Betty Anne Rees, a journeyman star and actress of the 1970s, has died at the age of 81.
According to her niece, Kathleen Loucks, the performer, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in the early 1990s, died on June 3 at her home in Hemet, California.
She said The Hollywood Reporter that his aunt suffered ‘after a series of falls and a possible stroke.’
The Ohio native began her prime-time career in Hollywood with an appearance on the television series Shane in 1966, and went on to make guest appearances on a variety of popular television shows, including Mannix, Medical Center and Barnaby Jones.
She is perhaps best known for her role in The Unholy Rollers as a skater disgruntled because a beautiful new athlete joins the team.
Betty Anne Rees, a B-movie star and journeyman actress of the 1970s who starred in The Unholy Rollers and Sugar Hill, has died. she was 81 years old
Rees played the antagonist alongside 1970 Playboy Playmate of the Year Claudia Jennings.
The Roger Corman-produced film was co-written and directed by the late Vernon Zimmerman and edited by up-and-coming filmmaker Martin Scorsese.
The film was hastily put together after the success of Raquel Welch’s Kansas City Bomber project, according to Kansas City Bomber. The Hollywood Reporter.
Rees also received attention for her work on Sugar Hill, playing the girlfriend of a racist mobster.
The mobster and Rees’ Celeste get their comeuppance when, after main character Diana ‘Sugar’ Hill, played by Marki Bey, uses voodoo to resurrect her enslaved ancestors from the dead to avenge the murder of her boyfriend.
Other films included the creepy Deathmaster and the equally terrifying The Photographer.
Rees played the secretary to Fred MacMurray’s Steve Douglas in three episodes of My Three Sons during its final season in 1971-72.
The actress’ last credit on IMDB is for a guest role in The Incredible Hulk in 1978.
In 1972’s The Unholy Roller, Rees played a roller derby skater unhappy because a beautiful new athlete played by 1970 Playboy Playmate of the Year Claudia Jennings joined the team.
In 1974’s Sugar Hill, Rees played the girlfriend of a racist gangster, who gets what’s coming to her after the title character uses voodoo to summon her enslaved ancestors to avenge her boyfriend’s murder.
Rees graduated from Shaker Heights High School in 1961 and attended the University of Miami, before moving to California and studying at the Pasadena Playhouse.
He made appearances on daytime dramas, including General Hospital and The Doctors.
After leaving the profession, Rees used her creative skills to manage Gloria Marshall Figure Salons and design kitchens.
He was said to have invented a ridiculous ’80s gift for bosses called the Executive Teething Ring, according to the outlet.
He is survived by Loucks, his sister Barbara, his nephew Brian, and his cats Honey Bear and Lovey.
Both animals need to be rehomed. Anyone interested should contact Loucks at kloucks620@gmail.com.
