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.
Movie | The Defender (Studio One) | Self / Commercial Spokeswoman | 1957-02-25 |
Movie | The Arena | 1956-04-09 | |
Movie | Twelve Angry Men | Herself / Commercial Spokeswoman | 1954-09-20 |
Series | Climax! | Unknown | 1954-10-07 |
Movie | Pontius Pilate | 1952-04-07 | |
Movie | The Kill | Self - Commercial Spokeswoman | 1952-09-22 |
Movie | The Play of the Nativity of the Child Jesus | Self | 1952-12-22 |
Series | What's My Line? | Herself - Panelist | 1950-02-02 |
Movie | The Rockingham Tea Set | Self - Commercial Spokeswoman | 1950-01-23 |
Series | The Colgate Comedy Hour | Maggie Watson | 1950-09-10 |
Series | Your Show of Shows | Herself | 1950-02-25 |
Series | The Philco Television Playhouse | Unknown | 1948-10-03 |
Series | Studio One | Unknown | 1948-11-07 |
Movie | North of Shanghai | Helen Warner | 1939-01-24 |
Movie | Mama Steps Out | Leila Cuppy | 1937-02-05 |
Movie | They Wanted to Marry | Sheila Hunter | 1937-02-05 |
Movie | It Can't Last Forever | Carol Wilson | 1937-07-15 |
Movie | Fair Warning | Kate Farnham | 1937-03-05 |
Movie | The Good Old Soak | Lucy Hawley | 1937-04-23 |
Movie | Swing Time | Margaret Watson | 1936-08-28 |
Movie | The President's Mystery | Charlotte Brown | 1936-09-28 |
Movie | Sunkist Stars at Palm Springs | 1936-08-05 | |
Movie | Mister Cinderella | Patricia 'Pat' Randolph | 1936-10-22 |
Movie | All American Chump | Kitty Crane | 1936-10-16 |
Movie | McFadden´s Flats | Molly McFadden | 1935-03-12 |
Movie | Shadow of Doubt | Lisa | 1935-02-15 |
Movie | Calm Yourself | Mary Elizabeth Allenby | 1935-06-28 |
Movie | The Keeper of the Bees | Molly | 1935-07-14 |
Movie | Magnificent Obsession | Joyce Hudson | 1935-12-30 |
Movie | Here Comes Cookie | Phyllis Allen | 1935-09-10 |
Movie | Gridiron Flash | Jane Thurston | 1934-10-06 |
Movie | Beggars in Ermine | Joyce Dawson | 1934-02-21 |
Movie | The Life of Vergie Winters | Joan Shadwell | 1934-06-14 |
Movie | Dangerous Corner | Mrs. Betty Whitehouse | 1934-12-04 |
Movie | The Bands Plays On | Kitty O'Brien | 1934-12-21 |
Movie | A Wicked Woman | Yancey Stroud, aka Yancey Trice | 1934-12-07 |
Movie | Cross Fire | Pat "Mike" Plummer | 1933-05-28 |
Movie | Scarlet River | Babe Jewel | 1933-03-10 |
Movie | Lucky Devils | Ginger | 1933-02-03 |
Movie | Emergency Call | Alice Averill | 1933-06-24 |
Movie | The Great Jasper | Sylvia Bradfield | 1933-03-03 |
Movie | Midshipman Jack | Ruth Rogers | 1933-09-22 |
Movie | Let's Fall in Love | Linda | 1933-12-26 |
Movie | Flying Down to Rio | Belinha's Friend (uncredited) | 1933-12-22 |
Movie | Ace of Aces | Card Playing Party Guest (uncredited) | 1933-10-20 |
Movie | Headline Shooter | Miss Saunders | 1933-07-28 |
Movie | Aggie Appleby, Maker of Men | Evangeline | 1933-10-18 |
Movie | Renegades of the West | Mary Fawcett | 1932-11-25 |