biography
Born in Yakima, Washington, on November 10, 1932, pretty Colleen Miller was discovered for films in 1951, when a photograph featuring her posing with a
fish appeared in a magazine. Her first film appearance came in RKO's Jane Russell vehicle The Las Vegas Story (1952;
with Vincent Price). The following year, Miller signed a contract with Universal-International to do a string of films. Her
first for Universal was a supporting role in Playgirl (1954; with Shelley Winters), and later that year Miller starred
in Four Guns to the Border (1954; with Rory Calhoun). She followed these films up with a starring role in Universal-International's
adventure The Purple Mask (1955; with Tony Curtis and Angela Lansbury). 
Universal-International promotional photos of Colleen MillerIn 1955, Miller married entrepreneur Ted Briskin, whose ex-wife was the 1940s star Betty Hutton. She continued her film career in the noir thriller The Night Runner (1957; with Ray Danton and Merry Anders), the noir thriller Hot Summer Night (1957; with Leslie Nielsen and James Best), and the actioner Man in the Shadow (1957; with Jeff Chandler). While Miller's film career was going well, she retired from the screen after the release of Step Down to Terror (1958; with Charles Drake) to play the role of wife and mother. Five years later, she briefly came out of retirement for her final credited film role in the Allied Artists western Gunfight at Comanche Creek (1963; with Audie Murphy and Ben Cooper). |
the films of colleen millerThe Las Vegas Story (1952)
RKO promotional photo from The Las Vegas StoryFour Guns to the Border (1954)  
LEFT and CENTER: Sultry shots of Colleen Miller from the Universal western Four Guns to the Border, a film directed by Richard Carlson. RIGHT: With Rory CalhounPlaygirl (1954)    
LEFT: With Shelley Winters in the noirish Universal drama Playgirl. CENTER: Miller as Phyllis Matthews. RIGHT: With Barry SullivanThe Purple Mask (1955)
With Tony Curtis in Universal's costume adventure The Purple MaskThe Rawhide Years (1955)   
From the Universal-International western The Rawhide Years. LEFT: With Tony Curtis. CENTER A and CENTER B: Promotional photos. RIGHT: With Arthur KennedyHot Summer Night (1957) 
From MGM's noir thriller Hot Summer Night. LEFT: With onscreen husband Leslie Nielsen. RIGHT: With Leslie Nielsen and James BestThe Night Runner (1957)Step Down to Terror (1958)colleen miller todaySince 1963, Colleen Miller has only made a few brief returns to acting, including a small part in the comedy Stand Up and Be Counted (1972; with Jacqueline Bisset and Stella Stevens). Her marriage to Ted Briskin ended in 1975, and in 1976, she married the son of the Ralph's supermarkets founder. Now 91 years old, Miller lives on a ranch in northern California and is a grandmother of seven. |
filmographyFILM
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