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| | ==Television== | | ==Television== |
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| − | 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=January 28, 2021}}</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> | + | 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=January 28, 2021}}</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 (1923-2013). 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 Database|accessdate=January 28, 2021}}</ref> |
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| − | 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/> | + | 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 Database|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/> |
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| | 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/> | | 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/> |
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| − | She appeared twice each on ''The Donna Reed Show,'' ''Thriller,''<ref name=imdb/> ''Wagon Train,'' ''Bonanza,'' and ''The Rebel,'' 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=January 28, 2021}}</ref>On ''Bonanza'' Sturgess found Dan Blocker, who played Eric "Hoss" Cartwright, had "terrible language, foul language — it just came out!"<ref name=wclippings/> | + | She appeared twice each on ''The Donna Reed Show,'' ''Thriller,''<ref name=imdb/> ''Wagon Train,'' ''Bonanza,'' and ''The Rebel,'' 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 Database|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=January 28, 2021}}</ref>On ''Bonanza'' Sturgess found Dan Blocker, who played Eric "Hoss" Cartwright, had "terrible language, foul language — it just came out!"<ref name=wclippings/> |
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| | 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 (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 describes 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/> | | 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 (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 describes 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/> |