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Shirley Ann Richards (13 December 1917 – 25 August 2006) was an Australian actress and author who achieved notability in a series of 1930s Australian films for
Ken G. Hall Kenneth George Hall (22 February 1901 – 8 February 1994) was an Australian film producer and director, considered one of the most important figures in the history of the Australian film industry. He was the first Australian to win an Acad ...
before moving to the United States, where she continued her career as a film actress, mainly as a
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...
starlet. Her best known performances were in ''
It Isn't Done ''It Isn't Done'' is a 1937 Australian comedy film about a grazier ( Cecil Kellaway) who inherits a barony in England. Synopsis Hubert Blaydon, an Australian farmer, inherits a baronial estate and moves to England with his wife and daughter Patr ...
'' (1937), ''
Dad and Dave Come to Town ''Dad and Dave Come to Town'' is a 1938 Australian comedy film directed by Ken G. Hall, the third in the ' Dad and Dave' comedy series starring Bert Bailey. It was the feature film debut of Peter Finch and is one of the best known Australian ...
'' (1938), '' An American Romance'' (1944), and ''
Sorry, Wrong Number ''Sorry, Wrong Number'' is a 1948 American thriller and film noir directed by Anatole Litvak, from a screenplay by Lucille Fletcher, based on her 1943 radio play of the same title. The film stars Barbara Stanwyck and Burt Lancaster. It foll ...
'' (1948). In the 1930s, she was the only Australian actor under a long-term contract to a film studio,
Cinesound Productions Cinesound Productions Pty Ltd was an Australian feature film production company. Established in June 1931, Cinesound developed out of a group of companies centred on Greater Union, Greater Union Theatres that covered all facets of the film proc ...
. She subsequently became a lecturer and poet.


Life and career


Early life

She was born Shirley Ann Richards in Sydney, Australia, to an American father (d. 10 August 1928) and New Zealand mother, and was raised in the suburb of
Mosman Mosman is a suburb on the Lower North Shore region of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Mosman is located 8 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local governm ...
and educated at
Ascham School Ascham School is an independent, non-denominational, day and boarding school for girls, located in Edgecliff, an Eastern Suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Established in 1886, the school has a non-selective enrolment policy and c ...
, Edgecliff. Richards began acting on stage in amateur productions for the Sydney Players Club and worked as a receptionist at the photographic studio of Russell Roberts.


