Diane Baker (born February 25, 1938) is an American actress, producer, and educator.
Early life Baker was born February 25, 1938 at Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital and raised in the Los Angeles neighborhoods of North Hollywood and Studio City. She is the daughter of businessman Clyde Lucius Baker and Dorothy Helen Harrington, who Diane claims was "always used" to sit on the knee of one of the Marx Brothers in some of their early films but "hated it" and "quit as soon as she married". Baker has two younger sisters, Patricia and Cheryl.
Career After securing a seven-year contract with 20th Century Fox in 1958, Baker made her film debut when she was chosen by director George Stevens to play Margot Frank in the 1959 motion picture The Diary of Anne Frank. In the same year, she starred in Journey to the Center of the Earth with James Mason and Pat Boone; and in The Best of Everything with Hope Lange and Joan Crawford.
Other Fox films in which Baker appeared include the assassination thriller Nine Hours to Rama, Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man, and The 300 Spartans. Her television work, which began in the 1960s, includes appearances on Follow the Sun, Bus Stop, Adventures in Paradise, The Lloyd Bridges Show, The Nurses, The Invaders (in the first episode), and two episodes of Route 66.
Finally out of her contract with Fox after starring in the fourth screen version of Grace Miller White's novel Tess of the Storm Country and The 300 Spartans (1962), Baker appeared in Stolen Hours, a 1963 remake of Dark Victory (Mirisch Corp. and United Artists), and, the same year, opposite Paul Newman and Elke Sommer in The Prize (MGM). From 1963 to 1966, Baker had a recurring role on the medical drama Dr. Kildare.
In 1964, she co-starred with Joan Crawford in both Strait-Jacket, William Castle's thriller about an axe murderess, and an unsold television pilot Royal Bay, released to theaters as Della. Alfred Hitchcock cast her in his film Marnie (1964) as Lil Mainwaring, the sister-in-law of Mark Rutland (Sean Connery). She co-starred with Gregory Peck and Walter Matthau in the thriller Mirage (1965), directed by Edward Dmytryk, and in Krakatoa, East of Java (1969) with Maximilian Schell. In the TV movie Western The Dangerous Days of Kiowa Jones (1966), she played the role of a woman who falls in love with a drifter (Robert Horton) who is deputized by a dying marshal to take two killers (one of whom is played by Sal Mineo) to a distant jail.
In August 1967, Baker played David Janssen's love interest in the two-part finale of The Fugitive, which became the most-watched show in the history of episodic television up until that time. In 1968, she co-starred with Dean Jones in the Disney film The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit. In January 1970, she had the lead guest-starring female role as Princess Francesca in the only three-episode mission of Mission: Impossible. In 1973, Baker co-starred in ABC sitcom Here We Go Again. The series was canceled after one season. In 1976, she played the frequently drunken daughter of the title character of the Columbo episode "Last Salute to the Commodore".
In the decades after Mirage, she appeared frequently on television and began producing films, including the drama film Never Never Land (1980) and the miniseries A Woman of Substance (1985), in which she played Laura. She reemerged on the big screen in The Silence of the Lambs (1991) as Senator Ruth Martin. Baker also appeared in the films The Joy Luck Club, The Cable Guy, The Net and A Mighty Wind. She guest-starred in four episodes of House in 2005, 2008, and twice in 2012 as Blythe House, the mother of the title character.
Baker spent more than a decade teaching acting at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. She was formerly the executive director of the School of Motion Pictures-Television and the School of Acting.
Personal life Baker has dated Warren Beatty, Gardner McKay, Frank Langella, Michael Lerner and John Saxon.Companions for Diane Baker tcm.com
Selected TV and filmography Year Title Role Notes1959 The Diary of Anne Frank Margot Frank Journey to the Center of the Earth Jenny Lindenbrook The Best of Everything April Morrison1960 The Wizard of Baghdad Princess Yasmin Tess of the Storm Country Tess MacLean1962 Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man Carolyn The 300 Spartans Ellas1963 Nine Hours to Rama Sheila The Prize Emily Stratman Stolen Hours Ellen1964 Strait-Jacket Carol Harbin Marnie Lil Mainwaring1965 Mirage Shela1966 Sands of Beersheba Susan Alternative title: Thunder Over Israel 1968 The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit Suzie "S.J." Clemens1969 Krakatoa, East of Java Laura Travis1976 Baker's Hawk Jenny Baker 1980 The Pilot Pat Simpson 1990 The Closer Beatrice Grant 1991 The Silence of the Lambs Senator Ruth Martin 1993 Twenty Bucks Ruth Adams The Joy Luck Club Mrs. Jordan 1994 Imaginary Crimes Abigail Tate1996 Courage Under Fire Louise Boylar 1997 Murder at 1600 Kitty Neil 2001 Harrison's Flowers Mary Francis2002 On the Roof Mrs. Arnott2003 A Mighty Wind Supreme Folk Defense Lawyer Credited last but no face-time 2005 The Keeper: The Legend of Omar Khayyam Miss Taylor Alternative title: Empire Rising 2008 Harrison Montgomery Mrs. Cutsworth 2012 Hemingway & Gellhorn Mrs. Gellhorn
