biography

Julie Adams Actress Julie Adams was born Betty Adams in Waterloo, Iowa, on October 17, 1926. After spending her formative years in Arkansas, she moved to California and worked as a secretary while taking acting lessons and trying to break into films. Her hard work paid off when she was given her first part, a small role in Paramount's Red Hot and Blue (1949; with Betty Hutton and Victor Mature), which she followed up with a series of seven quickie westerns produced by Lippert and starring James Ellison and Russell Hayden. By 1951, Adams had landed a contract with Universal; whereas she had used her real name in her previous films, Universal changed her name to Julia Adams and then to Julie Adams. Universal wasted little time in motivating its publicity department to build up the beautiful actress. She married writer and producer Leonard Stern in 1951, but this union proved short-lived.

Julie AdamsJulie AdamsJulie AdamsJulie AdamsJulie Adams and Ray Danton

LEFT: Early 1950s cheesecake photos of Julie Adams. RIGHT: With second husband Ray Danton

Universal cast Adams largely in westerns early on, but the studio cast her in its 3-D feature Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954; with Richard Carlson) and Richard Denning), the film for which Adams is best known. The year following that film's release, Adams married fellow Universal contract player Ray Danton, with whom she starred in The Looters (1955; with Rory Calhoun and Ray Danton).

the films of julie adams

The Lawless Breed (1952)

Julie Adams and Rock HudsonJulie Adams and Rock HudsonJulie Adams and Rock Hudson

Scenes from Universal-International's The Lawless Breed with Rock Hudson

The Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

Julie Adams and Richard CarlsonJulie Adams and the Creature

LEFT: Julie Adams gets friendly with Richard Carlson in Creature from the Black Lagoon, one of Universal's best films from the 1950s. RIGHT: Adams with the Creature

The Private War of Major Benson (1955)

Julie AdamsJulie Adams and Charlton Heston

Scenes from the Universal-International comedy The Private War of Major Benson. The right photo includes Charlton Heston

The Looters (1955)

Julie Adams, Rory Calhoun, and Ray Danton

With Rory Calhoun and Ray Danton in Universal's The Looters

Four Girls in Town (1956)

Julie Adams and George NaderJulie Adams and George NaderJulie Adams and George Nader

Adams with George Nader in Four Girls in Town

Slaughter on Tenth Avenue (1957)

Richard Egan and Julie Adams

With Richard Egan in the film noir drama Slaughter on Tenth Avenue

The Underwater City (1962)

Julie AdamsJulie Adams and William Lundigan

LEFT: As Dr. Monica Powers in Columbia's science fiction thriller The Underwater City. RIGHT: Smooching with William Lundigan

The Jimmy Stewart Show (1971-1972 NBC TV Series)

Julie Adams, Dennis Larson, Ellen Geer, Jonathan Daly, Kirby Furlong, and James Stewart

Adams starred alongside James Stewart in his one-season NBC comedy The Jimmy Stewart Show. Also pictured are Dennis Larson, Ellen Geer, Jonathan Daly, and Kirby Furlong

McQ (1974)

Julie Adams and John Wayne

With John Wayne in the crime drama McQ

Psychic Killer (1975)

Julie Adams

Julie Adams starred in one of Ray Danton's directorial efforts, the effective, low-budget horror flick Psychic Killer

Code Red (1981-1982 ABC TV Series)

Andrew Stevens, Julie Adams, Sam J. Jones, and Lorne Green

From the ABC series Code Red with Andrew Stevens, Sam J. Jones, and Lorne Green

later years

By 1960, Adams slowed her output in order to raise her two sons with Ray Danton. In the 1960s, she made just a few films, such as the 1965 Elvis Presley vehicle Tickle Me. However, Adams made numerous guest appearances on popular television shows such as Perry Mason, The Virginian, and The Big Valley. In 1970, she accepted a lead role on the series The Bold Ones, but the show was canceled in 1971. Just a few months later, she took another role on a TV series, this time as Jimmy Stewart's wife on The Jimmy Stewart Show, but this series was canceled in 1971 after just one season. See the filmography below for more information.

