Evelyn Felisa Ankers (August 17, 1918 – August 29, 1985) was a British-American actress who often played variations on the role of the cultured young

leading lady A leading actor, leading actress, or simply lead (), plays the role of the protagonist of a film, television show or play. The word ''lead'' may also refer to the largest role in the piece, and ''leading actor'' may refer to a person who typica ...

in many American

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apo ...

s during the 1940s, most notably '' The Wolf Man'' (1941) opposite Lon Chaney Jr., a frequent screen partner.

Early years

Ankers was born to British parents in

Valparaíso Valparaíso (; ) is a major city, seaport, naval base, and educational centre in the commune of Valparaíso, Chile. "Greater Valparaíso" is the second largest metropolitan area in the country. Valparaíso is located about northwest of Santiago ...

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the eas ...

. She was educated at The Latymer School, the Golophyn School, the Tacchomo School of Music and Dramatic Art, and the

Royal Academy of Dramatic Art The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the Sena ...

in London.

Stage

Ankers' stage debut came in Colombia at age 10 when she had the title role in ''The Daughter of Dolores''. On Broadway, she had the role of Lucy Gilham in ''Ladies in Retirement'' (1940). In London, she acted in ''Bats in the Belfry''.

Film

Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror (1942) 1

Known as "the Queen of the Bs", Ankers starred in films including ''The Wolf Man'' (1941), '' The Ghost of Frankenstein'' (1942), '' Captive Wild Woman'' (1943), '' Son of Dracula'' (1943), ''

The Mad Ghoul ''The Mad Ghoul'' is a 1943 American horror film directed by James Hogan and starring Turhan Bey, Evelyn Ankers, and David Bruce, and featuring George Zucco, Robert Armstrong, and Milburn Stone. The film is about the scientist Dr. Alfred M ...

'' (1943), '' Jungle Woman'' (1944), '' Weird Woman'' (1944), '' The Invisible Man's Revenge'' (1944), and '' The Frozen Ghost'' (1945). She appeared in '' Hold That Ghost'' (1941), '' Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror'' (1942), '' His Butler's Sister'' (1943), '' The Pearl of Death'' (1944), '' Pardon My Rhythm'' (1944), '' Tarzan's Magic Fountain'' (1949), and played

Calamity Jane Martha Jane Cannary (May 1, 1852 – August 1, 1903), better known as Calamity Jane, was an American frontierswoman, sharpshooter, and storyteller. In addition to many exploits she was known for being an acquaintance of Wild Bill Hickok. Late ...

in '' The Texan Meets Calamity Jane'' (1950), one of many movies for which she received top billing. A frequent screen partner was Lon Chaney Jr., although they privately disliked each other. Ankers made over fifty films between 1936 and 1950, then retired from movies at the age of 32 to be a

housewife A housewife (also known as a homemaker or a stay-at-home mother/mom/mum) is a woman whose role is running or managing her family's home— housekeeping, which includes caring for her children; cleaning and maintaining the home; making, buyin ...

. She occasionally played television roles, such as that of saloon owner Robbie James in the 1958 episode "Gambler" of the ABC/

Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American Film studio, film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, Califo ...

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US * Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that i ...

series ''

Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. Their Cheyenne language belongs to the Algonquian languages, Algonquian language family. Today, the Cheyenne people are split into two federally recognized tribe, federally recognize ...

'', with Clint Walker in the title role. Ten years later she made her last film, ''

No Greater Love The term no greater love is derived from a well-known verse of the New Testament (John 15): "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends". This specific excerpt may refer to: Books, films and TV * ''No Greater ...

'' (1960), with her husband

Richard Denning Richard Denning (March 27, 1914 – October 11, 1998) was an American actor who starred in science fiction films of the 1950s, including '' Unknown Island'' (1948), ''Creature from the Black Lagoon'' ( 1954), '' Target Earth'' (1954), ''Day th ...

Personal life

On September 6, 1942, Ankers married

, to whom she remained married until her death in 1985. The couple had one child, Diana Denning (later Dwyer).Evelyn Ankers obituary
nytimes.com, August 31, 1985; accessed June 20, 2016. Ankers moved to Hawaii when her husband accepted the role of the governor in '' Hawaii 5-0''.Actress Evelyn Ankers, 67, Former `Queen` Of B Movies
August 31, 1985, Chicago Tribune; retrieved August 16, 2016. She died of ovarian cancer at the age of 67 on August 29, 1985 in Maui. Ankers and Denning are buried at Makawao Veterans' Cemetery in

Makawao, Hawaii Makawao is a census-designated place (CDP) in Maui County, Hawaii, United States. The population was 7,297 at the 2020 census. Located on the rural northwest slope of Haleakala on East Maui, the community is known for being the hub of the "Up ...

. Ankers became an American citizen in August 1946.

