Betsy Palmer

Acting

Betsy Palmer

Born — Died

1926-11-01 — 2015-05-29

Place of birth

East Chicago, Indiana, USA

Known for

Acting

Credits

78 titles

Betsy Palmer (November 1, 1926 – May 29, 2015) was an American actress, best known as a regular panelist on the game show I've Got a Secret and later for playing Mrs. Voorhees in the slasher film Friday the 13th (1980).

Known for

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson poster
7.6

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under The Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night. For its first ten years, Carson's Tonight Show was based in New York City with occasional trips to Burbank, California; in May 1972, the show moved permanently to Burbank, California. In 2002, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson was ranked #12 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

1962

Columbo poster
8.1

Columbo is a friendly, verbose, disheveled-looking police detective who is consistently underestimated by his suspects. Despite his unprepossessing appearance and apparent absentmindedness, he shrewdly solves all of his cases and secures all evidence needed for indictment. His formidable eye for detail and meticulously dedicated approach often become clear to the killer only late in the storyline.

Columbo

1971

The Love Boat poster
6.2

Passengers who search for romantic nights aboard a beautiful ship travelling to tropical or mysterious countries, decide to pass their vacation aboard the "Love Boat", where Gopher, Dr. Bricker, Isaac, Julie, and Captain Stubing try their best to please them, and sometimes help them fall in love. Things are not always so easy, but in the end, love wins.

The Love Boat

1977

The Merv Griffin Show poster
6.8

No synopsis available yet.

The Merv Griffin Show

1962

Murder, She Wrote poster
7.5

An unassuming mystery writer turned sleuth uses her professional insight to help solve real-life homicide cases.

Murder, She Wrote

1984

Knots Landing poster
6.9

The domestic adventures, misdeeds and everyday interactions of five families living on a cul-de-sac in a small California community.

Knots Landing

1979

Film credits

2020s · 2 titles

2000s · 11 titles

James Dean: Forever Young poster
5.9

A brief career. A timeless stardom. In just three major movie roles, James Dean became an icon for the ages. Now his legacy shines even brighter thanks to this fascinating film that, filled with an astonishing treasure trove of newfound or rare glimpses of Dean's TV performances, is like a road map to his meteoric success. Michael J. Sheridan directs and Martin Sheen narrates this revealing documentary showcased at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival. Movie clips, romances, photos that are part of our national DNA (and the stories behind them), and the small-screen work that paved the way to the big screen are all part of the James Dean you couldn't see until now. Forever young. Endlessly fascinating.

James Dean: Forever Young

2005

Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film poster
6.8

This historical and critical look at slasher films, which includes dozens of clips, begins with Halloween, Friday the 13th, and Prom Night. The films' directors, writers, producers, and special effects creators comment on the films' making and success. During the Reagan years, the films get gorier, budgets get smaller, and their appeal wanes. Then, Nightmare on Elm Street revives the genre. Jump to the late 90s, when Scream brings humor and TV stars into the mix.

Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film

2006

The Friday the 13th Chronicles poster
8.3

Behind-the-scenes featurette detailing the production of the 'Friday The 13th' movies.

The Friday the 13th Chronicles

2004

Joan Crawford: The Ultimate Movie Star poster
6.9

In this documentary on the life of Joan Crawford, we learn why she should be remembered as the great actress she was, and not only as "mommie dearest." caricature she has become. Friends, fellow actors, directors, and others reminisce about their association with her, and numerous film clips show off her talent from her start in silents to bad science fiction/horror movies at the end of her career.

Joan Crawford: The Ultimate Movie Star

2002

Friday the 13th: From Crystal Lake to Manhattan (Crystal Lake Victims Tell All - Documentary) poster
7.0

Behind-the-scenes featurette detailing the production of the 'Friday The 13th' movies.

