Anita Gordon obit

Actress Anita Gordon has died

She was not on the list.

Anita had a lovely mature voice as a youngster. She gained fame as a regular on the Edgar Bergen/Charlie McCarthy radio show. She sang with the Ray Noble orchestra, and also became a familiar face during the early days of television. Anita did voice-over work in movies State Fair, and Paint Your Wagon. Hearing her sing on the Edger Bergen show on classic radio recently, I was reminded of a young Judy Garland.

At the age of 6, Anita Gordon and her family moved in 1935 from Texas to Hollywood where she became a successful child star. As a teenager on network radio, she achieved singing fame as a regular on ventriloquist Edgar Bergen's show (Edgar's famous dummy Charlie McCarthy allegedly was smitten with her). She was the voice who said "I don't talk to strangers.." on the Buddy Clark hit "Linda" in 1946, and voiced the part of the Singing Harp who helped Mickey Mouse escape from the Beanstalk Giant with "...in his right vest pocket you'll find a key..." for Disney in 1947. In the early days of television, Anita was a regular on The Ken Murray Show, and later a featured singer on the Tennessee Ernie Ford Show on ABC. In 1948, she married Dale Sheets, later an MCA/Universal executive, and gave birth to three girls. In the 60's, she appeared on various episodic television shows, then enjoyed a mini-career as the "ghost singer" for various female movie stars in movie musicals. In the 80's and 90's she wrote music for, and co-produced videos for various international clients including Philippine Airlines and Continental Airlines. Although Anita and Dale eventually divorced, she and husband of 41 years El Chan, retired to Newhall, California in 2000, where they stayed active and in touch with her three daughters, 9 grandchildren, and 21 great-grandchildren. Anita's health declined rapidly in the year before her death in 2015.

Anita's info is often linked erroneously as the wife of Candy Candido. His wife, Anita, was born in 1914 and died in 2006.

Actress

1989 Chameleon Street

Darlene Street

1966 My Mother the Car (TV Series)

Andrea Durkin

1962 State Fair

Margy Frake (singing voice, uncredited)

1961 Alcoa Premiere (TV Series)

Veda

1960 M Squad (TV Series)

Dr. Sharon Kingsley

1959 Bachelor Father (TV Series)

Connie Meechim

1958 Death Valley Days (TV Series)

Mary

1958 Sugarfoot (TV Series)

Mary Reeder

1958 The Millionaire (TV Series)

Jan Moore

1958 The Walter Winchell File (TV Series)

Sandra Hecht

1947 Fun and Fancy Free

Singing Harp (voice)

1947 Mickey and the Beanstalk (Short)

Singing Harp (voice, uncredited)

1936 Postal Inspector

Child - crying (uncredited)

1997 Welcome to Woop Woop (performer: "It Might as Well Be Spring")

1969 Paint Your Wagon (performer: "A Million Miles Away Behind The Door")

1962 State Fair (performer: "It Might As Well Be Spring")

1947 Fun and Fancy Free (performer: "My, What a Happy Day" (1947), "My Favorite Dream" (1947) - uncredited)

1969 Paint Your Wagon (singing voice: Jean Seberg - uncredited)

1969 The Dennis Wholey Show (TV Series)

Herself

- Episode #1.17 (1969) ... Herself

1962-1963 The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show (TV Series)

Herself

- Episode #2.2 (1963) ... Herself

- Episode dated 9 November 1962 (1962) ... Herself

- Episode dated 2 April 1962 (1962) ... Herself

1962 The Bob Newhart Show (TV Series)

Herself

- Episode #1.24 (1962) ... Herself

1959 The Lawrence Welk Show (TV Series)

Herself - guest star

- Guest Star: Anita Gordon (1959) ... Herself - guest star

1956 The George Gobel Show (TV Series)

Herself

- Episode #3.7 (1956) ... Herself

1950-1951 The Ken Murray Show (TV Series)

Herself