7 fabulous facts about Julie Adams, love interest of Elvis, Andy and the Creature

She was so much more than just a ''scream queen''

Image: The Everett Collection

You know you are a true screen beauty when everyone from Elvis Presley and Sheriff Andy Taylor to the Creature from the Black Lagoon lusts for you. No wonder Julie Adams remains a favorite today. After a lengthy career, the Iowa-born actress passed away in 2019. But her legacy lives on in MeTV, as you can spot her in everything from The Andy Griffith Show to Bonanza.

Of course, as Svengoolie fans will attest, her most iconic role was in the immortal Universal Pictures horror film The Creature from the Black Lagoon. But she was far more than a mere "scream queen."

Here are some things you might not know about the underrated star.

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1. She was billed under three different names.

Born Betty May Adams, she started her career under her real name, as you see with her "Betty Adams" billing on the poster for 1950's Crooked River. The movie studio then forced a new stage name upon her — Julia Adams. Indeed, this is how she was billed in Creature from the Black Lagoon. However, Adams was not a fan of the name "Julia." She asked for it to be changed to "Julie." The studio obliged.

Image: The Everett Collection

2. She was on TV for 60 years.

Betty Adams made her debut in 1949 in the early television program Your Show Time, an anthology series that adapted works of literature. Six decades later, in 2007, you could spot her in an episode of CSI: NY, "Boo." It's a nifty role for the end of her career, as the mystery utilizes photos of her from decades earlier.

Image: CBS Television

3. She played Perry Mason's only convicted client.

Yes, Perry sometimes lost. Very rarely. Just a few times. In fact, in "The Case of the Deadly Verdict," Adams played Janice Barton, Mason's only convicted client during the show's nine seasons. Hey, nobody's perfect.

Image: The Everett Collection

4. She played opposite Jimmy Steward — decades apart — in the only true "Jimmy" Stewart production.

In 1952, Adams (as "Julia") landed a big, breakout role in Bend of the River, a now-heralded Western (the classic was underrated at the time) starred Hollywood legend Jimmy Stewart. Well, he was billed, as per usual, as "James." Two decades later, the pair reunited for The Jimmy Stewart Show, a sitcom about an anthropology professor. Yep, Jimmy Stewart had his own sitcom — briefly. It was the only film or television role in which Stewart allowed himself to be billed as "Jimmy." Really! Adams played his wife.

Image: The Everett Collection

5. She secretly appeared in another 3-D movie with her 'Creature' costar.

Creature of the Black Lagoon turned Adams into a true scream queen and horror icon in 1954. The film, famously, was released in 3-D. It also co-starred Richard Denning. Here's a kooky fact. Go back a year prior. Denning appeared in a 3-D film noir called The Glass Web. Adams was technically not in that 1953 movie. Only, she was! A framed photograph of Adams hangs on the wall in Denning's office, seen here. Neat, huh?

Image: Universal Pictures

6. She was the only actress to date Sheriff Andy, Hoss, The Rifleman and Maverick.

No other actress can claim to have romanced all those characters onscreen! Read more about it here.

7. Her swimming double was a mermaid.

Not a real mermaid, of course. But Ginger Stanley, the stunt double who performed the underwater bits in Creature from the Black Lagoon, worked as a mermaid at the famed Weeki Wachee Springs amusement attraction in Florida. Unlike Adams, Stanley also worked on Revenge of the Creature (1955), although she went uncredited. Again.

