Lynn Borden
Encyclopedia
Lynn Borden is an American
actress best known for her role as "Barbara Baxter" in the final season of the Shirley Booth
sitcom Hazel
, which aired on CBS
from 1965
to 1966
.
, her family moved to Cleveland
, and later to Tucson, Arizona
, due to her mother's (Evelyn S. Freyse;
1908–2003) health needs, which required a warm, dry climate. Mrs. Freyse enrolled Lynn in acting classes as a way to overcome the child's natural bashfulness. The training helped her to land the better parts in class plays as well as small roles in some western
films shot in Arizona. The blonde Borden won scholarships as the 1957 Miss Arizona
and hence as a contestant in the 1958 Miss America
pageant. She lost to Marilyn Van Derbur
of Colorado
but was nevertheless a Preliminary Swimsuit winner and a Top 10 semi-finalist. She soon enrolled at the University of Arizona
in Tucson, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts
degree in theater. During this time, she performed theater work in Tucson, and garnered small parts in movies (primarily Westerns that were shot in the area. She married Chris Borden; the couple later divorced but she kept his surname professionally.
After college, she relocated to San Francisco
and secured a small, credited part on the ABC
series, Hawaiian Eye
.
Borden's father, William "Bill" Freyse (1898–1969), a Michigan native, was a
cartoonist. He drew a comic strip "Our Boarding House
" from 1939 until his death thirty years later. The strip, syndicated by Newspaper Enterprise Association, ended its run in 1984.
Six years after Hazel folded, Borden appeared as Jenny Crockett in the 1972 low-budget horror film
Frogs
, about a southern family overrun by amphibians and reptiles. In 1974 she played Evelyn Stanton in Dirty Mary Crazy Larry.
Borden's first role was uncredited as a party guest in the 1962 Jack Lemmon
and Lee Remick
film, Days of Wine and Roses
. The next year she had another uncredited part as a bus passenger in David Janssen
's ABC
drama The Fugitive
. After 1966, she guest starred on My Three Sons
, The F.B.I., Family Affair
(twice), Ironside
, Get Smart
, The Mod Squad
, Petrocelli
, McMillan and Wife
(as Sharon Joyce in the 1975 episode "Requiem for a Bride"), Starsky and Hutch
, Fantasy Island
, and The Fall Guy
. She appeared too as Cutter in the 1969 film Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice
. Her last role was as an older woman with a dog in the 2006 episode "Not What It Looks Like" of the CBS series CSI: NY
. In her later years, Borden worked in commercials and plays.
. Borden declares, "I love frogs. They're cute, they won't harm you, and they're good luck. You know, kiss the frog and marry a prince, that kind of thing. If I see a frog, real or otherwise, I'll always stop to look at it. . . . " Her father drew elephants regularly in his cartoon strip. Some of her elephant figurines were a gift from her friend, the late actress Mala Powers
, who had a recurring role as the next-door neighbor on Hazel. Borden recalls that Powers was "admiring the elephants my father had left me and said, 'You're collecting elephants!'" Borden replied, "No I'm not", but Powers insisted, "Oh, yes you are!"
In July 2007, Borden was among the guests at the Western Film Fair in Charlotte, North Carolina
. She resides in Encino, California with her husband, Roger Brunelle
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress best known for her role as "Barbara Baxter" in the final season of the Shirley Booth
Shirley Booth
Shirley Booth was an American actress.Primarily a theatre actress, Booth's Broadway career began in 1925. Her most significant success was as Lola Delaney, in the drama Come Back, Little Sheba, for which she received a Tony Award in 1950...
sitcom Hazel
Hazel (TV series)
Hazel is a Screen Gems television series about a fictional live-in maid named Hazel Burke and her employers, the Baxters. The five-season, 154-episode series aired in primetime from September 1961 until April 1966...
, which aired on 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...
from 1965
1965 in television
The year 1965 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1965.For the American TV schedule, see: 1965-66 American network television schedule.-Events:...
to 1966
1966 in television
The year 1966 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1966.For the American TV schedule, see: 1966-67 American network television schedule.-Events:...
.
