Barbara Anderson (actress)

Barbara Anderson is a retired American actress who portrayed police officer Eve Whitfield on the television series Ironside (1967–1971), which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award.

Barbara Anderson
Anderson in 1969
Born1944 or 1945 (age 78–79)[1]
Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.
Other namesBarbara Anderson Burnett
OccupationActress
Years active1966–1993
Spouse
Don Burnett
(m. 1971)

Early life edit

Anderson was born in Brooklyn, New York.[1] Her father, George Anderson, was a Navy enlisted man.[2][3]

Anderson became interested in acting during her teens, when she did a Tennessee Williams play.[4] While she was a student at Memphis State University, Anderson won the title of Miss Memphis in 1963.[1][5] Anderson was an actress with the Front Street Repertory Theatre, and debuted professionally in Memphis with the Southwestern University Players. Later, she acted with the Los Angeles Art Theatre.[1]

Television edit

Anderson decided to move to Los Angeles. In 1966, one of her first TV appearances came in a first-season episode of Star Trek, "The Conscience of the King".

She premiered her Eve Whitfield character in the March 1967 Ironside TV movie, and continued the role when the series debuted in September. That same week in September, she had a featured role in the first episode of the TV series Mannix.[6]

Anderson was one of the four original cast members of Ironside and was the lead actress in the series for the first 105 episodes. Anderson played the role of one of two police officers chosen to assist Robert Ironside (Raymond Burr), former chief of detectives for San Francisco, after he lost the use of his legs due to a shooting. Anderson continued in her role as Officer Whitfield for four seasons.[7] For her role on the show, she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 1968.[8]

Her later performances include the wife of a man who inherits a notoriously haunted house in the Night Gallery episode "Fright Night" and as a witness to a mob hit in the Harry O episode "Material Witness". She accepted a recurring role (seven episodes) in the final season of Mission Impossible.

Anderson continued to work, though, accepting supporting roles in several TV movies, including 1977's You Lie So Deep, My Love (where she was reunited with former Ironside co-star Don Galloway).[9] She also accepted guest roles on popular TV shows of the period including The Love Boat, Wonder Woman, and Marcus Welby, M.D.. In 1993, Anderson reunited with her former Ironside co-stars for the TV movie Return of Ironside, reprising her role as Eve Whitfield, now the mother of a daughter.

Personal life edit

In 1971, Anderson married actor Don Burnett and left the TV series Ironside to devote time to her marriage.[10]

Filmography edit

Year Title Role Notes
1966 The Virginian Sarah Crayton Episode: "The Challenge"
1966 Jericho Corporal Victoria Bannon Episode: "Four O'Clock Bomb to London"
1966 Star Trek: The Original Series Lenore S1:E13, "The Conscience of the King"
1966–1967 The Road West Barbara / Susan Douglass 2 episodes
1967 Laredo Della Snilly Episode: "The Other Cheek"
1967 Ironside Eve Whitfield Television film
1967 Mannix Angela Dubrio Episode: "The Name Is Mannix"
1967–1971 Insight Kathy 3 episodes
1967–1971 Ironside Officer Eve Whitfield Main role, 105 episodes
1970 Paris 7000 Ellen / Lee 2 episodes
1970 The Red Skelton Show Rick's Moll Episode: "Freddie's Desperate Hour"
1970–1974 Marcus Welby, M.D. Julie Haynes / Marcy 2 episodes
1972 Mission: Impossible Mimi Davis 7 episodes
1972 Visions... Susan Schaeffer Television film
1972 Night Gallery Leona Ogilvy Episode: "Fright Night"
1973 The Six Million Dollar Man Jean Manners (Television film) Season 1/Episode 1 & 2 - The Moon and the Desert
1973 Don't Be Afraid of the Dark Joan Kahn Television film
1973 Medical Center Betty Episode: "The Casualty"
1973 The Wide World of Mystery Maggie Clark Episode: "Murder and the Computer"
1974 Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law Carol Episode: "To Keep and Bear Arms"
1974 Strange Homecoming Elaine Halsey Television film
1974 Harry O Dr. Noelle Kira Episode: "Material Witness"
1975 Amy Prentiss Lenore Episode: "Profile in Evil"
1975 Police Story Rita Wagner Episode: "To Steal a Million"
1975 You Lie So Deep, My Love Susan Collins Television film
1975 The Invisible Man Paula Simon Episode: "Eyes Only"
1977 Gibbsville Episode: "Manhood"
1977 Wonder Woman Maggie Robbins Episode: "Last of the $2 Bills"
1977 SST: Death Flight Carla Stanley Television film
1977 Switch Dana Wallace Episode: "Net Loss"
1978 Doctors' Private Lives Frances Latimer Television film
1978 The Love Boat Karen Williamson Episode: "Ship of Ghouls"
1979 Hawaii Five-O Dorothy Meighan Episode: "The Meighan Conspiracy"
1982 Star of the Family Episode: "Save My Life, Please"
1983 Simon & Simon Celeste Dunn Episode: "Design for Killing"
1988 Bonanza: The Next Generation Annabelle 'Annie' Cartwright Television film
1993 The Return of Ironside Eve Whitfield Television film

Awards and nominations edit

Year Association Category Work Result Ref.
1968 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Ironside Won
1969 Nominated
1970 Nominated

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d "Barbara Anderson: She Bruises Easily". Pasadena Independent Star-News. California, Pasadena. May 12, 1968. p. 74, TV Week p.20. Retrieved January 5, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ Hall, Clara (May 31, 1968). "The 'New Ironsides' Look". East Liverpool Review. p. 1. Retrieved October 15, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Former Miss Memphis Stars Again". Kingsport Times. September 16, 1970. p. 2-D. Retrieved October 15, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Actress Persists in Career". North Adams Transcript. July 16, 1969. p. S-6 TV. Retrieved October 15, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Miss Memphis 1963: Barbara Anderson". MissMemphisPageant.com. Archived from the original on January 5, 2013. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  6. ^ "The six greatest 'Mannix' episodes, according to a superfan". MeTV. January 27, 2017. Retrieved January 27, 2017.
  7. ^ "Annual "Spring Nationals" to be telecast tomorrow". The Courier-Journal. Louisville, Ky. June 12, 1971. p. 14. Retrieved March 1, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ a b "Barbara Anderson: Awards and Nominations". Television Academy. Retrieved January 5, 2016.
  9. ^ "Deadly Triangle". The Robesonian. Lumberton, NC. October 23, 1977. p. 9.
  10. ^ Oppenheimer, Peer J. (July 18, 1971). "Why I Quit TV for Home and Hearth". The Danville Register. p. Family Weekly 12. Retrieved January 5, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.

External links edit