
Betty Furness
Acting
1916-01-03 · New York City, New York, USA
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.
Filmography(55)
movieWestinghouse Total Electric Home
as Narrator · 1959 · 0.0
tvWestinghouse Desilu Playhouse
as Self - Commercial Spokeswoman · 1958 · 6.3
movieThe Defender (Studio One)
as Self / Commercial Spokeswoman · 1957 · 7.5
tvClimax!
as Beth Jaynes · 1954 · 3.8
tvClimax!
as Ann Kilgore · 1954 · 3.8
movieTwelve Angry Men
as Herself / Commercial Spokeswoman · 1954 · 7.9
movieThe Play of the Nativity of the Child Jesus
as Self · 1952 · 4.0
movieThe Kill
as Self - Commercial Spokeswoman · 1952 · 8.0
movieEllis in Freedomland
as Spokeswoman for Westinghouse · 1952 · 0.0
moviePontius Pilate
as · 1952 · 0.0
movieA Bolt of Lightning
as Self - Commercial Spokeswoman · 1951 · 7.0
movieStudio One: Wuthering Heights
as Announcer · 1950 · 9.0
tvThe Colgate Comedy Hour
as Maggie Watson · 1950 · 6.9
tvYour Show of Shows
as Herself · 1950 · 7.3
tvWhat's My Line?
as Self · 1950 · 7.0
movieThe Rockingham Tea Set
as Self - Commercial Spokeswoman · 1950 · 10.0
tvStudio One
as Coral, Princess Livitski · 1948 · 5.4
tvStudio One
as Self - Commercial Spokeswoman · 1948 · 5.4
tvThe Philco Television Playhouse
as · 1948 · 6.6
movieNorth of Shanghai
as Helen Warner · 1939 · 8.0
movieIt Can't Last Forever
as Carol Wilson · 1937 · 6.5
movieThe Good Old Soak
as Lucy Hawley · 1937 · 9.0
movieFair Warning
as Kate Farnham · 1937 · 7.3
movieMama Steps Out
as Leila Cuppy · 1937 · 7.3