Ann Gillis obit

Ann Gillis, Star of ‘Bambi’ and ‘2001: A Space Odyssey,’ Dies at 90

She was not on the list.

Ann Gillis, a child star from Hollywood’s golden age whose career continued through Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 sci-fi classic “2001: A Space Odyssey,” died Wednesday at age 90.

Her son Gordon Fraser confirmed her passing to The Hollywood Reporter.

The Arkansas native was signed to Warner Bros. at age 7 and appeared in dozens of films, notably playing Becky Thatcher in David O. Selznick’s 1938 adaptation of the Mark Twain novel “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.”

She also voiced Fantine, Bambi’s eventual mate, in Walt Disney’s 1941 animated classic “Bambi.”

Gillis mostly stepped away from film work after 1947, though she did return for some TV roles in the 1960s, including the spy series “The Saint.”

Her final onscreen appearance came in Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 sci-fi movie “2001,” in which she played the mother of Gary Lockwood’s astronaut Frank Poole, who wishes her son a happy birthday via video conferencing.



Filmography

Year Title Role Note

1934 Men in White Flower Girl Uncredited

1936 The Great Ziegfeld Mary Lou as a Child Uncredited

The Singing Cowboy Lou Ann Stevens

Postal Inspector Little Alice Uncredited

The Garden of Allah Convent Girl #2 Uncredited

The Man I Marry Little Girl Uncredited

Under Your Spell Gwendolyn Uncredited

King of Hockey Peggy 'Princess' O'Rourke

1937 Off to the Races Winnie Mae

You Can't Buy Luck Peggy Uncredited

The Californian Rosalia as a Child

1938 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Becky Thatcher

Peck's Bad Boy with the Circus Fleurette de Cava

Little Orphan Annie Annie

1939 Beau Geste Isobel Rivers as a Child

The Under-Pup Letty Lou

1940 Edison, the Man Nancy Grey

All This, and Heaven Too Emily Schuyler

My Love Came Back Valerie Malette

Little Men Nan

1941 Nice Girl? Nancy Dana

Mr. Dynamite Joey, a.k.a. Abigail

Glamour Boy Brenda Lee

1942 Meet the Stewarts Jane Goodwin

Tough As They Come Frankie Taylor

Bambi Adult Faline Voice, Uncredited

'Neath Brooklyn Bridge Sylvia

1943 Stage Door Canteen Herself

The Man from Music Mountain Penny Winters

1944 Since You Went Away Becky Anderson – Class President Uncredited

Janie Paula Rainey

In Society Gloria

A Wave, a WAC and a Marine Judy

1945 The Cheaters Angela Pidgeon

1946 Gay Blades Helen Dowell

Janie Gets Married Paula Rainey

The Time of Their Lives     Nora O'Leary Co-Starring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello

Sweetheart of Sigma Chi Sue

1947 Big Town After Dark Susan Peabody LaRue

1968 2001: A Space Odyssey Poole's Mother (final film role)