the platinum blond bombshell of 1950s musical motion pictures groomed as a studio glamour girl to substitute for the more famous but often unreliable Marilyn Monroe, Sheree North was also a favorite of younger audiences for her continuing television roles as Lou Grant's sultry girlfriend on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and Kramer's mother Babs on "Seinfeld."

Born Dawn Bethel in Los Angeles on Jan. 17, 1933, North danced as a youngster with USO shows during World War II. She later sanded floors and parked cars to pay for ballet lessons. After abandoning thoughts of becoming a ballerina, she opted for paying jobs in local nightclubs and the chorus line at the Greek Theatre. She made her film debut in the 1951 "Excuse My Dust" starring Red Skelton. But despite her first few films, she became so discouraged about launching a show business career that she considered going to secretarial school. North had to cross the country for her breakout role — a wild dance number in the Broadway musical "Hazel Flagg" she was given after an agent saw her dancing in a Santa Monica nightclub. The debut on the Great White Way earned her a Theatre World award and a chance to repeat her self-styled jitterbug in the Dean Martin-Jerry Lewis musical comedy film version of the stage show, retitled "Living It Up," in 1954.

Unlike other studio-styled blonds such as Jayne Mansfield or Mamie Van Doren, North tried to change her bombshell image, allowing herself to age gracefully, work without makeup and segue into older character parts. She worked steadily, enjoying a half-century career on stage, television and in film. But she never quite shook the initial image as a beauty, which she blamed on studio-generated press coverage in the 1950s. When she appeared on the initial episode of "The Bing Crosby Show" on television that same year, she more than held her own with Crosby and Jack Benny, coming close to walking off with the show.

Hollywood insiders originally whispered that 20th Century Fox hired North only as a threat to the troublesome Monroe — whom she did replace in the 1955 "How to Be Very, Very Popular," in which she outdanced and outshone the leggy Betty Grable. North not only shared Monroe's blond coiffure but almost exactly matched her height and measurements. After that, her film credits quickly rose to leading lady status, as in the 1956 musical film "The Best Things in Life Are Free" opposite Gordon MacRae and Dan Dailey.

North appeared on stage in such popular musicals as "Can-Can," "Irma La Douce" and "Bye Bye Birdie," and in such plays as "Private Lives," "The Madwoman of Chaillot" and "6 Rms Riv Vue." Her film career also endured for several decades, including such films as "The Outfit" with Robert Duvall in 1973, "The Shootist" starring John Wayne in 1976 and the 1991 thriller "Defenseless" with Barbara Hershey and Sam Shepard.

The actress probably gained her widest recognition on television, beginning with early 1950s variety shows including Ed Sullivan's "Toast of the Town." She went on to guest roles in such top series as "The Virginian," "The Big Valley," "The Fugitive," "Cannon," "McMillan and Wife," "Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law," "Kojak," "Hawaii Five-O," "Barnaby Jones," "Fantasy Island," "The Golden Girls" and "Murder, She Wrote." She earned Emmy nominations for appearances on "Marcus Welby, M.D." and "Archie Bunker's Place." North had a key role in the 1979 miniseries "Women in White" and played the uptight boss Edie McKendrick on Danny Thomas' 1980-81 father-daughter sitcom "I'm a Big Girl Now."

In 1974, North became a part of television history on the 100th episode of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," when Ed Asner's character Lou Grant fell for her as Charlene Maguire, a saloon singer with a past. She inspired the crusty newsman Grant to start wearing mauve turtlenecks and zip around the office like, as one colleague said, "a 200-pound bumblebee." North also has a memorable guest appearance on a pair of episode of "Archie Bunker's Place," where her character nearly tempts Archie Bunker into an affair. She found a new genration of fans when she played Kramer's long-lost mother in a pair of "Seinfeld" episodes.

Later in her career, North's connection to Monroe was re-explored when she interviewed or cast in documentaries and shows about the iconic actress. Among them were the 1980 television movie "Marilyn: The Untold Story," in which she played Monroe's mother; and the documentaries "Marilyn Monroe: Beyond the Legend" in 1987 and "Intimate Portrait: Marilyn Monroe" in 1996. She also directed and produced several shows in small theaters, and in 2000 portrayed the Southern belle Amanda in a production of Tennessee Williams' "The Glass Menagerie" at the Laguna Playhouse.

source movies.yahoo.com

  Susan's Plan (1998) .... Mrs. Beyers
... aka Dying to Get Rich (USA: video title)
"Seinfeld"
- The Finale: Part 1 (1998) TV Episode .... Babs Kramer, Cosmo Kramer's Mother
- The Switch (1995) TV Episode .... Babs Kramer, Cosmo Kramer's Mother
Defenseless (1991) .... Mrs. Bodeck
Dead On the Money (1991) (TV)
Cold Dog Soup (1990) .... Mrs. Hughes

