In 1971, she starred in the penultimate episode of ''

Green Acres ''Green Acres'' is an American television sitcom starring Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor as a couple who move from New York City to a country farm. Produced by Filmways as a sister show to '' Petticoat Junction'', the series was first broadc ...

'', titled "Hawaiian Honeymoon". The episode was a

backdoor pilot A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie), in United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other distri ...

for the proposed sitcom titled ''Pam'', which would have featured Franklin and Don Porter as a father and daughter operating the Moana Rexford hotel in Hawaii. The pilot was not picked up. As an adult, Franklin became somewhat typecast in horror films after her performances in the popular occult thrillers ''

'' (1972) and ''

'' (1973) opposite

Roddy McDowall Roderick Andrew Anthony Jude McDowall (17 September 1928 – 4 October 1998) was a British actor, photographer and film director. He began his acting career as a child in England, and then in the United States, in ''How Green Was My Valley'' (1 ...

. This was followed with the television horror movie '' Satan's School for Girls'' (1973). Her last film role was in '' The Food of the Gods'' (1976), although she made television appearances until 1981, including an episode of '' Police Story'', in which she became physically ill playing a rape victim. Franklin made other television appearances, including ''

Cannon A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder ...

'', ''

The Love Boat ''The Love Boat'' is an American romantic comedy/drama television series that aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986; in addition, four three-hour specials aired in 1986, 1987, and 1990. The series was set on the luxury passenger cruise ship MS ''Pa ...

'', ''

Fantasy Island ''Fantasy Island'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Gene Levitt. It aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984. The series starred Ricardo Montalbán as the mysterious Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize as his assistant, Tatto ...

'', ''

The Six Million Dollar Man ''The Six Million Dollar Man'' is an American science fiction and action television series, running from 1973 to 1978, about a former astronaut, USAF Colonel Steve Austin, portrayed by Lee Majors. After a NASA test flight accident, Austin ...

'', '' Hawaii Five-O'', ''

Barnaby Jones ''Barnaby Jones'' is an American detective television series starring Buddy Ebsen as a formerly retired investigator and Lee Meriwether as his widowed daughter-in-law, who run a private detective firm in Los Angeles, California. The show was o ...

'', ''

Vega$ ''Vegas'' (stylized as ''Vega$'') is an American crime drama television series that aired on ABC from September 20, 1978, to June 3, 1981, with the pilot episode airing April 25, 1978. ''Vegas'' was produced by Aaron Spelling and created by Mic ...

'', and ''

Trapper John, M.D. ''Trapper John, M.D.'' is an American medical drama television series and spin-off of the film ''M*A*S*H'' (1970). Pernell Roberts portrayed the title character, a lovable surgeon who became a mentor and father figure in San Francisco, Californ ...

''. She gave a memorable performance as the title character in "Jenny Wilde is Drowning", an episode of '' The Name of the Game'', starring

Tony Franciosa Anthony George Franciosa (né Papaleo; October 25, 1928 – January 19, 2006) was an American actor most often billed as Tony Franciosa at the height of his career. He began his career on stage and made a breakthrough portraying the brother of t ...

. Her character was an aspiring actress trying to succeed in Hollywood.

Personal life

Franklin met British actor Harvey Jason, 10 years her senior, on the set of ''Necromancy''. Although the film was not released until 1972, the couple married in 1970California Marriage Index
/ref> and settled near

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

and had two sons. Her husband and one of their sons, Louis, co-own a bookstore in

West Hollywood West Hollywood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Incorporated in 1984, it is home to the Sunset Strip. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, its population was 35,757. It is considered one of the most prominent gay villages ...

. On the commentary track for the 2014 Region A Blu-ray release of ''The Legend of Hell House'' released by

Scream Factory Shout! Factory is an American home video and music company founded in 2002 as Retropolis Entertainment. Its video releases include previously released feature films, classic and contemporary television series, animation, live music, and comedy ...

, Franklin admits she was pregnant with her second child whilst filming ''The Food of the Gods'' and that she was ready for a change of career, although she enjoyed making the film and living on the island location. She also claimed working in television in the United States was a mistake at the time, as it limited her career and producers only saw her as a TV actor from then on.

TV and filmography

*'' The Innocents'' (1961) *'' The Lion'' (1962) *''The Horse Without a Head'' (1963) (TV) *'' Flipper's New Adventure'' (1964) *'' See How They Run'' (1964) (TV) *''

A Tiger Walks ''A Tiger Walks'' is a 1964 American drama film directed by Norman Tokar and starring Brian Keith and Vera Miles. Based on the 1960 novel of the same name by Ian Niall, it was produced by Walt Disney Productions. It was Indian actor Sabu's last ...

