Pamela Britton (born Armilda Jane Owens; March 19, 1923 – June 17, 1974) was an American actress, best known for appearing as Lorelei Brown in the television series ''

My Favorite Martian ''My Favorite Martian'' is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from September 29, 1963, to May 1, 1966, for 107 episodes. The show stars Ray Walston as "Uncle Martin" (the Martian) and Bill Bixby as Tim O'Hara. ''My Favorite Martian'' was th ...

'' (1963–1966) and for her female lead in the

film noir Film noir (; ) is a style of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood Crime film, crime dramas that emphasizes cynicism (contemporary), cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of Ameri ...

classic '' D.O.A.'' (1950). Throughout her acting career, Britton appeared often on Broadway and in several Hollywood and

television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a Terrestr ...

Early career

Britton's mother was Ethel Waite (known as Ethel Waite Owen and Ethel Owen), a stage, radio, and early television actress who played Ralph Kramden's mother-in-law in the Honeymooners TV show of the 1950s. She had two sisters: Virginia, who was an actress for

RKO Radio Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, is an American film production and distribution company, historically one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Kei ...

; and Mary, a social worker. Armilda attended Holy Angels Academy and the State Teacher's Normal School in her home town of Milwaukee. By the age of nine she was doing summer stock, and

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) * Hollywood ...

came calling at age ten. Her mother rejected the advances, saying she wanted her to be an actress, not a child star. Owens started auditioning for roles at the age of 15, using the name "Gloria Jane Owen". She found that as soon as people knew who her mother was, they expected her to be as accomplished an actress. She used a pseudonym to audition, choosing Pamela (from a British book) and Britton (to emphasize the source).

Theatre work

Courtesy of MGM, Britton helped entertain the troops in November 1944 at Camp Roberts, California, starring in '' The New Moon'' along with Joseph Sullivan. After a stint touring with bandleader Don McGuire, Britton's big break came when she was cast as "Gertie" and also understudied

Celeste Holm Celeste Holm (April 29, 1917 – July 15, 2012) was an American actress. Holm won an Academy Award for her performance in Elia Kazan's '' Gentleman's Agreement'' (1947), and was nominated for her roles in '' Come to the Stable'' (1949) and ''A ...

(in the role of "Ado Annie") in the original Broadway production of ''Oklahoma!'' She played Meg Brockie in the Broadway production of ''

Brigadoon ''Brigadoon'' is a musical with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and score by Frederick Loewe. The plot features two American tourists who stumble upon Brigadoon, a mysterious Scottish village that appears for only one day every 100 years; on ...

'' (1947). When ''Oklahoma!'' went on tour, she took over Holm's role as Ado Annie.

Hollywood

Britton's first role in a major production was as

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...

's girlfriend in '' Anchors Aweigh''. Afterward, however, came a forgettable part in '' A Letter for Evie'' in 1946. She went on hiatus to play the comic role of Meg Brockie in the original 1947 production of ''

'' on Broadway. She returned to the big screen opposite

Clark Gable William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American actor often referred to as the "King of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". He appeared in more than 60 Film, motion pictures across a variety of Film genre, genres dur ...

in '' Key to the City'' (1950), and then went on to make her most significant film appearance in the classic '' D.O.A.'', also in 1950. She made her third film of the year in the

Red Skelton Richard Bernard Skelton (July 18, 1913September 17, 1997) was an American entertainer best known for his national old-time radio, radio and television shows between 1937 and 1971, especially as host of the television program ''The Red Skelto ...

vehicle, '' Watch the Birdie'' (1951). About 19 years passed before she returned to the big screen. Britton portrayed the title role of the TV version of the Chic Young newspaper comic strip '' Blondie'' (1957), opposite Arthur Lake as her husband, Dagwood Bumstead. She reprised her role in ''Brigadoon'' in 1954, appeared in '' Annie Get Your Gun'' at the Santa Barbara Bowl, and then returned to Broadway to replace an ailing Janis Paige in ''

Guys and Dolls ''Guys and Dolls'' is a musical theater, musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" (1933) and "Blood Pressure", which are two short stories by Damon Run ...

''.

''My Favorite Martian''

What is perhaps her signature role began in 1963 and lasted until 1966 when she appeared as the nosy and ditzy landlady, Mrs. Lorelei Brown, in ''

''. After the series ended, Britton appeared in the movies, ''

If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium ''If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium'' is a 1969 American romantic comedy film made by Wolper Pictures and released by United Artists and made in DeLuxe Color. Directed by Mel Stuart, the movie was filmed on location throughout Europe, an ...

'' and ''

Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came ''Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came'' (also known as ''War Games, Old Soldiers Never'') is a 1970 American drama-comedy film directed by Hy Averback, produced by Fred Engel, and starring Brian Keith, Don Ameche, Tony Curtis, Ernest Borgnine ...

''.

Personal life and death

Britton was married on April 8, 1943, in Texas, to Captain Arthur Steel after they met on a blind date arranged by one of her sisters. After the wedding, he was posted to Italy on active service while Britton remained working at home. They had a daughter, Katherine Lee (born September 8, 1946). After the war, Steel worked as an advertising executive and went on to manage the

Gene Autry Orvon Grover "Gene" Autry (September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998), nicknamed the Singing Cowboy, was an American actor, musician, singer, composer, rodeo performer, and baseball team owner, who largely gained fame by singing in a Crooner ...

hotels (Steel and Autry were first cousins). As their daughter grew up, Britton worked mainly in West Coast theater. After performing on tour with

Don Knotts Jesse Donald Knotts (July 21, 1924February 24, 2006) was an American actor and comedian. He is widely known for his role as Deputy Sheriff Barney Fife on the 1960s sitcom ''The Andy Griffith Show'', for which he earned five Emmy Awards. He als ...

in ''The Mind with the Dirty Man'', Britton was admitted to Northwest Community Hospital in

Arlington Heights, Illinois Arlington Heights is a village in Cook County, Illinois, Cook County Illinois, United States. A northwestern Chicago metropolitan area, suburb of Chicago, it lies about northwest of the city's downtown. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ...

, where she died of brain cancer on June 17, 1974, aged 51.

Filmography

Television

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Britton, Pamela 1923 births 1974 deaths American film actresses American musical theatre actresses American television actresses People from Arlington Heights, Illinois Deaths from brain cancer in Illinois Actresses from Milwaukee University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee alumni 20th-century American actresses 20th-century American women singers 20th-century American singers Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players