IN LOVING MEMORY
JEANNE BATES
1918-2007
Jeanne Bates, who appeared on "Days of Our Lives" as Jean Perkins from 1967-1968 and as Anne Peters from 1972-1975, has died. She was 89. Bates died of breast cancer on November 28, 2007, at the Motion Picture & Television Fund Hospital in Woodland Hills, California.
Ms. Bates was born on May 21, 1918 in Berkeley, California. She began her acting career while attending San Mateo Junior College, appearing on radio soap operas in San Francisco. It was in radio where she met her future husband, writer Lew X. Lansworth. They wed in 1943 and remained married until his death in 1981.
Throughout her career, Bates appeared in countless movies and television series. One of her first roles was as Bela Lugosi's first victim in "Return of the Vampire" in 1943. Among the primetime series Bates appeared in were: "Gunsmoke", "The Lone Ranger", "Perry Mason", "Lassie", "Bonanza", "77 Sunset Strip", "The Donna Reed Show", "The Twilight Zone", "Wagon Train", "Ben Casey", "Hawaii Five-O", "Family Affair", "Marcus Welby" and "The Rockford Files."
In January 1967, Bates joined "Days of Our Lives" as Jean Perkins, a nurse at University Hospital. She played the supporting role through October 1968. In February 1972, Bates returned to "Days", this time as Anne Peters, the mother of Greg (Peter Brown) and Eric (Stanley Kamel), wife of Phil (Herb Nelson) and mother-in-law of Susan (Bennye Gatteys). She remained on "Days" until 1975.
After her second stint on "Days", Bates continued to act, appearing in such series as "Barnaby Jones", "Wonder Woman", "Three's Company", "Dallas" and "Wings." She also appeared in the films "Eraserhead", "Mom", "Die Hard 2", and "Dream Lover." Her final screen appearance was in "Mulholland Dr." in 2001.