Fran Ryan

Acting

Fran Ryan

Born 1916-11-29 · Los Angeles, California, USA

​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.   Fran Ryan (November 29, 1916 – January 15, 2000) was an American character actress featured in television and films. She was born in Los Angeles, California. Fran Ryan began performing at the age of 6, at Oakland's Henry Duffy Theatre, in Northern California. She attended Stanford University for three years, and during World War II was a member of the USO entertaining troops. She performed comedy, singing and acting on stage in California and Chicago but was not to launch her television career for two decades. Her small screen debut came in an episode on Television's Batman, in 1966, followed by a bit part in Beverly Hillbillies. Ryan's best known television role was as Aggie Thompson in The Doris Day Show (in its first incarnation plotline theme), though the gig only lasted a few months. This role was cut short because she was offered the 'replacement' role on the hit series Green Acres as Doris Ziffel from 1969-1971. Fran was to replace Barbara Pepper, who by then was in poor health. Sadly, Miss Pepper died just five months later of heart ailments, on July 15, 1969. Ryan also starred on the long running TV Western series Gunsmoke during its twentieth and final season as Miss Hannah (Cobb). In 1987, she reprised the role of Miss Hannah in the TV movie Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge. Fran Ryan played the role of Sister Agatha in the soap opera General Hospital in (1979). She also did voices for cartoons such as Hong Kong Phooey, Mister T and Little Dracula. Fran starred on some TV shows for children like Sigmund and the Sea Monsters in 1975 as Gertrude Grouch, and in 1970s children's show The New Zoo Revue as Ms. Goodbody, the 1980s TV series No Soap, Radio as Mrs. Belmont, the short lived 1980s CBS TV series The Wizard as Tillie Russell from 1986-1987. Her last regular TV role was on The Dave Thomas Comedy Show. She starred in many feature films, including Flush (1977), Big Wednesday (1978), Take This Job and Shove It (1981), Pale Rider (1985), Chances Are, and in her scene-stealing cameo in 1981's Stripes, as a tortured cab fare to Bill Murray as the cabbie, in the opening scenes of the comedy film. Ryan made guest appearances on TV shows ranging from Batman, Adam-12, CHiPs, Quantum Leap, Night Court, Baywatch to The Commish. Fran Ryan was often compared to actress Marjorie Main; they looked similar to one another. Ryan died on January 15, 2000, at age 83. She is buried in the family plots alongside her mother, at the Holy Sepulchre Catholic Cemetery, in Hayward, California. Description above from the Wikipedia article Fran Ryan, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Acting credits

Rocky II poster
7.3

After Rocky goes the distance with champ Apollo Creed, both try to put the fight behind them and move on. Rocky settles down with Adrian but can't put his life together outside the ring, while Creed seeks a rematch to restore his reputation. Soon enough, the "Master of Disaster" and the "Italian Stallion" are set on a collision course for a climactic battle that is brutal and unforgettable.

Rocky II

1979

Pale Rider poster
7.2

A mysterious preacher protects a humble prospector village from a greedy mining company trying to encroach on their land.

Pale Rider

1985

Stripes poster
6.6

Hard-luck cabbie John Winger, directionless after being fired from his job and dumped by his girlfriend, enlists in the U.S. Army with his close pal, Russell Ziskey. After his barely satisfactory performance in basic training, the irreverent Winger emerges as the figurehead for a ragtag band of misfits. However, his hijinks threaten to cause an international scandal when he inadvertently commandeers a military assault vehicle behind enemy lines.

Stripes

1981

The Sure Thing poster
6.5

Gib, a beer-guzzling slob, and Alison, an uptight Ivy-Leaguer, are an unlikely duo stuck together on a cross-country trip during Christmas break. At first they get on each other's nerves but, as time passes, they find their divergent natures complement each other. Now they need to realize what they've already found before it's too late.

The Sure Thing

1985

Straight Time poster
7.1

After being released on parole, a burglar attempts to go straight, get a regular job, and just go by the rules. He soon finds himself back in jail at the hands of a power-hungry parole officer.

Straight Time

1978

Chances Are poster
6.6

Louie Jeffries is happily married to Corinne. On their first anniversary, Louie is killed crossing the road. Louie is reincarnated as Alex Finch, and twenty years later, fate brings Alex and Louie's daughter, Miranda, together. It's not until Alex is invited to Louie's home that he begins to remember his former life, wife and best friend. Of course, there's also the problem that he's attracted to Louie's/his own daughter.

Chances Are

1989

The Million Dollar Duck poster
5.8

Professor Dooley takes home a duck from his research laboratory as a toy for his son, but soon finds out that it lays golden eggs.

The Million Dollar Duck

1971

Stewardess School poster
4.9

A group of varied misfits (including a former prostitute/stripper and a bumbler who can't see more than 6 inches in front of his face) enter a school to become flight attendants. Somehow, the group makes it through to the final test: a cross-country flight.