Cinesound

Richards was spotted in an amateur theatre production when selected for
Cinesound Productions Cinesound Productions Pty Ltd was an Australian feature film production company. Established in June 1931, Cinesound developed out of a group of companies centred on Greater Union, Greater Union Theatres that covered all facets of the film proc ...
' Talent School, where she worked for six months. This led to her casting as
Cecil Kellaway Cecil Lauriston Kellaway (22 August 1890 – 28 February 1973) was a South African character actor. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor twice, for '' The Luck of the Irish'' (1948) and ''Guess Who's Coming to Dinner' ...
's daughter in ''
It Isn't Done ''It Isn't Done'' is a 1937 Australian comedy film about a grazier ( Cecil Kellaway) who inherits a barony in England. Synopsis Hubert Blaydon, an Australian farmer, inherits a baronial estate and moves to England with his wife and daughter Patr ...
'' (1937) for director
Ken G. Hall Kenneth George Hall (22 February 1901 – 8 February 1994) was an Australian film producer and director, considered one of the most important figures in the history of the Australian film industry. He was the first Australian to win an Acad ...
at Cinesound Productions. Richards was a success with the public and critics, and
Stuart F. Doyle Stuart Frank Doyle (1 December 1887 – 20 October 1945) was an Australian radio and theatrical entrepreneur. Biography Born to English parents, he joined Union Theatres and Australasian Films and worked his way up to managing director, ...
, head of Cinesound, ordered Hall to put her under long-term contract so she would not be poached by a rival filmmaker such as
F. W. Thring Francis William Thring III (2 December 1882 – 1 July 1936) was an Australian film director, producer, and exhibitor. He has been credited with the invention of the clapperboard. Early life Francis William Thring (or William Francis Thring) ...
or Charles Chauvel. Hall later said, "I think that Shirley Ann would be the only artist before or since to be placed under term contract by an Australian film company." The contract was for 12 months with options. "In Shirley Ann Richards I believe we have the ideal ingenue", said Hall at the time. "She is young, intelligent, photographs splendidly, and above all, responds quickly to direction. Her work in this film with a cast of famous professional players, headed by Cecil Kellaway, has astonished us all. She has great self possession, and yet her strongest appeal is her youthful freshness and feminine charm." Hall used Richards in his next film, the logging adventure '' Tall Timbers'' (1937) where she romanced
Frank Leighton Frank Leighton (1908–1962) was an Australian actor best known for two leading roles in films for Ken G. Hall, ''Thoroughbred'' (1936) and '' Tall Timbers'' (1937). Biography Leighton was born in Sydney and studied at St John's School, Darling ...
. She was the female lead in another adventure saga for Hall, ''
Lovers and Luggers ''Lovers and Luggers'' is a 1937 Australian film directed by Ken G. Hall. It is an adventure melodrama about a pianist ( Lloyd Hughes) who goes to Thursday Island to retrieve a valuable pearl. It was retitled ''Vengeance of the Deep'' in the US ...
'' (1937), playing opposite American import Lloyd Hughes. Richards' third film for Hall was playing the daughter of Bert Bailey in ''
Dad and Dave Come to Town ''Dad and Dave Come to Town'' is a 1938 Australian comedy film directed by Ken G. Hall, the third in the ' Dad and Dave' comedy series starring Bert Bailey. It was the feature film debut of Peter Finch and is one of the best known Australian ...
'' (1938). Her final Australian feature was ''
Come Up Smiling ''Come Up Smiling'' (also known as ''Ants in His Pants'') is a 1939 Australian comedy film starring popular American stage comedian Will Mahoney and his wife Evie Hayes. It was the only feature from Cinesound Productions not directed by Ken G ...
'' (1939), supporting
Will Mahoney William James Fitzpatrick Mahoney (February 5, 1894February 9, 1967) was an American vaudevillian performer, stage actor and theatre manager who later had a successful stage career in Australia. Early life He was born in Helena, Montana, to ra ...
and directed by William Freshman, though produced by Hall. In 1939 she starred in a radio serial '' All That Glitters''. In 1940, she appeared on stage in a production of ''
Charley's Aunt ''Charley's Aunt'' is a farce in three acts written by Brandon Thomas. The story centres on Lord Fancourt Babberley, an undergraduate whose friends Jack and Charley persuade him to impersonate the latter's aunt. The complications of the plot in ...
'' at the Minerva Theatre. She also appeared in stage productions of ''The Ghost Train'' and ''Are You a Mason''. The following year, she appeared in her final Australian film, the war-time featurette ''
100,000 Cobbers ''100,000 Cobbers'' is a 1942 dramatised documentary made by director Ken G. Hall for the Australian Department of Information during World War II to boost recruitment into the armed forces. Grant Taylor, Joe Valli and Shirley Ann Richards p ...
'' (1942), directed by Hall.


American film career

Richards left Australia for Hollywood on 11 December, only a few days after the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941.Tom Vallance, 'Ann Richards: actress vivid in 'best friend' roles', ''The Independent'', 4 Sept 2006
/ref> She arrived with only $75, all that the government would allow her to take out of the country. "I was prepared to do lectures or radio work if necessary", she later said. Ken G. Hall had sent on some film featuring her to
Carl Dudley Carl Ward Dudley (1910–1973) was an American film director and producer. He was best known for directing and producing short travelogues. Biography Early life Carl Ward Dudley was born on December 31, 1910, in Little Rock, Arkansas. Career H ...
, an American-based writer who had worked on the script for ''
It Isn't Done ''It Isn't Done'' is a 1937 Australian comedy film about a grazier ( Cecil Kellaway) who inherits a barony in England. Synopsis Hubert Blaydon, an Australian farmer, inherits a baronial estate and moves to England with his wife and daughter Patr ...
'' and with whom Richards was to stay when he arrived, but he gave it to an aspiring producer who lost it. Nonetheless, Dudley invited introduced her to Roy Meyers of the
Leland Hayward Leland Hayward (September 13, 1902 – March 18, 1971) was an American talent agent and theatrical producer. He was an agent to about 150 artists in Cinema of the United States, Hollywood, and produced the original Broadway theatre, Broadway st ...
Agency.


