Betty Furness

Betty Furness

1916-01-03 – 1994-04-02 (age 78) New York City, New York, USA
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Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Elizabeth Mary Furness (January 3, 1916 – April 2, 1994) was an American actress, consumer advocate, and current affairs commentator. She began her professional career as a model before being noticed by a talent scout and being signed to a film contract in 1932 by RKO Studios. Her first film role was as the "Thirteenth Woman" in the film Thirteen Women (1932) but her scenes were deleted before the film's release.

Over the next few years, she appeared in several RKO films, and became a popular actress. Among her film successes were Magnificent Obsession (1935) and the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers film Swing Time (1936). By the end of the decade, she had appeared in over forty films, but during the 1940s, she found it difficult to secure acting roles. In 1948, Furness was performing in the television series Studio One, which was broadcast live. She filled in for an actor to promote Westinghouse products during the advertisement break, and impressed the company with her easy and professional manner. They offered her a contract to promote their products and she thus became closely associated with them.

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Known For

Ace of Aces
Ace of Aces

1933

as Card Playing Party Guest (uncredited)

Gridiron Flash
Gridiron Flash

1934

as Jane Thurston

Swing Time
Swing Time

1936

as Margaret Watson

Lucky Devils
Lucky Devils

1933

as Ginger

Emergency Call
Emergency Call

1933

as Alice Averill

Flying Down to Rio
Flying Down to Rio

1933

as Belinha's Friend (uncredited)

The Defender (Studio One)
The Defender (Studio One)

1957

as Self / Commercial Spokeswoman

Ellis in Freedomland
Ellis in Freedomland

1952

as Spokeswoman for Westinghouse

Headline Shooter
Headline Shooter

1933

as Miss Saunders

Magnificent Obsession
Magnificent Obsession

1935

as Joyce Hudson

The Kill
The Kill

1952

as Self - Commercial Spokeswoman

Twelve Angry Men
Twelve Angry Men

1954

as Herself / Commercial Spokeswoman

Fair Warning
Fair Warning

1937

as Kate Farnham

The Band Plays On
The Band Plays On

1934

as Kitty O'Brien

Midshipman Jack
Midshipman Jack

1933

as Ruth Rogers

North of Shanghai
North of Shanghai

1939

as Helen Warner

The Life of Vergie Winters
The Life of Vergie Winters

1934

as Joan Shadwell

They Wanted to Marry
They Wanted to Marry

1937

as Sheila Hunter

A Wicked Woman
A Wicked Woman

1934

as Yancey Stroud, aka Yancey Trice