Beverly Garland

Beverly Garland Headshot

Actress

Birth Name: Beverly Lucy Fessenden

Birth Date: October 17, 1926

Death Date: December 5, 2008

Birth Place: Santa Cruz, California

Spouses: Richard Garland

Beverly Garland never had a showy role in a critically-acclaimed motion picture, nor did she star on a high-brow TV series, but the blonde, lithe actress has managed a career of almost non-stop work since 1950. Over 40 years later, she has remained a frequent TV presence with her warm, inviting smile yet strong, determined demeanor. Garland's career as a working actress has continued long after some of her more celebrated peers have spent time with plastic surgeons and dreaming of a comeback.

Garland began her professional career on stage in Tustin, CA, an Orange County community just south of Long Beach. In 1949, she made her film debut--billed as Beverly Campbell--in the original version of the film "D.O.A." By 1950, she was on TV in the L.A.-produced series "Mama Rosa," sort of an Italian "I Remember Mama" that ran for about six months. She then began acting in episodics, and in 1954 earned an Emmy nomination for Best Actress in a Single Performance as a leukemia victim in an episode of "Medic" (NBC).

At the same time, she continued to appear in features, although mostly in B pictures. In 1953, she appeared with Edward G. Robinson in the behind-the-scenes in TV mystery "The Glass Web." She was a woman with whom Barry Sullivan can redeem himself in "Miami Story" (1954), and had a small role alongside Humphrey Bogart in William Wyler's "Desperate Hours" (1955). In "The Steel Jungle" (1956), Garland was a pregnant wife of a bookie who chooses jail over informing on the mob--or being with her. By 1959, Garland was in the low budget "Alligator People," playing a woman who searches for her missing husband only to find him at a Southern mansion partly transformed into a reptile.

Film work became more sporadic in the 60s as Garland devoted herself to TV series work, but in 1974 she could be seen briefly in "Airport 1975," as the wife of Dana Andrews, who calls her just before he gets into his single-engine craft, has a heart attack, and slams into Karen Black's plane. Garland was Linda Blair's shallow mother in "Roller Boogie" (1979) and co-starred in Claudia Weil's enchanting 1980 comedy "It's My Turn."

Garland is undoubtedly better remembered for her TV series work. From 1957-58, Garland was female cop Casey Jones on the syndicated series "Decoy," which is considered the first series to feature a woman police officer as a lead. She played wife to Bing Crosby on "The Bing Crosby Show" (ABC, 1964-65), and, in perhaps her most memorable TV role, was the widow who married Fred MacMurray on "My Three Sons" (CBS, 1969-72).

From 1983-87, on "Scarecrow & Mrs. King" (CBS), she was Kate Jackson's mother, confused about how her daughter spent her days. Garland has also played recurring roles as a mother on other series, including NBC's "Remington Steele" (as Stephanie Zimbalist's mom) and, more recently, on ABC's "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" (as Lois Lane's nagging mother helping her prepare for her wedding).

Credits

Decoy Policewoman

Actor
Casey Jones
Show
2023

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie's Island Adventure

Actor
Aunt Jessica
Movie
2003

The GuardianStream

Guest Star
Series
2001

The Simple Life

Guest Star
Series
1998

Teen Angel

Guest Star
Series
1997

7th HeavenStream

Guest Star
Series
1996

Haunted Symphony

Actor
Carlotta
Movie
1995

FriendsStream

Guest Star
Aunt Iris
Series
1994
78%

EllenStream

Guest Star
Eva
Series
1994

Diagnosis MurderStream

Guest Star
Series
1993

Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of SupermanStream

Guest Star
Series
1993
86%

Death Falls

Actor
Mae Baxter
Movie
1992

Encontrando el Camino a Casa

Actor
Movie
1991

The World's Oldest Living Bridesmaid

Actor
Brenda's Mother
Movie
1990

Vieja del Mundo

Actor
Movie
1990

Finder of Lost Loves

Guest Star
Series
1984

Scarecrow and Mrs. KingStream

Actor
Dotty West
Series
1983

Hotel

Guest Star
Soap
1983

This Girl for Hire

Actor
Evan Picard
Movie
1983

Gamble on Love

Actor
Kitty
Movie
1982

Magnum, P.I.Stream

Guest Star
Florence Russell
Series
1980

It's My Turn

Actor
Emma
Movie
1980

Trapper John, M.D.

