biography

Dana Andrews Born in Mississippi on January 1, 1909, actor Dana Andrews grew up in Texas in a large family headed by his minister father. He attended college in Texas but soon began drifting from job to job. Handsome enough to be a matinee idol, Andrews made his way to California during the early depths of the Depression to try acting. Taking on a series of odd jobs to support himself, Andrews also studied acting in his free time. He married a fellow hopeful actor, Janet Murray, in 1932 but their marriage ended tragically when Murray died just months after their son was born. Andrews continued trodding the boards in stage productions until he was put under contract by Samuel Goldwyn, who eventually sold half of Andrews' contract to 20th Century-Fox. Shortly after being signed to a contract, he remarried in 1939.

Andrews acted in first film, William Wyler's The Westerner (1940; with Gary Cooper and Walter Brennan), in a supporting role. However, Lucky Cisco Kid (1940; with Cesar Romero and Mary Beth Hughes) was his first released film, and Andrews has a sizeable role in this B production. Due to his looks and excellent performances, Andrews moved out of B pictures quickly and was soon acting in such prestigious films as The Ox-Bow Incident (1943; with Henry Fonda and Mary Beth Hughes), Laura (1944; with Gene Tierney and Vincent Price), and State Fair (1945; with Jeanne Crain). However, probably his best film is the drama The Best Years of Our Lives (1946; with Myrna Loy and Fredric March). In addition, he helped his brother, actor Steve Forrest, get his acting career off the ground; the brothers appeared together in Crash Dive (1943; with Tyrone Power) and Sealed Cargo (1951; with Claude Rains), although Forrest appears uncredited in both films.

Dana Andrews Most often cast in westerns, film noir, and dramas, Andrews' career began to slide in the 1950s, due in part to his struggle with alcoholism. In the late 1950s and into the 1960s, Andrews began an association with horror and science fiction films, including the notable releases Curse of the Demon (1957; with Peggy Cummins), The Satan Bug (1965; with George Maharis and Anne Francis), Crack in the World (1965; with Kieron Moore and Janette Scott), and The Frozen Dead (1966; with Karel Stepanek). He also began doing quite a lot of television during this part of his career, often appearing in anthology series such as Playhouse 90 and The Dick Powell Show. In addition, he continued his long association with the Screen Actors Guild serving in many capacities, including a stint as president, from the late 1940s through the late 1960s.

the films of dana andrews

Kit Carson (1940)

Dana Andrews, Lynn Bari, and Jon Hall

From the United Artists western Kit Carson, one of Andrews' first films, with Lynn Bari and Jon Hall

Berlin Correspondent (1942)

Sig Ruman and Dana Andrews

With Sig Ruman in the 20th Century-Fox wartime drama Berlin Correspondent

Laura (1944)

Vincent Price

From the excellent noir thriller Laura with Clifton Webb, Vincent Price, and Judith Anderson

Fallen Angel (1945)

Dana Andrews and Jimmy ConlinLinda Darnell and Dana Andrews

LEFT: With Jimmy Conlin in Otto Preminger's terrific film noir thriller Fallen Angel, released by 20th Century-Fox. RIGHT: With co-star Linda Darnell

Canyon Passage (1946)

Brian Donlevy, Susan Hayward, Patricia Roc, and Dana Andrews

With Brian Donlevy, Susan Hayward, and Patricia Roc in Universal's western release Canyon Passage

Boomerang (1947)

Dana Andrews

Andrews portrays prosecutor Henry Harvey who is out to prove a man's innocence in 20th Century-Fox's excellent film noir vehicle Boomerang

Daisy Kenyon (1947)

Dana Andrews and Joan Crawford

Andrews has an affair with Joan Crawford in the 20th Century-Fox potboiler Daisy Kenyon

The Iron Curtain (1948)

Gene Tierney and Dana Andrews

From the 20th Century-Fox spy thriller The Iron Curtain with frequent co-star Gene Tierney

Duel in the Jungle (1954)

Jeanne Crain and Dana Andrews

With frequent co-star Jeanne Crain in the Warner Bros. adventure Duel in the Jungle

Comanche (1956)

Linda Cristal and Dana Andrews

With Linda Cristal in the independent western Comanche

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (1956)

Barbara Nichols and Dana Andrews

Andrews keeps an eye on dancer Barbara Nichols in the RKO film noir thriller Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

While the City Sleeps (1956)

George Sanders, Sally Forrest, and Dana AndrewsDana Andrews, Sally Forrest, and Thomas Mitchell

LEFT: From the RKO film noir release While the City Sleeps with George Sanders and Sally Forrest. RIGHT: With Sally Forrest and Thomas Mitchell

Zero Hour! (1957)

Linda Darnell, Geoffrey Toone, and Dana AndrewsLinda Darnell, Peggy King, and Dana Andrews

From the Paramount nailbiter Zero Hour!, the film that was the inspiration for Airplane! (1980). LEFT: With Linda Darnell and Geoffrey Toone. RIGHT: With Linda Darnell and Peggy King

Enchanted Island (1958)

Dana Andrews

From the adventure flick Enchanted Island, released by Warner Bros.

