Barbara Colby

Barbara Colby (July 2, 1939 – July 24, 1975) was an American actress.

Early career

Born in New York City on July 2, 1939, she started her acting career in the theater. Following a solid performance in Six Characters in Search of an Author in 1964, she moved to Broadway with a debut in The Devils the following year. Throughout the rest of the decade, she appeared in such plays as Under Milk Wood, Murder in the Cathedral, Dear Liar, and A Doll's House, and garnered fine reviews for her Portia in Julius Caesar in 1966.

Career

Colby's first important television role was in an episode of the television series Columbo, titled "Murder by the Book" in 1971. Colby began a bi-coastal career and played a host of support/guest roles on such established shows as The Odd Couple, McMillan & Wife, The F.B.I., Medical Center, Kung Fu and Gunsmoke.

Colby appeared in 1970s plays such as Aubrey Beardsley the Neophyte, House of Blue Leaves, Afternoon Tea and The Hot l Baltimore. She returned to the classics with an off-Broadway role as Elizabeth in Richard III, and was back on Broadway with the plays Murderous Angels in 1971 and a revival of A Doll's House in the early part of 1975.

In 1974, she appeared in two films, California Split and Memory of Us. Early in 1975, she co-starred in Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins.

It was in a MTM Productions role as a streetwise prostitute opposite Mary Tyler Moore in an episode of the The Mary Tyler Moore Show that led to an appearance in a subsequent episode.

In 1975, MTM cast her as the new regular player on the Mary Tyler Moore Show spin-off, Phyllis, starring actress Cloris Leachman. Colby, who appeared earlier with Leachman in the TV movie A Brand New Life in 1973, was cast as Leachman's boss, Julie Erskine, the owner of a commercial photography studio.

Death

On July 24, 1975, just three episodes into the TV series Phyllis, Colby and an acting colleague, James Kiernan, 35, were walking to their car following an acting class in Venice, Los Angeles, California, when they were shot inside a parking area. Colby was killed instantly; however, Kiernan was able to describe the shooters to police before he also succumbed to his wounds. Kiernan said that he did not recognize the two men who shot them, and that the shooting had occurred without warning, reason or provocation. Police noted that there was no attempt to rob the pair and concluded that it was a random drive-by shooting. The killers were never identified.^[1]

Liz Torres took over the role of Julie Erskine on Phyllis. Colby's final appearance was in the TV movie The Ashes of Mrs. Reasoner, which aired in 1976.

At the time of her death, Colby was separated from her husband, Bob Levitt, son of Ethel Merman.

Filmography

Notes

External links

• "Actor, Actress Slain By California Gunmen", Charleston (SC) News and Courier, July 26, 1975, p4-A
• Barbara Colby at the Internet Movie Database
• Barbara Colby at the Internet Broadway Database
• Barbara Colby at Find a Grave