Taken in 1965, the photograph below captures a shot of the beautiful American actress, Dawn Wells, as she elegantly posing for the camera. Of Wells’ many appearances on TV and film, she is most known for her recurring role on the 1960s CBS American sitcom, “Gilligan’s Island.” In this series, Wells plays Mary Ann Summers, a farm girl who lived in the town of Winfield, Kansas, before becoming stranded on Gilligan’s Island.
In addition to acting on Gilligan’s Island, Wells has also appeared in more than 150 television shows, as well as 7 motion picture films, some of which include the 1975 adventure western film, “Winterhawk,” the comedy “Super Sucker,” the 1964 drama, “The New Interns,” “It’s Our Time” (2013), and most recently, the 2012 film, “Silent But Deadly.” Sadly, Dawn Wells passed away in December 2020; she was 82-years-old.
Barbara Eden’s Baby Shower, 1965
In the below photo, a very happy Barbara Eden, actress, and soon-to-be mother celebrates her 1965 baby shower alongside friends Dawn Wells, Shelley Fabares and Lori Nelson. Eden was captivated audiences on TV all across America with her mystical alter ego on her role in the sitcom, “I Dream of Jeannie.” Throughout the shows’ episodes, the beautiful Eden stars as a genie in a bottle, whose bottle was discovered on a deserted island by a stranded astronaut called Tony Nelson.
Eden went on to film the unaired pilot of the 1973 television short, “The Barbara Eden Show,” as well as the pilot for the 1973 TV movie, “The Toy Game.” Following her many successful hits on-screen, Eden went on to write several books about her life and career, including her memoir, “Jeannie Out of the Bottle.”
A Young, Brace-faced Farrah Fawcett Appears on "The Dating Game", 1969
In the photo below, we see a brace-wearing, young Farrah Fawcett. She first appeared on Hollywood’s radar back in 1968, when she signed a $350 contract with the American film company, Screen Gems. Her acting career was jumpstarted with a series of guest roles and appearances on a number of television shows and commercials for products like Noxzema Max Factor and Beautyrest mattress, among many others. She starred in her first film, the French romantic drama “Love is a Funny Thing,” in 1969.
Fawcett would continue her television legacy, appearing in a recurring role on the TV detective show “Harry-O,” which ran from 1974 to 1976. She would also go on to appear in the American TV series, “The Six Million Dollar Man,” a show about a cyborg-like astronaut, where she would meet her then-husband, Lee Majors. Sadly, this internationally recognized actress passed away on June 25th, 2009, at the age of 62.
Elinor Donahue, Ron Howard and Andy Griffith, Posing for a Holiday Publicity Photo for “The Andy Griffith Show”, 1960
Below, actors Elinor Donahue, Ron Howard, and Andy Griffith strike a pose, as they take a picture for a Holiday promotional photograph for “The Andy Griffith Show” in 1960. The iconic Andy Griffith Show captured viewers from all over, as it followed the life of the fictional lead character Andy Taylor (played by Andy Griffith), a widowed country-bumpkin sheriff in charge of the tiny town of Mayberry, North Carolina.
The show went on to run for a total of 8 seasons, lasting from 1960, up until 1968. Following Donahue’s last role as Judge Marie Anderson in the soap opera, “The Young and the Restless", she eventually chose to step out of the limelight. Today, she is happy to lead a life away from the cameras. “As far as I know, and nobody knows what’s around the corner, it’s no more,” she said. “I’m done, finished… But all told, it was all just so magical. Honestly, I’ve had a lot of fun.”
Happy Day’s Chachi (Scott Baio) and Joanie (Erin Moran) Go to the Beach, 1981
Pictured in the vintage picture below is Happy Day’s much-loved television couple, Chachi Arcola (played by Scott Baio) and Joanie Cunningham (played by Erin Moran), having a very happy day at the beach back in 1981. Fan favorites of the widely successful show, in 1982 these Happy Day characters would go on to star in their very own spinoff show, “Joanie Loves Chachi.”
In addition to Chachi and Joanie, the series also featured characters like Al Delvecchio (played by Al Molinaro), Chachi’s stepfather and former owner of Happy Day’s fictional Arnold’s Drive-In. In addition, Chachi’s mother, Louisa Delvecchio (played by Ellen Travolta), was also a member of this Happy Days spinoff. Years later, Travolta and Baio would again work together in 1984, co-starring as mother and son duo in the hit American television sitcom, “Charles in Charge.”