Vanessa Brown
Biography
Vanessa Brown was an Austrian-born American actress whose career took in radio, film, theater and television. Born in Vienna, she moved to America as a child and came to notice after auditioning for Lillian Hellman, playing Babette on Broadway and later originating the lead in The Seven Year Itch. She began in radio as a young panelist on Quiz Kids and later conducted interviews on the Voice of America. RKO brought the family to Los Angeles, and her first film was Youth Runs Wild (1944), followed by ingenue parts in The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947), The Heiress (1949), Tarzan and the Slave Girl (1950) and The Bad and the Beautiful (1952). She acted in live television dramas and on series including Perry Mason and Murder, She Wrote, and her final film role was in The Witch Who Came from the Sea (1976). She died in 1999.
71years old at death
- Born Vienna
- Died Woodland Hills
- Star sign: AriesThe sign runs March 21 to April 19
- Smylla Brind (birth name)
Movie Career
- Films
- 5
- Career span
- 29 years1947 to 1976
Every film, newest first
- 1976The Witch Who Came from the SeaIMDb rating 5.7
- 1971Bless the Beasts & ChildrenIMDb rating 6.7
- 1952The Bad and the BeautifulIMDb rating 7.7
- 1949The HeiressIMDb rating 8.1
- 1947The Ghost and Mrs. MuirIMDb rating 7.8
Genres
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First role
Brown originated the role of "The Girl" in the Broadway production of The Seven Year Itch, the same character Marilyn Monroe played in the 1955 film version.
A first
In Tarzan and the Slave Girl (1950), Brown took on the part of Jane, making her the eighth actress to do so, and Lex Barker starred opposite her.
A change of course
With an IQ of 165, Brown spent two years as a young panelist on the radio series Quiz Kids, where she focused on literature and language.
Beyond film
Bernie Wayne, a composer, wrote a song called "Vanessa" about Brown in 1952. The song went on to be much covered.
Vanessa Brown movies on Netflix
Worked with
Vanessa Brown shares two films with David Thursby, and one with each of the others. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
David Thursby2 films together, 1947 to 1949
David Thursby's page
Kirk Douglas's page
George Sanders's page
Stanley Andrews's page
Ralph Richardson's page
Jack Chefe's page
All films by Joseph L. Mankiewicz
All films by William Wyler
All films by Vincente Minnelli
Awards
One award and honor.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other honors | |||
| Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame | Honored | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.