Shelley Fabares
Michele Ann Marie "Shelley" Fabares (/fæˈbreɪ/; born January 19, 1944) is a retired American actress and singer. She is best known for her television roles as Mary Stone on the sitcom The Donna Reed Show (1958–1963) and as Christine Armstrong on the sitcom Coach (1989–1997), the latter of which earned her two Primetime Emmy Awards nominations. Her film roles include playing the leading lady to Elvis Presley in Girl Happy, Spinout, and Clambake. As the niece of singer/comedienne Nanette Fabray, she was indoctrinated early into the show biz life. Tap dancing from age three, she also modeled during her elementary school years and began appearing on such TV shows as Captain Midnight (1954) and Annie Oakley (1954) (the latter a recurring role). At age 12, she made her professional film debut in the Rock Hudson/Cornell Borchers tearjerker Never Say Goodbye (1956) as Hudson's daughter, and went on to play kid sister roles in the rock 'n' roll-themed Rock, Pretty Baby! (1956) and its sequel Summer Love (1957) both starring John Saxon. Teen-idol status came with her coming-of-age role as the ever-wholesome daughter "Mary Stone" on The Donna Reed Show (1958), a part she played for five seasons before embarking on a more grown-up film career. The character of "Mary Stone" was gently phased out of the show as her character "left for college". During its' run, she and TV "brother" Paul Petersen grew so popular that they sprinted to adjoining pop singing celebrity, although both admitted that their vocal talents were limited. In 1962, her recording of "Johnny Angel" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. She left The Donna Reed Show in 1963 (she would return periodically until its end in 1966) to pursue other acting opportunities. This was followed by a second album, The Things We Did Last Summer, which included two hit songs "Johnny Loves Me" (no. 21) and "The Things We Did Last Summer" (no. 46). She released a third album, Teenage Triangle in 1963. She landed top femme parts in such fun-and-frolic fare as Ride the Wild Surf (1964), Hold On! (1966) in which she played the love interest of Peter Noone (of Herman's Hermits) and sings Make Me Happy, as well as three of Elvis Presley's less-acclaimed films of the later 1960s: Girl Happy (1965), Spinout (1966) and Clambake (1967). She then played the love interest of a young Hank Williams Jr. in A Time to Sing (1968). She had support roles in television films like Brian's Song (1971) (playing Brian Piccolo's wife with James Caan as Brian), and Two for the Money (1972). Her performance in Brian's Song earned her a Golden Globe nomination. For her work, she was nominated twice for a Primetime Emmy Award and, in 1994, she was honored by the Young Artist Foundation with its Former Child Star "Lifetime Achievement" Award for her role as Mary Stone on The Donna Reed Show. From 2004 to 2011 she produced the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Known For
Credits
- 2006 · Superman: Brainiac Attacks as Martha Kent (voice)
- 2001 · Justice League as Martha Kent (voice)
- 1998 · Playing to Win: A Moment of Truth Movie as Nancy Erickson
- 1997 · A Nightmare Come True as Lily Zarn
- 1996 · Superman: The Last Son of Krypton as Martha Kent (voice)
- 1996 · Superman: The Animated Series as
- 1996 · Superman: The Animated Series as Martha Kent (voice)
- 1995 · A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes: The Annette Funicello Story as Self (uncredited)
- 1995 · The Great Mom Swap as Millie Ridgeway
- 1995 · Your Studio and You as Shelley Fabares
- 1995 · A Whole New Ballgame as Christine Armstrong
- 1993 · Deadly Relations as Shirley Fagot
- 1990 · Love or Money as Lu Ann Reed
- 1989 · Coach as Christine Armstrong
- 1988 · Run Till You Fall as Kathy Reuben
- 1987 · Hot Pursuit as Buffy Cronenberg
- 1985 · Suburban Beat as Mimi
- 1985 · The Canterville Ghost as Lucy
- 1984 · Murder, She Wrote as Liza Caspar
- 1983 · Memorial Day as Ellie Walker
- 1982 · Newhart as
- 1982 · Matt Houston as
- 1980 · Gridlock as Louise Gregory
- 1979 · Friendships, Secrets and Lies as Mary Alice
- 1979 · Highcliffe Manor as Helen Straight Blacke
- 1979 · Hello, Larry as Marion Alder
- 1979 · Donovan's Kid as Grace Donovan
- 1979 · Pleasure Cove as Helen Perlmutter
- 1978 · Vega$ as
- 1978 · Mork & Mindy as
- 1978 · Mork & Mindy as Cathy McConnell
- 1977 · The Incredible Hulk as Holly Cooper
- 1977 · Forever Fernwood as
- 1977 · The Love Boat as Cathy
- 1977 · The Love Boat as Mary Frances Bellflower
- 1977 · Lucan as
- 1976 · Spencer's Pilots as
- 1976 · The Practice as Jenny Bedford
- 1975 · One Day at a Time as Francine Webster
- 1975 · Matt Helm as Chris / Tina
- 1975 · Sky Heist as Lisa
- 1974 · The Rockford Files as Jolene Hyland
- 1973 · Police Story as
- 1972 · The Brian Keith Show as Dr. Anne Jamison
- 1972 · The Rookies as
- 1972 · Two for the Money as Bethany Hagan
- 1971 · Brian's Song as Joy Piccolo
- 1970 · McCloud as
- 1969 · Love, American Style as Julie
- 1969 · Love, American Style as Sheila
- 1969 · Medical Center as
- 1969 · Marcus Welby, M.D. as Norma Fritchie
- 1969 · Operation Heartbeat as 'Mike' Carter
- 1968 · Lancer as
- 1968 · The Ghost & Mrs. Muir as
- 1968 · A Time to Sing as Amy Carter
- 1967 · Clambake as Dianne Carter
- 1967 · Mannix as
- 1967 · Ironside as
- 1966 · Spinout as Cynthia Foxhugh
- 1966 · Hold On! as Louisa Page
- 1965 · Girl Happy as Valerie
- 1964 · Daniel Boone as Charity Brown
- 1964 · Shindig! as Self - Singer
- 1964 · Ride the Wild Surf as Brie Matthews
- 1963 · Mr. Novak as Dani Cooper
- 1963 · Arrest and Trial as
- 1963 · Arrest and Trial as Donna Blaney
- 1959 · The Twilight Zone as Ellen Tillman
- 1958 · The Donna Reed Show as
- 1958 · The Donna Reed Show as Mary Stone
- 1958 · Marjorie Morningstar as Seth's Friend (uncredited)
- 1958 · Summer Love as Twinkie Daley
- 1957 · Jeanne Eagels as Teenage Girl (uncredited)
- 1957 · Annette as Moselle Corey
- 1956 · Rock, Pretty Baby as Teresa "Twinky" Daley
- 1956 · The Bad Seed as Margie (uncredited)
- 1956 · Never Say Goodbye as Suzy Parker
- 1955 · Matinee Theater as
- 1955 · Our Town as Rebecca Gibbs
- 1955 · The Girl Rush as Young Kim
- 1954 · The Wonderful World of Disney as Grace Donovan
- 1953 · Letter to Loretta as Marie Schumann
- 1950 · The Bob Hope Show as Self