Pamela Franklin | |
|---|---|
 Franklin in 1973 | |
| Born | (1950-02-03)3 February 1950 (age 75) Yokohama, Japan |
| Education | Elmhurst Ballet School |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1961–1981 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Pamela Franklin (born 3 February 1950) is a British former actress. She is best known for her role as Sandy in the filmThe Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969), for which she won aNBR Award and received aBAFTA Award nomination.
Franklin made her acting debut at the age of 11 in the filmThe Innocents (1961). She later established herself as ascream queen in the 1970s by appearing in the filmsNecromancy (1972) andThe Legend of Hell House (1973).
Franklin, who had three brothers, was born inYokohama, Japan, and grew up inEast Asia, where her father was an importer/exporter. The family lived in Japan, Hong Kong, Australia, and Ceylon before returning to the United Kingdom.[1] When she was eight she was sent to theElmhurst School of Ballet in the UK.[2]
Franklin made her film debut at age 11 inThe Innocents (1961),[3] and her TV debut in theWalt Disney's Wonderful World of Color'sThe Horse Without a Head (1963).
Franklin played oppositeWilliam Holden andTrevor Howard in the British filmThe Lion (1962) and co-starred withLuke Halpin inFlipper's New Adventure (1963) as a wealthy industrialist's daughter. In 1963, Franklin was voted 10th place for theLaurel Awards Top New Female Personality.[citation needed] She was 14 when she appeared inThe Third Secret (1964), in which she played a troubled young daughter. In 1966, she had a lead role in the BBC TV seriesQuick Before They Catch Us.[citation needed]
Franklin received favourable notices for her portrayal of an unusually worldly teenager in the suspense filmThe Nanny (1965) starringBette Davis[4] She also received anEmmy nomination for her supporting role in the TV movieEagle in a Cage (also 1965) in which she again acted opposite Trevor Howard.[citation needed] She acted withDirk Bogarde, who played her father inOur Mother's House (1967), a film that was nominated for theGolden Lion at theVenice Film Festival.[citation needed] Not long afterwards, Franklin played oppositeMarlon Brando andRita Moreno inThe Night of the Following Day (1969) as the kidnap victim in the crime thriller. This was her first "adult" role, with one scene showing her topless. She appeared withMichele Dotrice in the horror thrillerAnd Soon the Darkness (1970), a film that was remade in 2010.
For her role as Sandy inThe Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969), Franklin won theNational Board of Review award for Best Supporting Actress.[citation needed] The film featured a strong cast, includingMaggie Smith, who won an Academy Award for Best Actress. In the same year, she starred with a youngJohn Hurt in theJohn Huston movieSinful Davey, which was not successful and failed to boost her career.
In 1971, she starred in the penultimate episode ofGreen Acres, titled "Hawaiian Honeymoon". The episode was abackdoor pilot for the proposed sitcom titledPam, which would have featured Franklin andDon Porter as a father and daughter operating the Moana Rexford hotel in Hawaii. The pilot was not picked up.
As an adult, Franklin became somewhat typecast in horror films after her performances in the popular occult thrillersNecromancy (1972)[5] andThe Legend of Hell House (1973)[6] oppositeRoddy McDowall. This was followed with the television horror movieSatan's School for Girls (1973). Her last film role was inThe Food of the Gods (1976), although she made television appearances until 1981, including an episode ofPolice Story, in which she became physically ill playing a rape victim.[citation needed]
Franklin made other television appearances, includingGreen Acres,Cannon,The Love Boat,Fantasy Island,The Six Million Dollar Man,Hawaii Five-O,Barnaby Jones,Vega$, andTrapper John, M.D.. She played the title character in "Jenny Wilde is Drowning", an episode ofThe Name of the Game, starringTony Franciosa. Her character was an aspiring actress trying to succeed in Hollywood.[7]
Franklin met British actorHarvey Jason, 10 years her senior, on the set ofNecromancy. Although the film was not released until 1972, the couple married in 1970,[8] settled nearHollywood and had two sons. Her husband and one of their sons, Louis, co-own a bookstore inWest Hollywood.
On the commentary track for the 2014 Region ABlu-ray release ofThe Legend of Hell House released byScream Factory, Franklin notes that she was pregnant with her second child whilst filmingThe Food of the Gods and that she was ready for a change of career, although she enjoyed making the film and living on the island location. She also claimed working in television in the United States was a mistake at the time, as it limited her career and producers only saw her as a TV actor from then on.
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | Laurel Awards | Top New Female Personality | — | 10th place | |
| 1966 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Drama | Hallmark Hall of Fame (Episode: "Eagle in a Cage") | Nominated | [9] |
| 1970 | National Board of Review Awards | Best Supporting Actress | The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie | Won | [10] |
| British Academy Film Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | [11] |
