Linda Lawson
Lawson in Adventures in Paradise.
Born
Linda Gloria Spaziani

(1936-01-14)January 14, 1936
DiedMay 18, 2022 (aged 86)
Occupation(s)Actress, singer
Years active1955–2005
Spouse(s)John Foreman
(m. 1961; died 1992)
Children2, including Amanda Foreman

Linda Lawson (born Linda Gloria Spaziani;[2] January 14, 1936 – May 18, 2022) was an American actress and singer.[3]

Early life and career

The first of three children born to Italian immigrants Maria Cataldi and Edward Spaziani, she was five years old when her family moved from Michigan to Fontana, California. After graduating from Chaffey High School,[1] she began her 50-year acting career in 1955 with a short film for the U.S. government. On May 5, 1955, Lawson was dubbed "Miss Cue"[4][5] in reference to a series of nuclear tests conducted by the US military under "Operation Teapot," and publicized as "Operation Cue" in a short film distributed by the US Federal Civil Defense Administration.[6]

She appeared in several television series, including Alfred Hitchcock Presents; The Alfred Hitchcock Hour; Maverick starring James Garner, as Clint Eastwood's "other woman" in the episode "Duel at Sundown"; James Michener's Adventures in Paradise, as recurring character "Renee" in six episodes; Don't Call Me Charlie!, in which she portrayed "Pat Perry" for eighteen episodes; Ben Casey, seen as "Laura Fremont" for nine episodes; M Squad; Overland Trail, and Wagon Train, co-starring with Raymond Massey as the princess of a lost Aztec settlement.

Lawson also appeared in two episodes of Bonanza, It Takes a Thief, ER; The Virginian, Mr. Lucky, Perry Mason, The Real McCoys, The Aquanauts, Sea Hunt; Tales of Wells Fargo, 77 Sunset Strip; Hawaiian Eye; Border Patrol, Colt .45, Peter Gunn, Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer and The Tall Man among many others.

She also appeared in several movies, including Sometimes a Great Notion. She co-starred opposite Dennis Hopper in Night Tide (1961).

Personal life

She was married to film producer John Foreman. Amanda Foreman and Julie Foreman, both actresses, are their daughters. She died in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles on May 18, 2022, at the age of 86. Her death was announced 2 weeks later.[7][8]

Music

In 1960, Lawson recorded Introducing Linda Lawson. The music was conducted and arranged by Marty Paich.[9]

Tracks:

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1960 The Threat Gerri
1961 Night Tide Mora
1964 Apache Rifles Dawn Gillis
1966 Let's Kill Uncle Justine
1970 Sometimes a Great Notion Jan Stamper
2005 The Tenants Anna

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1958 Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer Kathy Dean "Wedding Mourning"
1958 Tales of the Texas Rangers Dolores "Edge of Danger"
1958 Peter Gunn Lynn Martel "Lynn's Blues"
1958 Man with a Camera Carmen "Six Faces of Satan"
1959 Maverick Lily "Duel at Sundown"
1959 Five Fingers Princess Tucomcari "The Moment of Truth"
1959 Border Patrol Anna "Hare and Hounds"
1959 The Millionaire Marcia Littleton "Millionaire Sergeant Matthew Brogan"
1959-61 Adventures in Paradise Renee Recurring role
1960 77 Sunset Strip Jeanne "Ten Cents a Death"
1960 Colt .45 Barbara "Impasse"
1960 Tombstone Territory Jeannie Magraw "The Bride"
1960 Mr. Lucky Angie "The Parolee"
1960 Overland Trail Ruby "The High Bridge"
1960 M Squad Delores Faye "Man with the Ice"
1960 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Georgia Season 5 Episode 31: "I Can Take Care of Myself"
1960 Richard Diamond, Private Detective Nola Carter "And Whose Little Baby Are You?"
1960 Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond Joyce Chapman "Moment of Hate"
1960 Wagon Train Princess Lia of the Aztecs "Princess of a Lost Tribe"
1960 Hawaiian Eye Tiki
Mona Lynn
"Fatal Cruise"
"Girl on a String"
1960 Tales of Wells Fargo Kate Fallon "Escort to Santa Fe"
1960 Bonanza Melinda Bowers "The Trail Gang"
1960 Sea Hunt Nancy Stewart
Rita Julien
"Counterfeit"
"The Living Fossil"
1961 Sea Hunt Jill Marzack Season 4, Episode 2, "River Treasure"
1961 Stagecoach West Stella Smith "The Root of Evil"
1961 The Aquanauts Wilva "The Defective Tank Adventure", "The Jeremiah Adventure"
1961 The Rifleman Vashti Croxton "Assault"
1961 Perry Mason Erin Mooney "The Case of the Injured Innocent"
1962 Target: The Corruptors! Carolyn "One for the Road"
1962-63 Don't Call Me Charlie! Pat Perry Main role
1963 The Real McCoys Betty Lockwood "Luke in the Ivy League", "Luke Grows a Beard"
1964 Kraft Suspense Theatre Gracia Hernandez "Threepersons"
1964 The Alfred Hitchcock Hour Lucille Brown Season 2 Episode 12: "Three Wives Too Many"
1965 The Alfred Hitchcock Hour Fiona McNiece Season 3 Episode 25: "The World's Oldest Motive"
1965 Bonanza Maria Hackett "To Own the World"
1965 Ben Casey Laura Fremont Recurring role
1966 The Virginian Becky Ellis "Chaff in the Wind"
1968 It Takes a Thief Jean "Glass Riddle"
1994 Saved by the Bell: The New Class Mrs. Farrel "All Play and No Work"
2000 Another Woman's Husband Agnes TV film
2000-01 That's Life Mrs. Paganini Recurring role
2002 Without a Trace Mrs. Janey "In Extremis"
2005 Dr. Vegas Flossie "Babe in the Woods"
2005 ER Aunt Eileen "You Are Here"

References

  1. 1 2 "Obituary Notices: Lawson, Linda". Los Angeles Times. June 5, 2022. p. B10. ProQuest 2678080371. She was born Linda Spaziani on January 11, 1936, the youngest of three children to Italian immigrant parents, Maria Cataldi and Edward Spaziani. When she was five years old, her family drove west from Michigan and settled in Fontana, California, where she attended Chaffey Union High School as a teenager. Upon graduation, Linda followed her sister Diana Spaziani to Las Vegas.
  2. "TV TIME—ANSWER MAN". Elmira Star-Gazette. November 10, 1962. p. 39. ProQuest 2349698352. Linda's real name is Linda Gloria Spaziani, but she changed the last one to Lawson on the advice of Louella Parsons and songwriter Jimmy McHugh when she won an audition as a singer in Las Vegas.
  3. "Linda Lawson profile". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2016. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
  4. "Miss Cue or "Miss Atomic Bomb"" (PDF). doe.gov. August 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 3, 2012. Retrieved May 11, 2014.
  5. "Photograph of Linda Lawson as Miss-Cue". Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved July 30, 2013.
  6. "Copa Girl crowned "Miss Cue"".
  7. "Linda Lawson Obituary (2022) Los Angeles Times". Legacy.com. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  8. "Linda Lawson, Actress in 'Night Tide,' Dies at 86". The Hollywood Reporter. June 5, 2022.
  9. "Introducing Linda Lawson". Fresh Sounds Records. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
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