Ann Prentiss
Ann Prentiss | |
|---|---|
 Prentiss in 1970 | |
| Born | Ann Elizabeth Ragusa November 27, 1939 San Antonio, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | January 12, 2010 (aged 70) Chowchilla, California, U.S. |
| Other names | Ann Gardner |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1966–1988 |
| Known for | |
| Relatives | Paula Prentiss (sister) Richard Benjamin (brother-in-law) |
Ann Prentiss (November 27, 1939 – January 12, 2010) was an American actress.
Early life
[edit]Prentiss was born Ann Elizabeth Ragusa in San Antonio, Texas, to Paulene (née Gardner) and Thomas J. Ragusa. Her father was of Sicilian descent. Her elder sister, Paula Prentiss, is also an actress.[1]
Career
[edit]Prentiss had many supporting roles in films and television series in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, including Get Smart's "The Little Black Book", Hogan's Heroes' "The Missing Klink" (1969), and on the Baretta episode "Half a Million Dollar Baby". She provided the voice of an alien species in the comedy film My Stepmother Is an Alien (1988), co-starring alongside Kim Basinger and Dan Aykroyd. Her other film roles included appearances in Any Wednesday (1966), If He Hollers, Let Him Go! (1968), The Out-of-Towners (1970), and California Split (1974), opposite George Segal and Elliott Gould.
In the 1967 NBC-TV series Captain Nice, created by Buck Henry, Prentiss played Police Sgt. Candy Kane, the girlfriend of the title character, a shy chemist/superhero portrayed by William Daniels.[2]
Personal life
[edit]Criminal conviction
[edit]Prentiss was convicted in a California court of a 1996 assault against her father, and a subsequent threat against members of her family. The district attorney claimed that Prentiss, while incarcerated on the assault charge, had attempted to hire another inmate to kill three people, including her father and actor-director Richard Benjamin, her brother-in-law. On July 23, 1997, the court sentenced her to 19 years in prison.[3][1]
Death
[edit]Prentiss died in prison on January 12, 2010.[4]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Any Wednesday | Miss Linsley | |
| 1968 | Assignment to Kill | Hotel Party Girl in Red Dress (uncredited) | |
| If He Hollers, Let Him Go! | Thelma Wilson | Crime drama film | |
| 1970 | The Out-of-Towners | Airline Stewardess | Comedy film |
| 1974 | California Split | Barbara Miller | |
| 1988 | My Stepmother Is an Alien | The Voice of Bag (voice) | Science fiction comedy |
Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | I'm Dickens, He's Fenster | Dr. Else McClinton (as Ann Gardner) | Episode: "Part-Time Friend" |
| 1966 | Bewitched | Betty (uncredited) | Episode: "A Bum Raps" |
| 1967 | Captain Nice | Sgt. Candy Kane | 15 episodes |
| Mannix | Gwen Rogers | Episode: "Beyond the Shadow of a Dream" | |
| 1968 | Get Smart | Nancy | Episode: "The Little Black Book: Part 1" Episode: "The Little Black Book: Part 2" |
| 1969 | Hogan's Heroes | Ilse | Episode: "The Missing Klink" |
| 1963-1969 | The Virginian | Alice (as Ann Gardner) Geraldine Del Finnia |
Episode: "Man of Violence" Episode: "Crime Wave in Buffalo Springs" |
| 1969 | It Takes a Thief | Desk Clerk | Episode: "Catspaw" |
| Hawaii Five-O | Lannie Devereaux (as Anne Prentiss) | Episode: "Not That Much Different" | |
| The Courtship of Eddie's Father' | Kerry Allen | Episode: "Teacher's Pet" | |
| In Name Only | Jill Willis | television film | |
| 1970 | The Name of the Game | Leona | Episode: "Jerry Wilde Is Drowning" |
| The Bold Ones: The New Doctors | Elaine Stone | Episode: "This Will Really Kill You" | |
| McCloud | Officer Murdock | Episode: "Walk in the Dark" | |
| 1969-1971 | Bonanza | Wilhelmina Calhoun Wilhelmina Calhoun Meena Calhoun |
Episode: "Meena" Episode: "The Horse Traders" Episode: "Easy Come, Easy Go" |
| 1972 | Search | Ann Mulligan (as Ann Prentis) | Episode: "Moonrock" |
| 1970-1972 | Love, American Style | Judy Ricker (segment "Love and Las Vegas") Yvonne (segment "Love and the Lady Barber") Clara (segment "Love and the Hairy Excuse") |
Episode: "Love and Las Vegas / Love and the Good Samaritan / Love and the Marriage Counselor" Episode: "Love and the College Professor / Love and the Eyewitness / Love and the Lady Barber / Love and the Plumber" Episode: "Love and the Hairy Excuse / Love and Lady Luck / Love and the Pick-Up Fantasy" |
| 1973 | The Lie | Elaine Fredericks | television film |
| 1973-1974 | Emergency! | Fran Lillington Cindy's Mother |
Episode: "Boot" Episode: "Messin' Around" |
| 1975 | Baretta | Annie | Episode: "The Half-Million Dollar Baby" |
| 1976 | Switch | Cora | Episode: "Ain't Nobody Here Named Barney" |
| Phillip and Barbara | Shirley | television film | |
| 1978 | Quark | Gene / Jean (voice, uncredited) | 7 episodes |
| 1978-1979 | Starsky and Hutch | Mrs. Carston | Episode: "The Trap" Episode: "Ninety Pounds of Trouble" |
| 1984 | Masquerade | Mavis Kelly | Episode: "Winnings" |
References
[edit]- ^ a b La Jeunesse, Anne (July 25, 1997). "Paula Prentiss' sister ordered to prison". News-Pilot. San Pedro, California. p. 11. Retrieved August 22, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Leszczak, Bob (November 2, 2012). Single Season Sitcoms, 1948-1979: A Complete Guide. McFarland. p. 30. ISBN 978-0786468126. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
- ^ "Sister of actress terrorizes family". The Hartford Sentinel. Hartford, California. AP. July 25, 1997. p. 8. Retrieved August 22, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Lentz, Harris M. III (2011). Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2010. McFarland. pp. 341–342. ISBN 9780786486496. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
External links
[edit]- Ann Prentiss at IMDb
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
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- 1939 births
- 2010 deaths
- 20th-century American actresses
- Actresses from San Antonio
- American film actresses
- American people of Italian descent
- American television actresses
- American people who died in prison custody
- 21st-century American women
- American people convicted of assault
- Prisoners who died in California detention
- Texas people stubs