biography

Paula Raymond Born Paula Ramona Wright in San Francisco on November 23, 1924, actress Paula Raymond had done some acting, mostly on stage, as a child. An early marriage to a Marine ended soon after Raymond gave birth to her only child, a daughter, in 1946. Newly single and with a daughter to support, she embarked upon a career as a model before first signing with Paramount and then Columbia in 1947, where she appeared in such films as Blondie's Secret (1948; with Arthur Lake and Penny Singleton) and Challenge of the Range (1949; with Charles Starrett). After a few years in supporting roles, Raymond left Columbia for MGM to try her luck in 1949. She fared well at MGM in bigger roles and better films, including Crisis (1950; with Cary Grant and Gilbert Roland), The Tall Target (1951; with Dick Powell and Marshall Thompson), and The Sellout (1952; with John Hodiak). Despite good notices, Raymond did not appear in the bona fide hit film she deserved, and the studio dropped her contract in 1952. Afterward, Raymond freelanced in pictures and on television and enrolled at the University of Southern California, studying theater and cinematography.

Paula Raymond

MGM photo of Paula Raymond from 1950

Earlier in her career, Raymond acted in film noir thrillers such as City That Never Sleeps (1953; with Gig Young and Marie Windsor), but later in her career she developed a horror film reputation, starting with The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms (1953; with Paul Christian and Lee Van Cleef). In 1955, Raymond called it quits and took a three-year break from acting, preferring to work at a more traditional job but eventually tired of the daily grind and resumed her career in the late 1950s. This time, however, Raymond concentrated on television, where she guest-starred on many popular TV series including multiple appearances on 77 Sunset Strip and Hawaiian Eye. Indeed, some of Raymond's strongest performances were on television, particularly in her five appearances on Perry Mason (1957-1966 CBS series; with Raymond Burr, Barbara Hale, and William Hopper). In the early 1960s, she returned to films in the horror/sci-fi flicks The Flight That Disappeared (1961; with Craig Hill), Hand of Death (1962; with John Agar), and Blood of Dracula's Castle (1967; with Alexander D'Arcy and John Carradine).


the films of paula raymond

Crisis (1950)

Paula Raymond

From the MGM thriller Crisis with Cary Grant

Devil's Doorway (1950)

Robert Taylor and Paula RaymondRobert Taylor and Paula Raymond

From the MGM western Devil's Doorway with Robert Taylor

Inside Straight (1951)

David Brian and Paula Raymond

With David Brian in the MGM romance Inside Straight

Grounds for Marriage (1951)

Van Johnson and Paula Raymond

Van Johnson begins to chicken out of marrying Paula Raymond in the MGM comedy Grounds for Marriage

The Tall Target (1951)

Ruby Dee, Paula Raymond, and Marshall ThompsonPaula Raymond

From MGM's period adventure The Tall Target. LEFT: With Ruby Dee and Marshall Thompson. RIGHT: A behind-the-scenes photo of Paula Raymond

The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms (1953)

Paul Christian, Paula Raymond, and Cecil KellawayKenneth Tobey, Donald Woods, Paul Christian, Paula Raymond, and Cecil Kellaway

From the science fiction classic The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, with effects by Ray Harryhausen. LEFT: With Paul Christian and Cecil Kellaway. RIGHT: With Kenneth Tobey, Donald Woods, Paul Christian, and Cecil Kellaway

The Human Jungle (1954)

Gary Merrill and Paula Raymond

With Gary Merrill in the Allied Artists film noir release The Human Jungle

The Flight That Disappeared (1961)

Dayton Lummis, Paula Raymond, and Craig HillPaula Raymond and Craig Hill

Raymond stars as Marcia Paxton in the intriging science fiction release The Flight That Disappeared. LEFT: With Craig Hill and Dayton Lummis. RIGHT: With love interest Craig Hill

Hand of Death (1962)

Paula RaymondPaula Raymond

From the low budget horror flick Hand of Death, directed by Gene Nelson

Blood of Dracula's Castle (1967)

Paula RaymondAlexander D'Arcy and Paula Raymond

Images from Al Adamson's horror favorite Blood of Dracula's Castle, shot on a budget of about $50,000 in 1967 but was not released until October 1969. LEFT: Paula Raymond as the Countess, a vampire. RIGHT: With Alexander D'Arcy near the end of the film

later years

Paula Raymond's career was interrupted again in August 1962 when she was involved in a serious car crash; nearly dying in the accident, she suffered severe facial injuries and had to undergo a number of plastic surgery procedures. Although the surgeries were successful, Raymond did not look quite the same afterward and suffered from the effects of the crash for the remainder of her life. She resumed her acting career fifteen months after the accident but retired from the screen not long afterward. With the exception of an appearance in Fred Olen Ray's Mind Twister (1994; with Telly Savalas) and a brief stint on a soap opera, Raymond's career ended with a pair of Al Adamson flicks, Blood of Dracula's Castle (1967; with Alexander D'Arcy and John Carradine) and Five Bloody Graves (1970; with Robert Dix and Scott Brady). Sadly, Paula Raymond died on December 31, 2003, at the age of 79. Her only child, a daughter, died in 1993, so Raymond left no immediate survivors.