Friday the 13th: From Crystal Lake to Manhattan (Crystal Lake Victims Tell All - Documentary)

2004

No artwork available
5.8

Prestonburg, KY is a small blue-collar town with hunting, fishing, coal mining, and two of the biggest names in online horror talk radio: Wes Vance and Aaron Frye (aka "The Creepy Kentuckian" and "Uncle Bill") The two self-proclaimed "redneck geeks" bonded at a young age while their weekends devouring horror films. They now use their extensive horror knowledge to record a weekly podcast on DEADPIT.com and have found a worldwide audience through their candid conversation, quick wit, and lots of swearing. What started as an outlet to express their love for horror films has evolved into an online industry with millions of followers and the ability to talk to their childhood heroes. But what happens when your childhood pursuits start to collide with your adult aspirations? Can Deadpit survive it's own success?

Into the Pit: The Shocking Story of Deadpit.com

2009

Return to Crystal Lake: Making 'Friday the 13th' poster
6.4

Cast and crew discuss how a no-budget slasher movie became an international sensation. Produced for the "Friday the 13th" DVD.

Return to Crystal Lake: Making 'Friday the 13th'

2003

Bell Witch: The Movie poster
5.5

John and William Bell find an ancient burial site and bring a cursed spirit home with them. The spirit is enraged by the love between their sister Betsy and her fiance, and their only hope of escaping is death.

Bell Witch: The Movie

2007

Friday's Legacy: Horror Conventions poster
8.0

Documentary covering the legacy of 'Friday the 13th' at horror conventions.

Friday's Legacy: Horror Conventions

2009

Betsy Palmer: A Scream Queen Legend poster
NR

For the first time, Betsy Palmer does a one-on-one sit down interview - just her and the camera. During this hour long conversation, she talks about her roles on Broadway and on television, starring in motion pictures like Mr. Roberts with Henry Fonda and Jack Lemmon, Queen Bee with Joan Crawford, Friday the 13th and her latest motion picture Bell Witch: The Movie. She also candidly discusses life and her past during this once in a lifetime interview. -Written by Amanda Maples

Betsy Palmer: A Scream Queen Legend

2006

Penny Dreadful poster
4.6

Jessica and David Clausen are an upstart couple who come face to face with the Supernatural after inheriting a beautiful townhouse in New York City's West Village District.

Penny Dreadful

2005

1990s · 5 titles

James Dean and Me poster
8.8

A documentary about James Dean. People who knew him or had worked with him reminisce.

James Dean and Me

1995

Still Not Quite Human poster
4.8

In the final film of the series, Chip and his "father" attend a robotics convention. Here, Dr. Carson is kidnapped and replaced by an android. Can Chip and his newfound friends save Dr. Carson from a dangerous competitor?

Still Not Quite Human

1992

The Fear: Resurrection poster
3.7

It's death-by-fear (aka scared-to-death) in this deceptively psychological thriller. The hero, Mike brings his friends to his grandparents' house for a Halloween party wherein they will all dress up as their innermost fears. Mike's fear is that he's inherited a homicidal legacy from his father. Mike's father was a serial killer who murdered his mother right in front of him when Mike was five before committing suicide. Mike's fear manifests itself in his inability to commit to his girlfriend of 4 1/2 years, Peg for fear that he will kill her too. Everything gets rolling when an ancient Indian totem wooden figure named Morty comes to life and starts killing off Mike's friends by making their worst fears come true. The ultimate confrontation comes when Mike has to face his greatest fear - his own father.

The Fear: Resurrection

1999

No artwork available
NR

Trace the history of television and its impact on American culture with clips, newsreels, and exclusive interviews from television greats like Walter Cronkite, Carol Burnett, and Jay Leno.

Television: The First Fifty Years

1999

No artwork available
3.6

An American woman uses herself as bait to help a CIA agent trap an alleged serial killer in Morroco.

Unveiled

1994

1980s · 5 titles

1950s · 13 titles

The Tin Star poster
7.0

An experienced bounty hunter helps a young sheriff learn the meaning of his badge.

The Tin Star

1957

Mister Roberts poster
7.0

Mr. Roberts is a Navy officer who's yearning for battle but is stuck in the backwaters of World War II on a non-commissioned ship run by the bullying Captain Morton.