Background
Born Lynn Freyse in DetroitDetroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, her family moved to Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, and later to Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
, due to her mother's (Evelyn S. Freyse;
1908–2003) health needs, which required a warm, dry climate. Mrs. Freyse enrolled Lynn in acting classes as a way to overcome the child's natural bashfulness. The training helped her to land the better parts in class plays as well as small roles in some western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
films shot in Arizona. The blonde Borden won scholarships as the 1957 Miss Arizona
Miss Arizona
The Miss Arizona competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Arizona in the Miss America pageant. Arizona has twice won the Miss America title.-Results summary:...
and hence as a contestant in the 1958 Miss America
Miss America
The Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
pageant. She lost to Marilyn Van Derbur
Marilyn Van Derbur
Marilyn Van Derbur is the 1958 Miss America pageant holder.Van Derbur from Denver, Colorado, graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Colorado...
of Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
but was nevertheless a Preliminary Swimsuit winner and a Top 10 semi-finalist. She soon enrolled at the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
in Tucson, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in theater. During this time, she performed theater work in Tucson, and garnered small parts in movies (primarily Westerns that were shot in the area. She married Chris Borden; the couple later divorced but she kept his surname professionally.
After college, she relocated to San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
and secured a small, credited part on the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
series, Hawaiian Eye
Hawaiian Eye
Hawaiian Eye is an American television series that ran from October 1959 to September 1963 on the American Broadcasting Company television network.-Premise:...
.
Borden's father, William "Bill" Freyse (1898–1969), a Michigan native, was a
cartoonist. He drew a comic strip "Our Boarding House
Our Boarding House
Our Boarding House was a long-running, American gag-panel comic strip created by Gene Ahern in 1921 and syndicated by Newspaper Enterprise Association. Set in a boarding house run by the sensible Mrs...
" from 1939 until his death thirty years later. The strip, syndicated by Newspaper Enterprise Association, ended its run in 1984.
Career
Borden was selected for her role of Barbara Baxter by Booth, who owned the series. Hazel ended after five full seasons in 1966 not because of low ratings but due to Booth's health problems.Six years after Hazel folded, Borden appeared as Jenny Crockett in the 1972 low-budget horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
Frogs
Frogs (film)
Frogs is a 1972 horror film directed by George McCowan. The film falls into the "eco-horror" category since it tells the story of an upper-class U.S. Southern family who are victimized by several different animal species, including snakes, birds, and lizards, as well as the occasional butterfly...
, about a southern family overrun by amphibians and reptiles. In 1974 she played Evelyn Stanton in Dirty Mary Crazy Larry.
Borden's first role was uncredited as a party guest in the 1962 Jack Lemmon
Jack Lemmon
John Uhler "Jack" Lemmon III was an American actor and musician. He starred in more than 60 films including Some Like It Hot, The Apartment, Mister Roberts , Days of Wine and Roses, The Great Race, Irma la Douce, The Odd Couple, Save the Tiger John Uhler "Jack" Lemmon III (February 8, 1925June...
and Lee Remick
Lee Remick
Lee Ann Remick was an American film and television actress. Among her best-known films are Anatomy of a Murder , Days of Wine and Roses , and The Omen .-Early life:...
film, Days of Wine and Roses
Days of Wine and Roses (film)
Days of Wine and Roses is a film directed by Blake Edwards with a screenplay by JP Miller adapted from his own 1958 Playhouse 90 teleplay of the same name....
. The next year she had another uncredited part as a bus passenger in David Janssen
David Janssen
David Janssen was an American film and television actor who is best known for his starring role as Dr. Richard Kimble in the television series The Fugitive , the starring role in the 1950s hit detective series Richard Diamond, Private Detective , and as Harry Orwell on Harry O.In 1996 TV Guide...
's ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
drama The Fugitive
The Fugitive (TV series)
The Fugitive is an American drama series produced by QM Productions and United Artists Television that aired on ABC from 1963 to 1967. David Janssen stars as Richard Kimble, a doctor from the fictional town of Stafford, Indiana, who is falsely convicted of his wife's murder and given the death...
. After 1966, she guest starred on My Three Sons
My Three Sons
My Three Sons is an American situation comedy. The series ran from 1960 to 1965 on ABC, and moved to CBS until its end on August 24, 1972. My Three Sons chronicles the life of a widower and aeronautical engineer named Steven Douglas , raising his three sons.The series was a cornerstone of the CBS...