Stewardess School

1986

The Long Riders poster
6.6

The origins, exploits and the ultimate fate of the James gang is told in a sympathetic portrayal of the bank robbers made up of brothers who begin their legendary bank raids because of revenge.

The Long Riders

1980

Family Plot poster
6.8

Spiritualist Blanche Tyler and her cab-driving boyfriend encounter a pair of serial kidnappers while trailing a missing heir in California.

Family Plot

1976

Private School poster
5.7

Private-school student Christine loves Jim. But her classmate, Jordan, is also vying for Jim's attention and trying to end his relationship with Christine. Meanwhile, Jim's friend Bubba embarks on a series of sexual escapades, including dressing up as a woman to access the girls' locker room. Despite Jim and Christine's efforts to spend some time alone, various shenanigans and schemes interfere.

Private School

1983

The Apple Dumpling Gang poster
6.6

A roving bachelor gets saddled with three children and a wealth of trouble when the youngsters stumble upon a huge gold nugget. They join forces with two bumbling outlaws to fend off the greedy townspeople and soon find themselves facing a surly gang of sharpshooters.

The Apple Dumpling Gang

1975

Big Wednesday poster
6.9

Three 1960s California surfers fool around, drift apart and reunite years later to ride epic waves.

Big Wednesday

1978

Suture poster
6.5

A man named Clay flies into Phoenix for a reunion with his long-lost half-brother Vincent.

Suture

1993

Johnny Belinda poster
6.3

While attempting to set up a communal garden in a poverty stricken rural community, Bill Richmond becomes aware of a mute, disheveled girl named Belinda. Written off as mentally handicapped by the community, including her harsh father, Belinda intrigues Bill. He persists in making contact, discovering that Belinda is in fact deaf. Bill finds that he can communicate with Belinda using sign language, and teaches her to sign.

Johnny Belinda

1982

No artwork available
6.0

Farm widow Sarah Bowman has been impoverished by the siphoning of her water supply. A nearby big-city aqueduct has priority over water rights, leaving the rural outskirts virtually dry. Attempting to bring her cause to the forefront, Sarah dynamites the reservoir, half-hoping that she'll be "martyred" in the process. When she fails to arouse public support, she targets the local power plant for her next blast. Assistant DA Anne Greyfeather, who as an orphaned Indian girl was virtually raised by Sarah, decides to challenge the water-department bureaucracy on McGuire's behalf.

Ghost Dancing

1983

Out Cold poster
5.9

Sunny is married to the butcher, Ernie, and their marriage is about to end as both of them have affairs. Thus Sunny hires Lester Atlas as private investigator in order to collect proof for the divorce. One evening drunken Ernie and his partner Dave have a fight in the butcher shop with Ernie getting knocked out in the fridge where he dies during the night. But it was not Dave's fault but intentional murder by Sunny. Only Lester has proof so Sunny kills him, too. Thus she only has to kill Dave to get rid of all witnesses, but he can free himself out of the fridge and wants to take revenge.

Out Cold

1989

Savannah Smiles poster
6.5

The young daughter of a politician runs away due to lack of attention. She hides in the car of two not too bright crooks who are slowly converted into parent figures as the police web closes down on the supposed kidnappers.

Savannah Smiles

1982

Brainwash poster
6.3

A group of husbands with their wives participate in a reunion where everybody will find his hidden secret. The methods used are terrible, but usually work. Just usually.

Brainwash

1983

Fuzzbucket poster
5.8

In the vein of "Harvey", an invisible creature befriends a 12 year old boy. Of course, no one else can see him nor believes in him.

Fuzzbucket

1986

Tough Enough poster
5.6

An aspiring country singer, whose money is disappearing faster than his career opportunities, enters a "Tough Man" amateur boxing contest to earn some cash to pay his bills. Amazingly enough, he wins it, and is picked to go onto the national finals. He's torn between his first love, music, and the glitz, glamor and money of the "Tough Man" world.

Tough Enough

1983

Eyes of Fire poster
5.6

In 1750, an adulterous preacher is ejected from a small British colony with his motley crew of followers, who make their way downriver to establish a new settlement of their own beyond the western frontier.

Eyes of Fire

1983

River of Rage: The Taking of Maggie Keene poster
5.7

A white water rafting vacation turns into a nightmare when divorced mother Maggie Keene must confront the deadly and charismatic killer who is stalking her. The hunt is on, and Maggie's desperation to stay alive proves to be a worthy match for her killer, the river, and the dangerous elements she is forced to survive.

River of Rage: The Taking of Maggie Keene

1993

Hog Wild poster
8.0

A Chicago man and his family move to an Idaho pig farm, where he's crippled by an angry sow.

Hog Wild

1974