Fran Ryan

Highest Rated: 93% Pale Rider (1985)

Lowest Rated: 17% The $1,000,000 Duck (1971)

Birthday: Nov 29, 1916

Birthplace: Not Available

A familiar presence on the Chicago theatrical scene, American character actress Fran Ryan has kept busy in films since the late 1960s. Often cast as tight-lipped "battle-ax" types (albeit with the proverbial twinkle in the eye), Ryan was an invaluable presence in several Disney films. On TV, she has thrice found herself in the unenviable position of last-minute replacement: she took over the role of Doris Ziffel from Barbara Pepper during the 1969-70 season of Green Acres; as Miss Hannah, she succeeded Kitty Russell (Amanda Blake) as proprietress of the Long Branch Saloon in the 1974-75 season of Gunsmoke; and on the Saturday-morning kiddie show Sigmund and the Sea Monsters (1974-77), she replaced the departing Mary Wickes as the series' requisite wisecracking housekeeper. Fran Ryan's other TV-series credits include The Doris Day Show (1968-69 season, as housekeeper Aggie Thompson), No Soap, Radio (1982, as hotelier Mrs. Belmont) and The Wizard (1987, as yet another housekeeper, this one named Tillie).

Highest Rated Movies

Filmography

MOVIES

RATING	TITLE	CREDIT	BOX OFFICE	YEAR
71%	Suture	Mrs. Lucerne	—	1993
No Score Yet	River of Rage: The Taking of Maggie Keene	Hattie	—	1993
No Score Yet	Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again	Miss Grundy	—	1990
67%	Chances Are	Mavis Talmadge	—	1989
No Score Yet	Out Cold	Arlene	—	1989
No Score Yet	Lucky Stiff	Ma	—	1988
No Score Yet	Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge	Hannah	—	1987
No Score Yet	Quiet Cool	Ma	—	1986
No Score Yet	Stewardess School	Fainting Lady	—	1986
No Score Yet	Fuzzbucket	Mrs. Langendorf	—	1986
93%	Pale Rider	Ma Blankenship	—	1985
85%	The Sure Thing	Louise	—	1985
No Score Yet	Rebel Love	Granny Plug	—	1985
No Score Yet	Eyes of Fire	Sister	—	1983
No Score Yet	Private School	Miss Dutchbok	—	1983
No Score Yet	Circle of Power	Marie Davis	—	1983
No Score Yet	Tough Enough	Gert Long	—	1983
No Score Yet	Savannah Smiles	Farmer Wilma	—	1982
No Score Yet	Johnny Belinda	Actor	—	1982
No Score Yet	Take This Job and Shove It	Mrs. Hinkle	—	1981
88%	Stripes	Dowager	—	1981
No Score Yet	The Adventures of Nellie Bly	Mrs. Roman	—	1981
83%	The Long Riders	Mrs. Samuel	—	1980
75%	Straight Time	Cafe Owner	—	1978
67%	Big Wednesday	Lucy	—	1978
56%	The Apple Dumpling Gang	Mrs. Stockley	—	1975
No Score Yet	How to Seduce a Woman	Mrs. Toklas	—	1974
No Score Yet	Pickup on 101	Actor	—	1972
20%	Scandalous John	Farm Woman	—	1971
17%	The $1,000,000 Duck	Mrs. Purdham	—	1971

TV

RATING	TITLE	CREDIT	YEAR
No Score Yet	The Commish 1991-1996	Doris	1993
No Score Yet	Baywatch 1989-2001	Tillie	1991
57%	Davis Rules 1991-1992	Miss Catworthy	1991
No Score Yet	Empty Nest 1988-1995	Mrs. Kramer	1990
No Score Yet	Quantum Leap 1989-1993	Dorothy	1990
No Score Yet	Night Court 1984-1992	Ethel Miss Crombie	1990 1987
No Score Yet	Matlock 1986-1995	Dorothy	1989
No Score Yet	Murder, She Wrote 1984-1996	Rose	1989
No Score Yet	Murphy Brown 1988-2019	The Asp	1988
No Score Yet	Highway to Heaven 1984-1989	Lil	1987
No Score Yet	Hill Street Blues 1981-1987	Actor	1984
No Score Yet	Laverne & Shirley 1976-1983	Mother Superior	1983
No Score Yet	Taxi 1978-1983	Mrs. Weber	1982
No Score Yet	Dukes of Hazzard 1979-1985	Ma Harper	1981
No Score Yet	The Waltons 1972-1981	Eula Mae Moonie Mrs. Bassett	1981 1979 1976
No Score Yet	Charlie's Angels 1976-1981	Belle Nurse Fager	1980 1978 1977
No Score Yet	CHiPs 1977-1983	Nancy	1978
No Score Yet	Barney Miller 1975-1982	Mrs. Hirsch	1977
No Score Yet	Starsky & Hutch 1975-1979	Nurse	1977
No Score Yet	Gunsmoke 1955-1975	Mrs. Keller Hannah Miss Hannah	1975 1974 1972 1969 1962 1961 1960 1959 1958 1957 1956 1955
No Score Yet	Bonanza 1959-1973	Widow Lucas	1972
No Score Yet	Green Acres 1965-1971	Doris Minnie Doris Ziffel	1971 1970 1969
78%	The Brady Bunch 1969-1974	Mrs. Hunsaker	1970
No Score Yet	The Partridge Family 1970-1974	1st Wife	1970
No Score Yet	I Dream of Jeannie 1965-1970	Switchboard Operator	1970 1968
No Score Yet	The Beverly Hillbillies 1962-1971	Miss Meek	1968
72%	Batman 1966-1968	Chairlady	1967 1966
No Score Yet	Little Dracula 1999	Voice
40%	The Dave Thomas Comedy Show 1990	Performer

Quotes from Fran Ryan's Characters

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On Dvd & Streaming

Fran Ryan

Highest Rated Movies

Filmography

MOVIES

TV

Quotes from Fran Ryan's Characters