'' (1964) *'' The Third Secret'' (1964) *''

'' (1965) (TV) *''

'' (1965) *''

'' (1966) TV lead role as "Kate" *'' Our Mother's House'' (1967) *''

'' (1968) *''

David Copperfield ''David Copperfield'' Dickens invented over 14 variations of the title for this work, see is a novel in the bildungsroman genre by Charles Dickens, narrated by the eponymous David Copperfield, detailing his adventures in his journey from inf ...

'' (1969) (TV) *'' The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie'' (1969) *''

'' (1969) *''

Strange Report ''Strange Report'' is a British television crime drama series starring Anthony Quayle as Adam Strange. It was produced by ITC Entertainment and first broadcast in 1969 on ITV In the United States, NBC broadcast ''Strange Report'' between 8 Ja ...

'' (1969) (TV) episode "Report 5055: Cult Murder Shrieks Out" *'' Medical Center'' (1970–74) (TV) several guest appearances *'' The Name of the Game'' (1970) (TV) episode "Jenny Wilde is Drowning" *'' And Soon the Darkness'' (1970) *''

'' (1971) (TV) episode "Hawaiian Honeymoon" pilot/spin-off attempt *''

'' (1972, 1974) (TV) episodes "The Predators" and "Where's Jennifer?" *''

'' (1972) *''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on ...

'' (1972) episode "First Love" *''

Ace Eli and Rodger of the Skies An ace is a playing card, die or domino with a single pip. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit symbol (a heart, diamond, spade, or club) located in the middle of the card, sometimes large and decorated, especially in the ca ...

'' (1973) *''

Circle of Fear ''Ghost Story'' was an American television horror anthology series that aired for one season on NBC from 1972 to 1973. Executive-produced by William Castle, ''Ghost Story'' featured supernatural entities such as ghosts, vampires, and witches. The ...

'' (1973) (TV) episode "Half a Death" *''Intertect'' (1973) (TV) *''

'' (1973) *'' The Letters'' (1973) (TV) *'' Satan's School for Girls'' (1973) (TV) *''

Love Story Love Story or A Love Story may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Genres * Romance (love) ** Romance film ** Romance novel Films * ''Love Story'' (1925 film), German silent film * ''Love Story'' (1942 film), Italian drama film * ''Love ...

'' (1973) (TV) episode "Mirabelle's Summer" *''

The Streets of San Francisco ''The Streets of San Francisco'' is a television crime drama filmed on location in San Francisco and produced by Quinn Martin Productions, with the first season produced in association with Warner Bros. Television (QM produced the show on its ...

'' (1974) (TV) episode "Crossfire" *'' The Magician'' (1974) (TV) episode "The Illusion of the Fatal Arrow" as Linda, a Psychic *''

'' (1974) (TV) episode "Operation Firefly" *''

Mannix ''Mannix'' is an American detective television series that ran from 1967 to 1975 on CBS. It was created by Richard Levinson and William Link, and developed by executive producer Bruce Geller. The title character, Joe Mannix, is a private in ...

'' (1974) (TV) episode "A Fine Day for Dying" *''

'' (1975, 1980) (TV) episodes "Murder Once Removed" and "Focus on Fear" *''Crossfire'' (1975) (TV) *''

Insight Insight is the understanding of a specific cause and effect within a particular context. The term insight can have several related meanings: *a piece of information *the act or result of understanding the inner nature of things or of seeing intui ...

'' (1975) (TV) episode "Somewhere Before" *''

Thriller Thriller may refer to: * Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television ** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre Comics * ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...

'' (1975) (TV) episodes "Screamer" and "Won't Write Home Mom, I'm Dead" *'' The Food of the Gods'' (1976) *''

Eleanor and Franklin ''Eleanor and Franklin'' may refer to: * ''Eleanor and Franklin'' (book), 1971 biography by Joseph P. Lash ** '' Eleanor: The Years Alone'', 1972 companion volume to the previous biography * ''Eleanor and Franklin'' (miniseries), 1976 television ...

'' (1976) (TV) *'' Hawaii Five-O'' (1977) (TV) episode "To Die in Paradise" as Bobbie Jo Bell *''

'' (1978) (TV) episodes "Reunion/Anniversary" and "Let the Good Times Roll/Nightmare/the Tiger" * ''Fantasy Island'' (1979) (TV) episode "Tattoo: the Love God/Magnolia Blossoms" (1979) * ''Fantasy Island'' (1981) (TV) episode "The Chateau/White Lightning" * ''

'' (TV) episode "The Killing"

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* *
From Innocence to Experience, ABC Film Review, Interview, August 1970
Retrieved 23 July 2011 {{DEFAULTSORT:Franklin, Pamela 1950 births Living people British child actresses British expatriates in Japan British film actresses British television actresses