Sian Barbara Allen

Sian Barbara Allen (born July 12, 1946)[1] is an American former actress who mainly appeared on television throughout the 1970s. A native of Reading, Pennsylvania, Allen studied at the Pasadena Playhouse before appearing in her first screen role on the series O'Hara, U.S. Treasury in 1971. She went on to appear in numerous television series in the ensuing years, including recurring appearances on The Waltons, Gunsmoke, and Ironside.[2]

Sian Barbara Allen
Allen in The Bold Ones (1972)
Born	Barbara Susan Pokrass (1946-07-12) July 12, 1946 Reading, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Alma mater	Pasadena Playhouse
Occupation	Actress
Spouse(s)	Peter Gelblum ( m. 1979⁠–⁠2001)

She also starred in several television films, including Scream, Pretty Peggy (1973) and The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case (1976). In addition to her television credits, Allen starred in two feature films: the thriller You'll Like My Mother (1972) and the Western Billy Two Hats (1974). For her performance in You'll Like My Mother, Allen was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year.

Biography

She studied at the Pasadena Playhouse (1964–1965).[3] She appeared in You'll Like My Mother (1972), starring Patty Duke, Rosemary Murphy and Richard Thomas.[4] For this role, Allen was nominated for the 1973 Golden Globe Award as Most Promising New Actress.[5]

She later appeared in two episodes of the popular TV series The Waltons (1973) as Jenny Pendleton, an early love interest of John-Boy Walton (reuniting her with Thomas, who played John-Boy and with whom she had appeared in You'll Like My Mother the previous year).[2] Allen and Thomas were themselves described as "together these days", and Thomas wanted Allen to play the Pendleton role.[3][6] She played the title role in the 1973 ABC Movie of the Week, Scream, Pretty Peggy.[7]

Allen appeared on television programs such as Captains and the Kings, The Incredible Hulk, Ironside, The Rockford Files,[2] Alias Smith and Jones,[2] Bonanza, Kojak, Gunsmoke, Love, American Style, Columbo: Lovely but Lethal, Cagney & Lacey, Adam-12, and Hawaii Five-O.[2] In 1974 she was the lead actress in the western Billy Two Hats, alongside Gregory Peck and Jack Warden.[8] In 1976, she portrayed Anne Morrow Lindbergh in the television movie The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case, based on the real-life Lindbergh baby kidnapping/murder.[9] Her last role was in an episode of L.A. Law in 1990, after which she retired from acting.[10]

Personal life

She married and had a daughter. Her own mother and father divorced around 1965. She is the older sister of flash fiction author, editor and teacher Meg Pokrass.

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref.
1971	O'Hara, U.S. Treasury	Sheridan Lee	Episode: "Operation: Time Fuse"
1971	Alias Smith and Jones	Sister Grace	Episode: "Six Strangers at Apache Springs"
1971	Gunsmoke	Allie Dawson	3 episodes
1972	The Scarecrow	Amelia Reddington	Television film
1972	The Bold Ones: The Lawyers	Lauren Hazelwood	Episode: "In Sudden Darkness"
1972	Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law	Meredith Carson	Episode: "Shine a Light on Me"
1972	The F.B.I.	Bridy Nolan	Episode: "The Set-Up"
1972	The Family Rico	Nora	Television film
1972	You'll Like My Mother	Kathleen	Nominated – Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actress
1972	Bonanza	Teresa Burnside	Episode: "Ambush at Rio Lobo"
1973	Love, American Style	Jane	Segment: "Love and the Happy Family"
1973	Columbo	Shirley Blaine	Episode: "Lovely but Lethal"
1973	The Waltons	Jenny Pendleton	2 episodes
1973	Scream, Pretty Peggy	Peggy Johnson	Television film
1974	Billy Two Hats	Esther Spencer
1974	Kojak	Lyndsey Walker	Episode: "Down a Long and Lonely River"
1971–1974	Marcus Welby, M.D.	Various	3 episodes
1972–1974	Ironside	Susan Todd / Jane Spencer	3 episodes
1974	The Rockford Files	Sandra Turkel	Episode: "Tall Woman in Red Wagon"
1974	Lucas Tanner	Donna	Episode: "A Question of Privacy"
1974	Adam-12	Sparky	Episode: "Something Worth Dying For: Part 1"
1975	Eric	Marilyn Porter
1976	The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case	Anne Morrow Lindbergh	Television film
1976	Police Story	Dana Vernon	Episode: "The Other Side of the Badge"
1976	Captains and the Kings	Cara Leslie	Miniseries
1976	Smash-Up on Interstate 5	Barbara Hutton	Television film
1977	Kingston: Confidential	Cynthia Marlowe	Episode: "The Cult"
1977	Hawaii Five-O	Kati Parisa	Episode: "East Wind - Ill Wind"
1978	Baretta	Ellen	Episode: "The Appointment"
1978	W.E.B.	Angelica Hutton	Episode: "To Angelica with Love"
1978	Sword of Justice	Emily Lang	Episode: "Aloha, Julie Lang"
1979	The Incredible Hulk	Kathy Allen	Episode: "The Quiet Room"
1981	Darkroom	Brenda	Episode: "Make-Up"
1988	Cagney & Lacey	Rhoda Duggan	Episode: "A Fair Shake: Part 2"
1990	L.A. Law	Diane Campbell	Episode: "Whatever Happened to Hannah?"

References

1. Erickson, Hal. "Sian Barbara Allen". Fandango. AllRovi. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
2. "Sian Barbara Allen". TVGuide.com. TV Guide. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
3. Kleiner, Dick (February 10, 1973). "The Girl John-Boy waited for". The Morning Record. Retrieved October 10, 2011.
4. "You'll Like My Mother (1972)". TCM.com. Turner Classic Movies (TCM). Retrieved 29 September 2018.
5. "New Star Of The Year - Actress". GoldenGlobes.org. Archived from the original on October 2, 2011. Retrieved October 10, 2011.
6. "Sian Barbara Allen Profile". The Waltons. Retrieved October 10, 2011.
7. "Scream, Pretty Peggy (1973)". TCM.com. Turner Classic Movies (TCM). Retrieved 12 August 2018.
8. Crist, Judith (May 6, 1974). Spécialité De La Maison. New York Magazine. Retrieved October 10, 2011.
9. Burt, Daniel S. (2001). The biography book. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 251. ISBN 978-1-57356-256-0. Retrieved October 10, 2011.
10. Allen, Sian Barbara. "Sian Barbara Allen". fictionaut.com. Fictionaut. Retrieved 12 August 2018. (Quote from Fictionaut profile: "i was ready to give up after retiring from acting and now writing is saving my spirit.")

External links

• Sian Barbara Allen on IMDb
• Sian Barbara Allen at AllMovie