Anne Jeffreys

Dazzling Anne Jeffreys in a newly restored tri-chrome sitting from June 1949. Jeffreys was born on January 26, 1923 in Goldsboro, North Carolina and entered the entertainment field at a young age, having her initial training in voice. Her plans for an operatic career were sidelined when she was cast in a staged musical review, "Fun for the Money" (1941). Her appearance in that revue led to her being cast in her first movie role, in "I Married an Angel" (1942). She was under contract to both RKO and Republic Studios during the 1940s, including several appearances as Tess Trueheart in the "Dick Tracy" series, and also appeared in the horror comedy "Zombies on Broadway" and as bank robber John Dillinger's moll in "Dillinger" (both 1945). Jeffreys met handsome actor Robert Sterling during an extended run (887 performances) of "Kiss Me Kate" on Broadway (1948 - 51). She and Sterling married in 1951 and had three sons. In an attempt to revive their flagging careers, the singing couple toured nighteries and hotels in the early 1950s with a highly successful club act. This led to them being cast as sly, engagingly cavalier spirits in the classic “Topper” (1953) tv sitcom. In the 1960s, Jeffreys semi-retired to raise her family, but occasionally took on musical leads ("Camelot", "The King and I") both on Broadway and in regional productions. On television, she appeared in episodes of such series as "Love, American Style" (with her husband),"L.A. Law" and "Murder, She Wrote." Unlike her husband, who retired decades earlier (he died in 2006), Jeffreys remained a tireless performer past age 80. She was recognized over the years for her civic and humanitarian efforts and remained a vibrant presence of "Golden Age" Hollywood society until her passing at age 94 on September 27, 2017 in Los Angeles.

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