Adams and second husband Ray Danton worked together a number of times in film and on television. In addition to being in the films The Looters (1955) and Tarawa Beachhead (1958), Adams and Ray Danton guest starred on a January 1972 episode of Rod Serling's Night Gallery entitled The Miracle at Camafeo, and Ray Danton directed his wife in the 1975 horror flick Psychic Killer, written by Greydon Clark. Married for more than 20 years, the couple divorced in 1981. Ray Danton passed away in 1992. Julie Adams was still in demand throughout the 1980s on television, and in 1987 accepted a recurring role on the CBS-TV series Murder, She Wrote. Adams had been in front of the camera on such series as Lost and CSI: NY and acted in the film World Trade Center (2006; with Nicolas Cage) before retiring. Sadly, she passed away on February 3, 2019, at the age of 92 and was survived by sons Steve and Mitchell, along with four grandchildren.

filmography

FILM
World Trade Center (2006) with Nicolas Cage
King B: A Life in the Movies (1993) with Connie Stevens, Steve Allen, Parley Baer, Vince Edwards, Beverly Garland, and Dwayne Hickman The Conviction of Kitty Dodds (1993) with Veronica Hamel and Kevin Dobson
Backtrack (1989) with Dennis Hopper, Jodie Foster, Vincent Price, and John Turturro
Black Roses (1988)
Champions (1984) with John Hurt
The Fifth Floor (1978) with Bo Hopkins, Robert Englund, John David Carson, and Mel Ferrer
Goodbye, Franklin High (1978) with Ann Dusenberry, Darby Hinton, and William Windom
Six Characters in Search of an Author (1976) with Reb Brown, Pat Ast, Andy Griffith, Patricia Hitchcock, and John Houseman
The Killer Inside Me (1976) with Stacy Keach, Don Stroud, Tisha Sterling, and John Carradine
Psychic Killer (1975) with Paul Burke, Jim Hutton, Nehemiah Persoff, Neville Brand, Rod Cameron, Whit Bissell, Della Reese, and Greydon Clark
The Wild McCullochs (1975) with Forrest Tucker, Max Baer Jr., Don Grady, and William Demarest
McQ (1974) with John Wayne, Clu Gulager, Eddie Albert, Diana Muldaur, and Colleen Dewhurst
Go Ask Alice (1973) with William Shatner, Ruth Roman, Andy Griffith, Robert Carradine, and Mackenzie Phillips
The Last Movie (1971) with Dennis Hopper and Toni Basil
The Trackers (1971) with Sammy Davis Jr., Ernest Borgnine, and Jim Davis
Valley of Mystery (1967) with Richard Egan, Peter Graves, Lisa Gaye, Lois Nettleton, Fernando Lamas, Karen Sharpe, and Lee Patterson
Tickle Me (1965) with Elvis Presley, Merry Anders, Allison Hayes, Bill Williams, and Francine York
Gold, Glory and Custer (1962) with Clint Walker
The Underwater City (1962) with William Lundigan
Raymie (1960) with David Ladd, John Agar, and Richard Arlen
The Gunfight at Dodge City (1959) with Joel McCrea
Tarawa Beachhead (1958) with Ray Danton, Kerwin Mathews, Karen Sharpe, and William Boyett
Slim Carter (1957) with Jock Mahoney, William Hopper, Barbara Hale, Ben Johnson, Joanna Cook Moore, and Bill Williams
Slaughter on Tenth Avenue (1957) with Richard Egan, Jan Sterling, and Mickey Hargitay
Four Girls in Town (1956) with George Nader and Grant Williams
Away All Boats (1956) with Jeff Chandler, George Nader, Lex Barker, Jock Mahoney, and Keith Andes
The Private War of Major Benson (1955) with Charlton Heston
One Desire (1955) with Rock Hudson and Anne Baxter
Six Bridges to Cross (1955) with George Nader
The Looters (1955) with Rory Calhoun and Ray Danton
Francis Joins the Wacs (1954) with Mamie Van Doren, Mara Corday, and Allison Hayes
Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) with Richard Carlson, Richard Denning, Nestor Paiva, and Whit Bissell
The Man from the Alamo (1953) with Glenn Ford, Chill Wills, Victor Jory, Hugh O'Brian, Jeanne Cooper, and Guy Williams
The Stand at Apache River (1953) with Stephen McNally, Hugh Marlowe, Hugh O'Brian, Russell Johnson, and Jack Kelly
Wings of the Hawk (1953) with Van Heflin, Abbe Lane, George Dolenz, and Noah Beery
The Mississippi Gambler (1953) with Tyrone Power, Piper Laurie, William Reynolds, and Guy Williams
The Lawless Breed (1952) with Rock Hudson, John McIntire, Hugh O'Brian, Dennis Weaver, Lee Van Cleef, Richard Garland, and Glenn Strange
Horizons West (1952) with Robert Ryan, Rock Hudson, Raymond Burr, James Arness, Dennis Weaver, and Frances Bavier
Bend of the River (1952) with James Stewart, Arthur Kennedy, Rock Hudson, Lori Nelson, Jay C. Flippen, Frances Bavier, and Stepin Fetchit
The Treasure of Lost Canyon (1952) with William Powell, Rosemary DeCamp, and Charles Drake
Finders Keepers (1951) with Tom Ewell, Richard Reeves, Jack Elam, Harvey Lembeck, and Madge Blake
Hollywood Story (1951) with Richard Conte, Richard Egan, Henry Hull, Fred Clark, Jim Backus, and Francis X. Bushman
Bright Victory (1951) with Arthur Kennedy, Peggy Dow, Will Geer, Jim Backus, and Richard Egan
Crooked River (1950) with James Ellison, Russell Hayden, Raymond Hatton, Fuzzy Knight, and Tom Tyler
Fast on the Draw (1950) with James Ellison, Russell Hayden, Raymond Hatton, Fuzzy Knight, and Tom Tyler
Hostile Country (1950) with James Ellison, Russell Hayden, Raymond Hatton, Fuzzy Knight, and Tom Tyler
Marshal of Heldorado (1950) with James Ellison, Russell Hayden, Raymond Hatton, Fuzzy Knight, and Tom Tyler
West of the Brazos (1950) with James Ellison, Russell Hayden, Raymond Hatton, Fuzzy Knight, and Tom Tyler
Colorado Ranger (1950) with James Ellison, Russell Hayden, Raymond Hatton, Fuzzy Knight, and Tom Tyler
The Dalton Gang (1949) with Don 'Red' Barry, Robert Lowery, and Byron Foulger
Red, Hot and Blue (1949) with Betty Hutton, Victor Mature, William Demarest, June Havoc, and William Talman

