biographyLEFT: High school photo of Barbara Nichols from the mid 1940s. CENTER: Glamourous shots of Barbara Nichols. RIGHT: Mid 1970s photo of NicholsGetting good notices, Nichols was cast in a small role in her first film, The Wild Party (1956; with Carol Ohmart). Throughout the remainder of the 1950s, Nichols acted in a string of A and B pictures, such as Pal Joey (1957; with Frank Sinatra) and The Naked and the Dead (1958; with Aldo Ray). In 1958, she landed her only television series, the short-lived Love that Jill with Anne Jeffreys. She also starred in the pilot for The Untouchables with Robert Stack, which aired on Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse in 1958. |
the films of barbara nicholsThe King and Four Queens (1956)Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (1956)From the RKO film noir thriller Beyond a Reasonable Doubt,. LEFT: Nichols as dancer Dolly Moore. RIGHT: Dana Andrews keeps an eye on Barbara NicholsSweet Smell of Success (1957)The Naked and the Dead (1958)Who Was That Lady? (1960)Let it Ride (October 1961-December 1961 Broadway Play)An October 1961 copy of Playbill featuring Let it Ride. Nichols appears in the upper right-hand corner. Also starring in this musical comedy were George Gobel and Sam Levene. RCA released an album from the show.House of Women (1962)With Constance Ford and Shirley Knight in the campy Warner Bros. prison drama House of WomenThe Disorderly Orderly (1964)Dear Heart (1964)Batman (1966-1968 ABC TV Series)Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976)Nichols at the premiere of the star-studded comedy Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood in May 1976. This was her final film appearancelater yearsTwo separate car accidents, one in July 1957 and another in the 1960s, took a toll on Barbara Nichols' health. The 1957 wreck required the removal of her spleen, but she bounced back quickly given the severity of her injuries. The 1960s accident damaged her liver. Nichols' film career began to run out of steam by the mid 1960s; taking on roles in low-budget films, she acted in such films as House of Women (1962; with Constance Ford and Jeanne Cooper) and The Human Duplicators (1965; with George Nader and Hugh Beaumont). However, Nichols kept working, making occasional films and numerous television appearances through 1976 when, as a result of her previous car accidents, her failing liver ravaged her health. After spending two months in a coma, Nichols passed away on October 5, 1976, at the age of 47. She was survived by her father and mother.If you're an avid TV rerun watcher, you can catch Nichols in many episodes of Jack Webb-produced series, such as Dragnet, Adam 12, and Emergency!. In addition, Nichols did guest spots on The Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres, The Wild, Wild West, and Love, American Style, among other series. |
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This page premiered December 14, 1999.
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