MGM

Within her first week in Hollywood, Richards was cast in a short, ''
The Woman in the House ''The Woman in the House'' is a 1942 short feature from MGM about an Englishwoman who becomes a recluse for forty years. It was the first American role for Australian film star Ann Richards and led to her being signed to a long term contract by MG ...
'' (1942), which led to a contract with
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...
. The studio saw her as a "young
Greer Garson Eileen Evelyn Greer Garson (29 September 1904 – 6 April 1996) was a British-American actress and singer. She was a major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer who became popular during the Second World War for her portrayal of strong women on the homef ...
". "I had an angel on my shoulder", she said later. "The studio respected my Australian credits and treated me like a star, but they cast me as 'Ann Richards', saying 'Shirley Ann, sounded too much like a Southern belle'". (Another reason was to avoid confusion with the actress
Anne Shirley Anne Blythe () is a fictional character introduced in the 1908 novel ''Anne of Green Gables'' by Lucy Maud Montgomery, L. M. Montgomery. Shirley is featured throughout the classic Anne of Green Gables#Related works, book series, which revolves ...
.) In June 1942 she was given a small role in ''
Random Harvest ''Random Harvest'' is a novel written by James Hilton, first published in 1941. Like previous Hilton works, including '' Lost Horizon'' and '' Goodbye, Mr. Chips'', the novel was immensely popular, placing second on ''Publishers Weekly'' li ...
'' (1942) with
Ronald Colman Ronald Charles Colman (9 February 1891 – 19 May 1958) was an English-born actor who started his career in theatre and silent film in his native country, then emigrated to the United States where he had a highly successful Cinema of the United ...
and
Greer Garson Eileen Evelyn Greer Garson (29 September 1904 – 6 April 1996) was a British-American actress and singer. She was a major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer who became popular during the Second World War for her portrayal of strong women on the homef ...
. According to Richards, producer Sidney Franklin told her if she had "come to the lot earlier" she would have gotten the role of Colman's fiancé, played by Susan PEters, as that part "is supposed to remind him of his first love, Greer Garson, whom you resemble much more than Susan does." (In Australia, Richards had gone to school with the daughters of Colman's brother Eric.)McClelland p 152 This was followed by a part in '' Three Hearts for Julia'' ("I had very little to do but it was interesting"), and then a supporting role as an Australian nurse in '' Dr. Gillespie's New Assistant'' (1942). In April 1943 she was given the most prestigious role of her career: the female lead in '' An American Romance'' (1944), a big-budget production from director
King Vidor King Wallis Vidor ( ; February 8, 1894 – November 1, 1982) was an American film director, film producer, and screenwriter whose 67-year film-making career successfully spanned the silent and sound eras. His works are distinguished by a vivid, ...
starring
Brian Donlevy Waldo Brian Donlevy (February 9, 1901 – April 6, 1972) was an American actor, who was noted for playing dangerous and tough characters. Usually appearing in supporting roles, among his best-known films are '' Beau Geste'' (1939), '' The Great ...
. Vidor had hoped to cast
Ingrid Bergman Ingrid Bergman (29 August 191529 August 1982) was a Swedish actress.Obituary ''Variety Obituaries, Variety'', 1 September 1982. With a career spanning five decades, Bergman is often regarded as one of the most influential screen figures in cin ...
who was unavailable. "They had this girl named Ann Richards who they were hoping would take the place of Greer Garson," he said. "They asked me to make tests of her and she made excellent tests. I considered it quite a compromise." News of Richards' casting reached her parents in Australia half an hour before she received a telegraph from the army that their son Roderick, Richards' brother, was a POW in Borneo. However, the film ended up spending a lot of time in post-production and received mixed reviews when released. MGM recorded a loss on the film and Vidor refused to work for MGM again. Richards tested for '' None But the Lonely Heart'' at RKO but lost it to June Duprez. She said she was promised parts in ''Gaslight'' and ''The Picture of Dorian Gray'' but did not get them.McClelland p 155 MGM was unsure what to do with Richards. "I loved MGM – except for the waiting – there were long periods when I wasn't being used", she commented later. Richards said the breaking point came when MGM refused to loan her out for the part played by Laraine Day in Cecil B. de Mille's film ''The Story of Dr Wassell''. "I felt that if I could get away from MGM I could do more things," she said. She asked to be released from her contract.