Madison Avenue (1962)

Dana Andrews and Eddie Albert

From the romantic drama Madison Avenue with Eddie Albert

Crack in the World (1965)

Kieron Moore, Dana Andrews, and Janette Scott

From the entertaining science fiction effort Crack in the World, one of several science fiction flicks in which Andrews starred in the 1960s. Here, Andrews creates a love triangle with Kieron Moore and Janette Scott

The Satan Bug (1965)

Dana Andrews and Anne Francis

From the United Artists science fiction thriller The Satan Bug with Anne Francis

The Frozen Dead (1966)

Dana AndrewsDana Andrews and Karel Stepanek

Images from the campy horror flick The Frozen Dead. LEFT: Andrews as mad scientist Dr. Norberg. RIGHT: 'Disarming' climactic scene with Karel Stepanek

Hot Rods to Hell (1967)

Dana Andrews

Andrews as the terrorized Tom Phillips in MGM's drama Hot Rods to Hell. This film marks Andrews' last screen pairing with Jeanne Crain

The Cobra (1968)

Peter Martel and Dana Andrews

With Peter Martel in the low-budget Spanish crime drama The Cobra

later years

By the early 1970s, Andrews had won his battle with alcohol dependence and began doing public service announcements for The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, whose mission is to help counteract the stigma of alcoholism and other drug addictions and improve public awareness. Although less active than during his heydey in the 1940s and 1950s, Andrews continued acting in such films as Innocent Bystanders (1972; with Donald Pleasance) and Take a Hard Ride (1975; with Lee Van Cleef), in addition to more television work. By the mid 1980s, Andrews decided to retire from the screen. Sadly, in his last years, Andrews battled from Alzheimer's disease and passed away on December 17, 1992, at the age of 83. He was survived by his wife, two daughters, and a son.