, The F.B.I., Family Affair
Family Affair
Family Affair is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from September 12, 1966 to September 9, 1971. The series explored the trials of well-to-do civil engineer and bachelor Bill Davis as he attempted to raise his brother's orphaned children in his luxury New York City apartment. Davis' traditional...
(twice), Ironside
Ironside (TV series)
Ironside is a Universal television series which ran on NBC from September 14, 1967 to January 16, 1975. The show starred Raymond Burr as the wheelchair-using Chief of Detectives, Robert T. Ironside. The character's debut was in a TV-movie on March 28, 1967. The original title of the show in the...
, Get Smart
Get Smart
Get Smart is an American comedy television series that satirizes the secret agent genre. Created by Mel Brooks with Buck Henry, the show starred Don Adams , Barbara Feldon , and Edward Platt...
, The Mod Squad
The Mod Squad
The Mod Squad is a television series that ran on ABC from September 24, 1968, until August 23, 1973. This series starred Michael Cole, Peggy Lipton, Clarence Williams III, and Tige Andrews...
, Petrocelli
Petrocelli
Petrocelli is an American legal drama which ran for two seasons on NBC from September 11, 1974 to March 31, 1976.-Plot:Tony Petrocelli was an Italian-American Harvard-educated lawyer who grew up in South Boston and gave up the big money and frenetic pace of major-metropolitan life to practice in a...
, McMillan and Wife
McMillan and Wife
McMillan & Wife is a lighthearted American crime drama series that aired on NBC from September 17, 1971 to April 24, 1977. Starring Rock Hudson and Susan Saint James in the title roles, the series premiered in 90-minute episodes as part of the wheel series NBC Mystery Movie, in rotation with...
(as Sharon Joyce in the 1975 episode "Requiem for a Bride"), Starsky and Hutch
Starsky and Hutch
Starsky and Hutch is a 1970s American cop thriller television series that consisted of a 90-minute pilot movie and 92 episodes of 60 minutes each; created by William Blinn, produced by Spelling-Goldberg Productions, and broadcast between April 30, 1975 and May 15, 1979 on the ABC...
, Fantasy Island
Fantasy Island
Fantasy Island is the title of two separate but related American fantasy television series, both originally airing on the ABC television network.-Original series:...
, and The Fall Guy
The Fall Guy
The Fall Guy is an American action/adventure television program produced for ABC and originally broadcast from November 4, 1981 to May 2, 1986. It starred Lee Majors, Douglas Barr, and Heather Thomas. Majors and Barr are the only two actors to appear in all 112 episodes of the series...
. She appeared too as Cutter in the 1969 film Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice
Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice
Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice is a 1969 comedy-drama film directed by Paul Mazursky. It stars Natalie Wood, Robert Culp, Elliott Gould and Dyan Cannon....
. Her last role was as an older woman with a dog in the 2006 episode "Not What It Looks Like" of the CBS series CSI: NY
CSI: NY
CSI: NY is an American police procedural television series that premiered on September 22, 2004, on CBS. The show follows the investigations of a team of NYPD forensic scientists and police officers as they unveil the circumstances behind mysterious and unusual deaths as well as other crimes...
. In her later years, Borden worked in commercials and plays.
Personal life
Borden is a collector of frog and elephant figurines. The interest in frogs comes from her 1972 film role, when fans gave her frog figures after the premiere of Frogs at the Rialto Theater in Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. Borden declares, "I love frogs. They're cute, they won't harm you, and they're good luck. You know, kiss the frog and marry a prince, that kind of thing. If I see a frog, real or otherwise, I'll always stop to look at it. . . . " Her father drew elephants regularly in his cartoon strip. Some of her elephant figurines were a gift from her friend, the late actress Mala Powers
Mala Powers
Mary Ellen "Mala" Powers was an American film actress.She was born in San Francisco, California. In 1940, her family moved to Los Angeles. Her father was an executive with United Press. In the summer of her relocation, Powers attended the Max Reinhardt Junior Workshop where she enjoyed her first...
, who had a recurring role as the next-door neighbor on Hazel. Borden recalls that Powers was "admiring the elephants my father had left me and said, 'You're collecting elephants!'" Borden replied, "No I'm not", but Powers insisted, "Oh, yes you are!"
In July 2007, Borden was among the guests at the Western Film Fair in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
. She resides in Encino, California with her husband, Roger Brunelle