Elizabeth Baur’s acting career kicked off with a role as a police officer who wore a miniskirt. While the image was somewhat stereotypical, it eventually played a part in changing attitudes toward female characters on screen. Audiences saw that behind a beautiful appearance, a woman could embody a strong presence on American television. You can read more about Elizabeth Baur, the icon of the Western series Lancer and the TV series Ironside, by visiting Los Angeles Trend.
Early Life in Los Angeles
The future actress was born in Los Angeles in 1947. Interestingly, Elizabeth’s great-grandmother was one of the first California settlers, a pioneer in the San Fernando Valley, having arrived from the Basque region of France. Elizabeth’s cousin was the actress Sharon Gless.
Her father was directly connected to the acting world, having worked for many years as a casting director at 20th Century Fox. However, Jack Baur was against his daughter working in the industry. His experience in the harsh and competitive profession influenced this decision, and he disapproved of his daughter’s ambitions, providing virtually no support as she established herself as an actress. Elizabeth Baur’s family was one of the wealthiest at the time. It is known that they sold significant real estate in Encino and Beverly Hills, failing to anticipate the coming construction boom.
Elizabeth Baur attended a private Catholic day school for girls for grades 6–12. This was the Immaculate Heart High School, a secondary and high school located in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles. She then enrolled in the public Los Angeles Valley College. She eventually left college to pursue her acting dream, studying drama at the Estelle Harman Actors Workshop before earning a degree in Theatre Arts from Los Angeles Valley College. At the time, her family had resigned themselves to her choice. They were convinced that a few classes with Estelle would prove her lack of talent. They were wrong.
She then joined the 20th Century Fox acting training program. This was a bold move, considering her father’s stance. She was signed to a short-term contract.
Acting Career
The charming, blue-eyed Los Angeles native had a brief but successful television career in the 1970s. It all began back in high school. While she lacked formal dramatic education there, the girl was desperately eager to become a “cowgirl” in Westerns. Her focus and clear understanding of her desires helped her land a commercial for corn flakes alongside Jimmy Durante.
Before starring in a Western and a long-running TV series, Elizabeth Baur started with minor, episodic roles.
In 1968, she played Harriet Fordian in the biographical crime thriller The Boston Strangler. That same year, she played one of the police officers in the Batman TV series episode “Nora Clavicle and the Ladies’ Crime Club.” These were the actress’s first steps toward fame and recognition.
The Western Series Lancer
Elizabeth Baur played the role of Teresa O’Brien in Lancer, an American Western television series that aired on CBS every Tuesday at 7:30 p.m., beginning September 24, 1968. The plot centered on the patriarch of the Lancer family, Murdoch, played by Andrew Duggan. He had two sons: the elder, Scott (played by Wayne Maunder), and the younger, Johnny (played by James Stacy).
Scott Lancer was an educated man and a Union Army veteran, while Johnny was a gunslinger. Elizabeth Baur played the ward of the Lancer family patriarch, Teresa O’Brien.
The series Lancer concluded on June 23, 1970. It was later rerun on CBS from May 1971 to September 1971 every Thursday from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Elizabeth Baur enjoyed her time on the show. She managed to concurrently take on guest roles in other TV series. For instance, she appeared in the adventure series Daniel Boone, playing Virginia in the episode “Nobility and Obligation.” Another episodic role was Rachel in the adventure series The Young Rebels, in the episode “The Infiltrator.” In 1971, the actress played Megan in the episode “Deception” of the comedy-drama Room 222, and in the sitcom Nanny and the Professor, she was Susan Baxter in the episode “Communication Gaps.”
The actress also made time for hobbies, namely golf and painting.
The Crime Drama Ironside
Ironside was an American television crime drama that aired on NBC for eight seasons, from 1967 to 1975.
After four seasons of the series, actress Barbara Anderson left for personal reasons, and producers began searching for a replacement. In 1972, Elizabeth Baur recounted that over 100 girls auditioned for the role. Following this, 14 (including Elizabeth) were invited back and asked to read the part. The group was then narrowed down to seven, and she was ultimately chosen. Two years into working on the series, the actress stated that the role of Officer Fran Belding turned out to be the most challenging of her career.
The peak of Elizabeth Baur’s acting career was arguably 1971, when she landed the role of Fran. This was a young police officer who essentially filled the same position as her predecessor had for four years. However, there was a difference. While Barbara Anderson played the role of a rich girl, Elizabeth portrayed the daughter of a police captain who had been framed and murdered. She joins “Ironside” with the goal of clearing her father’s name.
In 1972, Elizabeth reprised the role of Fran Belding in the medical drama The Bold Ones: The New Doctors. She appeared in the episode “Five Days After Death of Sgt. Brown.” Elizabeth Baur then moved to Universal, where she continued to work in television. For more on the Los Angeles scene, check out LosAngeles1.one.
Episodic Roles
Following her notable roles as Teresa O’Brien and Fran Belding, the actress took on short but varied roles. This highlighted her ability to play a wide range of characters. In 1972, the adventure medical drama series Emergency! was released, where Elizabeth played Sister Barbara in the episode “Rampart Rides Again.”
In 1975, the actress played Dr. Ellen Benton in the police procedural crime series S.W.A.T., in the episode “Silent Night, Deadly Night.” Two years later, in the weekly 30-minute American television anthology series for children, ABC Weekend Specials, Elizabeth played Annabelle in the episode “Valentine’s Second Chance.”
In 1978, Elizabeth Baur played Jocelyn Westmore in the TV series Police Woman (episode “A Roll of the Dice”). Her next project came in 1981—the fantasy drama series Fantasy Island, where she played Lucy Carson.
In 1984, she appeared in the detective series Remington Steele, playing Margie Kelsey.
A Grand Return
In 1993, the cast of the beloved TV series reunited for The Return of Ironside. Elizabeth Baur reprised her role as Fran Belding alongside her former co-stars. This marked the final role in Elizabeth Baur’s film career. After this, she stepped away from the industry to dedicate herself to raising her daughter, Leslie Wharton.
Personal Life
In 1976, Elizabeth Baur married Eugene Wharton. The couple had a daughter, Leslie Wharton, who became a producer. They divorced in 1985.
In 1989, the actress married for a second time. Her husband was Steven Springer.
Elizabeth Baur passed away at the age of 69 (September 30, 2017) in her hometown of Los Angeles after a long illness.
