Susan Gordon
Susan Lynn Gordon (July 27, 1949 — December 11, 2011) was an American child actress who appeared in films and numerous episodes of television programs such as The Twilight Zone, My Three Sons, and The Donna Reed Show.[2]
Susan Gordon | |
---|---|
Born | Susan Lynn Gordon July 27, 1949 Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S. |
Died | December 11, 2011 62) Teaneck, New Jersey, U.S. | (aged
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1958–1967 |
Height | 5 ft 0 in (1.5m) |
Spouse(s) | Avraham Aviner (m. August 14, 1977 – her death) |
Children | 6[1] |
Parent(s) | Bert I. Gordon (father) Flora M. Gordon (mother) |
Life and career
Gordon was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, the daughter of film director Bert I. Gordon and his wife Flora (Lang). Susan began her career, at age eight, as a last-minute substitute for another young actress in 1958's Attack of the Puppet People, directed by her father, who subsequently directed her in three additional films — The Boy and the Pirates, Tormented (both 1960) and 1966's Picture Mommy Dead, her final film.[3][4] In 1959, she acted and sang in the semi-biographical film, The Five Pennies, playing the daughter of musician, composer and bandleader Red Nichols, portrayed by Danny Kaye.
On television, Gordon appeared in The Twilight Zone episode "The Fugitive", as Jenny, a child with a leg brace who befriends an alien. Other series included Gunsmoke, Alfred Hitchcock Presents,[5] My Three Sons, The Danny Thomas Show, Route 66, Ben Casey, 77 Sunset Strip and The Donna Reed Show. On November 27, 1959, Gordon appeared in the live NBC Television broadcast of Miracle on 34th Street.
Death
She was a resident of the New Jersey township of Teaneck, a suburb of New York City, where she had settled after returning to her Jewish roots and marrying Avi Aviner, who had been a communal leader to the Jews of Tokyo. She died on December 11, 2011, due to thyroid cancer and was buried in Kedumim, an Israeli settlement.[6][7]
References
- Toussi1, Elnaz (December 14, 2011). "Former Child Star Susan Gordon Dies at 62". Screen Daily. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
- Barnes, Mike (December 14, 2011). "Susan Gordon, Child Actress of the '50s and '60s, Dies at 62". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2012-07-02.
- "Susan Gordon dies at 62". Variety. December 14, 2011. Retrieved 2012-07-02.
- "Actress Susan Gordon Dies at 62". contactmusic.com. December 15, 2011. Retrieved 2012-07-02.
- Cohen, Noah (December 15, 2011). "Actress, Resident Susan Gordon Dies at 62". Teaneck Patch. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
- Simonson, Robert (December 21, 2011). "Susan Gordon, Stage and Child Film Actress, Dies at 62". Playbill. Archived from the original on June 30, 2012. Retrieved 2012-07-02.
- Levin, Jay (December 19, 2011). "Susan Aviner, child star and Teaneck businesswoman, at 62". The Record. Woodland Park, NJ. Retrieved December 20, 2011.