Image of Sandra Dee

Sandra Dee

Sandra Dee was born Alexandria Zuck on April 23, 1942 in Bayonne, New Jersey. Her mother envisioned a show business career for her daughter and would often lie about her age in order to get Sandy where she wanted to go. For example, her mother enrolled her in school early so she could have a head start. Sandy was only four years old when she entered the second grade. Sandra was an extremely pretty young lady, which enabled her to get into modeling. In fact, she was already very successful at her craft by the time she was 12 years old. This in turn led to television commercials for local companies, an added benefit for the young model. Through her mother's prodding and the talent scouts, Sandra was signed to do a movie when she was 14 called Until They Sail (1957), released in 1957. While the film didn't exactly top the charts, it would lay the foundation for Sandra's career. The new young actress was then signed to two more films for 1958, The Reluctant Debutante (1958) and The Restless Years (1958), the latter with a young actor, John Saxon. In 1959, Sandra appeared in five productions with Gidget (1959) and A Summer Place (1959) being the two most popular. Sandra was 17 years old and becoming the heartthrob of teenage boys all across America. In 1960, Sandra appeared in only one film, Portrait in Black (1960), but is remembered by her for something else. She married teen idol Bobby Darin in December of that year. It may have sunk a few teen boys' hearts, but most still were enamored of her. Her work, once again, took off. The 1961 releases were Come September (1961), Romanoff and Juliet (1961), and as Tammy Tyree in Tammy Tell Me True (1961). Sandra had replaced the ever-popular Debbie Reynolds in the "Tammy" series, but the film and its 1963 sequel, Tammy and the Doctor (1963), didn't do all that well at the box-office. The films were now slowing for Sandra. The last few that she made were I'd Rather Be Rich (1964), That Funny Feeling (1965), A Man Could Get Killed (1966), Doctor, You've Got to Be Kidding! (1967), and Rosie! (1967). Her career was effectively over at age 26. She had divorced Bobby Darin in 1967 and it was hard to get a role in films when she was looked at as a divorcée rather than a competent actress who could play parts other than a teenager. Sandra did nail down the part of "Nancy Wagner" in 1970's The Dunwich Horror (1970). After four made for television movies in the 1970s, Sandra played in her last film for the silver screen, Lost (1983). She died of kidney complications on February 20, 2005. Date of Death 20 February 2005, Thousand Oaks, California  (kidney disease)


Read bio at tmdb | Read bio at Wikipedia
Born:
Apr 23, 1942 In Bayonne, New Jersey, U.S.
Movie/TV Credits:
32
First Appeared:
In the series The Oscars 1953-03-19
Latest Project:
Series Frasier 1993-09-16
Known For
Poster of Frasier
Poster of Tammy and the Doctor
Poster of The Oscars
Filmography
Series Frasier Unknown 1993-09-16
Movie Legion of Iron harem girl 1990-08-08
Movie Fantasy Island Francesca Hamilton 1977-01-14
Movie Houston, We've Got a Problem Angie Cordell 1974-03-02
Series Police Woman Unknown 1974-09-13
Series The Sixth Sense Unknown 1972-01-15
Movie The Daughters of Joshua Cabe Ada 1972-09-13
Movie The Dunwich Horror Nancy Wagner 1970-01-14
Series Night Gallery Unknown 1970-12-16
Movie Doctor, You've Got to Be Kidding! Heather Halloran 1967-05-10
Movie Rosie! Daphne Shaw 1967-11-22
Movie A Man Could Get Killed Amy Franklin 1966-03-25
Movie That Funny Feeling Joan Howell 1965-08-14
Movie I'd Rather Be Rich Cynthia Dulaine 1964-08-25
Movie Tammy and the Doctor Tammy Tyree 1963-05-29
Movie Take Her, She's Mine Mollie Michaelson 1963-11-13
Movie If a Man Answers Chantal Stacy 1962-10-10
Movie Come September Sandy Stevens 1961-01-01
Movie Romanoff and Juliet Juliet Moulsworth 1961-06-08
Movie Tammy Tell Me True Tambrey 'Tammy' Tyree 1961-07-26
Movie Portrait in Black Cathy Cabot 1960-07-27
Movie Gidget Gidget 1959-04-09
Movie A Stranger in My Arms Pat Beasley 1959-03-03
Movie The Wild and the Innocent Rosalie 1959-05-27
Movie A Summer Place Molly Jorgenson 1959-11-18
Movie Imitation of Life Susie (16) 1959-10-02
Movie The Reluctant Debutante Jane Broadbent 1958-08-14
Movie The Restless Years Melinda Grant 1958-12-01
Movie Until They Sail Evelyn Leslie 1957-10-08
Movie The Snow Queen Gerda (Ivett) (1959 Universal version voice) 1957-10-22
Series The Steve Allen Show Unknown 1956-06-24
Series The Oscars Unknown 1953-03-19