Elizabeth Allen (born Elizabeth Ellen Gillease, January 25, 1929 — September 19, 2006) was an American theatre, television, and film actress and singer whose 40-year career lasted from the mid-1950s through the mid-1990s, and included scores of TV episodes and six theatrical features, two of which (1963's ''

Donovan's Reef ''Donovan's Reef'' is a 1963 American adventure comedy film starring John Wayne and Lee Marvin. It was directed by John Ford and filmed in Kauai, Hawaii, but is set in French Polynesia. The supporting cast features Elizabeth Allen, Jack Warden ...

'', for which she received a second-place Golden Laurel Award as Top New Female Personality, and 1964's ''

Cheyenne Autumn ''Cheyenne Autumn'' is a 1964 American epic Western film starring Richard Widmark, Carroll Baker, James Stewart, and Edward G. Robinson. It tells the story of a factual event, the Northern Cheyenne Exodus of 1878–79, told with artistic licen ...

'') were directed by

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), better known as John Ford, was an American film director and producer. He is regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers during the Golden Age of Hollywood, and w ...

. She was a cast member in five TV series: ''

The Jackie Gleason Show ''The Jackie Gleason Show'' is a series of American network television shows that starred Jackie Gleason, which ran from 1952 to 1970, in various forms. ''Cavalcade of Stars'' Gleason's first variety series, which aired on the DuMont Televisio ...

'' (1956–1957), ''

Bracken's World ''Bracken's World'' is an American drama television series that aired on NBC from September 19, 1969, to December 25, 1970. The series was created and produced by Dorothy Kingsley. In addition, Kingsley also wrote several episodes. The Lette ...

'' (1969–1970), ''

The Paul Lynde Show ''The Paul Lynde Show'' is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC. The series starred comedian Paul Lynde and aired for one season, with original episodes airing from September 13, 1972, to March 14, 1973. Setting The series starred Ly ...

'' (1972–1973), '' C.P.O. Sharkey'' (1976–1977), and the daytime drama ''

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

'' (1980–1981), while also maintaining a thriving theatrical career as a musical comedy star and receiving two Tony nominations, in 1962 for '' The Gay Life'' and in 1965 for ''

Do I Hear a Waltz? ''Do I Hear a Waltz?'' is a musical with a book by Arthur Laurents, music by Richard Rodgers, and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. It was adapted from Laurents' 1952 play ''The Time of the Cuckoo'', which was the basis for the 1955 film '' Summertime' ...

''.

Early life

Born in

Jersey City, New Jersey Jersey City is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, second-most populous

, Allen began her career as a Ford Agency high-fashion model.

Television

Allen landed the television role of the "Away We Go!" girl on ''The Jackie Gleason Show'' in the 1950s. She made numerous television appearances in guest-starring roles on such programs as '' The Fugitive'', ''

Kojak ''Kojak'' is an American Action film, action Crime film, crime Drama (film and television), drama television series starring Telly Savalas as the title character, New York City Police Department Detective Lieutenant Theophilus "Theo" Kojak. Tak ...

'', and '' Buck Rogers in the 25th Century''. She was also a regular cast member on TV's ''Bracken's World'', ''The Paul Lynde Show'', ''C.P.O. Sharkey'', '' Another World'', and its spin-off, ''Texas''. Her television, film, and stage career spanned three decades. She was featured with

William Shatner William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, from his 1966 debut as the captain of the starship USS Enterpri ...

in "The Hungry Glass", the 16th episode in the first season of '' Boris Karloff's Thriller'' in 1961. In 1962, she played a leading role in the first season of ''

Combat! ''Combat!'' is an American television drama that originally aired on ABC from 1962 until 1967. The exclamation point in ''Combat!'' was depicted on-screen as a stylized bayonet. The show covered the grim lives of a squad of American soldiers ...

'', in the episode "No Hallelujahs for Glory" as a persistent

war correspondent A war correspondent is a journalist who covers stories first-hand from a war, war zone. War correspondence stands as one of journalism's most important and impactful forms. War correspondents operate in the most conflict-ridden parts of the wor ...

