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Created page with "{{Infobox person | name=Olive Dora Sturgess | nationality=Canadian | birth_date=October 8, 1933 | birth_place=Ocean Falls, British Columbia, Canada | death_..."
{{Infobox person
| name=Olive Dora Sturgess
| nationality=[[Canada|Canadian]]
| birth_date=October 8, 1933
| birth_place=Ocean Falls, [[British Columbia]], [[Canada]]
| death_date =
| death_cause=
| death_place =
| resting_place=
| occupation=Former [[actress]]
| party=
| residence=[[Los Angeles]], [[California]]
| religion=
| spouse=Dale Anderson
| children=At least one daughter
| relations=Joan Benham (cousin)}}
'''Olive Dora Sturgess''' (born October 8, 1933) is a [[Canada|Canadian]]-born former [[actress]] of [[United States|American]] [[television]] and three films. Though most of her appearances were in [[westerns]], her longest-running role was as the model Carol Henning in 12 of the 155 episodes of [[NBC]]'s situation comedy, ''The Bob Cummings Show,'' which aired between 1956 and 1959.
==Television==
A native of Ocean Falls in [[British Columbia]],<ref name=silverscreen>{{cite web|url= http://www.glamourgirlsofthesilverscreen.com/show/362/Olive+Sturgess/index.html|title=Olive Sturgess|publisher=glamourgirlsofthesilverscreen.com|accessdate=September 5, 2014}}</ref>Sturgess's first credited roles were in 1955 as Kathy Gresham in the episode "Take My Hand" of the anthology television series, ''Studio 57'', as Mia Caroll in "Time Out for Ginger" of [[CBS]]'s ''Shower of Stars,'' as Midge Miller in "The Iris Miller Story" of CBS's ''The Millionaire,'' and as Linda in "Sock's Teenage Problem" of Jackie Cooper's NBC sitcom, ''The People's Choice.'' In 1957, she was cast as Mary Lambert in the episode "John Wesley Hardin" about the western [[outlaw]] on NBC's ''[[Tales of Wells Fargo]],'' starring Dale Robertson. That same year she portrayed Fran Celane in "The Case of the Sullky Girl" on [[CBS]]'s 'Perry Mason,'' with Raymond Burr.<ref name=imdb>{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0836346/?ref_=tt_cl_t3|title=Olive Sturgess|publisher=Internet Movie Data Base]accessdate=January 28, 2021}}</ref>
In 1958, Sturgess played Kathy Donovan, the daughter of a western fort commander, in the episode "Renegades" of the [[ABC]]/Warner Brothers western series ''Cheyenne,'' starring Clint Walker in the title role. Peter Brown, prior to his co-starring role in ''Lawman,'' appeared as Jed Wayne, who enlists in the [[United States Army]] after his father is killed in an attack by Comanche renegades. He takes an interest in Kathy, whose father, Ralph Donovan (Bartlett Robinson), is hostile toward the Indians though ongoing raids are being inflicted by renegades. The episode also focuses on the spirit and endurance of Wayne's mortally lame horse and the wisdom of the Comanche chief Little Elk (Steve Darrell).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0540138/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_42|title=Renegades: Cheyenne|publisher=Internet Movie Data Base|accessdate=January 28, 2021}}</ref>Sturgess described Clint Walker as a vegetarian as early as 1958, long before natural foods became of much national interest.<ref name=wclippings/>
Sturgess also appeared in other ABC/WB series, ''Lawman'', ''Maverick'' (two episodes), ''Bronco,'' ''Hawaiian Eye,''<ref name=imdb/> and ''Sugarfoot,'' in the latter as Olive Turner in the 1958 episode "Short Range." In filming this episode in 1957, she reportedly developed a crush on series star Will Hutchins:<ref name=silverscreen/> “I had a mad crush on Will Hutchins. He was so handsome, so charming. I wonder why that show went off the air [in 1961] — it was good."<ref name=wclippings/>
She appeared twice each on ''The Donna Reed Show,'' ''Thriller,''ref name=imdb/> ''Wagon Train,'' ''Bonanza,'' and ''The Rebe,'' starring Nick Adams, whom she twice dated.<ref name=silverscreen/> Adams introduced her to Natalie Wood (1938-1981) who encouraged Sturgess in the pursuit of her acting career. In ''The Rebel'' episode "The Pit", Sturgess volunteered her real life nephew, Leonard Sturgess, for the part of a six-month-old baby needed in the script.<ref name=wclippings/>On one of her ''Wagon Train'' episodes, "Wagons Ho!" (September 28, 1960), an NBC season premiere, she and Mickey Rooney were cast as a young married couple, Samuel T. and Melanie Evans, with Ellen Corby as Aunt 'Em.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0743292/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_24|title=Wagons Ho!|date=September 28, 1960|publisher=Internet Movie Data Base|accessdate=January 28, 2021}}</ref>Sturgess had to wear the lowest of heels so as not to tower over Rooney. Her experience with the short Rooney was the opposite of the 6'4" Clint Walker in ''Cheyenne,'' ''Wagon Train'' star Ward Bond, who died a few weeks after the airing of "Wagons Ho!", was in her words "hard to get to know but good to work with."<ref name=wclippings>{{cite web|url=http://www.westernclippings.com/interview/olivesturgess_interview.shtml|title=Olive Sturgess|author=Mike Fitzgerald|publisher=westernclippings.com|accessdate=September 5, 2014}}</ref>On ''Bonanza'' Sturgess found Dan Blocker, who played Eric "Hoss" Cartwright, had "terrible language, foul language — it just came out!"<ref name=wclippings/>
