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

Swing Time
Swing Time

1936

as Margaret Watson

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

The Three Wise Guys
The Three Wise Guys

1936

as Clarabelle Brooks

Lucky Devils
Lucky Devils

1933

as Ginger

Ace of Aces
Ace of Aces

1933

as Card Playing Party Guest (uncredited)

The Life of Vergie Winters
The Life of Vergie Winters

1934

as Joan Shadwell

Scarlet River
Scarlet River

1933

as Babe Jewel

Magnificent Obsession
Magnificent Obsession

1935

as Joyce Hudson

Cross Fire
Cross Fire

1933

as Pat "Mike" Plummer

Twelve Angry Men
Twelve Angry Men

1954

as Herself / Commercial Spokeswoman

The Kill
The Kill

1952

as Self - Commercial Spokeswoman

Emergency Call
Emergency Call

1933

as Alice Averill

It Can't Last Forever
It Can't Last Forever

1937

as Carol Wilson

A Wicked Woman
A Wicked Woman

1934

as Yancey Stroud, aka Yancey Trice

North of Shanghai
North of Shanghai

1939

as Helen Warner

Renegades of the West
Renegades of the West

1932

as Mary Fawcett

Aggie Appleby, Maker of Men
The Great Jasper
The Great Jasper

1933

as Sylvia Bradfield