filmography

FILM
Mind Twister (1994) with Telly Savalas, Gary Hudson, Richard Roundtree, and Nels Van Patten; directed by Fred Olen Ray
Five Bloody Graves (1970) with Robert Dix, Scott Brady, Jim Davis, and John Carradine; directed by Al Adamson
Blood of Dracula's Castle (1967) with Alexander D'Arcy, Robert Dix, and John Carradine; directed by Al Adamson
The Spy with My Face (1965) with Robert Vaughn, David McCallum, Senta Berger, Leo G. Carroll, Donna Michelle, and Harold Gould; was originally an episode of The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Hand of Death (1962) with John Agar, Stephen Dunne, Joe Besser, Butch Patrick, and Ruth Terry
The Flight That Disappeared (1961) with Craig Hill
The Gun That Won the West (1955) with Dennis Morgan and Richard Denning; directed by William Castle
The Human Jungle (1954) with Gary Merrill, Jan Sterling, Regis Toomey, and Chuck Connors
King Richard and the Crusaders (1954) with Rex Harrison, Virginia Mayo, George Sanders, and Laurence Harvey
City That Never Sleeps (1953) with Gig Young, Mala Powers, William Talman, Chill Wills, Marie Windsor, and Tom Poston
The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms (1953) with Paul Christian, Cecil Kellaway, Kenneth Tobey, Lee Van Cleef, and Steve Brodie
The Story of Three Loves (1953) with Pier Angeli, Ethel Barrymore, Leslie Caron, Kirk Douglas, Farley Granger, James Mason, Agnes Moorehead, and Zsa Zsa Gabor
The Bandits of Corsica (1953) with Richard Greene, Raymond Burr, Dona Drake, Lee Van Cleef, Nestor Paiva, and Clayton Moore
The Sellout (1952) with Walter Pidgeon, John Hodiak, Audrey Totter, Cameron Mitchell, Karl Malden, Frank Cady, Burt Mustin, and Whit Bissell
Texas Carnival (1951) with Esther Williams, Red Skelton, Howard Keel, Ann Miller, Keenan Wynn, Tom Tully, Glenn Strange, and Hans Conried
The Tall Target (1951) with Dick Powell, Adolphe Menjou, Marshall Thompson, Ruby Dee, Will Geer, and Leif Erickson
Inside Straight (1951) with David Brian, Arlene Dahl, Barry Sullivan, Mercedes McCambridge, Lon Chaney Jr., John Hoyt, Barbara Billingsley, and Hayden Rorke
Grounds for Marriage (1951) with Van Johnson, Kathryn Grayson, Barry Sullivan, and Lewis Stone
Devil's Doorway (1950) with Robert Taylor, Louis Calhern, Marshall Thompson, Edgar Buchanan, and Spring Byington
Duchess of Idaho (1950) with Esther Williams, Van Johnson, John Lund, Mel Torme, Amanda Blake, and Tommy Farrell
Crisis (1950) with Cary Grant, Jose Ferrer, Signe Hasso, Ramon Novarro, and Gilbert Roland
East Side, West Side (1949) with Barbara Stanwyck, James Mason, Van Heflin, Ava Gardner, Cyd Charisse, Nancy Davis, Gale Sondergaard, and William Conrad
Adam's Rib (1949) with Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Judy Holliday, Tom Ewell, David Wayne, Jean Hagen, and Hope Emerson
Challenge of the Range (1949) with Charles Starrett, Smiley Burnette, and Billy Halop
Blondie's Secret (1948) with Penny Singleton, Arthur Lake, and Jerome Cowan
Racing Luck (1948) with Gloria Henry, Stanley Clements, and David Bruce
Sealed Verdict (1948) with Ray Milland, Florence Marly, John Hoyt, and Broderick Crawford
Rusty Leads the Way (1948) with John Litel, Ann Doran, and Peggy Converse
Night Has a Thousand Eyes (1948) with Edward G. Robinson, Gail Russell, John Lund, Virginia Bruce, William Demarest, and Jerome Cowan