filmography

FILM
Prince Jack (1985) with Jim Backus, Theodore Bikel, Robert Guillaume, Robert Hogan, Kenneth Mars, Cameron Mitchell, Lloyd Nolan, and William Windom
The Pilot (1981) with Cliff Robertson, Diane Baker, and Gordon MacRae
Born Again (1978) with Dean Jones, Anne Francis, Robert Clarke, Jay Robinson, Raymond St. Jacques, and George Brent
Good Guys Wear Black (1978) with Chuck Norris, Anne Archer, James Franciscus, and Jim Backus
Ike: The War Years (1978) with Robert Duvall, Paul Gleason, Laurence Luckinbill, Darren McGavin, and Lee Remick
The Last Hurrah (1977) with Carroll O'Connor, John Anderson, Jack Carter, Arthur Franz, Mariette Hartley, Burgess Meredith, and Patrick O'Neal
The Last Tycoon (1976) with Robert De Niro, Tony Curtis, Robert Mitchum, Jeanne Moreau, Jack Nicholson, Donald Pleasence, Ray Milland, Peter Strauss, Theresa Russell, John Carradine, and Jeff Corey
Take a Hard Ride (1975) with Lee Van Cleef, Jim Brown, Fred Williamson, Jim Kelly, Barry Sullivan, Harry Carey Jr., and Robert Donner
The First 36 Hours of Dr. Durant (1975) with Scott Hylands, Lawrence Pressman, Katherine Helmond, Michael Conrad, Peter Donat, David Doyle, Dennis Patrick, and Joyce Jameson
A Shadow in the Streets (1975) with Tony Lo Bianco and Sheree North
Airport 1975 (1974) with Charlton Heston, Karen Black, George Kennedy, Gloria Swanson, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Susan Clark, Beverly Garland, John Lupton, Helen Reddy, Linda Blair, and Roy Thinnes
Innocent Bystanders (1972) with Stanley Baker, Geraldine Chaplin, and Donald Pleasence
The Failing of Raymond (1971) with Jane Wyman, Dean Stockwell, Murray Hamilton, Tim O'Connor, Paul Henreid, Priscilla Pointer, and Katey Sagal
The Devil's Brigade (1968) with William Holden, Cliff Robertson, Vince Edwards, Jeremy Slate, Claude Akins, Michael Rennie, Alix Talton, and James Craig
No Diamonds for Ursula (1968)
The Cobra (1967) with Anita Ekberg
Hot Rods to Hell (1967) with Jeanne Crain, Mimsy Farmer, and Hortense Petra
Johnny Reno (1966) with Jane Russell, Lon Chaney Jr., John Agar, Lyle Bettger, and Richard Arlen
The Ten Million Dollar Grab (1966) with Brad Harris
The Frozen Dead (1966) with Karel Stepanek
Battle of the Bulge (1965) with Henry Fonda, Robert Shaw, Robert Ryan, George Montgomery, Ty Hardin, Pier Angeli, Charles Bronson, James MacArthur, and Telly Savalas
The Loved One (1965) with Robert Morse, Jonathan Winters, Milton Berle, James Coburn, John Gielgud, Tab Hunter, Liberace, Roddy McDowall, Robert Morley, Barbara Nichols, Lionel Stander, and Roxanne Arlen
Spy in Your Eye (1965) with Brett Halsey and Pier Angeli
Town Tamer (1965) with Terry Moore, Lon Chaney Jr., Bruce Cabot, Lyle Bettger, Richard Arlen, Philip Carey, Sonny Tufts, Coleen Gray, and Don 'Red' Barry
Crack in the World (1965) with Janette Scott and Kieron Moore
Brainstorm (1965) with Jeffrey Hunter, Anne Francis, Viveca Lindfors, Stacy Harris, Phillip Pine, and Strother Martin
In Harm's Way (1965) with John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, Patricia Neal, Tom Tryon, Paula Prentiss, Brandon De Wilde, Stanley Holloway, Burgess Meredith, Franchot Tone, Patrick O'Neal, and Carroll O'Connor
The Satan Bug (1965) with George Maharis, Richard Basehart, Anne Francis, Richard Bull, Frank Sutton, Edward Asner, and Simon Oakland
Madison Avenue (1962) with Eleanor Parker, Jeanne Crain, Eddie Albert, Kathleen Freeman, and David White
The Crowded Sky (1961) with Rhonda Fleming, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., John Kerr, Anne Francis, Keenan Wynn, Troy Donahue, and Patsy Kelly
Enchanted Island (1958) with Jane Powell and Ted de Corsia
The Fearmakers (1958) with Dick Foran, Veda Ann Borg, and Mel Torme
Zero Hour! (1957) with Linda Darnell, Sterling Hayden, Jerry Paris, John Ashley, and Willis Bouchey
Spring Reunion (1957) with Betty Hutton, Jean Hagen, Laura La Plante, James Gleason, Irene Ryan, and Ken Curtis
Curse of the Demon (1957) with Peggy Cummins
Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (1956) with Joan Fontaine, Sidney Blackmer, Arthur Franz, and Barbara Nichols
While the City Sleeps (1956) with Rhonda Fleming, George Sanders, Howard Duff, Thomas Mitchell, Vincent Price, Sally Forrest, John Drew Barrymore, James Craig, Ida Lupino, and Mae Marsh
Comanche (1956) with Kent Smith, Nestor Paiva, Stacy Harris, John Litel, and Mike Mazurki
Strange Lady in Town (1955) with Greer Garson, Cameron Mitchell, Adele Jergens, Russell Johnson, Gregory Walcott, and Nick Adams
Smoke Signal (1955) with Piper Laurie, Rex Reason, William Talman, Milburn Stone, and William Schallert
Three Hours to Kill (1954) with Donna Reed, Dianne Foster, Stephen Elliott, Carolyn Jones, and Whit Bissell
Duel in the Jungle (1954) with Jeanne Crain, David Farrar, and Wilfrid Hyde-White
Elephant Walk (1954) with Elizabeth Taylor and Peter Finch
