Anita Colby

Born: 1914-08-05

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Anita Colby (August 5, 1914 – March 27, 1992) was an actress and model. Colby was born Anita Counihan, the daughter of the cartoonist, Bud Counihan, a legendary figure among New York City artists and newsmen, in Washington, D.C. Early in her career, at $50 an hour, she was the highest paid model at the time. She was nicknamed "The Face" and appeared on numerous billboards and ads, many of them for cigarette advertisers. She moved to Hollywood from New York in 1935 and changed her name to Colby. She had a bit part in Mary of Scotland (1936) and other B movies but her acting career never took off. After two years, she returned to New York and became an ad salesperson for Harper's Bazaar. She made her name in Hollywood almost ten years after leaving films when she worked on a nationwide advertising campaign for the film Cover Girl (1944), which she also appeared in. She began acting in films again in the 1940s, including Brute Force (1947). Colby was hired by David O. Selznick in the 1940s to teach contract actresses, such as Jennifer Jones, about beauty, poise, and publicity. Her job title was Feminine Director of Selznick International Pictures. She worked closely with Selznick's top actresses, such as Jennifer Jones, Ingrid Bergman, Shirley Temple, Dorothy McGuire, and Joan Fontaine. Colby later hosted the television program The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse in 1954. Colby also invented a chair convertible to inclined bed (U.S. patent 2690209), which was filed in 1952 and issued in 1954. She was a devout Roman Catholic. She died of lung disease, aged 77.


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Brute Force

as Flossie
Released: 1947-07-16

Timeworn Joe Collins and his fellow inmates live under the heavy thumb of the sadistic,...

Movie page

Cover Girl

as Miss Colby
Released: 1944-03-22

A nightclub dancer makes it big in modeling, leaving her dancer boyfriend behind.

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Mary of Scotland

as Mary Fleming
Released: 1936-07-28

The recently widowed Mary Stuart returns to Scotland to reclaim her throne but is opposed by her...

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Walking on Air

as Ex-Mrs. Fred Randolph
Released: 1936-09-11

A strong-willed young woman hires a student to impersonate a boorish French count and brings him...

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El hombre que supo amar

as Mendiga
Released: 1976-09-19

The life of Juan de Dios and his struggle against social, political and religious structures.

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China Passage

as Nurse (uncredited)
Released: 1937-03-12

Americans Tommy Baldwin and Joe Dugan are hired to transport a fabulous diamond from Shanghai to...

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The Merv Griffin Show

as Self
First aired: 1962-10-01

The Merv Griffin Show is an American television talk show, starring Merv Griffin. The series ran...

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