Ann Todd (American actress)
Ann Todd (born Ann Todd Phillips,[2] later Ann Basart or Ann Phillips Basart; August 26, 1931 – February 7, 2020)[3] was an American child actress. She was credited in four films as Ann E. Todd. As an adult, she became a music reference librarian at University of California, Berkeley.[2]
Ann Todd | |
|---|---|
.JPG.webp) Todd in Stronger Than Desire (1939) | |
| Born | Ann Todd Phillips August 26, 1931 Denver, Colorado, U.S. |
| Died | February 7, 2020 (aged 88)[1] Berkeley, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Child actress |
| Years active | 1939–1953 |
| Spouse |
Robert Basart
(m. 1951; died 1993) |
| Children | 2 |
Early years
Todd was born in 1931 in Denver, Colorado, to Burrill L. and Alberta C. (née Mayfield) Phillips. She had a younger brother, Stephen (1937–1986). She was a distant relative of Mary Todd Lincoln.[1] Due to the privations of the Great Depression, she was raised by her maternal grandparents,[4] Mr. and Mrs. Albert Ulysses Mayfield,[5] her adoptive name was Ann Todd Mayfield.[6] (A Newspaper Enterprise Association story published June 13, 1940, refers to Mrs. A.U. Mayfield as Todd's mother.)[7]
In 1942, Todd was hospitalized in critical condition when blood poisoning developed after she cut her foot playing a game in her backyard.[8]
Film career
Todd made her acting debut in Zaza (1939) directed by George Cukor. In a career spanning over 14 years, she appeared in almost 40 movies alongside such stars as Ingrid Bergman, Shirley Temple, James Stewart, John Garfield, Bette Davis, Barbara Stanwyck and Marlene Dietrich.
Due to the similarities between her name and the established British actress Ann Todd, she added the initial "E." to her name.[9] Todd was a regular in The Stu Erwin Show from 1950 to 1953.[10] She became a teacher and librarian in her later life.[11]
Librarian and academic career
After graduating from the University of California, Los Angeles, she attended the University of California, Berkeley, where she obtained a master's degree in library science in 1958 and a Master of Arts in 1960.[12] She was a reference librarian at U.C. Berkeley from 1960 to 1961 and 1970 to 1990. Among her accomplishments was founding and editing Cum Notis Variorum, the library's newsletter, which gained a substantial reputation.[12] Additionally Basart wrote reviews for the Music Library Association publication Notes as well as serving as its music review editor and book review editor.
She taught at the San Francisco College for Women and at the University of California, Berkeley.[12]
In 1984, Basart established Fallen Leaf Press, publishing reference books in music as well as scores of contemporary American chamber music. Basart closed the business in 2000.
In 1993, she was recognized by the Music Library Association for lifetime achievement.[12]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1939 | Zaza | Toto |
| Calling Dr. Kildare | Jenny | |
| The Zero Hour | Beth | |
| Stronger Than Desire | Susan Flagg | |
| Intermezzo | Ann Marie | |
| Bad Little Angel | Libbit Creighton, age 9 | |
| Tower of London | Princess | |
| Destry Rides Again | Claggett girl | |
| 1940 | The Blue Bird | Little Sister |
| Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet | Marianne | |
| Granny Get Your Gun | Charlotte | |
| Little Orvie | Patsy Balliser | |
| All This, and Heaven Too | Berthe | |
| Brigham Young | Mary Kent | |
| Keeping Company | First stooge | |
| 1941 | Blood and Sand | Carmen, as a child |
| Bad Men of Missouri | Amy Younger | |
| Private Nurse | Barbara Winton | |
| How Green Was My Valley | Ceinwen | |
| The Men in Her Life | Rose | |
| Remember the Day | Kate Hill | |
| 1942 | Kings Row | Randy Monaghan, as a child |
| On the Sunny Side | Betty | |
| Beyond the Blue Horizon | Tama, as a child | |
| That Other Woman | Young girl | |
| Over My Dead Body | Tailor's little girl | |
| 1943 | Dixie Dugan | Imogene Dugan |
| 1945 | Roughly Speaking | Louise Randall, as a child |
| Pride of the Marines | Loretta Merchant | |
| 1946 | My Reputation | Gretchen Van Orman |
| The Jolson Story | Ann Murray, as a child | |
| Margie | Joyce Fontayne | |
| 1947 | Homesteaders of Paradise Valley | Melinda Hill |
| Dangerous Years | Doris Martin | |
| 1948 | Three Daring Daughters | Ilka Morgan |
| Arthur Takes Over | Valarie Jeanne Bradford | |
| 1949 | Cover Up | Cathie Weatherby |
| 1950 to 1953 | The Stu Erwin Show | Joyce Erwin (TV Series, main role) |
| 1951 | The Lion Hunters | Jean Forbes |
References
- Pedersen, Erik (February 17, 2020). "Ann Basart Dies: Child Film Actress & 1950s Sitcom Regular Was 88". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
- "Ann E Todd obituary". The Times. London. March 6, 2020. Retrieved March 6, 2020. (subscription required)
- "Ann Basart". Legacy. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
- She, but not her brother Steve, was raised by her maternal grandparents
- Kiley, Bill (January 8, 1940). "Air Notes and Anecdotes". Greenfield Daily Reporter. p. 2. Retrieved October 2, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- Joseph F. Clarke (1977). Pseudonyms. BCA. p. 161.
- Harrison, Paul (June 13, 1940). "At 6 (?), Ann Todd Looks Like Shirley Temple's Successor, But She Doesn't Look Like Shirley". Mount Carmel Item. Pennsylvania, Mount Carmel. Newspaper Enterprise Association. p. 3. Retrieved January 8, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Child Film Star Is Critically Ill". Albuquerque Journal. May 28, 1942. p. 1. Archived from the original on February 20, 2016. Retrieved October 2, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. (Wayback Machine Archive)
- "Ann E. Todd profile". Allmovie. Retrieved November 15, 2013.
- Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7. P. 1109.
- "Little Orvie". TCM. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved November 15, 2013.
- Mimi Tashiro, "Basart, Ann", Grove Music Online https://doi.org/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.A2083817 (accessed November 18, 2019).
