Phyllis Thaxter (1919-2012) got a strong leading role opposite Van Johnson for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo," then the lead character with a dual personality in "Bewitched" followed by a support role in the western, "Blood on The Moon." There were many other notable films for her in the Forties and early Fifties, but the new medium of television provided a new system to portray a variety of characters.
Though never achieving superstar status, the talented stage actress moved to television during its infancy and Thaxter was in high demand, initially in popular anthology series of the day in the likes of, The Ford Television Theatre, Lux Video Theatre, or Kraft Theatre and more. She appeared in six episodes of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," two of which tapped into her dual personality talents again. The versatile actress appeared on many popular series in the Sixties and Seventies. Westerns were a staple for her but it was in dramatic roles where she is probably best remembered. Her last role, in 1992, was on, "Murder She Wrote."
Except for 1964's, "The World of Henry Orient," her movie projects took a long hiatus after television intervened until she was cast opposite Glenn Ford as Jonathan and Martha Kent in the blockbuster film "Superman." I can imagine teens in the audience wondering "Where'd they find her?" This might have solved their dilemma: the film was produced by her daughter's then-husband Ilya Salkind, son of Alexander Salkind.
No comments:
Post a Comment