In 1959, she portrayed Mary MacNamara in the episode of the same name in the NBC children's western series set in a fictitious [[Montana]] town, ''Buckskin, with [[Tom Nolan (actor)|Tom Nolan]]. She guest-starred too in the ABC western series, ''Destry'' with John Gavin (1931-2018), whom Sturgess noted later went into [[Republican Party|Republican]] politics: "He was interesting. Such a handsome man!"<ref name=wclippings/> She was cast too on NBC's ''Laramie,'' ''[[The Man and the Challenge]]'', ''[[Outlaws (1960 TV series)|Outlaws]],'' ''The Wide Country,'' ''The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.'', and ''The Virginian'', and CBS's ''Rawhide,'' ''Have Gun - Will Travel,'' ''The Texan,'' ''General Electric Theater,'' hosted by [[Ronald W. Reagan]], and the detective series, ''Checkmate,'' as Felice O'Neill in the 1962 episode, "Brooding Fixation".<ref name=imdb/>Sturgess describe Earl Holliman of ''The Wide Country,'' a western drama about [[rodeo]] riders, as "such a good actor — a very down to earth person. That’s why he goes on and on!”<ref name=wclippings/>
Three times in 1960 and 1961, Sturgess was cast as May McBean on NBC's ''The Tall Man,'' with Barry Sullivan]and Clu Gulager; May is one of the daughters of the crusty Pa McBean, played by Andy Clyde. She played Allie in the 1961 episode "Big Game Hunter" of the short-lived CBS sitcom ''Bringing Up Buddy,'' starring Frank Aletter in the title role; Diana Masters in "Shy Alfie" of CBS's ''The Danny Thomas Show,'' and Elsie Barton in "Race Against the Stork" on CBS's ''Petticoat Junction.''.<ref name=imdb/>
==Film==
Her film roles included that of Nancy Kettle in ''The Kettles in the Ozarks'' (1956) with Marjorie Main and[Arthur Hunnicutt; Estelle Craven in ''The Raven'' (1963), with Vincent Price, Peter Lorre Boris Karloff, and Jack Nicholson, and Bonnie Young in ''Requiem for a Gunfighter'' (1965), with Rod Cameron and film producer]] Alex Gordon. Sturgess recalled that Cameron, who had starred in three earlier syndicated crime series, was "making sort of a comeback at this time. He was very gracious; very kind. You can see it in him in the scene [in ''Requiem''] when we are having dinner—his look. He was a professional. ..."<ref name=wclippings/>
==Later years==
Sturgess was offered a part in NBC's ''Flipper'' with Brian Kelly but declined to come to [[Florida]] for the interview. She had married musician Dale Anderson and had a baby whom she could not leave for the possibility of appearing on ''Flipper.''<ref name=wclippings/>
In 1965, Sturgess played a nurse on Richard Chamberlain's ''Dr. Kildare''; her last two acting roles were also those of a nurse in ''Ironside'' with Raymond Burr in 1969 and the ABC police drama, ''The Rookies'' in 1973 and 1974.<ref name=imdb/>
Sturgess was also involved in rodeos and was grand marshal of the rodeo in Whittier, [[California]].<ref name=wclippings/>
Reflecting on her years as an actress, Sturgess said:
<blockquote>
In those days they had good stories. Mary Tyler Moore (1936-2017) said it exactly right. ‘Writing for television today is like writing shorthand. There’s no depth to anything.’ We used to have stories that had a beginning, middle, and an end; that made you feel good after watching them. Not those terrible shallow shows of today. We had stories that were genuine; stories of the West done with humor or drama and romance. A good show you looked forward to seeing. You really felt good when you saw the television shows of those days.”<ref name=wclippings/></blockquote>
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sturgess, Olive}}
[[Category:Canada]]
[[Category:California]]
[[Category:Actresses]]
[[Category:Television]]
| name=Olive Dora Sturgess
| nationality=[[Canada|Canadian]]
| birth_date=October 8, 1933
| birth_place=Ocean Falls, [[British Columbia]], [[Canada]]
| death_date =
| death_cause=
| death_place =
| resting_place=
| occupation=Former [[actress]]
| party=
| residence=[[Los Angeles]], [[California]]
| religion=
| spouse=Dale Anderson
| children=At least one daughter
| relations=Joan Benham (cousin)}}
'''Olive Dora Sturgess''' (born October 8, 1933) is a [[Canada|Canadian]]-born former [[actress]] of [[United States|American]] [[television]] and three films. Though most of her appearances were in [[westerns]], her longest-running role was as the model Carol Henning in 12 of the 155 episodes of [[NBC]]'s situation comedy, ''The Bob Cummings Show,'' which aired between 1956 and 1959.
