Mary Frann

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Mary Frann

Actress Mary Frann
Born Mary Frances Luecke
February 27, 1943 (1943-02-27)
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Died September 23, 1998 (aged 55)
Beverly Hills, California, U.S.
Other name(s) Jennifer Douglas
Mary Fran
Spouse(s) Thomas J. Escott (1977-divorced)

Mary Frann (February 27, 1943 – September 23, 1998) was an American actress best known for her role as Bob Newhart's wife, Joanna Loudon, on the television series Newhart.

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[edit] Biography

Born Mary Frances Luecke in St. Louis, Missouri, Frann was a child model and appeared in commercials for a local television station while she was in high school. At the age of 18, she was voted Missouri's "Junior Miss". She went on to win the 1961 national title of America's Junior Miss and earned a college scholarship. Frann studied drama at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, where she joined Delta Gamma sorority and worked as weather reporter for the NBC station in St. Louis.[citation needed]

In 1964, Frann made her television debut in an episode of the Kraft Suspense Theatre. That same year, she appeared in the television movie Nightmare in Chicago with Carroll O'Connor. In 1966, Frann made her film debut in Nashville Rebel with Waylon Jennings and Loretta Lynn. The movie was a commercial failure. Frann would go on to appear in only one more film, 1976's Woman in the Rain, concentrating on television guest spots and roles in television movies.[citation needed]

In 1974, Frann landed the role of Amanda Howard on the soap opera Days of Our Lives. She would remain on the show until 1979. While on Days of Our Lives, Frann also made guest appearances on TV series such as Quincy, M.E., The Rockford Files, Fantasy Island, and WKRP in Cincinnati. In 1982, Frann starred in the short lived series King's Crossing with Linda Hamilton. Later that year, she landed her most memorable role as Joanna Loudon, the wife of Vermont inn owner Dick Loudon (Bob Newhart), in the popular sitcom Newhart. The series ran from 1982 to 1990, and was nominated for 25 Emmys and five Golden Globes. During the run of Newhart, Frann continued acting in various projects. In 1985, she co-starred in the TV movie Gidget's Summer Reunion, and in 1988, she appeared in Dance 'Til Dawn with Alyssa Milano, Christina Applegate, and Kelsey Grammer.[citation needed]

In the years after Newhart, she co-hosted the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants of 1986 and 1987. Frann's last acting role came in the series Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction. Due to the sporadic airing of the series, the episode she was in, "The Curse of Hampton Manor", aired two years after her death.[1]

[edit] Personal life

In 1973, Frann married Thomas J. Escott, but the marriage ended in divorce. At the time of her death, she reportedly was involved with John E. Cookman, Jr.[citation needed]

Outside of her career, Frann was active as a volunteer fund raiser and was involved with charitable works. She was a member of the Celebrity Action Council, a volunteer group of celebrity women who serve the women’s outreach of the Los Angeles Mission, for seven years. The night before her unexpected death, she had attended a meeting at the Mission where she championed the cause for women in need.[2]

[edit] Death

On September 23, 1998, Frann died in her sleep at her home in Beverly Hills, California. She was discovered by her companion, John E. Cookman, Jr.[3]An autopsy later determined that Frann was suffering from an existing but undiagnosed condition called lipomatosis with fibrosis, a scarring of the heart muscle tissue.[4]

Mary Frann is interred in the Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.[5]

[edit] Filmography

  • Nightmare in Chicago (1964)
  • Nashville Rebel (1966)
  • Woman in the Rain (1976)

[edit] Television

[edit] References

  1. ^ IMDb, Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction:"The Curse of Hampton Manor" airdate
  2. ^ Remembering Mary Frann
  3. ^ Errico, Marcus. ""Newhart" Wife Mary Frann Dies", E! Online, 1998-09-24. Retrieved on 2008-01-13. 
  4. ^ Bobnewhart.com: The Official Site
  5. ^ Mary Frann at Find a Grave

[edit] External links


Persondata
NAME Frann, Mary
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Luecke, Mary Frances; Frann, Mary; Douglas, Jennifer
SHORT DESCRIPTION Actress
DATE OF BIRTH February 27, 1943
PLACE OF BIRTH St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
DATE OF DEATH September 23, 1998
PLACE OF DEATH Beverly Hills, California, U.S.
Languages