Hal Wallis and RKO

In April 1944 Richards signed with RKO, who had been impressed by her ''None But the Lonely Heart'' test, to make two films a year. She received offers to sign with
David O. Selznick David O. Selznick (born David Selznick; May 10, 1902June 22, 1965) was an American film producer, screenwriter and film studio executive who produced ''Gone with the Wind (film), Gone with the Wind'' (1939) and ''Rebecca (1940 film), Rebecca'' (1 ...
and
Hal B. Wallis Harold B. Wallis (born Aaron Blum Wolowicz; October 19, 1898 – October 5, 1986) was an American film producer. He is best known for producing ''Casablanca'' (1942), ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' (1938), and '' True Grit'' (1969), along wit ...
, and decided to go with Wallis believing he would be more likely to use her than Selznick. In July 1944 Wallis announced he would put her in ''Love Letters'' and ''The Searching Wind''. She said, "I always wanted to be a free lance and now it looks like I'm a free lance and a contract player... isn't it wonderful?" Wallis scheduled her to star opposite
Barry Sullivan Barry Sullivan may refer to: *Barry Sullivan (American actor) (1912–1994), US film and Broadway actor *Barry Sullivan (stage actor) (1821–1891), Irish born stage actor active in Britain and Australia *Barry Sullivan (lawyer), Chicago lawyer and ...
in ''
Love Letters A love letter is a romantic way to express feelings of love in written form. Love Letter(s) or The Love Letter may also refer to: Film and television Film * ''Love Letters'' (1917 film), an American drama silent film * ''Love Letters'' ( ...
'' (1945). However, he then changed his mind and chose to use
Jennifer Jones Jennifer Jones (born Phylis Lee Isley; March 2, 1919 – December 17, 2009), also known as Jennifer Jones Simon, was an American actress and mental-health advocate. Over the course of her career that spanned more than five decades, she was nomin ...
and
Joseph Cotten Joseph Cheshire Cotten Jr. (May 15, 1905 – February 6, 1994) was an American film, stage, radio and television actor. Cotten achieved prominence on Broadway, starring in the original stage productions of '' The Philadelphia Story'' (1939) an ...
in the lead roles; Richards was given a supporting part. "It was a very good part," she said. Ken Hall wanted her for '' Smithy'' back in Australia but she was unable to accept. Wallis announced he would star Richards in an adaptation of the novel ''The Crying Sisters'' written by
Ayn Rand Alice O'Connor (born Alisa Zinovyevna Rosenbaum; , 1905March 6, 1982), better known by her pen name Ayn Rand (), was a Russian-born American writer and philosopher. She is known for her fiction and for developing a philosophical system which s ...
and directed by
Byron Haskin Byron Conrad Haskin (April 22, 1899 – April 16, 1984) was an American film and television director, special effects creator and cinematographer. He is best known for directing '' The War of the Worlds'' (1953), one of many films where he ...
. However the film was not made. RKO renewed their option on her in April 1945. They announced they would put her in ''None So Blind'' with Charles Bickford and Joan Bennett. It was eventually made without her as ''
The Woman on the Beach ''The Woman on the Beach'' is a 1947 American film noir directed by Jean Renoir and starring Joan Bennett, Robert Ryan, and Charles Bickford. It was released by RKO Radio Pictures. The film is a love triangle drama about Scott, a conflict ...
''. Instead she supported
Randolph Scott George Randolph Scott (January 23, 1898 – March 2, 1987) was an American film actor, whose Hollywood career spanned from 1928 to 1962. As a leading man for all but the first three years of his cinematic career, Scott appeared in dramas, come ...
in ''
Badman's Territory ''Badman's Territory'' is a 1946 American Western film starring Randolph Scott. It was followed by the loose sequels '' Return of the Bad Men'' (1948) and '' Best of the Badmen'' (1951). Plot Just north of Texas and west of the Oklahoma border ...
'' (1946). That year in an interview she said she thought her Australian accent might have held her back in Hollywood. Wallis gave her the lead role in '' The Searching Wind'' (1946) with Robert Young, but the film was not successful. In October 1946 Wallis announced Richards would make ''Paid in Full'' from a script by
Robert Blees Robert Blees (June 9, 1918 Lathrop, Missouri – January 31, 2015) was an American writer and producer of films and television. He died on January 31, 2015. Select filmography * ''The Glass Web'' (1953) * ''Cattle Queen of Montana'' (1954) * '' ...
but the film was never made. In November 1946 Hedda Hopper announced Cinesound wanted her to star in ''Botany Bay'' in Australia. In 1947 she appeared in '' The Astonished Heart'' at La Jolla Playhouse alongside Dorothy McGuire.