==Television==
A native of Ocean Falls in [[British Columbia]],<ref name=silverscreen>{{cite web|url= http://www.glamourgirlsofthesilverscreen.com/show/362/Olive+Sturgess/index.html|title=Olive Sturgess|publisher=glamourgirlsofthesilverscreen.com|accessdate=September 5, 2014}}</ref>Sturgess's first credited roles were in 1955 as Kathy Gresham in the episode "Take My Hand" of the anthology television series, ''Studio 57'', as Mia Caroll in "Time Out for Ginger" of [[CBS]]'s ''Shower of Stars,'' as Midge Miller in "The Iris Miller Story" of CBS's ''The Millionaire,'' and as Linda in "Sock's Teenage Problem" of Jackie Cooper's NBC sitcom, ''The People's Choice.'' In 1957, she was cast as Mary Lambert in the episode "John Wesley Hardin" about the western [[outlaw]] on NBC's ''[[Tales of Wells Fargo]],'' starring Dale Robertson. That same year she portrayed Fran Celane in "The Case of the Sullky Girl" on [[CBS]]'s 'Perry Mason,'' with Raymond Burr.<ref name=imdb>{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0836346/?ref_=tt_cl_t3|title=Olive Sturgess|publisher=Internet Movie Data Base]accessdate=January 28, 2021}}</ref>
In 1958, Sturgess played Kathy Donovan, the daughter of a western fort commander, in the episode "Renegades" of the [[ABC]]/Warner Brothers western series ''Cheyenne,'' starring Clint Walker in the title role. Peter Brown, prior to his co-starring role in ''Lawman,'' appeared as Jed Wayne, who enlists in the [[United States Army]] after his father is killed in an attack by Comanche renegades. He takes an interest in Kathy, whose father, Ralph Donovan (Bartlett Robinson), is hostile toward the Indians though ongoing raids are being inflicted by renegades. The episode also focuses on the spirit and endurance of Wayne's mortally lame horse and the wisdom of the Comanche chief Little Elk (Steve Darrell).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0540138/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_42|title=Renegades: Cheyenne|publisher=Internet Movie Data Base|accessdate=January 28, 2021}}</ref>Sturgess described Clint Walker as a vegetarian as early as 1958, long before natural foods became of much national interest.<ref name=wclippings/>
Sturgess also appeared in other ABC/WB series, ''Lawman'', ''Maverick'' (two episodes), ''Bronco,'' ''Hawaiian Eye,''<ref name=imdb/> and ''Sugarfoot,'' in the latter as Olive Turner in the 1958 episode "Short Range." In filming this episode in 1957, she reportedly developed a crush on series star Will Hutchins:<ref name=silverscreen/> “I had a mad crush on Will Hutchins. He was so handsome, so charming. I wonder why that show went off the air [in 1961] — it was good."<ref name=wclippings/>
She appeared twice each on ''The Donna Reed Show,'' ''Thriller,''ref name=imdb/> ''Wagon Train,'' ''Bonanza,'' and ''The Rebe,'' starring Nick Adams, whom she twice dated.<ref name=silverscreen/> Adams introduced her to Natalie Wood (1938-1981) who encouraged Sturgess in the pursuit of her acting career. In ''The Rebel'' episode "The Pit", Sturgess volunteered her real life nephew, Leonard Sturgess, for the part of a six-month-old baby needed in the script.<ref name=wclippings/>On one of her ''Wagon Train'' episodes, "Wagons Ho!" (September 28, 1960), an NBC season premiere, she and Mickey Rooney were cast as a young married couple, Samuel T. and Melanie Evans, with Ellen Corby as Aunt 'Em.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0743292/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_24|title=Wagons Ho!|date=September 28, 1960|publisher=Internet Movie Data Base|accessdate=January 28, 2021}}</ref>Sturgess had to wear the lowest of heels so as not to tower over Rooney. Her experience with the short Rooney was the opposite of the 6'4" Clint Walker in ''Cheyenne,'' ''Wagon Train'' star Ward Bond, who died a few weeks after the airing of "Wagons Ho!", was in her words "hard to get to know but good to work with."<ref name=wclippings>{{cite web|url=http://www.westernclippings.com/interview/olivesturgess_interview.shtml|title=Olive Sturgess|author=Mike Fitzgerald|publisher=westernclippings.com|accessdate=September 5, 2014}}</ref>On ''Bonanza'' Sturgess found Dan Blocker, who played Eric "Hoss" Cartwright, had "terrible language, foul language — it just came out!"<ref name=wclippings/>