Guest Star
Series
1979

Hart to HartStream

Guest Star
Series
1979

Roller Boogie

Actor
Lillian Barkley
Movie
1979
0%

Greatest Heroes of the Bible

Actor
Sarah
Movie
1978

How the West Was WonStream

Guest Star
Series
1977

The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew MysteriesStream

Guest Star
Series
1977

Sixth and Main

Actor
Monica
Movie
1977

Charlie's AngelsStream

Guest Star
Pat Justice
Series
1976

Deadly Volley

Actor
Team Owner
Movie
1975

Planet of the Apes

Guest Star
Series
1974
55%

The Healers

Actor
Laura Kier
Movie
1974

Unwed Father

Actor
Estelle
Movie
1974

Where the Red Fern Grows

Actor
Jenny Coleman
Movie
1974

The Day the Earth Moved

Actor
Helen Backsler
Movie
1974

The Six Million Dollar ManStream

Guest Star
The Secretary
Series
1973

The Rookies

Guest Star
Series
1972

Kung FuStream

Guest Star
Series
1972

The Weekend Nun

Actor
Bobby Sue Prewitt
Movie
1972

Say Goodbye, Maggie Cole

Actor
Myrna Anderson
Movie
1972

The Voyage of the Yes

Actor
Agatha Markwell
Movie
1972

Cannon

Guest Star
Cecilia Thatcher
Series
1971

The Mary Tyler Moore ShowStream

Guest Star
Veronica Ludlow
Series
1970

Cutter's Trail

Actor
Maggie
Movie
1970

Love, American Style

Actor
Maria Lombardi
Series
1969

Marcus Welby, M.D.Stream

Guest Star
Nancy Zimmer
Series
1969

The Mad Room

Actor
Mrs. Racine
Movie
1969

Mod Squad

Guest Star
Ellie Todd
Series
1968

Pretty PoisonStream

Actor
Mrs. Stepanek
Movie
1968
100%

MannixStream

Guest Star
Edna Reston
Series
1967

The Mothers-in-LawStream

Guest Star
Series
1967

The Loner

Guest Star
Show
1965

The Wild, Wild WestStream

Guest Star
Series
1965

Laredo

Guest Star
Series
1965

A Man Called Shenandoah

Guest Star
Series
1965

The Bing Crosby Show

Actor
Ellie Collins
Show
1964

The FugitiveStream

Guest Star
Nurse Doris Stillwell
Series
1963

The Dakotas

Guest Star
Katherine Channing
Series
1963

Twice Told Tales

Actor
Alice Pyncheon
Movie
1963

Stark Fear

Actor
Ellen Winslow
Movie
1962

Bus Stop

Guest Star
Show
1961

Dr. Kildare

Guest Star
Series
1961

Cain's Hundred

Guest Star
Show
1961

Stagecoach West

Guest Star
Series
1960

My Three SonsStream

Actor
Barbara Harper Douglas
Series
1960

ThrillerStream

Actor
Series
1960

The Twilight ZoneStream

Actor
Maggie
Series
1959
92%

LaramieStream

Guest Star
Terry Blake
Series
1959

RawhideStream

Guest Star
Series
1959

Gunfight at Sandoval

Actor
Movie
1959

The Alligator People

Actor
Joyce Webster
Movie
1959

The Saga of Hemp BrownStream

Actor
Mona Langley
Movie
1958

DecoyStream

Actor
Casey Jones
Series
1957

Trackdown

Guest Star
Dora Crow
Show
1957

Alcoa Theatre

Actor
Ellen
Show
1957

Perry MasonStream

Guest Star
Mauvis Meade
Series
1957

Tales of Wells FargoStream

Guest Star
Pearl Hart
Series
1957

The Joker Is Wild

Actor
Cassie Mack
Movie
1957

Badlands of Montana

Actor
Susan Hammer
Movie
1957

Thunder Over Hawaii

Actor
Max MacKenzie
Movie
1957

Chicago Confidential

Actor
Laura Barton
Movie
1957

Not of This Earth

Actor
Nadine Storey
Movie
1957

Zane Grey Theater

Actor
Series
1956

Curusú, el Terror del Amazonas

Actor
Movie
1956

Curucu, Beast of the Amazon

Actor
Dr. Andrea Romar
Movie
1956

It Conquered the World

Actor
Claire Anderson
Movie
1956

GunslingerStream

Actor
Marshal Rose Hood
Movie
1956

Cruel Swamp

Actor
Vera
Movie
1956

The Steel Jungle

Actor
Frances "Francie" Novak
Movie
1956

GunsmokeStream

Guest Star
Lee Stark
Series
1955

Star Stage

Actor
Show
1955

Damon Runyon Theater

Actor
Show
1955

New Orleans Uncensored

Actor
Marie Reilly
Movie
1955

The Desperate Hours

Actor
Miss Swift (uncredited)
Movie
1955

Climax!

Actor
Series
1954

Bitter CreekStream

Actor
Gail Bonner
Movie
1954

Killer Leopard

Actor
Linda Winters
Movie
1954

The Miami Story

Actor
Holly Abbott
Movie
1954

The Desperado

Actor
Laurie Bannerman
Movie
1954

The Rocket Man

Actor
Ludine
Movie
1954

Two Guns and a Badge

Actor
Gail Sterling
Movie
1954

Pepsi-Cola Playhouse

Actor
Show
1953

The Neanderthal Man

Actor
Nola Mason
Movie
1953

Problem Girls

Actor
Nancy Eaton
Movie
1953

Showcase 39

Actor
Show
1952

Mama Rosa

Actor
Mama's daughter
Show
1950

A Life of Her Own

Actor
Party Guest (uncredited)
Movie
1950

The Lone RangerStream

Guest Star
Laura Lawson
Series
1949

D.O.A.

Actor
Miss Foster
Movie
1949