In 2002, Lee was presented with one of the Golden Boot Awards for her work in western television and cinema. She played the wife of comedian Jerry Lewis in the British comedy-drama Funny Bones (1995), in which they play the parents of the Oliver Platt's character. Lee appeared as the girlfriend of Bev Harris ( Estelle Parsons), whose character disclosed she was gay. In the 1990s, Lee continued to appear in episodic television, most notably on the sitcom Roseanne.
In 1989, she played the role of Sally Powers in the television movie Sweet Bird of Youth with Elizabeth Taylor.
įrom 1988 to 1989, Lee played a recurring role on the CBS sitcom Coming of Age. Lee also performed extensively in the mid-1980s on the legitimate stage, including the title character in the musical Peter Pan. She remained with the show until 1976.ĭuring the 1980s, she lent her voice to episodes of The Flintstone Comedy Show and The Smurfs, in addition to guest roles on CHiPs, Fantasy Island, The Love Boat, and Charles in Charge. By 1974, Lee had grown frustrated by an increasing lack of roles, and took a job co-hosting the daytime game show High Rollers.
In the early 1970s, Lee continued to perform in both film and television roles on Love, American Style, The Mod Squad, and a role in the film The Doomsday Machine (1972). Lee also began appearing regularly on game shows such as The Hollywood Squares, You Don't Say and Match Game. In 1963, she was cast in CBS's The Twilight Zone in the episode " A Short Drink from a Certain Fountain" as a woman whose elderly husband undergoes a scientific experiment and then ages "backward." Lee appeared in two guest spots of The Andy Griffith Show, in 19.Īlso in 1965 she was cast as a movie star named Gloria Morgan in the episode "Gomer Dates a Movie Star" on the sitcom Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. 45, Wagon Train, Bat Masterson, Hawaiian Eye, Rawhide, The Wild Wild West, Ironside, The Fugitive, and three episodes of Hogan's Heroes. Lee was further cast on Richard Diamond, Private Detective, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Maverick, Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer, Sugarfoot, M Squad, Gunsmoke, 77 Sunset Strip, The Alaskans, Colt. Of Hunter, Lee said, "He was one of the prettiest people that ever was put on the screen God, he was gorgeous." Temple Houston was canceled after twenty-six weeks.
In 1963, Lee guest starred as Lucy Tolliver in the twelfth episode "Enough Rope" of the NBC/WB Western series Temple Houston, with Jeffrey Hunter as an historical figure, the frontier lawyer Temple Lea Houston, youngest son of Sam Houston. In the storyline, Bodie is mistaken for a notorious gunfighter and framed for his "own" murder. Western series Cheyenne, with Clint Walker in the starring role. On December 10, 1962, Lee was cast as Lenore Walton Hanford in "Wanted for the Murder of Cheyenne Bodie," the penultimate episode of the ABC/ Warner Bros. She also made five guest appearances on the CBS courtroom drama series Perry Mason between 19, including the roles of murderer Connie Cooper in "The Case of the Screaming Woman" (1958), defendant Millie Crest in "The Case of the Foot-Loose Doll" (1959), as Vita Culver in "The Case of the Prudent Prosecutor," and as Vivian Cosgrave in the episode "The Case of the Libelous Locket" (1963). She appeared as Ellen Barton in the 1960 episode "Grant of Land" of the ABC Western series, The Rebel, starring Nick Adams. In 19 she was cast in four episodes of John Bromfield's syndicated crime drama U.S. From 1957 to 1959 she was cast in different roles in eight episodes of the CBS crime drama series The Lineup, and also played the leading lady in three episodes of Maverick: " The Comstock Conspiracy" (1957) with James Garner, and "The Plunder of Paradise" (1958) and "Betrayal" (1959) with Jack Kelly. For a number of years, she seemed to be everywhere on the small screen. In addition to films, Lee has appeared in dozens of guest-starring roles on television. She then co-starred with Audie Murphy and Darren McGavin in a Western, Bullet for a Badman (1964).
In 1962, she played the female lead in the Rat Pack comedy/Western film Sergeants 3 starring Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop. After that success, Lee appeared in several films including Anything Goes (1956), Funny Face (1957), Witness for the Prosecution (1957), and Marjorie Morningstar (1958). That same year, while acting in a small theater production of On the Town, she landed a role as bride Ruth in the Academy Award-nominated musical Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, while still billed as Ruta Kilmonis. She soon found an agent, who landed her a job in an episode of The Roy Rogers Show, followed by a spot in 1953 on the series Adventures of Superman. Lee then got a break as a guest on two episodes of CBS's The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show.