Eagle Lion

Richards then appeared in two movies for
Eagle Lion Eagle Lion (1985-2013) was an event horse that successfully competed at the highest level of the sport. He stood 16.1  hh (169 cm). Eagle Lion was out of Stream Lion, a producer of event horses, including stablemates Pirate Lion and ...
, ''
Lost Honeymoon ''Lost Honeymoon'' is a 1947 American screwball comedy film directed by Leigh Jason and starring Franchot Tone, Ann Richards (actress), Ann Richards and Tom Conway. The working title of the film was ''Amy Comes Across''. Plot Soon after the ...
'' and '' Love from a Stranger''. She then had the third lead in a popular film for Wallis ''
Sorry, Wrong Number ''Sorry, Wrong Number'' is a 1948 American thriller and film noir directed by Anatole Litvak, from a screenplay by Lucille Fletcher, based on her 1943 radio play of the same title. The film stars Barbara Stanwyck and Burt Lancaster. It foll ...
'' (1948). "I enjoyed working for Hal Wallis very much," she said leter. "He was a marvelous producer. He was very interested. Some people complained that he came down to the set too often, irritating the directors, but I thought he was correct: he wasn’t there to criticize but because of his interest." In 1948 she was announced for a play ''Recessional'' by William Hurbert. Edmund Angelo bought the rights. In April 1948 she told the ''Los Angeles Times'' she was determined to play younger parts as opposed to the more mature ones she had been doing. In February 1949 it was reported that Byron Haskin was trying to get her to star in ''The Scarlet Empress'' to be shot in Mexico. In 1949, it was reported she was trying to get up a film called ''Michelle'' as an independent producer.


Edmond Angelo

Richards retired in 1949 following her marriage to electronics engineer Edmond Angelo. Angelo ran a successful consulting company and Richards and he raised three children together, Christopher,
Mark Mark may refer to: In the Bible * Mark the Evangelist (5–68), traditionally ascribed author of the Gospel of Mark * Gospel of Mark, one of the four canonical gospels and one of the three synoptic gospels Currencies * Mark (currency), a currenc ...
, and Juliet. In October 1951 it was announced she would make a film with Angelo, ''The Slasher'', then do a play directed by him, ''Personal Triumph'' by Arthur Alsburg. There was also going to be a second film, ''You're So Dangerous'', where Richards would play a social worker mistaken for a gangster's moll. Eventually Richards appeared in ''The Slasher'', produced and directed by her husband, which was retitled '' Breakdown'' (1952). The film was not a success and Richards appeared in no further dramatic films. Angelo decided to make no further films.


Later years

After her retirement, Richards ventured into painting and poetry, publishing several well-received volumes, including ''The Grieving Senses'' (1971) and ''Odyssey for Edmond'' (1991). She also wrote the verse play ''Helen of Troy'' in the 1970s, which Angelo and she presented on college campuses. They remained married until Angelo's death in 1983. Richards died in Torrance, California, on 24 August 2006. Richards had a brother who was killed in a Japanese prisoner of war camp during World War II.


Richards and Australia

While in Hollywood, Richards often appeared at functions promoting Australian interests. Richards attended the conference establishing the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
in San Francisco in 1945. She returned to Australia in 1946 for a well-publicised holiday. She took back a pair of wicketkeeping gloves belonging to
Bert Oldfield William Albert Stanley Oldfield (9 September 1894 – 10 August 1976) was an Australian cricketer and businessman. He played for New South Wales and Australia as a wicket-keeper. Oldfield's 52 stumpings during his Test career remains a record ...
to C. Aubrey Smith in Hollywood.


Appraisal

Writer Tom Vallance said of Richards, "soft-spoken and sincere, she was at her best when conveying depths of wisdom, with a suggestion of passion stoically controlled." Author Stephen Vagg argued she "had an appeal similar to that of the young
Olivia de Havilland Dame Olivia Mary de Havilland (; July 1, 1916July 26, 2020) was a British and American actress. The major works of her cinematic career spanned from 1935 to 1988. She appeared in 49 feature films and was one of the leading actresses of her tim ...
– she looked like a good girl, but there was always a twinkle in the eye; virginal but with the promise of a lively honeymoon."