. Allen is perhaps best known on TV for her role as the creepy saleslady in the first-season episode of Rod Serling's original version of ''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology series, anthology television series created by Rod Serling in which characters find themselves dealing with often disturbing or unusual events, an experience described ...

'', entitled " The After Hours", where actress

Anne Francis Anne Francis (September 16, 1930 – January 2, 2011) was an American actress known for her ground-breaking roles in the science fiction film ''Forbidden Planet'' (1956) and the television action-drama series '' Honey West'' (1965–1966). ...

(playing Miss Marsha White) finally realizes that she is a

mannequin A mannequin (sometimes spelled as manikin and also called a dummy, lay figure, or dress form) is a doll, often articulated, used by artists, tailors, dressmakers, window dressers and others, especially to display or fit clothing and show off dif ...

and that her month of freedom and living among the humans is over. Allen's saleslady character (seen by no one but Marsha) is the mannequin whose turn in the outside world is up next and has already been delayed by one full day, thus explaining her slightly peeved attitude.

Film

In 1963, Allen starred with

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...

Dorothy Lamour Dorothy Lamour (born Mary Leta Dorothy Slaton; December 10, 1914 – September 22, 1996) was an American actress and singer. She is best remembered for having appeared in the ''Road to...'' movies, a series of successful comedies starring Bing C ...

, and

Lee Marvin Lee Marvin (February 19, 1924August 29, 1987) was an American film and television actor. Known for his bass voice and prematurely white hair, he is best remembered for playing hardboiled "tough guy" characters. Although initially typecast as th ...

in the John Ford film ''Donovan's Reef''. She also starred in '' Diamond Head'' with

Charlton Heston Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923 – April 5, 2008) was an American actor. He gained stardom for his leading man roles in numerous Cinema of the United States, Hollywood films including biblical epics, science-fiction f ...

and Yvette Mimieux. Both movies were filmed on location in

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

. Allen also appeared with

James Stewart James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military aviator. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morali ...

in ''Cheyenne Autumn'' and won a

Laurel Award The Laurel Awards were American cinema awards that honored 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 exception of 196 ...

in 1963 as the year's most promising film actor.

Stage

Allen honed her stage skills by joining and performing with the Helen Hayes Repertory Group before expanding into the big and small screens. Allen was twice nominated for

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

s for her performances on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

in '' The Gay Life'', as Actress, Supporting or Featured (Musical) (1962) and ''

'', as Best Actress in a Musical (1965). She can be heard singing throughout the original cast album of ''Waltz'', available on CD. Her other notable stage productions on the Great White Way and beyond included '' Romanoff and Juliet'', '' Lend an Ear'', '' Sherry!'', '' California Suite'', ''

The Pajama Game ''The Pajama Game'' is a musical based on the 1953 novel '' 7½ Cents'' by Richard Bissell. The book is by George Abbott and Richard Bissell; the music and lyrics are by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. Dances were staged by Bob Fosse in his chor ...

'', '' The Tender Trap'', ''

Show Boat ''Show Boat'' is a musical theatre, musical with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It is based on Edna Ferber's best-selling 1926 Show Boat (novel), novel of the same name. The musical follows the lives of the per ...

'', and ''

South Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

'', and culminating in the 1980s Broadway musical '' 42nd Street'', as fading star Dorothy Brock. In 1983, she appeared as Dr. Gwen Harding on the

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...

Guiding Light ''Guiding Light'' (known as ''The Guiding Light'' before 1975) is an American radio and television soap opera. ''Guiding Light'' aired on CBS for 57 years between June 30, 1952, and September 18, 2009, overlapping a 19-year broadcast on radio ...

''. Allen quietly retired from show business in 1996, after touring numerous cities throughout the world for over a decade with her ''42nd Street'' role from Broadway. This was her last, significant acting job after appearing in ''Texas'' for two seasons.

Other activities

In the late 1970s, Allen ventured into retail business, as she operated a dress store in a San Fernando Valley shopping mall. Entertainment columnist Dick Kleiner reported: "She found a vacant store, rented it, decorated it. She does all her own buying and delivering ... and a lot of the selling." She told Kleiner that she thought it wise "for an actor to have something going for her when there is nothing doing on the acting front."