Mister Roberts

1955

The Long Gray Line poster
7.0

The life story of a salt-of-the-earth Irish immigrant, who becomes an Army Noncommissioned Officer and spends his 50 year career at the United States Military Academy at West Point. This includes his job-related experiences as well as his family life and the relationships he develops with young cadets with whom he befriends. Based on the life of a real person.

The Long Gray Line

1955

It Happened to Jane poster
6.2

Jane Osgood runs a lobster business, which supports her two young children. Railroad staff inattention ruins her shipment, so with her lawyer George, Jane sues Harry Foster Malone, director of the line and the "meanest man in the world".

It Happened to Jane

1959

Queen Bee poster
6.3

A wicked Southern woman ruthlessly manipulates her family.

Queen Bee

1955

The Last Angry Man poster
6.9

Dr. Sam Abelman is a Jewish doctor contentedly spending his autumn years serving his own Brooklyn neighborhood. But when his nephew, would-be journalist Myron, writes an article about him, it draws the attention of a producer, Woodrow Thrasher, who believes Dr. Abelman a good candidate for a TV show. The doctor, however, is suspicious of the whole enterprise, thinking both Myron and Thrasher are simply out to make a fast buck.

The Last Angry Man

1959

Death Is My Neighbor poster
7.0

A New York City apartment building supervisor has his job and home threatened by a new tenant.

Death Is My Neighbor

1953

Sentence of Death poster
6.5

A woman witnesses a murder during a store robbery but claims the accused man is not the killer. After he is convicted and weeks away from his execution date, she sees the real killer, but the police are reluctant to reopen the case.

Sentence of Death

1953

No Time at All poster
8.0

An airliner flying nonstop at night from Miami to New York fails to check in, then disappears from radar. We see how its disappearance affects people on the ground.

No Time at All

1958

The Red, White and Blue Line poster
6.0

A promotional film for United States Savings Bonds

The Red, White and Blue Line

1955

Death Tide poster
6.7

A ship with a cargo full of diamonds gets taken over by pirates.

Death Tide

1955

The True Story of Lynn Stuart poster
7.0

When the nephews of Phyllis Carter are killed in an automobile crash while under the influence of narcotics, she persuades Police Lieutenant Jim Hahan to use her as an undercover agent.

The True Story of Lynn Stuart

1958

Marty poster
8.0

Marty Pilletti is a 36-year-old butcher who lives with his mother, who is always asking him why he doesn't find a nice girl and get married. The truth is Marty is lonely and would like nothing better, but he has low self-esteem and admits to his mother that he's ugly and no one wants him. He's tired of going to the Saturday night dance with his buddies and then going home more depressed than he was when the evening started. But at one of those dances he meets Clara. They have a great deal in common but Marty will have to overcome peer pressure if he and Clara are to have a relationship.

Marty

1953

Series credits

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson poster
7.6

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under The Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night. For its first ten years, Carson's Tonight Show was based in New York City with occasional trips to Burbank, California; in May 1972, the show moved permanently to Burbank, California. In 2002, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson was ranked #12 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

1962

Columbo poster
8.1

Columbo is a friendly, verbose, disheveled-looking police detective who is consistently underestimated by his suspects. Despite his unprepossessing appearance and apparent absentmindedness, he shrewdly solves all of his cases and secures all evidence needed for indictment. His formidable eye for detail and meticulously dedicated approach often become clear to the killer only late in the storyline.

Columbo

1971

The Love Boat poster
6.2

Passengers who search for romantic nights aboard a beautiful ship travelling to tropical or mysterious countries, decide to pass their vacation aboard the "Love Boat", where Gopher, Dr. Bricker, Isaac, Julie, and Captain Stubing try their best to please them, and sometimes help them fall in love. Things are not always so easy, but in the end, love wins.

The Love Boat

1977

The Merv Griffin Show poster
6.8

No synopsis available yet.