"The Golden Girls"
- Ebb Tide (1989) TV Episode .... Virginia Hollingsworth
- Transplant (1985) TV Episode .... Virginia Hollingsworth
"Hunter"
- Shield of Honor (1989) TV Episode .... Dorothy Nickens
"Freddy's Nightmares"
... aka Freddy's Nightmares: A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Series
- Bloodlines (1989) TV Episode .... Joyce Burton
Jake Spanner, Private Eye (1989) (TV)
... aka Hoodwinked
... aka The Old Dick
Maniac Cop (1988) .... Sally Noland
"Murder, She Wrote"
- No Laughing Murder (1987) TV Episode .... Norma Lewis
"Matlock"
- The Don: Part 2 (1986) TV Episode .... Alice Jenkins
- The Don: Part 1 (1986) TV Episode .... Alice Jenkins
Are You My Mother? (1986) (TV) .... Madelyn
"Trapper John, M.D."
- The Unholy Ghost (1985) TV Episode .... Tilly Whiteside
Scorned and Swindled (1984) (TV) .... Maxine Wagner
"Magnum, P.I."
- The Return of Luther Gillis (1984) TV Episode .... Blanche Rafferty, Luther's Secretary
"Bay City Blues" (1983) TV Series .... Lynn Holtz (1983)
Legs (1983) (TV) .... Ida
"I'm a Big Girl Now" (1980) TV Series .... Edie McKendrick
Marilyn: The Untold Story (1980) (TV) .... Gladys Baker

A Christmas for Boomer (1979) (TV)
"Archie Bunker's Place"
- Barney and the Hooker (1979) TV Episode .... Dotty Wertz
- Archie and the Oldest Profession (1979) TV Episode .... Dotty Wertz
Portrait of a Stripper (1979) (TV) .... Sally Evers
... aka The Secret Life of Susie Hanson (USA)
Women in White (1979) (TV) .... Lisa Gordon
Amateur Night at the Dixie Bar and Grill (1979) (TV) .... Lettie Norman
Only Once in a Lifetime (1979) .... Sally
A Real American Hero (1978) (TV) .... Carrie Todd
... aka Hard Stick
Rabbit Test (1978) .... Mystery Woman
"Fantasy Island"
- The Prince/The Sheriff (1978) TV Episode .... Julie
"Hallmark Hall of Fame"
... aka Hallmark Television Playhouse
- Have I Got a Christmas for You (1977) TV Episode .... Adele Serkin
Telefon (1977) .... Marie Wills
The Night They Took Miss Beautiful (1977) (TV) .... Layla Burden
"Westside Medical"
- My Physician, My Friend: Part 2 (1977) TV Episode .... Laurie
- My Physician, My Friend: Part 1 (1977) TV Episode .... Laurie
"Baretta"
- Big Bad Charlie (1977) TV Episode .... Amy
"Family"
- On the First Day of Christmas (1976) TV Episode .... Constance Hume
The Shootist (1976) .... Serepta (Books' ex-girlfriend)
Most Wanted (1976) (TV) .... Melissa Dawson
"Marcus Welby, M.D."
... aka Robert Young, Family Doctor
- How Do You Know What Hurts Me? (1976) TV Episode
Survival (1976) .... Sheree
"Big Eddie" (1975) TV Series .... Honey Smith
"Medical Center"
- Half a Life (1975) TV Episode .... Sylvia Ronston
- Shock!: Part 2 (1972) TV Episode .... Karen Porter
- Shock!: Part 1 (1971) TV Episode .... Karen Porter
Breakout (1975) .... Myrna
A Shadow in the Streets (1975) (TV) .... Gina Pulaski
"Mary Tyler Moore"
... aka The Mary Tyler Moore Show (USA: promotional title)
- The Shame of the Cities (1975) TV Episode .... Charlene Maguire, Lou Grant's Girlfriend
- Lou and That Woman (1974) TV Episode .... Charlene Maguire, Lou Grant's Girlfriend
"Movin' On"
- Goin' Home: Part 2 (1974) TV Episode .... Dinah
- Goin' Home: Part 1 (1974) TV Episode .... Dinah
The Whirlwind (1974) (TV)
"Wide World of Mystery"
- The Cloning of Clifford Swimmer (1974) TV Episode .... Mrs. Swimmer
"Barnaby Jones"
- Forfeit by Death (1974) TV Episode .... Roxy Morgan
"Hawaii Five-O"
... aka McGarrett (USA: rerun title)
- A Hawaiian Nightmare (1974) TV Episode .... Doris Brown
"Kojak"
- The Chinatown Murders: Part 1 (1974) TV Episode .... Mrs. Giancana
- The Chinatown Murders: Part 2 (1974) TV Episode .... Mrs. Giancana
Winter Kill (1974) (TV) .... Betty
"Hec Ramsey"
- Dead Heat (1974) TV Episode .... Widow Helpinstall
Key West (1973) (TV) .... Brandi
Maneater (1973) (TV) .... Gloria Baron
The Outfit (1973) .... Buck's Wife
"Hawkins"
- Murder in Movieland (1973) TV Episode .... Debbie Lane
"Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law"
- The Pool House (1973) TV Episode .... Mrs. Knight
Charley Varrick (1973) .... Jewell Everett
... aka Kill Charley Varrick (Europe: English title)
"Kung Fu"
- The Third Man (1973) TV Episode .... Noreen Gallagher
Snatched (1973) (TV) .... Kim Sutter
"McMillan and Wife"
... aka McMillan (USA: sixth season title)
- No Hearts, No Flowers (1973) TV Episode .... Dr. Marion Voight
Trouble Comes to Town (1973) (TV) .... Mrs. Murdock
"Jigsaw"
- Finder's Fee (1972) TV Episode
"Cannon"
- Stakeout (1972) TV Episode .... Millie Carroll
Rolling Man (1972) (TV) .... Ruby
"Alias Smith and Jones"
- The Men That Corrupted Hadleyburg (1972) TV Episode .... Bess Tapscott
The Organization (1971) .... Mrs. Gloria Morgan
"The Smith Family"
- Lost Lady (1971) TV Episode
Lawman (1971) .... Laura Shelby
Vanished (1971) (TV) .... Beverly West
"The Interns"
- The Challenger (1971) TV Episode .... Beth Calico
"The Most Deadly Game"
- Who Killed Kindness? (1970) TV Episode .... Lottie
"The Name of the Game"
- One of the Girls in Research (1970) TV Episode .... Mrs. Palmer

