Coleen Gray
As a product of the post-World War II Hollywood assembly line, actress Coleen Gray fared better than many other pretty young things lured to the studios with the promise of a long-term contract. A plum role as Victor Mature's girlfriend in "Kiss of Death" (1947) gave the dark-haired Nebraskan just the right career boost, setting her up for memorable turns as Tyrone Power's comely accomplice in "Nightmare Alley" (1947) and as John Wayne's prairie sweetheart in "Red River" (1948). Equally adept at etching characters of virtue and vice, Gray segued seamlessly from playing a shady nurse in "The Sleeping City" (1950) to the heroine of "Kansas City Confidential" (1951), which paired her onscreen and off with leading man John Payne. Following a failed early marriage, Gray's assignments were largely routine until Stanley Kubrick lifted her out of B-movie mediocrity when he cast her as Sterling Hayden's gun moll in the heist drama "The Killing" (1956). In middle age, the actress endeared herself to a new generation of cult film fans by playing a potential victim of "The Vampire" (1957) and an amoral cosmetics company CEO who discovers the secret to immortality in "The Leech Woman" (1960). A familiar face on television, Gray quit show business for faith-based charity work alongside born-again Watergate convict Chuck Colson, but she reemerged late in celebration of her contributions to American cinema and to honor the memory of her departed co-stars and leading men. Her death on August 3, 2015 at the age of 92 was mourned by generations of film noir fans.
Photos
Coleen Gray
Filmography
Movies
Credit | |||||
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No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Cry From the Mountain | Marian Rissman (Character) | - | 1985 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Mother | Angela Harding (Character) | - | 1978 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Ellery Queen: Don't Look Behind You | Mrs. Cazalis (Character) | - | 1971 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Blind Man's Bluff | Sylvia Trager (Character) | - | 1970 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Town Tamer | Carol Rosser (Character) | - | 1965 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Phantom Planet | Liara (Character) | - | 1961 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Leech Woman | June Talbot (Character) | - | 1960 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Johnny Rocco | Lois Mayfield (Character) | - | 1958 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Hell's Five Hours | Nancy Brand (Character) | - | 1958 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Vampire | Carol Butler (Character) | - | 1957 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Destination: 60,000 | Mary Ellen (Character) | - | 1957 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Mark of the Vampire | Carol Butler (Character) | - | 1957 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Copper Sky | Nora Hayes (Character) | - | 1957 |
No Score Yet |
|
Star in the Dust | Nellie Mason (Character) | - | 1956 |
96% |
|
The Killing | Fay (Character) | - | 1956 |
No Score Yet |
|
Death of a Scoundrel | Mrs. Edith Van Renasslear (Character) | - | 1956 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Frontier Gambler | Sylvia "The Princess" Melbourne (Character) | - | 1956 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Black Whip | Jeannie (Character) | - | 1956 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Wild Dakotas | Sue "Lucky" Duneen (Character) | - | 1956 |
No Score Yet |
|
Tennessee's Partner | Goldie Slater (Character) | - | 1955 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Twinkle in God's Eye | Laura (Character) | - | 1955 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Las Vegas Shakedown | Julie Rae (Character) | - | 1955 |
No Score Yet |
|
Arrow in the Dust | Christella Burke (Character) | - | 1954 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Fake | Mary Mason (Character) | - | 1953 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Vanquished | Jane Colfax (Character) | - | 1953 |
No Score Yet |
|
Sabre Jet | Mrs. Gil Manton (Character) | - | 1953 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Models, Inc. | Rusty Faraday (Character) | - | 1952 |
80% |
|
Kansas City Confidential | Helen Foster (Character) | - | 1952 |
No Score Yet |
|
Apache Drums | Sally (Character) | - | 1951 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Lucky Nick Cain | Kay Wonderly (Character) | - | 1951 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Father Is a Bachelor | Prudence Millett (Character) | - | 1950 |
No Score Yet |
|
Riding High | Alice Higgins (Character) | - | 1950 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Sleeping City | Ann Sebastian (Character) | - | 1950 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Sand | Joan Hartley (Character) | - | 1949 |
100% |
|
Red River | Fen (Character) | - | 1948 |
No Score Yet |
|
Fury at Furnace Creek | Molly Baxter (Character) | - | 1948 |
89% |
|
Kiss of Death | Nettie (Character) | - | 1947 |
88% |
|
Nightmare Alley | Molly (Character) | - | 1947 |
No Score Yet |
|
Three Little Girls in Blue | Minor Role (uncredited) (Character) | - | 1946 |
TV
Credit | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
87% | 98% | Mystery Science Theater 3000 | Unknown (Character) | 1998 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | McCloud | Muriel Clifford (Guest Star) | 1974-1975 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Sixth Sense | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1972 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Mannix | Liz Holt (Guest Star) | 1971 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Family Affair | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1968 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Bonanza | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1968 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | My Three Sons | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1965 1967 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Perry Mason | Martha Erskine (Guest Star) | 1960 1962 1964 1966 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Branded | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1965 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Dakotas | Jenny Wyman (Guest Star) | 1963 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | 77 Sunset Strip | Justine Mellon (Guest Star) | 1961-1962 |
No Score Yet | 87% | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Mrs. Lois Callen (Character) | 1962 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Rawhide | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1962 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Bus Stop | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1961 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Have Gun -- Will Travel | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1961 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Tall Man | Edna Henry (Guest Star) | 1961 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Lawman | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1961 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Deputy | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1960 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Tales of Wells Fargo | Sandra Morton (Guest Star) | 1960 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Climax! | Unknown (Character) | 1956 |