# Holy Crap Anne Francis has been in everything **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 10, 2015, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-anne-francis-has-been-in-everything/719676 "2015-05-10T03:08:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2015, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-anne-francis-has-been-in-everything/719676/1 "2015-05-10T03:08:09Z")
So I was watching an old episode of Columbo recently, (as one does), and I recognized an actress and couldn’t place her, so I looked her up on IMDb. Holy crap, I cannot believe how many things Anne Francis has been in that I might have recognized her from. Here is a list of things that I, personally, might have been thinking of when I saw her. Bear in mind she has been in even more things, but although in some cases I was aware of the show or movie, I hadn’t seen it enough to include it. 1998 The Drew Carey Show (TV Series) 1996 Wings (TV Series) Fatal Attraction (1987) … Dixie 1984 The Love Boat (TV Series) 1984 Riptide (TV Series) 1983 Simon & Simon (TV Series) 1982 CHiPs (TV Series) 1978-1981 Fantasy Island (TV Series) 1981 Dallas (TV Series) 1979 Quincy M.E. (TV Series) 1978 Hawaii Five-O (TV Series) 1977 Black Sheep Squadron (TV Series) 1976 Wonder Woman (TV Series) 1974 Kung Fu (TV Series) 1972-1973 Columbo (TV Series) 1972 Gunsmoke (TV Series) 1970 Love, American Style (TV Series) 1969 Mission: Impossible (TV Series) 1967 The Fugitive 1964 The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (TV Series) 1960-1963 Twilight Zone (TV Series) 1960-1961 Alfred Hitchcock Presents (TV Series) 1960 The Untouchables (TV Series) 1959 Rawhide (TV Series) 1956 Forbidden Planet 1955 Blackboard Jungle 1955 Bad Day at Black Rock Wow. Got me thinking: is there someone who could beat her? IMDb could use an Advanced Search thingy where you check TV shows and Movies that you have seen, and they show you which actor has appeared the most times based on your selections. For me, until I find someone else, it’s gotta be Anne Francis. (BTW, it was the Twilight Zone I remembered her from - with the after hours department store and the Mannequins. One of my favorites, and it was her voice more than anything that triggered my memory). ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2015, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-anne-francis-has-been-in-everything/719676/2 "2015-05-10T04:15:20Z")
> [@Morbo](#): > > Bear in mind she has been in even more things,… You left out _The Rocky Horror Picture Show_ (sort of). ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2015, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-anne-francis-has-been-in-everything/719676/3 "2015-05-10T04:41:11Z")
And she was almost in Funny Girl. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2015, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-anne-francis-has-been-in-everything/719676/4 "2015-05-10T05:10:47Z")
She had her own detective series back in the '60s: > **[Honey West (TV Series 1965–1966) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058814/)** > > Honey West: With Anne Francis, John Ericson, Bruce, Irene Hervey. After her father's death, Honey West takes over his high-tech private-detective firm, assisted by rugged Sam Bolt--and her pet ocelot Bruce. I remember watching it in our living room when I was in fifth grade. Anne was really, _really_ hot! :o ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2015, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-anne-francis-has-been-in-everything/719676/5 "2015-05-10T05:18:42Z")
At the late-night Double-feature Picture show {In the back ro-wo-wo-woooooh} ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2015, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-anne-francis-has-been-in-everything/719676/6 "2015-05-10T23:59:22Z")
Feh. [Burt Mustin](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0615993/) has her beat by a mile. He has 188 credits; if you remove his movie credits, it’s certainly well over 150. Whenever they needed someone to play a kindly old man, Mustin got the call. ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2015, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-anne-francis-has-been-in-everything/719676/7 "2015-05-11T00:26:46Z")
For me it would have to be [Charles Lane](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0485272/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1). With 363 credits there can’t be too many actors with a longer list. ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2015, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-anne-francis-has-been-in-everything/719676/8 "2015-05-11T00:40:45Z")
[Charles Lane’s 100th birthday celebration.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ua1weS_Aepw) Love his comment at the end- “If you’re interested, I’m still available.” ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2015, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-anne-francis-has-been-in-everything/719676/9 "2015-05-11T09:10:56Z")
William Conrad estimated he played 7,500 roles on radio. He almost didn’t get his most famous one, Matt Dillon on “Gunsmoke” because he was too well-known but an audition won him the part. Short and fat, he wasn’t in the running when it moved to television. He narrated the “Rocky and Bullwinkle” and “The Fugitive” tv show. He directed a number of tv shows and later starred in three tv series. > **[William Conrad](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Conrad)** > > William Conrad (born John William Cann Jr., September 27, 1920 – February 11, 1994) was an American actor, producer, and director whose entertainment career spanned five decades in radio, film, and television, peaking in popularity when he starred in the detective series Cannon. > A radio writer and actor, he moved to Hollywood after serving in World War II as a fighter pilot, and played a series of character roles in films, beginning with the film noir The Killers (1946). He created the role o... ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2015, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-anne-francis-has-been-in-everything/719676/10 "2015-05-11T16:21:06Z")
I’ll throw in [William Schallert](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Schallert), still working at 92. I think [Vera Miles](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0587256/) may have done every 1960’s series on TV except **Star Trek**. ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2015, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-anne-francis-has-been-in-everything/719676/11 "2015-05-11T16:45:54Z")
I was going to mention William Schallert, but since **kunilou** beat me to it, I’ll add [James Hong](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0393222/?ref_=nv_sr_1), who’s been working in television for almost as long as it’s been around. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2015, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-anne-francis-has-been-in-everything/719676/12 "2015-05-11T16:50:15Z")
I just wanna let everyone know that I saw this thread title TWICE and read “Anne Frank” and thought No, just the one place really ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2015, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-anne-francis-has-been-in-everything/719676/13 "2015-05-11T16:51:35Z")
I thought John Carradine had everybody beat. ---
**Author:** ![tapu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@tapu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tapu)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2015, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-anne-francis-has-been-in-everything/719676/14 "2015-05-11T17:08:08Z")
I see your Anne Francis and raise you one Grace Zabriskie. Too long a list but here’s her (partial!) credit breakdown. This woman has a hell of an agent! TV Episode (148) Feature Film (63) TV Series (45) TV Movie (30) Video (9) Short Film (8) TV Mini-Series (1) Video Game (1) You’ll recognize her immediately, but have probably never heard the name. [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0951471/#actress](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0951471/#actress) ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2015, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-crap-anne-francis-has-been-in-everything/719676/15 "2015-05-11T21:34:21Z")
Not so much quantity, as quality: when the AFI list of the Top 100 Films of All Time came out, Ward Bond was in some ridiculous number of them: GWTW, It Happened One Night, The Searchers, The Maltese Falcon, It’s A Wonderful Life…off the top of my head.