Last modified on September 10, 2012, at 14:59

Elen Willard

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Elen Willard, also spelled Ellen Willard (born November 1, 1941), is an American former actress who appeared on network television between 1960 and 1966.

She is perhaps best remembered for four appearances on the ABC series Twelve O'Clock High. Earl Holliman, who appeared with Willard on the Twelve O'Clock High episode "The Ticket" (1965) was quoted years later as having said that the actress left show business because she found it too emotionally draining.[1]

Willard's first appearance in 1960 was as Deidre Waugh in the segment "The Bad Spell" of the detective series Markham. [1]On November 16, 1960, Willard appeared as Belle Bleymier on the episode "The Bleymier Story" of NBC's western series, Wagon Train, broadcast just days after the death of series lead Ward Bond. Robert Horton as the scout Flint McCullough struggles to get a wagon train through a Sioux burial ground. Dan Duryea played the mentally unstable Samuel Bleymier, Belle's father, who is obsessed by demons and superstitions. Bleymier opposes the interest shown in Belle by young Justin Claiborne, played by James Drury, two years before NBC launched The Virginian. The episode is filmed mostly during heavy rains, high winds, and a cyclone.[2]

In 1961, Willard playedCharlotte Laughlin in the episode "The Quest" of NBC's Whispering Smith. She was also cast as Mrs. Madera in "Suitable for Framing" on Rod Taylor's Hong Kong series, which aired on ABC opposite Wagon Train. Other appearances in 1961 were as Caroline Lord in the episode "The Lords of Darkness" on ABC's western series, Lawman. She also appeared as Ione Sykes in the episode "The Grave: of CBS's The Twilight Zone.[1]

In 1962, Willard appeared as Althea in "The Hunger" on CBS's Gunsmoke and as Anne Farell in "Any Second Now" of ABC's Combat!, a World War II drama, and as Joan Prentiss on NBC's Dr. Kildare in the episode "The Horn of Plenty." In 1962 and 1963, she made two appearances on Richard Boone's CBS western, Have Gun, Will Travel. In 1964, she portrayed Pelas Delcort in "Memory of a Firing squad" on the ABC college drama, Channing. Willard's final screen appearance was on December 23, 1966, as Priscilla Worth in the Christmas episode "The Jingle Bells Affair" of the Robert Vaughn NBC series, The Man from U.N.C.L.E.[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Elen Willard. Internet Movie Data Base. Retrieved on September 10, 2012.
  2. ↑ "The Bleymier Story". Internet Movie Data Base. Retrieved on May 21, 2012.