Bonnie Lynn Fields obit

Former Mouseketeer Bonnie Fields dies

Joined 'The Mickey Mouse Club' in '57, later appeared on Broadway

 She was not on the list.

Former Mouseketeer Bonita Lynn Fields Elder, an agile dancer who showcased those skills on the 1950s children’s show “The Mickey Mouse Club” and later performed on Broadway, died Saturday at in Richmond, Ind., following a two-year battle with throat cancer. She was 68.

Elder had been living in Winchester after moving back to eastern Indiana a few years ago to care for her ailing, now-deceased mother.

She was 12 in 1957, when her dancing abilities helped her win a slot on the third season of “The Mickey Mouse Club.” She auditioned in California, where her family had moved from Indiana when she was 9.

Elder always went by the name Lynn, but she adopted the stage name “Bonnie” — a shortened version of her real first name — at the suggestion of the show’s producers because there was already a cast member, a boy, with the first name Lynn.

After the original “Mickey Mouse Club” show ended, Elder continued performing at Disneyland. She also appeared into two Disney serials, “The New Adventures of Spin and Marty” and “Annette.”

She landed bit parts in several 1960s movies, including “Kissin’ Cousins” with Elvis Presley and “Bye Bye Birdie” with Ann-Margret. She later appeared as a dancer on television shows and on Broadway in “Kelly” and “Half a Sixpence” before opening a dance studio in Santa Monica.

In 1980 Elder appeared on a televised program marking the 25th anniversary of “The Mickey Mouse Club.” From 1981-85, she took part in live Mouseketeer reunion shows at Disneyland.

Elder was born in Walterboro, S.C., but her family moved to Richmond when she was 3 months old. She was divorced and had no children.

 

Actress

James Brolin, Robert Young, Barbara Sigel, and Elena Verdugo in Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969)

Marcus Welby, M.D.

7.0

TV Series

Desk Nurse

1971

1 episode

 

The Comic (1969)

The Comic

6.4

Mailbox Gag (uncredited)

1969

 

The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1969)

The Courtship of Eddie's Father

7.3

TV Series

Heidi

1969

1 episode

 

Maureen Arthur, Nancy Bonniwell, Don Knotts, and Maggie Peterson in The Love God? (1969)

The Love God?

6.3

Model (uncredited)

1969

 

Angel in My Pocket (1969)

Angel in My Pocket

7.0

Miss France

1969

 

Shirley MacLaine and John McMartin in Sweet Charity (1969)

Sweet Charity

6.9

Dancer (uncredited)

1969

 

Barbra Streisand and Omar Sharif in Funny Girl (1968)

Funny Girl

7.4

Specialty Dancer (uncredited)

1968

 

Elvis Presley, Teri Garr, Pamela Austin, Yvonne Craig, Lynn Fields, Gail Ganley, Cynthia Pepper, Hortense Petra, and Beverly Powers in Kissin' Cousins (1964)

Kissin' Cousins

5.3

Hillbilly Dancer (uncredited)

1964

 

Ann-Margret, Janet Leigh, Dick Van Dyke, Jesse Pearson, and Bobby Rydell in Bye Bye Birdie (1963)

Bye Bye Birdie

6.6

Teenager (uncredited)

1963

 

The Five Pennies (1959)

The Five Pennies

7.1

Girl at Birthday Party (uncredited)

1959

 

Annette Funicello in Annette (1958)

Annette

8.1

TV Series

Pat Boran (as Bonnie Lynn Fields)

1958

2 episodes

 

Walt Disney, Kevin Corcoran, Annette Funicello, Sharon Baird, Lonnie Burr, Tommy Cole, Tim Considine, Jimmie Dodd, Lynn Fields, Darlene Gillespie, Don Grady, Cheryl Holdridge, Tommy Kirk, Cubby O'Brien, Karen Pendleton, David Stollery, Roy Williams, Lynn Ready, and Linda Hughes in The Mickey Mouse Club (1955)

The Mickey Mouse Club

7.6

TV Series

Bonnie

Pat Boren

1957–1958

2 episodes

 

Bachelor Father (1957)

Bachelor Father

7.3

TV Series

Ballet Dancer #2 (as Bonnie Fields)

1958

1 episode

 

B.G. Norman in The New Adventures of Spin and Marty (1957)

The New Adventures of Spin and Marty

8.2

TV Series

Bonnie (uncredited)

1957