The very sexy Anne Francis, a native of Ossining, died yesterday at the age of 80. Many know her best for her portrayal of Altaira in the sci fi classic Forbidden Planet (“Anne Francis stars in Forbidden Planet” goes the line in “Science Fiction/Double Feature,” a song from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. She also had roles in Bad Day at Black Rock and Blackboard Jungle. I know her better for her television work: appearances on The Twilight Zone, The Virginian, The Fugitive (with 
Charles Bronson and of course David Janssen), The Man From U.N.C.L.E, and Burke’s Law, where she introduced her signature character, Honey West. The curvy private eye with the pet ocelot was the creation of Gloria and Forest Fickling, who, writing under the pseudonym G.G. Fickling, featured her in a series of eleven mystery novels. Honey West then became a TV series that ran on ABC for 30 episodes during the 1965-66. I was 12 years old when the show ran on the air, even though it was a pretty awful show with a terrible opening sequence and theme music, it made an enormous impression on me. I can’t imagine why. Rest in peace, Ms. Francis.