The Merv Griffin Show

1962

Murder, She Wrote poster
7.5

An unassuming mystery writer turned sleuth uses her professional insight to help solve real-life homicide cases.

Murder, She Wrote

1984

Murder, She Wrote poster
7.5

An unassuming mystery writer turned sleuth uses her professional insight to help solve real-life homicide cases.

Murder, She Wrote

1984

Knots Landing poster
6.9

The domestic adventures, misdeeds and everyday interactions of five families living on a cul-de-sac in a small California community.

Knots Landing

1979

What's My Line? poster
7.0

Four panelists must determine guests' occupations - and, in the case of famous guests, while blindfolded, their identity - by asking only "yes" or "no" questions.

What's My Line?

1950

The Philco Television Playhouse poster
6.6

The Philco Television Playhouse is an American anthology series that was broadcast live on NBC from 1948 to 1955. Produced by Fred Coe, the series was sponsored by Philco. It was one of the most respected dramatic shows of the Golden Age of Television, winning a 1954 Peabody Award and receiving eight Emmy nominations between 1951 and 1956.

The Philco Television Playhouse

1948

The Philco Television Playhouse poster
6.6

The Philco Television Playhouse is an American anthology series that was broadcast live on NBC from 1948 to 1955. Produced by Fred Coe, the series was sponsored by Philco. It was one of the most respected dramatic shows of the Golden Age of Television, winning a 1954 Peabody Award and receiving eight Emmy nominations between 1951 and 1956.

The Philco Television Playhouse

1948

Tonight Starring Jack Paar poster
7.5

Tonight Starring Jack Paar is an American talk show hosted by Jack Paar under The Tonight Show franchise from 1957 to 1962. It originally aired during late-night. During most of its run it was broadcast from Studio 6B inside the RCA Building. The same studio would also host early episodes of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Its theme song was an instrumental version of "Everything's Coming Up Roses", and the closing theme was "So Until I See You" by Al Lerner.

Tonight Starring Jack Paar

1957

Newhart poster
7.2

Dick Loudon and his wife Joanna decide to leave life in New York City and buy a little inn in Vermont. Dick is a how-to book writer, who eventually becomes a local TV celebrity as host of "Vermont Today." George Utley is the handyman at the inn and Leslie Vanderkellen is the maid, with ambitions of being an Olympic Ski champion; she is later replaced by her cousin Stephanie, an heiress who hates her job. Her boyfriend is Dick's yuppie TV producer, Michael Harris. There are many other quirky characters in this fictional little town, including Dick's neighbors Larry, Darryl, and Darryl...three brothers who buy the Minuteman Cafe from Kirk Devane. Besides sharing a name, Darryl and Darryl never speak.

Newhart

1982

Newhart poster
7.2

Dick Loudon and his wife Joanna decide to leave life in New York City and buy a little inn in Vermont. Dick is a how-to book writer, who eventually becomes a local TV celebrity as host of "Vermont Today." George Utley is the handyman at the inn and Leslie Vanderkellen is the maid, with ambitions of being an Olympic Ski champion; she is later replaced by her cousin Stephanie, an heiress who hates her job. Her boyfriend is Dick's yuppie TV producer, Michael Harris. There are many other quirky characters in this fictional little town, including Dick's neighbors Larry, Darryl, and Darryl...three brothers who buy the Minuteman Cafe from Kirk Devane. Besides sharing a name, Darryl and Darryl never speak.

Newhart

1982

T. J. Hooker poster
6.5

Sergeant Thomas Jefferson Hooker is a tough-as-nails veteran police officer with the LCPD who turns his back on a gold badge and goes back to patrolling the streets and training recruits. Along with his young partners in blue, Hooker take on Lake City's toughest criminals.

T. J. Hooker

1982

Studio One poster
5.4

An American radio–television anthology series, created in 1947 by Canadian director Fletcher Markle, who came to CBS from the CBC. Studio One, presented by Westinghouse, was one of the first of the anthology TV programs. The episodes were often abridged remakes of movies from years gone by and many future well-known television and movie actors appeared in the productions.