Image: Florida Memory

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37 Comments

PonderosaPete 26 months ago
Here’s a biggie the anonymous, crackerjack researchers on METV’s “staff” left out. Julie not only had a fling with “Hoss” (Dan Blocker) and was married to “Adam” (Pernell Roberts on Mannix and its Diagnosis sequel), she was also married to “Ben” (Lorne Greene, on Code Red). Shame, MeTV staffers! (But not unexpected.)
Mark091 38 months ago
MeTv forgot to mention that even
Though Julie Adams played PERRY
MASON's only convicted client
She was later aquited of murder
When the real killer was caught. .. ht
metv_nerd Mark091 34 months ago
They didn’t forget
Andy 38 months ago
On "Capitol", a soap from the early 80s, you saw only her (or her character's) hand reaching for a doorknob or opening a door for the longest time; Paula Denning suffered from agoraphobia and hardly ever left her bedroom during the first year or so of the show.
jonethree 38 months ago
Never knew Jimmy Stewart spelled his name with a “D” so unprofessional
Mark091 38 months ago
On The Andy Griffith Show both
JULIE ADAMS and SUE ANN LANGDON played nurse MARY
SIMPSON One episode only for
Julie Adams and one episode only
For Sue Ann Langdon
Mark091 Mark091 38 months ago
After Mary Simpson The role of
Nurse PEGGY MacMillan was played by JOANNA MOORE . .. r
Mark091 Mark091 38 months ago
After Peggy MacMillan (Joanna
Moore) 3 years later (1965)
NINA SHIPMAN played nurse
FAIRCHILD in The Andy Griffith Show episode The County Clerk
Which is the first episode and
Appearance of Howard Sprague
(Jack Dodsón)
Does anyone know the first name
Of Miss Fairchild??!!
Mark091 38 months ago
This comment has been removed.
JHP Mark091 30 months ago
"for it was Mary"
JHP Mark091 30 months ago
Joanna Moore - YUMMO! - andy was dope for letting her to the curb - but hey he was cousin to virgil and BARN
TheDavBow3 38 months ago
What a very lovely lady. Plus, I believe, she played the wife of Pernell Roberts on a Diagnosis Murder episode also starring Mike Connors as Mannix. So 2 Cartright brothers 🤔😊
JHP TheDavBow3 30 months ago
she could be my next door neighbor - Oh happy days:)
ncadams27 38 months ago
You know if she appeared on Bonanza, it was only for one episode.
FestusFan2312 38 months ago
Completely overlooked her reoccurring role as Eve Simpson on Murder She Wrote. She appeared on the show more times than any other actress except, of course, Angela Lansbury.
daDoctah 38 months ago
She was also one of a number of actors (along with Pernell Roberts and Beverly Garland) to appear in both the Mannix episode "Little Girl Lost" and the Diagnosis: Murder sequel "Hard-Boiled Murder" twenty-four years later.
TheDavBow3 daDoctah 38 months ago
Haha I just made a comment on that! Lotza interesting connections on that episode. Beverly Garland (mother My 3 Sons) starred in the sequel episode of a Mannix episode that starred Dawn Lynn (daughter My 3 Sons). Kinda neat.
best21043 38 months ago
Julie and that white bathing suit are on Svengoolie tonight!
MarkSpeck 38 months ago
She was married to actor/director Ray Danton (star of The George Raft Story and Warner Bros. contract player who co-starred in the series The Alaskans). After they divorced and Danton moved into directing, they obviously remained on good terms, as he cast her a couple of times in Quincy, M.E. episodes that he directed.
DethBiz 38 months ago
One of the nicest and most down to Earth person that I had the pleasure to meet on the Convention scene.
DethBiz 38 months ago
This comment has been removed.
DethBiz HalPritzker 38 months ago
At movie conventions you can always tell who enjoys being there and who is just there for a paycheck. I went to two conventions that Julie Adams and Ricou Browning (underwater Creature) both appeared at. They signed everything, chatted and took pictures with me. Probably the worst experience that I had was with Linda Blair.
MrsPhilHarris 38 months ago
She was on Perry Mason this morning.
lynngdance 38 months ago
She was also in “Francis Joins The Wacs” from the “Francis The Talking Mule Series”
lynngdance 38 months ago
MeTV Writers: “hmmm 🤔. Is it spelled ‘Steward or Stewart’? Eh, let’s just spell it both ways for good measure.”
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Mark091 justjeff 38 months ago
JIMMY STEWART OR
JAMES STEWART are correct
The METV article spelled
His last name WRONG
justjeff Mark091 38 months ago
...hence my wisecrack...
RaeLily1 lynngdance 38 months ago
“You’re”
lynngdance RaeLily1 38 months ago
Whoops 😬
BrittReid 38 months ago
The Gil-Man loved those legs..
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