Annie Fargé
Encyclopedia
Annie Fargue was a French
-born actress named "most promising new star in a situation comedy
" in 1961 when she co-starred with Marshall Thompson
, Doris Singleton
, and Don Keefer
in CBS
's Angel
.
Born Annie Goldfarb in France in 1936, she left France shortly before the Nazi occupation. She wanted to become an actress, but her mother was against it. She relented when Fargue was accepted at the Conservatoire Nationale
. Fargue traveled to New York and married dancer Dirk Sanders. The couple had a daughter, Leslie Tabuteau, born shortly before Angel began filming in April 1960. Broadway producer Joshua Logan
is said to have discovered Fargue and had her take English lessons. At the time of casting for the television series, Fargue was an understudy
in the Broadway production of The World of Suzie Wong
. She was signed for the Angel role by producer Jess Oppenheimer
on the basis of CBS executive Robert Lewine's recommendation. Oppenheimer did not elect to do a screen test.
The Angel pilot did not impress the network, but when Lewine screened it for sponsors S. C. Johnson and General Foods
, both sponsors were sufficiently impressed to tell the network executive to put the show on the air or they would cancel their sponsorship of all CBS programs.
Fargue played Angelique "Angel" Smith, the scatterbrained French wife of American architect John Smith, played by Marshall Thompson
. Singleton was her sympathetic neighbor Susie, and Keefer was Susie's husband George. The show was filmed at Desilu Studios. Jess Oppenheimer
and Edward H. Feldman were the producers. The series ran for thirty-three episodes.
After Angel folded due to low ratings, Fargue appeared as a guest star in a few other series, including The Rifleman
and Adventures in Paradise
. Her last television appearance was in a 1964 episode of Perry Mason
. The television show and her marriage failed at approximately the same time. Fargue returned to France in the mid-1960s.
Upon her return to France, Fargue became a theatrical producer. She subsequently became the manager of French singer Michel Polnareff
.
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
-born actress named "most promising new star in a situation comedy
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
" in 1961 when she co-starred with Marshall Thompson
Marshall Thompson
Marshall Thompson was an American film and television actor.He was born James Marshall Thompson in Peoria, Illinois. In 1943 Thompson, known for his boy-next-door good looks, was signed by Universal Pictures...
, Doris Singleton
Doris Singleton
Doris Singleton is an American actress perhaps best remembered as Lucy Ricardo's frenemy, Carolyn Appleby, on I Love Lucy.-Career:...
, and Don Keefer
Don Keefer
Donald "Don" H. Keefer is a retired American actor known for the versatility of his roles. He was born in Highspire in Dauphin County near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Keefer's first role was as Bernard in the 1951 film, Death of a Salesman, based on the Arthur Miller play...
in CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
's Angel
Angel (1960 TV series)
Angel is an American sitcom that aired for one season on CBS during the 1960–1961 season. The series was created and executive produced by Jess Oppenheimer, and stars Annie Fargé as the title character.-Synopsis:...
.
Born Annie Goldfarb in France in 1936, she left France shortly before the Nazi occupation. She wanted to become an actress, but her mother was against it. She relented when Fargue was accepted at the Conservatoire Nationale
Conservatoire de Paris
The Conservatoire de Paris is a college of music and dance founded in 1795, now situated in the avenue Jean Jaurès in the 19th arrondissement of Paris, France...
. Fargue traveled to New York and married dancer Dirk Sanders. The couple had a daughter, Leslie Tabuteau, born shortly before Angel began filming in April 1960. Broadway producer Joshua Logan
Joshua Logan
Joshua Lockwood Logan III was an American stage and film director and writer.-Early years:Logan was born in Texarkana, Texas, the son of Susan and Joshua Lockwood Logan. When he was three years old his father committed suicide...
is said to have discovered Fargue and had her take English lessons. At the time of casting for the television series, Fargue was an understudy
Understudy
In theater, an understudy is a performer who learns the lines and blocking/choreography of a regular actor or actress in a play. Should the regular actor or actress be unable to appear on stage because of illness or emergencies, the understudy takes over the part...
in the Broadway production of The World of Suzie Wong
The World of Suzie Wong
The World of Suzie Wong is a 1957 novel written by Richard Mason. The main characters are Robert Lomax, a young British artist living in Hong Kong, and Suzie Wong, the title character, a Chinese woman who works as a prostitute...
. She was signed for the Angel role by producer Jess Oppenheimer
Jess Oppenheimer
Jess Oppenheimer a radio and television writer, producer, and director, was producer and head writer of the CBS sitcom I Love Lucy.Lucille Ball called Oppenheimer "the brains" behind I Love Lucy...
on the basis of CBS executive Robert Lewine's recommendation. Oppenheimer did not elect to do a screen test.
The Angel pilot did not impress the network, but when Lewine screened it for sponsors S. C. Johnson and General Foods
General Foods
General Foods Corporation was a company whose direct predecessor was established in the USA by Charles William Post as the Postum Cereal Company in 1895. The name General Foods was adopted in 1929, after several corporate acquisitions...
, both sponsors were sufficiently impressed to tell the network executive to put the show on the air or they would cancel their sponsorship of all CBS programs.
Fargue played Angelique "Angel" Smith, the scatterbrained French wife of American architect John Smith, played by Marshall Thompson
Marshall Thompson
Marshall Thompson was an American film and television actor.He was born James Marshall Thompson in Peoria, Illinois. In 1943 Thompson, known for his boy-next-door good looks, was signed by Universal Pictures...
. Singleton was her sympathetic neighbor Susie, and Keefer was Susie's husband George. The show was filmed at Desilu Studios. Jess Oppenheimer
Jess Oppenheimer
Jess Oppenheimer a radio and television writer, producer, and director, was producer and head writer of the CBS sitcom I Love Lucy.Lucille Ball called Oppenheimer "the brains" behind I Love Lucy...
and Edward H. Feldman were the producers. The series ran for thirty-three episodes.
After Angel folded due to low ratings, Fargue appeared as a guest star in a few other series, including The Rifleman
The Rifleman
The Rifleman is an American Western television program that starred Chuck Connors as homesteader Lucas McCain and Johnny Crawford as his son, Mark McCain. It was set in the 1880s in the town of North Fork, New Mexico Territory. The show, filmed in black-and-white with a half hour running time, ran...
and Adventures in Paradise
Adventures in Paradise
Adventures in Paradise is an American television series which ran on ABC from 1959 until 1962. It starred Gardner McKay as Adam Troy, the captain of the schooner Tiki III which sailed the South Pacific looking for passengers and adventure. The show was created by James Michener...
. Her last television appearance was in a 1964 episode of Perry Mason
Perry Mason (TV series)
Perry Mason is an American legal drama produced by Paisano Productions that ran from September 1957 to May 1966 on CBS. The title character, portrayed by Raymond Burr, is a fictional Los Angeles defense attorney who originally appeared in detective fiction by Erle Stanley Gardner...
. The television show and her marriage failed at approximately the same time. Fargue returned to France in the mid-1960s.
Upon her return to France, Fargue became a theatrical producer. She subsequently became the manager of French singer Michel Polnareff
Michel Polnareff
Michel Polnareff, born in Nérac on 3 July 1944, is a French singer-songwriter who was very popular from the mid-1960s until the early 1980s...
.