Studio One

1948

Studio One poster
5.4

An American radio–television anthology series, created in 1947 by Canadian director Fletcher Markle, who came to CBS from the CBC. Studio One, presented by Westinghouse, was one of the first of the anthology TV programs. The episodes were often abridged remakes of movies from years gone by and many future well-known television and movie actors appeared in the productions.

Studio One

1948

Studio One poster
5.4

An American radio–television anthology series, created in 1947 by Canadian director Fletcher Markle, who came to CBS from the CBC. Studio One, presented by Westinghouse, was one of the first of the anthology TV programs. The episodes were often abridged remakes of movies from years gone by and many future well-known television and movie actors appeared in the productions.

Studio One

1948

Studio One poster
5.4

An American radio–television anthology series, created in 1947 by Canadian director Fletcher Markle, who came to CBS from the CBC. Studio One, presented by Westinghouse, was one of the first of the anthology TV programs. The episodes were often abridged remakes of movies from years gone by and many future well-known television and movie actors appeared in the productions.

Studio One

1948

Studio One poster
5.4

An American radio–television anthology series, created in 1947 by Canadian director Fletcher Markle, who came to CBS from the CBC. Studio One, presented by Westinghouse, was one of the first of the anthology TV programs. The episodes were often abridged remakes of movies from years gone by and many future well-known television and movie actors appeared in the productions.

Studio One

1948

Studio One poster
5.4

An American radio–television anthology series, created in 1947 by Canadian director Fletcher Markle, who came to CBS from the CBC. Studio One, presented by Westinghouse, was one of the first of the anthology TV programs. The episodes were often abridged remakes of movies from years gone by and many future well-known television and movie actors appeared in the productions.

Studio One

1948

Studio One poster
5.4

An American radio–television anthology series, created in 1947 by Canadian director Fletcher Markle, who came to CBS from the CBC. Studio One, presented by Westinghouse, was one of the first of the anthology TV programs. The episodes were often abridged remakes of movies from years gone by and many future well-known television and movie actors appeared in the productions.

Studio One

1948

Climax! poster
3.8

Climax! is an American anthology series that aired on CBS from 1954 to 1958. The series was hosted by William Lundigan and later co-hosted by Mary Costa. It was one of the few CBS programs of that era to be broadcast in color. Many of the episodes were performed and broadcast live.

Climax!

1954

Climax! poster
3.8

Climax! is an American anthology series that aired on CBS from 1954 to 1958. The series was hosted by William Lundigan and later co-hosted by Mary Costa. It was one of the few CBS programs of that era to be broadcast in color. Many of the episodes were performed and broadcast live.

Climax!

1954

Climax! poster
3.8

Climax! is an American anthology series that aired on CBS from 1954 to 1958. The series was hosted by William Lundigan and later co-hosted by Mary Costa. It was one of the few CBS programs of that era to be broadcast in color. Many of the episodes were performed and broadcast live.

Climax!

1954

I've Got a Secret poster
7.7

A panel tries to determine a contestant's secret: something that is unusual, amazing, embarrassing, or humorous about that person.

I've Got a Secret

1952

Just Shoot Me! poster
6.6

See the inner workings of a high-style magazine owned by Jack Gallo, who has hired his quick-tempered but talented daughter, Maya, to write for the publication. Challenging her at every turn is Nina, a vain and superficial former model. Then there's photographer Elliot, a man who is very popular with his portrait subjects as well as other women. completing the core staff is her father's assistant, Dennis, a glorified secretary who is generally disrespectful to one and all.

Just Shoot Me!

1997

The Ed Sullivan Show poster
6.8

The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the CBS Sunday Night Movie, which ran only one season and was eventually replaced by other shows. In 2002, The Ed Sullivan Show was ranked #15 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.

The Ed Sullivan Show

1948

Charles in Charge poster
6.1

Charles, a 19-year-old student at the fictional Copeland College in New Brunswick, New Jersey, works as a live-in babysitter in exchange for room and board.