Assignment: Paris (1952) with Marta Toren, George Sanders, Audrey Totter, Willis Bouchey, and Leon Askin
I Want You (1951) with Dorothy McGuire, Farley Granger, Peggy Dow, Mildred Dunnock, Ray Collins, Martin Milner, Jim Backus, and Walter Sande
The Frogmen (1951) with Richard Widmark, Gary Merrill, Jeffrey Hunter, Warren Stevens, Robert Wagner, Harvey Lembeck, and Robert Rockwell
Sealed Cargo (1951) with Claude Rains, Philip Dorn, and Skip Homeier
Edge of Doom (1950) with Farley Granger, Joan Evans, Robert Keith, Mala Powers, and Adele Jergens
Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950) with Gene Tierney, Gary Merrill, Bert Freed, Tom Tully, Karl Malden, Craig Stevens, Neville Brand, and Kathleen Hughes
My Foolish Heart (1949) with Susan Hayward, Kent Smith, Jessie Royce Landis, Robert Keith, Gigi Perreau, and Karin Booth
Sword in the Desert (1949) with Marta Toren, Stephen McNally, Jeff Chandler, Philip Friend, and Hayden Rorke
The Forbidden Street (1949) with Maureen O'Hara, Sybil Thorndike, and Wilfrid Hyde-White
No Minor Vices (1948) with Lilli Palmer, Louis Jourdan, Jane Wyatt, Ann Doran, and Beau Bridges
Deep Waters (1948) with Jean Peters, Cesar Romero, Dean Stockwell, Anne Revere, Ed Begley, Mae Marsh, and Will Geer
The Iron Curtain (1948) with Gene Tierney, Berry Kroeger, Peter Whitney, and June Havoc
Night Song (1948) with Merle Oberon, Ethel Barrymore, and Hoagy Carmichael
Daisy Kenyon (1947) with Joan Crawford, Henry Fonda, Ruth Warrick, and Peggy Ann Garner
Boomerang (1947) with Jane Wyatt, Lee J. Cobb, Cara Williams, Arthur Kennedy, Robert Keith, Ed Begley, and Karl Malden
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) with Myrna Loy, Fredric March, Teresa Wright, Virginia Mayo, Cathy O'Donnell, Hoagy Carmichael, Ray Collins, Minna Gombell, and Steve Cochran
Canyon Passage (1946) with Brian Donlevy, Susan Hayward, Patricia Roc, Ward Bond, Hoagy Carmichael, Lloyd Bridges, and Andy Devine
A Walk in the Sun (1945) with Richard Conte, John Ireland, Lloyd Bridges, Sterling Holloway, Huntz Hall, and Steve Brodie
Fallen Angel (1945) with Alice Faye, Linda Darnell, Charles Bickford, Anne Revere, Bruce Cabot, John Carradine, and Percy Kilbride
State Fair (1945) with Jeanne Crain, Dick Haymes, Vivian Blaine, Charles Winninger, Fay Bainter, Percy Kilbride, and Harry Morgan
Laura (1944) with Gene Tierney, Clifton Webb, Vincent Price, and Judith Anderson
Wing and a Prayer (1944) with Don Ameche, Charles Bickford, Cedric Hardwicke, Richard Jaeckel, Harry Morgan, Kevin O'Shea, Richard Crane, Glenn Langan, and Reed Hadley
The Purple Heart (1944) with Richard Conte, Farley Granger, Kevin O'Shea, and Don 'Red' Barry
Up in Arms (1944) with Danny Kaye, Dinah Shore, Constance Dowling, Louis Calhern, Elisha Cook Jr., Lyle Talbot, George Meeker, and Margaret Dumont
The North Star (1943) with Anne Baxter, Walter Huston, Walter Brennan, Ann Harding, Jane Withers, Farley Granger, Erich von Stroheim, and Dean Jagger
December 7th: The Pearl Harbor Story (1943) with Walter Huston
The Ox-Bow Incident (1943) with Henry Fonda, Mary Beth Hughes, Anthony Quinn, Harry Morgan, and Jane Darwell
Crash Dive (1943) with Tyrone Power, Anne Baxter, and James Gleason
Berlin Correspondent (1942) with Virginia Gilmore and Sig Ruman
Ball of Fire (1941) with Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck, Oskar Homolka, and Dan Duryea
Swamp Water (1941) with Walter Brennan, Walter Huston, Anne Baxter, Virginia Gilmore, John Carradine, Mary Howard, Eugene Pallette, Ward Bond, and Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams
Belle Starr (1941) with Randolph Scott, Gene Tierney, Elizabeth Patterson, Chill Wills, and Louise Beavers
Tobacco Road (1941) with Charley Grapewin, Marjorie Rambeau, Gene Tierney, William Tracy, Elizabeth Patterson, Slim Summerville, and Ward Bond
The Westerner (1940) with Gary Cooper, Walter Brennan, Forrest Tucker, Chill Wills, and Tom Tyler
Kit Carson (1940) with Jon Hall, Lynn Bari, Ward Bond, Clayton Moore, and Raymond Hatton
Sailor's Lady (1940) with Nancy Kelly, Jon Hall, Joan Davis, Mary Nash, Buster Crabbe, and Charles D. Brown
Lucky Cisco Kid (1940) with Cesar Romero, Mary Beth Hughes, Chris-Pin Martin, and Johnny Sheffield

TELEVISION SERIES
Ike, 1979 ABC TV miniseries. Andrews portrayed Gen. George C. Marshall
Bright Promise, 1969-1972 NBC daytime TV series. Andrews portrayed Thomas Boswell during the 1969-1970 season. Also in the cast were Philip Carey, Anthony Eisley, and Coleen Gray

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Watch the trailer for Dana Andrews' 1944 mystery Laura

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Watch Dana Andrews' 1957 thriller Zero Hour!
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This page premiered March 27, 2006.
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