Born into the Great Depression, Anne Francis began working at age 5 as a model to help supplement her family's income. At 11, Francis made her Broadway debut in "Lady in the Dark." She progressed into television with a daily children's program and was part of the first color tests at CBS before World War II interrupted television programming.
At 18, Francis appeared in the film "Summer Holiday" with Mickey Rooney. Though her appearance was brief, it led to an MGM contract, and Francis spent time at the famed MGM schoolhouse, where Elizabeth Taylor, Natalie Wood and other young stars were taught.
During the big studio golden era, Francis' film career began in earnest. In 1950, she starred in the film "So Young, So Bad" as a teenage prostitute and single mother in a reform school. She went on to work in such films as "Dreamboat," "Bad Day at Black Rock," "Blackboard Jungle," "Forbidden Planet" and "Funny Girl" with Barbra Streisand.
Francis is perhaps best known for the title role in "Honey West," a glamorous detective character that landed her a Golden Globe and an Emmy nomination.
Francis had a long and storied career and most recently appeared in an episode of "Without a Trace" in 2004. She is also an author, having written "Voices from Home," a spiritual memoir. Francis, a lung cancer survivor, lives in Santa Barbara, Calif., and contributes to nonprofits such as Angel View and the Desert AIDS project.
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