In 1959, she portrayed Mary MacNamara in the episode of the same name in the NBC children's western series set in a fictitious [[Montana]] town, ''Buckskin, with [[Tom Nolan (actor)|Tom Nolan]]. She guest-starred too in the ABC western series, ''Destry'' with John Gavin (1931-2018), whom Sturgess noted later went into [[Republican Party|Republican]] politics: "He was interesting. Such a handsome man!"<ref name=wclippings/> She was cast too on NBC's ''Laramie,'' ''[[The Man and the Challenge]]'', ''[[Outlaws (1960 TV series)|Outlaws]],'' ''The Wide Country,'' ''The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.'', and ''The Virginian'', and CBS's ''Rawhide,'' ''Have Gun - Will Travel,'' ''The Texan,'' ''General Electric Theater,'' hosted by [[Ronald W. Reagan]], and the detective series, ''Checkmate,'' as Felice O'Neill in the 1962 episode, "Brooding Fixation".<ref name=imdb/>Sturgess describe Earl Holliman of ''The Wide Country,'' a western drama about [[rodeo]] riders, as "such a good actor — a very down to earth person. That’s why he goes on and on!”<ref name=wclippings/>
Three times in 1960 and 1961, Sturgess was cast as May McBean on NBC's ''The Tall Man,'' with Barry Sullivan]and Clu Gulager; May is one of the daughters of the crusty Pa McBean, played by Andy Clyde. She played Allie in the 1961 episode "Big Game Hunter" of the short-lived CBS sitcom ''Bringing Up Buddy,'' starring Frank Aletter in the title role; Diana Masters in "Shy Alfie" of CBS's ''The Danny Thomas Show,'' and Elsie Barton in "Race Against the Stork" on CBS's ''Petticoat Junction.''.<ref name=imdb/>
==Film==
Her film roles included that of Nancy Kettle in ''The Kettles in the Ozarks'' (1956) with Marjorie Main and[Arthur Hunnicutt; Estelle Craven in ''The Raven'' (1963), with Vincent Price, Peter Lorre Boris Karloff, and Jack Nicholson, and Bonnie Young in ''Requiem for a Gunfighter'' (1965), with Rod Cameron and film producer]] Alex Gordon. Sturgess recalled that Cameron, who had starred in three earlier syndicated crime series, was "making sort of a comeback at this time. He was very gracious; very kind. You can see it in him in the scene [in ''Requiem''] when we are having dinner—his look. He was a professional. ..."<ref name=wclippings/>
==Later years==
Sturgess was offered a part in NBC's ''Flipper'' with Brian Kelly but declined to come to [[Florida]] for the interview. She had married musician Dale Anderson and had a baby whom she could not leave for the possibility of appearing on ''Flipper.''<ref name=wclippings/>
In 1965, Sturgess played a nurse on Richard Chamberlain's ''Dr. Kildare''; her last two acting roles were also those of a nurse in ''Ironside'' with Raymond Burr in 1969 and the ABC police drama, ''The Rookies'' in 1973 and 1974.<ref name=imdb/>
Sturgess was also involved in rodeos and was grand marshal of the rodeo in Whittier, [[California]].<ref name=wclippings/>
Reflecting on her years as an actress, Sturgess said:
<blockquote>
In those days they had good stories. Mary Tyler Moore (1936-2017) said it exactly right. ‘Writing for television today is like writing shorthand. There’s no depth to anything.’ We used to have stories that had a beginning, middle, and an end; that made you feel good after watching them. Not those terrible shallow shows of today. We had stories that were genuine; stories of the West done with humor or drama and romance. A good show you looked forward to seeing. You really felt good when you saw the television shows of those days.”<ref name=wclippings/></blockquote>
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sturgess, Olive}}
[[Category:Canada]]
[[Category:California]]
[[Category:Actresses]]
[[Category:Television]]