Actress Beverly Garland dies at 82 after long illness

Los Angeles Times

HOLLYWOOD — Beverly Garland, whose long and varied acting career ranged from B-movie cult stardom in the 1950s portraying gutsy characters in movies including “Not of This Earth” and “It Conquered the World” to playing Fred MacMurray’s wife on the sitcom “My Three Sons,” has died. She was 82.

Garland, who also was an involved owner of her namesake hotel in North Hollywood, died Friday evening after a lengthy illness at her Hollywood Hills home, said son-in-law Packy Smith.

In a 50-plus year career that began with her film debut in a supporting role in the 1950 film noir classic “D.O.A.,” Garland appeared in about 40 films and scores of television shows.

“Not only was she a terrific actress, she was one of those special gals who was fun to work with,” said Mike Connors, who appeared with Garland in director Roger Corman’s low-budget 1955 film “Swamp Women” and later worked with her when she made guest appearances on his TV detective series “Mannix.”

“She had a great sense of humor, she was very thoughtful and had a great laugh,” Connors said. “You couldn’t help but laugh with her when she laughed.”

Despite her reputation for doing heavy drama — including being nominated for an Emmy Award in 1955 for her performance as a leukemia patient in the pilot of the medical drama “Medic” — Garland was best known to many people for her comedy turn in “My Three Sons.” She played the second wife of MacMurray’s widower Steve Douglas during the last three seasons of the popular series that aired from 1960 to 1972.

“The only thing that bothers me is that everybody loves this character so much,” Garland told the Los Angeles Times in 1969. “I don’t remember anybody loving me all that much.”

Garland also played her fair share of mothers in TV series. She was Stephanie Zimbalist’s in the 1980s in “Remington Steele,” Kate Jackson’s in the 1980s in “Scarecrow and Mrs. King” and Teri Hatcher’s in the 1990s in “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.” She also had recurring roles in the TV shows “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,” “7th Heaven” and the ABC soap opera “Port Charles.”

Early in her career, Garland played undercover New York police officer Casey Jones in the 1957-59 syndicated series “Decoy,” reportedly the first American TV police series built around a female protagonist. Garland’s big-screen credits included roles in “The Joker Is Wild” (1957), “Pretty Poison” (1968), “Where the Red Fern Grows” (1974) and “Airport 1975” (1974).