TELEVISION SERIES
Murder, She Wrote, 1984-1996 CBS-TV series. Adams portrayed Eve Simpson for five seasons (1987-1993)
Capitol, 1982-1987 CBS-TV soap opera. Adams portrayed Paula Denning
Code Red, 1981-1982 TV series. Adams portrayed Ann Rorchek
The Jimmy Stewart Show, 1971-1972 TV series. Adams portrayed Martha Howard
The Bold Ones: The Lawyers, 1969-1973 TV series. Adams portrayed Mrs. David Craig during the 1970-1971 season
General Hospital, 1963-present ABC-TV soap opera. Adams portrayed Denise Wilton in 1968
Yancy Derringer, 1958-1959 TV series starring Jock Mahoney. Adams portrayed Amanda Eaton

julie adams links

The Julie Adams Official Web Site

julie adams trailers now showing

Watch the trailer for Julie Adams 1954 thriller Creature from the Black Lagoon

julie adams television appearances

Watch Julie Adams in a 1961 episode of Bonanza titled The Courtship

julie adams film now showing

Watch Julie Adams' 1962 sci-fi film The Underwater City
filmstrip image
Back to Brian's Drive-In Theater
Click on the logo to go back to Brian's Drive-In Theater
This page premiered January 31, 2001.
Copyright and Disclaimer Information