SC
Sue Casey
Actor
Born April 8, 1926Died February 21, 2019 (92 years)
While other actresses would have long given up a stalled career out of pure frustration after decades of mostly uncredited extra/bit parts and little reward, perennial starlet Sue Casey somehow found the stamina to maintain for six decades! In films from 1946, the voluptuous brunette, at most, became a campy vixen in a few 1960s "drive-in" bombs, yet has always held a remarkably appreciative outlook as to how things turned out.
Successfully establishing herself as a wholesome commercial actress, she pitched everything from cereal to automobiles in over 200 assignments. Light TV guest parts also came her way in episodes of The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour (1957), The Baileys of Balboa (1964), The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961), The Farmer's Daughter (1963), The Beverly Hillbillies (1962) and Family Affair (1966), among others. As for the big screen, nothing changed. Obscure bit/extra parts continued with Bells Are Ringing (1960), The Ladies Man (1961), Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), Two Weeks in Another Town (1962), A New Kind of Love (1963) and The Carpetbaggers (1964).
Finally, after nearly two decades of pursuing her dream in Hollywood, Casey nabbed a leading role! As bad girl "Vicky Lindsay" in what is arguably one of film's biggest "turkeys" of all time, The Beach Girls and the Monster (1965), she attained a notoriety that led to minor cult status. The film had a non-existent budget and was received poorly in every way, shape and form upon its initial release. Casey even had to do her own hair and makeup and was forced to pick out her vixen character's clothes from her own closet. The actors were never paid until the movie was sold years later to TV (retitled as "Monster from the Surf") and that was a mere pittance. Over the years, however, the movie has reportedly gained a cult following. Two other easily dismissed co-starring roles in unmemorable campy films followed. She played a hillbilly mom in the fugitive drama Swamp Country (1966) (which starred pearly-toothed pre-Carol Burnett hunk Lyle Waggoner) and a manipulative mom and art forger in Catalina Caper (1967) (which starred former Disney star Tommy Kirk after his fall from studio grace, and (again) Lyle Waggoner).
In later years, she developed a successful real estate business. She found acting work (often without an agent) intermittently on film and TV. Featured in a couple of higher-scaled movie musicals -- as a lady attendant to Vanessa Redgrave's Queen Guinevere in Camelot (1967) and as one of John Mitchum's two wives in Paint Your Wagon (1969) -- her final film resume would add such films as The Main Event (1979), Evilspeak (1981), Whitesnake: Live... in the Still of the Night (2005) and A Very Brady Sequel (1996). In American Beauty (1999), an Oscar winner for "Best Picture" and "Best Actor", lead actress Annette Bening (a Best Actress nominee for the role), plays a desperate realtor trying to sell Casey's well-to-do character a house.
Successfully establishing herself as a wholesome commercial actress, she pitched everything from cereal to automobiles in over 200 assignments. Light TV guest parts also came her way in episodes of The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour (1957), The Baileys of Balboa (1964), The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961), The Farmer's Daughter (1963), The Beverly Hillbillies (1962) and Family Affair (1966), among others. As for the big screen, nothing changed. Obscure bit/extra parts continued with Bells Are Ringing (1960), The Ladies Man (1961), Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), Two Weeks in Another Town (1962), A New Kind of Love (1963) and The Carpetbaggers (1964).
Finally, after nearly two decades of pursuing her dream in Hollywood, Casey nabbed a leading role! As bad girl "Vicky Lindsay" in what is arguably one of film's biggest "turkeys" of all time, The Beach Girls and the Monster (1965), she attained a notoriety that led to minor cult status. The film had a non-existent budget and was received poorly in every way, shape and form upon its initial release. Casey even had to do her own hair and makeup and was forced to pick out her vixen character's clothes from her own closet. The actors were never paid until the movie was sold years later to TV (retitled as "Monster from the Surf") and that was a mere pittance. Over the years, however, the movie has reportedly gained a cult following. Two other easily dismissed co-starring roles in unmemorable campy films followed. She played a hillbilly mom in the fugitive drama Swamp Country (1966) (which starred pearly-toothed pre-Carol Burnett hunk Lyle Waggoner) and a manipulative mom and art forger in Catalina Caper (1967) (which starred former Disney star Tommy Kirk after his fall from studio grace, and (again) Lyle Waggoner).
In later years, she developed a successful real estate business. She found acting work (often without an agent) intermittently on film and TV. Featured in a couple of higher-scaled movie musicals -- as a lady attendant to Vanessa Redgrave's Queen Guinevere in Camelot (1967) and as one of John Mitchum's two wives in Paint Your Wagon (1969) -- her final film resume would add such films as The Main Event (1979), Evilspeak (1981), Whitesnake: Live... in the Still of the Night (2005) and A Very Brady Sequel (1996). In American Beauty (1999), an Oscar winner for "Best Picture" and "Best Actor", lead actress Annette Bening (a Best Actress nominee for the role), plays a desperate realtor trying to sell Casey's well-to-do character a house.
