# RIP Sian Barbara Allen **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 8, 2025, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-sian-barbara-allen/1016767 "2025-04-08T02:22:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2025, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-sian-barbara-allen/1016767/1 "2025-04-08T02:22:51Z")
Died March 31 from Alzheimer’s. She was all over the tube in the 70s: With Bette Davis in **Scream, Pretty Peggy** , Patty Duke in **You’ll Like My Mother** , many of the TV staples. Was involved with Richard “John Boy” Thomas for a spell, worked infrequently in the 80s and quit acting around 1990. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2025, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-sian-barbara-allen/1016767/2 "2025-04-08T22:29:28Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > She was all over the tube in the 70s: With Bette Davis in **Scream, Pretty Peggy** , Patty Duke in **You’ll Like My Mother** , many of the TV staples I think the only thing I ever happened to see her in was COLUMBO, where she was great as the cheerfully unscrupulous young woman who (a) figures she’s a step ahead of everyone when it comes to climbing the corporate ladder in a world of industrial espionage and lucrative blackmail, but who (b) doesn’t seem to have realized that this is a TV show about people who resort to, y’know, _murder._ ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2025, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-sian-barbara-allen/1016767/3 "2025-04-08T23:47:31Z")
Confession time: I think I’ve only seen her in the first half hour of **Scream, Pretty Peggy**. For some reason, her name alone made me remember her; I don’t know _anyone_ named “Sian” and “Barbara Allen” is an old folk song I loved as a kid. Besides, I had a major hankering for Gretchen Corbett. KnowWhatIMean? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-sian-barbara-allen/1016767/4 "2025-04-09T01:40:53Z")
I knew her from her many TV guest star roles. She had a distinctive look. ---
**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:** [April 9, 2025, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-sian-barbara-allen/1016767/5 "2025-04-09T03:51:57Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Confession time: I think I’ve only seen her in the first half hour of **Scream, Pretty Peggy**. For some reason, her name alone made me remember her; I don’t know _anyone_ named “Sian” and “Barbara Allen” is an old folk song I loved as a kid. Besides, I had a major hankering for Gretchen Corbett. Oddly, I remember Allen from a guest role on _The Rockford Files_. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-sian-barbara-allen/1016767/6 "2025-04-09T22:15:59Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > I think the only thing I ever happened to see her in was COLUMBO, where she was great as the cheerfully unscrupulous young woman who (a) figures she’s a step ahead of everyone when it comes to climbing the corporate ladder in a world of industrial espionage and lucrative blackmail, but who (b) doesn’t seem to have realized that this is a TV show about people who resort to, y’know, _murder._ Yes, that was some smart casting–Allen had an offbeat quality that took the character out of the ordinary realm. Condolences to her family and friends. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2025, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-sian-barbara-allen/1016767/7 "2025-04-10T05:39:41Z")
I’ve mentioned it before, but I swear this is the last time. She was the occupant who preceded me in my current apartment. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2025, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-sian-barbara-allen/1016767/8 "2025-04-10T14:41:58Z")
Well, I haven’t heard it before, so I’m glad you’re repeating it. Did you get any of her mail for a spell? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2025, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-sian-barbara-allen/1016767/9 "2025-04-11T06:50:28Z")
Yup. That’s how I found out. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2025, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-sian-barbara-allen/1016767/10 "2025-04-11T13:21:37Z")
I remember her from [an episode of the series “The Bold Ones: The Lawyers”.](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0528573/) She played a girl who had killed her father but refused to say why. It turned out he had tried to attack her sexually. ---
**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 2, 2025, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-sian-barbara-allen/1016767/12 "2025-05-02T13:56:37Z")
Yep, another victim of chain smoking! 🤢