Filmography


Australian films

* ''
It Isn't Done ''It Isn't Done'' is a 1937 Australian comedy film about a grazier ( Cecil Kellaway) who inherits a barony in England. Synopsis Hubert Blaydon, an Australian farmer, inherits a baronial estate and moves to England with his wife and daughter Patr ...
'' (1937) as Patricia Blaydon * '' Tall Timbers'' (1937) as Joan Burbridge * ''
Lovers and Luggers ''Lovers and Luggers'' is a 1937 Australian film directed by Ken G. Hall. It is an adventure melodrama about a pianist ( Lloyd Hughes) who goes to Thursday Island to retrieve a valuable pearl. It was retitled ''Vengeance of the Deep'' in the US ...
'' (1937) as Lorna Quidley * ''
Dad and Dave Come to Town ''Dad and Dave Come to Town'' is a 1938 Australian comedy film directed by Ken G. Hall, the third in the ' Dad and Dave' comedy series starring Bert Bailey. It was the feature film debut of Peter Finch and is one of the best known Australian ...
'' (1938) as Jill * ''
Come Up Smiling ''Come Up Smiling'' (also known as ''Ants in His Pants'') is a 1939 Australian comedy film starring popular American stage comedian Will Mahoney and his wife Evie Hayes. It was the only feature from Cinesound Productions not directed by Ken G ...
'' (1939) as Eve Cameron * ''
100,000 Cobbers ''100,000 Cobbers'' is a 1942 dramatised documentary made by director Ken G. Hall for the Australian Department of Information during World War II to boost recruitment into the armed forces. Grant Taylor, Joe Valli and Shirley Ann Richards p ...
'' (1942, Short) as Catherine Starr


US films

* ''
The Woman in the House ''The Woman in the House'' is a 1942 short feature from MGM about an Englishwoman who becomes a recluse for forty years. It was the first American role for Australian film star Ann Richards and led to her being signed to a long term contract by MG ...
'' (1942, Short) * '' Dr. Gillespie's New Assistant'' (1942) as Iris Headley * ''
Random Harvest ''Random Harvest'' is a novel written by James Hilton, first published in 1941. Like previous Hilton works, including '' Lost Horizon'' and '' Goodbye, Mr. Chips'', the novel was immensely popular, placing second on ''Publishers Weekly'' li ...
'' (1942) as Bridget * '' Three Hearts for Julia'' (1943) as Clara (uncredited) * '' An American Romance'' (1944) as Anna O'Rourke Dangos * ''
Love Letters A love letter is a romantic way to express feelings of love in written form. Love Letter(s) or The Love Letter may also refer to: Film and television Film * ''Love Letters'' (1917 film), an American drama silent film * ''Love Letters'' ( ...
'' (1945) as Dilly Carson * ''
Badman's Territory ''Badman's Territory'' is a 1946 American Western film starring Randolph Scott. It was followed by the loose sequels '' Return of the Bad Men'' (1948) and '' Best of the Badmen'' (1951). Plot Just north of Texas and west of the Oklahoma border ...
'' (1946) as Henryetta Alcott * '' The Searching Wind'' (1946) as Emily Taney Hazen * ''
Lost Honeymoon ''Lost Honeymoon'' is a 1947 American screwball comedy film directed by Leigh Jason and starring Franchot Tone, Ann Richards (actress), Ann Richards and Tom Conway. The working title of the film was ''Amy Comes Across''. Plot Soon after the ...
'' (1947) as Amy Atkins / Tillie Gray * '' Love from a Stranger'' (1947) as Mavis Wilson * ''
Sorry, Wrong Number ''Sorry, Wrong Number'' is a 1948 American thriller and film noir directed by Anatole Litvak, from a screenplay by Lucille Fletcher, based on her 1943 radio play of the same title. The film stars Barbara Stanwyck and Burt Lancaster. It foll ...
'' (1948) as Sally Hunt Lord * '' Breakdown'' (1952) as June Hannum


Documentaries

* '' Don't Call Me Girlie'' (1984, documentary) as herself


Unmade film

*''His Bridal Night'' (1946) – with Dennis O'Keefe – the cast transferred over to ''
Lost Honeymoon ''Lost Honeymoon'' is a 1947 American screwball comedy film directed by Leigh Jason and starring Franchot Tone, Ann Richards (actress), Ann Richards and Tom Conway. The working title of the film was ''Amy Comes Across''. Plot Soon after the ...
''


Theatre

*''The Last of Mrs Cheyney'' (1936) – amateur production in Sydney *''Haunted Houses'' (1936) – Sydney Players Club, St James Hall, Sydney *''Charley's Aunt'' (1940) – Minerva Theatre, Sydney *'' Tonight at 8.30'' by Noël Coward (1947) – Actors' Company, La Jolla


Radio

*''All that Glitters'' (1939) *''Rookery Nook'' (1941)


References


Notes

*


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Richards, Ann 1917 births 2006 deaths American film actresses Australian film actresses Australian emigrants to the United States Actresses from Sydney Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players RKO Pictures contract players American people of New Zealand descent People educated at Ascham School 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American women