Actress. She is most remembered for her role of Shirley Swanson in the television series, "Love that Bob" (1955 to 1959). Born Joy Rae Brown in Salt Lake City, Utah, her father was a shoe salesman, Jack Glenn Brown, and her mother a housewife, Virginia Grace Shupe Brown. Several biographies incorrectly list her birth name as Wassmansdorff, after her mother's second husband. She was selected in her teens as a model due to her good looks and figure, and offered beginning movie roles in Hollywood. Her first true film role occurred in 1948, as a model in the movie "The Counterfeiters," although she had been in five earlier films without credit. She appeared in a total of 40 movies and a number of cameo television appearances. Most of the movies were B-movies and forgettables, although she did appear in "Singin' in the Rain" (1952) and "The Merry Widow" (1952), both roles uncredited. Due to her role in "Love that Bob," she began to receive more substantial parts in such films as "The Brave One" (1957) and "Hot Cars" (1956); but her career nose-dived in 1958 and she could only get B-films after that. She was considered for a regular continuing character role in the television series "The Adventures of Superman" (1952-1958) after the success of her role as 'Superman's Wife' episode in the final season, filmed in the fall of 1957, but the series was canceled upon the death of actor George Reeves, who played the title role. However, it is one of her last roles, that most modern viewers remember her: she played the wife of Lester Flatt in "The Beverly Hillbillies" (1962-1969), in which she would appear periodically on from 1965-1968. She was married three times, the first two ending in divorce. Her third husband, Stan Todd, married her in 1960, and was with her until her death. She died of breast cancer in 1972.
Actress. She is most remembered for her role of Shirley Swanson in the television series, "Love that Bob" (1955 to 1959). Born Joy Rae Brown in Salt Lake City, Utah, her father was a shoe salesman, Jack Glenn Brown, and her mother a housewife, Virginia Grace Shupe Brown. Several biographies incorrectly list her birth name as Wassmansdorff, after her mother's second husband. She was selected in her teens as a model due to her good looks and figure, and offered beginning movie roles in Hollywood. Her first true film role occurred in 1948, as a model in the movie "The Counterfeiters," although she had been in five earlier films without credit. She appeared in a total of 40 movies and a number of cameo television appearances. Most of the movies were B-movies and forgettables, although she did appear in "Singin' in the Rain" (1952) and "The Merry Widow" (1952), both roles uncredited. Due to her role in "Love that Bob," she began to receive more substantial parts in such films as "The Brave One" (1957) and "Hot Cars" (1956); but her career nose-dived in 1958 and she could only get B-films after that. She was considered for a regular continuing character role in the television series "The Adventures of Superman" (1952-1958) after the success of her role as 'Superman's Wife' episode in the final season, filmed in the fall of 1957, but the series was canceled upon the death of actor George Reeves, who played the title role. However, it is one of her last roles, that most modern viewers remember her: she played the wife of Lester Flatt in "The Beverly Hillbillies" (1962-1969), in which she would appear periodically on from 1965-1968. She was married three times, the first two ending in divorce. Her third husband, Stan Todd, married her in 1960, and was with her until her death. She died of breast cancer in 1972.
Bio by: Kit and Morgan Benson
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