An attractive leading lady of numerous B-films and Westerns in the 1950s and 60s, Adams is perhaps best-recalled for her work in the cult classic, "The Creature From the Black Lagoon" (1954). Born Betty Mae Adams, she made her film debut billed as Betty Adams in "Red, Hot and Blue" (1949) and then was alternately billed as Julia or Julie. For much of the 50s she was a contract player at Universal and then moved to television where she frequently appeared in such "Golden Age" programs as "Playhouse 90" and "Alcoa/Goodyear Theatre". Adams also had regular roles on the daytime soaps "General Hospital" (ABC, in the 60s) and "Capitol" (CBS, in the 80s). She was the loyal, supportive wife to Jimmy Stewart on "The Jimmy Stewart Show" (NBC, 1971-72) and Lorne Greene in "Code Red" (ABC, 1981-82). From 1987-93, she had a recurring role on the CBS series "Murder, She Wrote" (appropriately filmed at Universal).Adams continued to appear in occasional films into the 80s, including the nearly unwatchable "The Last Movie" (1971), "Psychic Killer" (1975), directed by her then-husband Ray Danton, and "Champions" (1984). Since 1984, however, she has carved a secondary career as a dialogue coach working on such films as Steven Spielberg's "The Color Purple" (1985), the Coen brothers' "Raising Arizona" (1987) and the Jodie Foster vehicles "Sommersby" (1993) and "Nell" (1994).
Profession(s):
Actor, dialog coach, secretary
Sometimes Credited As:
Betty Adams
Betty May Adams
Julia Adams
Family
father:Ralph Eugene Adams
husband:Ray Danton (married in 1954; divorced in 1974; directed Adams in "Psychic Killer" (1975); deceased)
son:Steven Danton
son:Mitchell Danton
Companion(s)
Ronald M Cohen
, Companion
, ```..died of heart failure in April 1998 at age 58
1993 Played recurring role on "Beverly Hills, 90210" (Fox)
1993 Acted in the TV-movie "The Conviction of Kitty Dodds" (CBS)
1984 First screen credit as dialogue coach, "The River"
1983 Last film appearance to date, "Champions"
1975 Directed by then-husband Ray Danton in "Psychic Killer"
1960 Stage debut starring in "Dear Sir" in summer stock in Redding, CA
1959 - 1960 Co-starred on TV series, "Yancy Derringer"
1955 TV acting debut, "Appointment with Love" on "The Lux Video Theater"
1951 Had second lead in "Bright Victory"
1949 Film acting debut, "Red, Hot and Blue"
Featured on the daytime series, "General Hospital"
Played Martha Howard on the NBC sitcom, "The Jimmy Stewart Show"
Played Ann Rorchek on the ABC adventure series, "Code Red"
Appeared on the CBS soap "Capitol"
Worked exclusively as a dialogue coach throughout the 1980s and 1990s
Had recurring role of Eve Simpson on the CBS drama "Murder, She Wrote"