Jolene Brand Explained

Jolene Brand
Birthname:Jolene Marie Bufkin
Occupation:Actress
Years Active:1957–1966
Children:2

Jolene Brand (born Jolene Marie Bufkin) is an American actress. She acted most in the 1950s and 1960s, and appeared in seven episodes of the Ernie Kovacs television shows.

Early years

Brand was from Baldwin Park, California. She graduated from Covina High School and attended Mt. San Antonio College. She won an American Legion beauty contest in 1951 and was queen of the Los Angeles County Fair in 1953.[1]

Career

Early in her career, Brand performed in Las Vegas, and in 1955 she sang and danced at Ciro's night club in California. Also in 1955 she was named a WAMPAS Baby Star.[2]

In 1958, she acted in the B-film Giant from the Unknown, about a man who was frozen in suspended animation for 500 years and was freed by a lightning bolt and goes on a killing spree.[3] Later that year she was signed up to play a part in the Disney television show Zorro. She played the romantic interest for the main character played by Guy Williams.[4] She was a model on the television series Queen for a Day as well.

Brand portrayed "Indian Emily" in the 1959 episode of the same name on the syndicated television anthology series, Death Valley Days, hosted by Stanley Andrews. The setting is the United States Army outpost at Fort Davis, Texas. Emily, an Apache captive, adopts the white man's ways but flees when a young officer, Tom Easton (Burt Metcalfe), whom she loves, prepares to marry someone else. She returns to warn the fort of a pending Apache attack, and dies of a gunshot wound fired in error after saving the fort. Meg Wyllie played Tom's compassionate mother, Mrs. Easton. A memorial at Fort Davis honors the heroism of Indian Emily.[5] Brand and her husband George Schlatter were close friends with Kovacs and his wife, Edie Adams.[6]

Filmography

Television

Television
YearTitleRoleNotes
1966Vacation PlayhouseWandaEpisode: "The Hoofer"
1962Hawaiian EyeLolaEpisode: "Janine Westerfield"
1962BroncoEmilyEpisode: "A Town That Lived and Died"
1961 - 1962The Ernie Kovacs ShowVariousEpisode: 7 appearances from 18 May 1961 to 23 January 1962
1961CheyenneLorna AbbottEpisode: "Legacy Of the Lost"
1961MaverickPenelope Baxter Episode: "A Technical Error"
1960Guestward, Ho!Pink CloudEpisode: "The Christmas Spirit"
1960Mr. Lucky Clara Iglesias Episode: "Operation Fortuna"
1960HenneseyNurseEpisode: "Angel Face"
1960HennessyGloriaEpisode: "Senior Nurse"
1960HennessyWaveEpisode: "Hennesey and the Ancient Vehicle"
1960The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor Ann Episode: "Anatomy of Fear"
1959Man with a CameraJoyce Whitman Episode: "The Bride"
1959Death Valley Days EmilyEpisode: "Indian Emily"
1959WhirlybirdsJackie BryanEpisode: "The Deadly Game"
1959WhirlybirdsLucyEpisode: "If I Were King"
1959US MarshallConnie JamesEpisode: "Federal Agent"
1958 - 1959ZorroAnna Maria VerdugoEpisode: 9 Episodes from 1958 - 1959
1958Rescue 8Linda CarsonEpisode: "Calamity Coach"
1958State TrooperMrs. Reinhardt Episode: "Firebug"
1957 The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show LucyEpisode: "Misery Loves Company"
1957GunsmokeYoung BrideEpisode: "How to Kill a Woman"
1957Official Detective ?Episode: "The Hostages"
1957Take a Good Look?Episode: Episode dated 31 December 1959

Notes and References

  1. News: Jolene Bufkin named 'Miss Red Feather' . April 12, 2023 . The Pomona Progress Bulletin . October 28, 1955 . 27. Newspapers.com.
  2. News: Jolene Bufkin Is Wampas Baby . April 12, 2023 . The Pomona Progress Bulletin . October 31, 1955 . 17. Newspapers.com.
  3. W. Lee Cozad More Magnificent Mountain Movies (pg. 215) via google.com; accessed November 11, 2017.
  4. Jolene Brand profile, Glamour Girls Of The Silver Screen, glamourgirlsofthesilverscreen.com; accessed November 11, 2017.
  5. News: Laugh-In's George Schlatter Will Receive The Dallas VideoFest's Ernie Kovacs Award . Danny . Gallagher . "Dallas Observer" blogsite . October 9, 2013.
  6. News: Starr Report . Michael . Starr . New York Post . March 17, 2011.