Selected filmography

Evelyn Ankers pin-up from Yank, The Army Weekly, July 1945

Skip Homeier Evelyn Ankers GE Theater 1954

* '' Land Without Music'' (1936) as A Lady of the Court (segment "Who said Carlini?") (uncredited) * ''

Rembrandt Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (, ; 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), usually simply known as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker and draughtsman. An innovative and prolific master in three media, he is generally co ...

'' (1936) as Party Girl (uncredited) * ''

Fire Over England ''Fire Over England'' is a 1937 London Film Productions film drama, notable for providing the first pairing of Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh. It was directed by William K. Howard and written by Clemence Dane from the 1936 novel ''Fire Over ...

'' (1937) as Lady-in-Waiting (uncredited) * '' Wings of the Morning'' (1937) as Party Guest (uncredited) * '' Knight Without Armour'' (1937) as Minor Role (uncredited) * '' Murder in the Family'' (1938) as Dorothy Osborne * ''

The Claydon Treasure Mystery ''The Claydon Treasure Mystery'' is a 1938 film directed by H. Manning Haynes and starring John Stuart (actor), John Stuart, Garry Marsh and Evelyn Ankers. Murder at a large old manor house attracts the attentions of a mystery writer. It was made ...

'' (1938) as Rosemary Shackleford * '' Coming of Age'' (1938) as Christine Squire * ''

The Villiers Diamond ''The Villiers Diamond'' is a 1938 British crime film directed by Bernard Mainwaring and starring Edward Ashley, Evelyn Ankers and Frank Birch. The screenplay concerns a man who is threatened with scandal when he accidentally acquires a stol ...

'' (1938) as Joan Raymond * '' Second Thoughts'' (1938) as Molly Frame * '' Over the Moon'' (1939) as Sanitarium Patient (uncredited) * '' Bachelor Daddy'' (1941) as Beth Chase * '' Hit the Road'' (1941) as Patience Ryan * '' Hold That Ghost'' (with

Abbott and Costello Abbott may refer to: People * Abbott (surname) * Abbott Handerson Thayer (1849–1921), American painter and naturalist *Abbott and Costello, famous American vaudeville act Places Argentina * Abbott, Buenos Aires United States * Abbott, Arkansa ...

) (1941) as Norma Lind * '' Burma Convoy'' (1941) as Ann McBragel * '' The Wolf Man'' (with Lon Chaney, Jr. and

Bela Lugosi Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó (; October 20, 1882 – August 16, 1956), known professionally as Bela Lugosi (; ), was a Hungarian and American actor best remembered for portraying Count Dracula in the 1931 horror classic ''Dracula'', Ygor in '' ...

) (1941) as Gwen Conliffe * '' North to the Klondike'' (with

Broderick Crawford William Broderick Crawford (December 9, 1911 – April 26, 1986) was an American stage, film, radio, and television actor, often cast in tough-guy roles and best known for his Oscar- and Golden Globe-winning portrayal of Willie Stark in '' All ...

and Lon Chaney, Jr.) (1942) as Mary Sloan * '' The Ghost of Frankenstein'' (with Lon Chaney, Jr. and

) (1942) as Elsa Frankenstein * '' Eagle Squadron'' (with

Robert Stack Robert Stack (born Charles Langford Modini Stack; January 13, 1919 – May 14, 2003) was an American actor. Known for his deep voice and commanding presence, he appeared in over forty feature films. He starred in the highly successful ABC tele ...

and Diana Barrymore) (1942) as Nancy Mitchell * '' Pierre of the Plains'' (1942) as Celia Wellsby * '' Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror'' (with

Basil Rathbone Philip St. John Basil Rathbone MC (13 June 1892 – 21 July 1967) was a South African-born English actor. He rose to prominence in the United Kingdom as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in more than 70 films, primarily costume ...

) (1942) as Kitty * '' The Great Impersonation'' (1942) as Lady Muriel Dominey * '' Keep 'Em Slugging'' (1943) as Sheila * '' Captive Wild Woman'' (1943) as Beth Colman * ''

All by Myself "All by Myself" is a song by American singer-songwriter Eric Carmen released in 1975. The verse is based on the second movement (''Adagio sostenuto'') of Sergei Rachmaninoff's circa 1900–1901 ''Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor'', Opus 18. The ...

'' (1943) as Jean Wells * '' Hers to Hold'' (1943) as Flo Simpson * '' Crazy House'' (1943) as Evelyn Ankers (uncredited) * '' Son of Dracula'' (with Lon Chaney, Jr.) (1943) as Claire Caldwell * ''

You're a Lucky Fellow, Mr. Smith ''You're a Lucky Fellow, Mr Smith'' is a 1943 American musical film directed by Felix E. Feist and starring Allan Jones, Evelyn Ankers and Billie Burke. Plot A woman marries a man to fulfill the conditions of a will. Cast * Allan Jones as Tony ...

'' (1943) as Lynn Smith * ''

'' (with Robert Armstrong) (1943) as Isabel Lewis * '' His Butler's Sister'' (1943, directed by

Frank Borzage Frank Borzage (; April 23, 1894 – June 19, 1962) was an Academy Award-winning American film director and actor, known for directing '' 7th Heaven'' (1927), '' Street Angel'' (1928), '' Bad Girl'' (1931), ''A Farewell to Arms'' (1932), '' Man's ...