Filmography
| 2001 | So Little Time (TV Series) · as Dolores Strathmore |
| 1999 | American Beauty · as Sale House Woman #2 |
| 1996 | What Love Sees · as Matron #2 |
| 1996 | Full Circle · as Ballet Teacher |
| 1996 | A Very Brady Sequel · as Art Patron #1 |
| 1996 | The Faculty (TV Series) · as Irene Peters |
| 1995 | Till the End of the Night · as Rita Kesterling |
| 1993 | Diagnosis Murder (TV Series) · as Mrs. Davis |
| 1993 | Boy Meets World (TV Series) · as Katherine |
| 1992 | Red Shoe Diaries (TV Series) · as Mother |
| 1992 | Bodies of Evidence (TV Series) · as Mary Owens |
| 1990 | The Trials of Rosie O'Neill (TV Series) · as Buffy |
| 1984 | |
| 1983 | Hotel (TV Series) · as Amelia Russell |
| 1982 | Hysterical · as Bookstore Society Lady #2 |
| 1981 | |
| 1979 | The Main Event · as Brenda |
| 1979 | Delta House (TV Series) · as Mrs. Niedermeyer |
| 1978 | The White Shadow (TV Series) · as Feminist |
| 1972 | Emergency! (TV Series) · as The Mother |
| 1971 | Terror in the Sky · as Sherry |
| 1969 | Paint Your Wagon · as Sarah Woodling |
| 1967 | Catalina Caper · as Anne Duval |
| 1967 | Camelot · as Lady Sybil |
| 1966 | Family Affair (TV Series) · as Gail Ryder |
| 1966 | Swamp Country · as Mrs. Cox |
| 1965 | The Beach Girls and the Monster · as Vicky Lindsay |
| 1964 | The Carpetbaggers · as Secretary |
| 1964 | The Baileys of Balboa (TV Series) · as Alice Blue |
| 1963 | A New Kind of Love · as Woman (uncredited) |
| 1963 | The Farmer's Daughter (TV Series) · as Girl |
| 1962 | Who's Got the Action? · as Clint's Date |
| 1962 | Billy Rose's Jumbo · as Dottie |
| 1962 | The Lucy Show (TV Series) · as Miss Holloway |
| 1962 | The Beverly Hillbillies (TV Series) · as Roberta Graham |
| 1961 | Breakfast at Tiffany's · as Party Guest In Blue And Green Dress (uncredited) |
| 1961 | The Dick Van Dyke Show (TV Series) · as Clarisse Calvada |
| 1961 | Ada · as Party Girl |
| 1961 | The Ladies Man · as Woman (uncredited) |
| 1960 | Bells Are Ringing · as Party Guest |
| 1958 | The Ann Sothern Show (TV Series) · as Lois |
| 1957 | The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour (TV Series) · as Miss Leg Girl #1 (uncredited) |
| 1955 | The Girl Rush · as Showgirl |
| 1955 | Gunsmoke (TV Series) · as Martha |
| 1955 | Son of Sinbad · as Harem Girl |
| 1954 | Deep in My Heart · as Chorus Girl |
| 1954 | 3 Ring Circus · as Circus Snake Charmer |
| 1954 | The Other Woman · as Script Girl |
| 1954 | A Star Is Born · as Woman |
| 1954 | Rear Window · as Sunbather (uncredited) |
| 1954 | Living It Up · as Showgirl |
| 1954 | Casanova's Big Night · as Minor Role |
| 1954 | Public Defender (TV Series) · as Girl |
| 1953 | The French Line · as Model |
| 1953 | The Band Wagon · as Tall Girl In Arcade |
| 1952 | We're Not Married! · as Girl In Hector's Daydream (uncredited) |
| 1952 | Road to Bali · as Handmaiden |
| 1952 | Million Dollar Mermaid · as Swimmer |
| 1952 | |
| 1952 | Somebody Loves Me · as Minor Role |
| 1952 | |
| 1952 | The Merry Widow · as Girl At Maxim's (uncredited) |
| 1952 | Son of Paleface · as Saloon Dancer |
| 1952 | Sound Off · as Showgirl |
| 1952 | Meet Danny Wilson · as Minor Role |
| 1952 | The Big Trees · as Young Lady |
| 1952 | |
| 1952 | Aladdin and His Lamp · as Dancing Girl |
| 1952 | Rebound (TV Series) · as Cast |
| 1951 | The Lady Says No · as Minor Role |
| 1951 | My Favorite Spy · as Pretty Girl |
| 1951 | An American in Paris · as Dancer (uncredited) |
| 1951 | Here Comes the Groom · as Bridesmaid |
| 1951 | Show Boat · as New Year's Eve Cutie |
| 1951 | The Scarf · as Miss Dean, Receptionist |
| 1951 | Tinhorn Troubadors · as Miss Preston |
| 1950 | Racket Squad (TV Series) · as Other Girl |
| 1950 | |
| 1950 | Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Malone · as Girl |
| 1950 | The Lux Video Theatre (TV Series) · as Sarena |
| 1950 | A Life of Her Own · as Cast |
| 1950 | The Flame and the Arrow · as Angela (uncredited) |
| 1950 | Annie Get Your Gun · as Cowgirl |
| 1950 | The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady · as Pretty Girl |
| 1950 | The Yellow Cab Man · as Minor Role |
| 1950 | Nancy Goes to Rio · as Woman Backstage |
| 1949 | It's a Great Feeling · as Model (uncredited) |
| 1949 | The Great Sinner · as Pretty Girl (uncredited) |
| 1949 | Neptune's Daughter · as Model |
| 1949 | Make Believe Ballroom · as Carhop |
| 1949 | |
| 1948 | |
| 1947 | |
| 1946 |