TELEVISION GUEST APPEARANCES
The Man from U.N.C.L.E., episode The Double Affair, originally aired November 17, 1964
Temple Houston, episode Miss Katherine, originally aired April 2, 1964
77 Sunset Strip, episode Queen of the Cats, originally aired February 7, 1964
Perry Mason, episode The Case of the Capering Camera, originally aired January 16, 1964
Death Valley Days, episode The Wooing of Perilous Pauline, originally aired January 7, 1964
The Beachcomber, episode Home to Roost, originally aired August 7, 1962
Hawaiian Eye, episode Rx Cricket, originally aired May 2, 1962
Perry Mason, episode The Case of the Angry Astronaut, originally aired April 7, 1962
Rawhide, episode The House of the Hunter, originally aired April 20, 1962
The New Breed, episode The Deadlier Sex, originally aired March 20, 1962
Hawaiian Eye, episode Year of Grace, originally aired January 24, 1962
The Bob Cummings Show, episode The Guns of Abalone, originally aired November 30, 1961
Hawaiian Eye, episode The Queen from Kern County, originally aired November 22, 1961
The Roaring 20's, episode Standing Room Only, originally aired October 28, 1961
Maverick, episode The Golden Fleecing, originally aired October 8, 1961
Surfside 6, episode The Bhoyo and the Blonde, originally aired May 15, 1961
Perry Mason, episode The Case of the Torrid Tapestry, originally aired April 22, 1961
The Law and Mr. Jones, episode The Concert, originally aired March 10, 1961
77 Sunset Strip, episode A Face in the Window, originally aired February 24, 1961
Michael Shayne, episode Four Lethal Ladies, originally aired February 17, 1961
Hawaiian Eye, episode The Manabi Figurine, originally aired February 1, 1961
The Aquanauts, episode The Cavedivers, originally aired December 7, 1960
The Brothers Brannagan, episode The Baby Sitters, originally aired November 26, 1960
Bat Masterson, episode The Last of the Night Raiders, originally aired November 24, 1960
The Untouchables, episode The Mark of Cain, originally aired November 17, 1960
77 Sunset Strip, episode The Wide-Screen Caper, originally aired October 14, 1960
M Squad, episode Closed Season, originally aired May 31, 1960
Tightrope, episode Borderline, originally aired May 17, 1960
Have Gun - Will Travel, episode Lady with a Gun, originally aired April 9, 1960
Cheyenne, episode Home Is the Brave, originally aired March 14, 1960
Bourbon Street Beat, episode The House of Ledezan, originally aired February 22, 1960
Lock Up, episode Strange Summons, originally aired February 20, 1960
Bat Masterson, episode Mr. Fourpaws, originally aired February 18, 1960
Philip Marlowe, episode Poor Lilli, Sweet Lilli, originally aired January 19, 1960
The Deputy, episode Backfire, originally aired January 2, 1960
Lawman, episode The Hoax, originally aired December 20, 1959
The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, episode The Paymaster, originally aired December 1, 1959
General Electric Theater, episode Signs of Love, originally aired November 8, 1959
77 Sunset Strip, episode Clay Pigeon, originally aired October 23, 1959
Perry Mason, episode The Case of the Garrulous Gambler, originally aired October 17, 1959
Hawaiian Eye, episode Waikiki Widow, originally aired October 14, 1959
The Man and the Challenge, episode Maximum Capacity, originally aired September 19, 1959
Markham, episode Vendetta in Venice, originally aired June 27, 1959
Bat Masterson, episode A Matter of Honor, originally aired April 29, 1959
The Third Man, episode A Pocketful of Sin, originally aired April 20, 1959
The Rough Riders, episode The Double Dealers, originally aired March 19, 1959
Bachelor Father, episode A Phone for Kelly, originally aired February 15, 1959
Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond, episode Emergency Only, originally aired February 3, 1959
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, episode And Practically Strangers, originally aired January 30, 1959
Perry Mason, episode The Case of the Borrowed Brunette, originally aired January 10, 1959
Peter Gunn, episode The Torch, originally aired December 8, 1958
M Squad, episode The Merits of the Case, originally aired November 14, 1958
Yancy Derringer, episode Gallatin Street, originally aired October 9, 1958
Mike Hammer, episode Letter of the Weak, originally aired September 14, 1958
State Trooper, episode Hardrock Man, originally aired September 10, 1958
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, episode You'll Have to Die Now, originally aired June 20, 1958
M Squad, episode The Woman from Paris, originally aired June 6, 1958
The Californians, episode Shanghai Queen, originally aired June 3, 1958
The Adventures of Ellery Queen, episode Night Visitors, originally aired July 1, 1955
Cavalcade of America, episode The Rescue of Dr. Beanes, originally aired June 21, 1955
Cavalcade of America, episode Petticoat Doctor, originally aired January 25, 1955
Fireside Theatre, episode Three Missions West, originally aired November 30, 1954
Four Star Playhouse, episode The Doctor and the Countess, originally aired April 29, 1954
The Ford Television Theatre, episode Lucky Tommy Jordan, originally aired February 4, 1954
Fireside Theatre, episode Let the Cards Decide, originally aired January 6, 1953
The Unexpected, episode High Adventure, originally aired October 15, 1952
Your Show Time, episode The Million Pound Bank Note, originally aired May 20, 1949

paula raymond trailers now showing

Watch the trailer for Paula Raymond's 1953 science fiction film The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms

paula raymond television appearances

Watch Paula Raymond in a 1952 episode of The Unexpected titled High Adventure

paula raymond film now showing

Watch Paula Raymond's 1953 noir thriller City That Never Sleeps
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This page premiered March 2, 2005.
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