) as Elizabeth Campbell * ''

Ladies Courageous ''Ladies Courageous'' (also called ''Fury in the Sky'' in a 1950 Realart re-release) is a 1944 war film based on the novel ''Looking For Trouble'' (1941) by Virginia Spencer Cowles. Directed by John Rawlins, the film stars Loretta Young and ...

'' (with

Loretta Young Loretta Young (born Gretchen Young; January 6, 1913 – August 12, 2000) was an American actress. Starting as a child, she had a long and varied career in film from 1917 to 1953. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the fil ...

and Diana Barrymore) (1944) as Wilhelmina * '' Weird Woman'' (1944) as Ilona Carr * '' Follow the Boys'' (1944) as Evelyn Ankers (uncredited) * '' Pardon My Rhythm'' (1944) as Julia Munson * '' Jungle Woman'' (1944) as Beth Mason * '' The Invisible Man's Revenge'' (with

John Carradine John Carradine ( ; born Richmond Reed Carradine; February 5, 1906 – November 27, 1988) was an American actor, considered one of the greatest character actors in American cinema. He was a member of Cecil B. DeMille's stock company and later ...

) (1944) as Julie Herrick * '' The Pearl of Death'' (with

and

Rondo Hatton Rondo Hatton (April 22, 1894 – February 2, 1946) was an American journalist and actor. After writing for ''The Tampa Tribune'', Hatton found a career in film due to his unique facial features, which were the result of acromegaly. He headli ...

) (1944) as Naomi Drake * '' Bowery to Broadway'' (1944) as Bonnie Latour * '' The Frozen Ghost'' (with Lon Chaney, Jr.) (1945) as Maura Daniel * ''

The Fatal Witness ''The Fatal Witness'' is a 1945 American mystery film directed by Lesley Selander and written by Jerry Sackheim and Cleve F. Adams. The film stars Evelyn Ankers, Richard Fraser, George Leigh, Barbara Everest, Barry Bernard and Frederick Worl ...

'' (1945) as Priscilla Ames * '' The French Key'' (1946) as Janet Morgan * '' Queen of Burlesque'' (1946) as Crystal McCoy * ''

Black Beauty ''Black Beauty: His Grooms and Companions, the Autobiography of a Horse'' is an 1877 novel by English author Anna Sewell. It was composed in the last years of her life, during which she was bedridden and seriously ill.Merriam-Webster (1995). ...

'' (with

) (1946) as Evelyn Carrington * '' Flight to Nowhere'' (1946) as Catherine Forrest * ''

Spoilers of the North ''Spoilers of the North'' is a 1947 American film directed by Richard Sale and starring Paul Kelly, Lorna Gray (billed as "Adrian Booth"), and Evelyn Ankers. Plot summary Cast * Paul Kelly as Matt Garraway *Lorna Gray as Jane Koster (Bil ...

'' (1947) as Laura Reed * '' Last of the Redmen'' (1947) as Alice Munro * '' The Lone Wolf in London'' (with

Gerald Mohr Gerald Mohr (June 11, 1914 – November 9, 1968) was an American radio, film, and television character actor and frequent leading man, who appeared in more than 500 radio plays, 73 films, and over 100 television shows. Early years Mohr w ...

and

Eric Blore Eric Blore Sr. (23 December 1887 – 2 March 1959) was an English actor and writer. His early stage career, mostly in the West End of London, centred on revue and musical comedy, but also included straight plays. He wrote sketches for and appe ...

) (1947) as Iris Chatham * ''

Parole, Inc. ''Parole, Inc.'' is a 1948 American film noir film directed by Alfred Zeisler and starring Michael O'Shea, Turhan Bey, Evelyn Ankers and Virginia Lee. Plot FBI agent Richard Hendricks lies in a hospital bed, dictating the results of his investi ...

'' (with Michael O'Shea and

Turhan Bey Turhan Bey (born Turhan Gilbert Selahattin Şahultavi, 30 March 192230 September 2012). was an Austrian-born actor of Turkish and Czech-Jewish origins. Active in Hollywood from 1941 to 1953, he was dubbed "The Turkish Delight" by his fans.. Aft ...

) (1948) as Jojo Dumont * '' Tarzan's Magic Fountain'' (with Lex Barker) (1949) as Gloria James Jessup * '' The Texan Meets Calamity Jane'' (1950) as Calamity Jane * ''

'' (with

) (1960, Short) (final film role)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ankers, Evelyn 1918 births 1985 deaths American film actresses American television actresses British film actresses British television actresses Deaths from ovarian cancer Deaths from cancer in Hawaii People with acquired American citizenship 20th-century British actresses British expatriates in Chile British emigrants to the United States 20th-century American actresses People from Valparaíso People educated at The Latymer School