The Trouble with Girls (1969) .... Nita Bix
... aka The Chautauqua
... aka The Trouble with Girls (and How to Get Into It)
The Gypsy Moths (1969) .... Waitress
Then Came Bronson (1969) (TV) .... Gloria Oresko
"Here Come the Brides"
- A Hard Card to Play (1968) TV Episode .... Felicia
"Mannix"
- Comes Up Roses (1968) TV Episode .... Rose Anderson
Madigan (1968) .... Jonesy
"The Fugitive"
- The Walls of Night (1967) TV Episode .... Willy
- An Apple a Day (1965) TV Episode .... Marianne Adams
Code Name: Heraclitus (1967) (TV) .... Sally
"The Iron Horse"
- A Dozen Ways to Kill a Man (1966) TV Episode .... Alix
"The Big Valley"
- The Man from Nowhere (1966) TV Episode .... Libby Mathews
"Run for Your Life"
- The Day Time Stopped (1966) TV Episode .... Jeannie Lake
Destination Inner Space (1966) .... Dr. Rene Peron
... aka Terror of the Deep
"The Virginian"
... aka The Men from Shiloh (new title)
- That Saunders Woman (1966) TV Episode .... Della Saunders
- Walk in Another's Footsteps (1964) TV Episode .... Karen Anders
"The Loner"
- Escort for a Dead Man (1965) TV Episode .... Cora
"Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre"
... aka The Chrysler Theater
... aka Universal Star Time (syndication title)
- The Crime (1965) TV Episode .... Mary
"Burke's Law"
... aka Amos Burke, Secret Agent (USA: new title)
- Who Killed Rosie Sunset? (1965) TV Episode .... Cleo Delaney
- Who Killed Davidian Jonas? (1964) TV Episode .... The Maharani of Kooshipoo
- Who Killed the Kind Doctor? (1963) TV Episode .... Myrtle 'Gigi' String
"The Greatest Show on Earth"
- This Train Don't Stop Till It Gets There (1964) TV Episode .... Gloria
"Ben Casey"
- Dress My Doll Pretty (1964) TV Episode .... Gloria Cooper
- For This Relief, Much Thanks (1963) TV Episode
"The Great Adventure"
- Wild Bill Hickok - the Legend and the Man (1964) TV Episode .... Agnes Lake
"Breaking Point"
- Don't Cry Baby, Don't Cry (1963) TV Episode
- Solo for B-Flat Clarinet (1963) TV Episode .... Lisa Adams
"The Eleventh Hour"
- There Should Be an Outfit Called 'Families Anonymous'! (1963) TV Episode .... Peggy Lewis
"Gunsmoke"
... aka Gun Law (UK)
... aka Marshal Dillon (USA: rerun title)
- Lover Boy (1963) TV Episode .... Avis Fisher
"The Untouchables"
- Search for a Dead Man (1963) TV Episode .... Claire Simmons
"The Witness"
- Ma Barker (1961) TV Episode

Mardi Gras (1958) .... Eadie
In Love and War (1958) .... Lorraine
No Down Payment (1957) .... Isabelle Flagg
"Playhouse 90"
- Trapeze (1957) TV Episode .... Suzy
The Way to the Gold (1957) .... Hank Clifford, waitress
The Best Things in Life Are Free (1956) .... Kitty Kane
The Lieutenant Wore Skirts (1956) .... Katy Whitcomb
How to Be Very, Very Popular (1955) .... Curly Flagg
"Shower of Stars"
... aka Chrysler Shower of Stars
- Lend an Ear (1954) TV Episode
Living It Up (1954) .... Jitterbug Dancer
"The Colgate Comedy Hour"
... aka Colgate Variety Hour (new title)
... aka Michael Todd Revue (USA: subtitle)
- Anything Goes (1954) TV Episode .... Hope Harcourt
Here Come the Girls (1953) (uncredited) .... Bit Role
... aka Champagne for Everybody
Excuse My Dust (1951) .... Club member