Television +YearTitleRoleNotes1959Playhouse 90Shelia CassEpisode: "In Lonely Expectation"1960The DuPont Show of the MonthNurse Leora TozerEpisode: "Arrowsmith"1961Follow the SunHelen HendersonEpisode: "Journey Into Darkness"Adventures in ParadiseVeronica SandersEpisode: "Vendetta"1963The Doctors and the NursesMarjorie FordEpisode: "Field of Battle"Mr. NovakMrs. ChaseEpisode: "A Feeling for Friday"Route 66Elisa/Marie Duplessis2 episodes1964DellaJenny ChappellTelevision filmWagon TrainAlice WhitetreeEpisode: "The Alice Whitetree Story"The Ghost of Sierra de CobreVivia MandourTelevision film1965Inherit the WindRachel BrownThe Big ValleyHesterEpisode: "By Fires Unseen"1966-1970The VirginianVarious3 episodes1966HawkMary WheelisEpisode: "The Longleat Chronicles"The F.B.I.Elyse ColtonEpisode: "The Camel's Nose"The Dangerous Days of Kiowa JonesAmilia RathmoreTelevision film1967The FugitiveJean CarlisleEpisodes: "The Judgment" (Parts 1 & 2)The InvadersKathy AdamsEpisode: "Beachhead"Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler TheatreLaneyEpisode: "Free of Charge"1967, 1971BonanzaMary Wharton / Norma O'Casey2 episodes1969Trial RunCarole TrenetTelevision filmThe Name of the GameElaine BrennanEpisode: "Give Till It Hurts"The D.A.: Murder OneMary BrokawTelevision film1970Mission: ImpossibleFrancescaEpisodes: "The Falcon" (Parts 1, 2, & 3)1970The InternsSheila CarmichaelEpisode: "The Quality of Mercy"The Old Man Who Cried WolfPeggy PulskaTelevision film1971SargeCarol SwansonEpisode: "The Badge or the Cross"Congratulations, It's a Boy!EdyeTelevision filmA Little GameElaine HamiltonNight GalleryLynn AllcottSegment: "They're Tearing Down Tim Riley's Bar"1972Killer by NightTracey MorrowTelevision filmLove, American StyleWendySegment: "Love and the Small Wedding"1973Love StoryAngie BurnettEpisode: "The Youngest Lovers"Here We Go AgainSusan Evans13 episodes1974A Tree Grows in BrooklynKatie NolanTelevision filmMedical CenterThree-Cornered CageEpisode: "Three-Cornered Cage"The ABC Afternoon PlaybreakDianaEpisode: "Can I Save My Children?"1975Lucas TannerJessica AtkinsEpisode: "Why Not a Happy Ending?"Marcus Welby, M.D.Sister AnneEpisode: "The Medea Factor"The Streets of San FranciscoInspector Irene MartinEpisode: "The Cat's Paw"The Dream MakersMary StoneTelevision film1976Police WomanCynthia LambertEpisode: "The Pawn Shop"ColumboJoanna ClayEpisode: "Last Salute to the Commodore"1977Barnaby JonesPat HalstonEpisode: "The Wife Beater"KojakIrene Van Patten2 episodes1978The Love BoatRuth NewmanEpisode: "Pacific Princess Overtures..."ABC Afterschool SpecialCarrie WilsonEpisode: "One of a Kind"1980Fugitive FamilyEllen 'Ellie' RobertsTelevision film1981Trapper John, M.D.Mrs. ForsyteEpisode: "The Albatross"1982The Blue and the GrayEvelyn HaleMiniseries1983Fantasy IslandFran WoodsEpisode: "Saturday's Child..."1985A Woman of SubstanceLaura O'NeillMiniseries1987CBS Schoolbreak SpecialHelen Welker-SummersEpisode: "Little Miss Perfect"1990, 1992Murder, She WroteEleanor Thane/Anna Louisa Barlow/Mary Forsythe3 episodes1991The HauntedLorraine WarrenTelevision film1992Mann & MachineDelores PetersonEpisode: "Water, Water, Everywhere"Perry Mason: The Case of the Heartbroken BrideLaura ParrisTelevision film1995A Walton WeddingCharlotte Gilchrist1996Chicago HopeMrs. KovacsEpisode: "Rise from the Dead"1998About SarahLila HollingsworthTelevision filmThe NannyRobertaEpisode: "Sara's Parents"2000ERLouise DuffyEpisode: "The Domino Heart"Jackie Bouvier Kennedy OnassisRose KennedyTelevision film2001Law & Order: Special Victims UnitMargo NelsonEpisode: "Inheritance"2002First MondayArlene Braken3 episodes2003DragnetRebecca BartonEpisode: "The Brass Ring"2005UnscriptedDiane5 episodes2005, 2008, 2012HouseBlythe House4 episodes2010Lie to MeJudge QuinnEpisode: "The Whole Truth"2013The SurrogateLouiseTelevision film
Awards and nominations Golden Globe Awards Year Category Nominated work Result 1960 Most Promising Newcomer – Female The Diary of Anne Frank 1964 Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture The Prize
Primetime Emmy Award Year Category Nominated work Result 1966 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Inherit the Wind 1985 Outstanding Limited Series A Woman of Substance
Daytime Emmy Award Year Category Nominated work Result 1975 Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Special The ABC Afternoon Playbreak: "Can I Save My Children?"
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