Charles in Charge

1984

Playhouse 90 poster
7.5

Playhouse 90 is an American television anthology series that was telecast on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 133 episodes. It originated from CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California. Since live anthology drama series of the mid-1950s were usually hour-long shows, the title highlighted the network's intention to present something unusual, a weekly series of hour-and-a-half dramas rather than 60-minute plays. Playhouse 90 began as a pitch by Frank Stanton—the formidable, forward-thinking right-hand man to CBS chairman William S. Paley—during a brainstorming session for program ideas. The project was ultimately developed by Hubbell Robinson, a CBS vice president who received no screen credit on Playhouse 90 but is often described as its creator.

Playhouse 90

1956

CHiPs poster
6.8

Lighthearted look at the adventures of two Highway Patrol officers in Los Angeles. The main characters are Jon Baker and Frank Poncherello, two motorcycle officers always on the street to save lives.

CHiPs

1977

Lux Video Theatre poster
6.7

Lux Video Theatre is an American anthology series that was produced from 1950 until 1959. The series presented both comedy and drama in original teleplays, as well as abridged adaptations of films and plays.

Lux Video Theatre

1950

Inner Sanctum poster
8.0

No synopsis available yet.

Inner Sanctum

1954

No artwork available
6.5

Miss Susan is a daytime drama which aired on NBC from March 12 to December 28, 1951. The show, originating from Philadelphia and later retitled Martinsville, U.S.A., aired for fifteen minutes at 3:00 p.m. ET on weekdays. The main writer was William Kendall Clarke.

Miss Susan

1951

FreakyLinks poster
6.5

Derek Barnes, assisted by his friends Chloe and Jason, runs a website called "FreakyLinks.com" that seeks out the dark and forbidden truths behind paranormal phenomena and urban legends. He took over the site after his twin brother, Adam, died under mysterious circumstances. Follow as Derek and his friends investigate supernatural claims for the website and uncover clues that might reveal the truth of his brother's fate.

FreakyLinks

2000

Hallmark Hall of Fame poster
8.8

Long-running anthology program sponsored by Hallmark Cards. Beginning in 1951 and continuing into 2019, the series received 80 Emmy Awards, 24 Christopher Awards, 11 Peabody Awards, 9 Golden Globes, and 4 Humanitas Prizes. Early seasons were a weekly live drama, eventually transitioning to videotaped and then filmed productions broadcast as occasional specials.

Hallmark Hall of Fame

1951

E! True Hollywood Story poster
8.1

E! True Hollywood Story is an American documentary series on E! that deals with famous Hollywood celebrities, movies, TV shows and also well-known public figures. Among the topics covered on the program include salacious re-tellings of Hollywood secrets, show-biz scandals, celebrity murders and mysteries, porn-star biographies, and "where-are-they-now?" investigations of former child stars. It frequently features in-depth interviews, actual courtroom footage, and dramatic reenactments. When aired on the E! network, episodes will be updated to reflect the current life or status of the subject.

E! True Hollywood Story

1996

Maggie poster
10.0

Based on books by Erma Bombeck, Maggie Weston is a housewife living with husband Len and sons Mark and Bruce outside of Dayton, Ohio. There is a third son, LJ, who is never seen because he's "always in the bathroom." Rounding out the main cast are Maggie's friends.

Maggie

1981

General Electric Theater poster
6.8

General Electric Theater is an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations.

General Electric Theater

1953

Windmills of the Gods poster
6.1

When Mary Ashley is approached to become ambassador of the United States of America in Romania she does not take the offer because her husband does not want to give up his well-going doctor's office. Shortly afterward Dr. Edward Ashley gets killed in a car accident. After this Mary Ashley reconsiders the offer and finally accepts. Arrived in Romania she is confronted with a complex plot in which the American President's current plans to improve relations between the US and communist countries shall be sabotaged.

Windmills of the Gods

1988