Personal life and death

She was married briefly to Baron Karl von Vietinghoff-Scheel, but they divorced and she never remarried. Allen later appeared on the game show ''

Tattletales ''Tattletales'' is an American game show produced by Mark Goodson, Goodson-Bill Todman, Todman Productions in association with Fremantle (company), Fremantle. The program had two runs on the CBS daytime schedule between February 1974 and June ...

'' in the 1970s as the partner of

Charles Nelson Reilly Charles Nelson Reilly (January 13, 1931 – May 25, 2007) was an American actor, comedian, director and drama teacher. He performed in the original Broadway casts of ''Bye Bye Birdie''; '' Hello, Dolly!''; and '' How to Succeed in Business With ...

, though Reilly was gay in real life. This was done so that Reilly could appear on the show. Allen died from

kidney disease Kidney disease, or renal disease, technically referred to as nephropathy, is damage to or disease of a kidney. Nephritis is an Inflammation, inflammatory kidney disease and has several types according to the location of the inflammation. Infla ...

, aged 77, in

Fishkill, New York Fishkill is a village within the town of Fishkill in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The village is in the eastern part of the town of Fishkill on U.S. Route 9. It is north of Interstate 84. NY 52 is the main street. It is part of ...

. She was predeceased by her only sibling, brother Joseph L. Gillease, and survived by her sister-in-law, Marion Gillease, her nephew and godson, Patrick J. Gillease, her niece, Erin Gillease Phelan, and two grand-nieces, Alicia Phelan and Alexandria Phelan.

Broadway credits

* 1957 '' Romanoff and Juliet'' as Juliet * 1962 '' The Gay Life'' as Magda * 1965 ''

'' as Leona Samish * 1967 '' Sherry!'' as Maggie Cutler * 1983 '' 42nd Street'' as Dorothy Brock (replacing

Tammy Grimes Tammy Lee Grimes (January 30, 1934 – October 30, 2016) was an American film and stage actress and singer. Grimes won two Tony Awards in her career, the first for originating the role of Molly Tobin in the musical '' The Unsinkable Molly Brow ...

)

Filmography

*1960: '' The After Hours'' on ''

'' (TV Series) as Saleswoman *1960: ''

From the Terrace ''From the Terrace'' is a 1960 American DeLuxe Color romantic drama film in CinemaScope directed by Mark Robson from a screenplay by Ernest Lehman, based on the 1958 novel of the same name by John O'Hara. The film stars Paul Newman, Joanne Wo ...

'' as Sage Remmington *1962: '' Diamond Head'' as Laura Beckett *1963: ''

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, airing on CBS and NBC, alternately, between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. Between 1962 a ...

'' (Season 1 Episode 15: "The Thirty-First of February") as Molly O'Rourke *1963: ''

'' as Ameilia Sarah Dedham *1963: '' Stoney Burke'' (TV Series) as Kelly *1963-1966 '' The Fugitive'' (TV Series) as Sharon Brame / Louanne Crowell / Ruth Harmon *1964: ''

'' as Guinevere Plantagenet *1971: ''

Star Spangled Girl ''Star Spangled Girl'' is a 1971 American romantic comedy film directed by Jerry Paris and based on the 1966 Neil Simon play '' The Star-Spangled Girl''. It stars Sandy Duncan, Tony Roberts, Todd Susman, and Elizabeth Allen. Plot In a Los ...

'' as Mrs. MacKaninee, the landlady *1972: '' The Carey Treatment'' as Evelyn Randall *1979: '' No Other Love'' (TV Movie) as Jean Michaels

References

External links

* *
Elizabeth Allen
at Internet Off-Broadway Database {{DEFAULTSORT:Allen, Elizabeth 1929 births 2006 deaths American stage actresses American musical theatre actresses American television actresses Deaths from kidney failure in New York (state) People from Fishkill, New York Actresses from Jersey City, New Jersey Female models from New Jersey 20th-century American actresses American film actresses 20th-century American women singers 20th-century American singers 21st-century American actresses