Olive Sturgess, a veteran of around two dozen television Westerns and known for her role as Vincent Price’s daughter in the 1963 horror spoof “The Raven,” has passed away at the age of 91.
According to her daughter, Amy Anderson Sanchez, Sturgess passed away from natural causes on February 19, 2025, in Los Angeles, California, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. Prior to her death, Sturgess had lost her long-time home in the Pacific Palisades fire and was residing with her daughter.
From the mid-1950s spanning two decades, Sturgess, a Canadian actress, featured in nearly 300 television episodes. This includes her role as Dwayne Hickman’s girlfriend in 12 episodes of the NBC-CBS sitcom “The Bob Cummings Show” from 1956 to 1959.
Sturgess was born on October 8, 1933, in Ocean Falls, British Columbia, and raised in Vancouver. As a young girl, she took ballet and piano lessons. After watching Mary Martin perform in “Peter Pan,” she was motivated to pursue a career in show business.
In Tom Weaver’s 2014 book “I Talked With a Zombie,” Sturgess shared her experience of watching a performer dramatically fly onto the stage while she was seated in the front row of the balcony. This enchanting moment cemented her aspiration to become an actress.
Sturgess moved to California with her family in 1954 where she studied at Whittier College and took acting classes at the Beverly Hills Playhouse. There, she met Hank Garson, a prominent CBS radio show writer, leading to her appearances on TV shows such as “Matinee Theater,” “Studio 57,” “The Millionaire,” “The People’s Choice,” and “The Red Skelton Hour.”
She signed a contract with Universal-International, with Clint Eastwood conducting her screen test. Sturgess noted that by the ’50s, she was appearing on TV twice a week.
Besides Westerns, Sturgess made appearances on numerous series including “West Point,” “Perry Mason,” “Panic!,” “The Donna Reed Show,” “Hawaiian Eye,” “The Danny Thomas Show,” “Petticoat Junction,” “Dr. Kildare,” and “Ironside.”
Her Western portfolio was extensive, featuring on shows like “Bonanza,” “The Virginian,” “Destry,” “Wide Country,” “Maverick,” “Whispering Smith,” “Bronco,” “The Tall Man,” “The Rebel,” “Laramie,” “Lawman,” “Have Gun — Will Travel,” “Rawhide,” “U.S. Marshal,” “Sugarfoot,” “Cheyenne,” and “Tales of Wells Fargo.”
A highlight of her career was guest-starring with Mickey Rooney on a 1960 episode of NBC’s “Wagon Train,” where she wore Elizabeth Taylor’s wedding dress from “Father of the Bride” (1950).
Sturgess’ appearances on two episodes of the Boris Karloff-hosted NBC horror anthology series “Thriller” in 1960 and 1961, led to her role as Estelle Craven in American International Pictures’ “The Raven.”
In “The Raven,” she acted alongside legendary actors Peter Lorre and Boris Karloff, and a young Jack Nicholson. In Tom Weaver’s book, she shared how thrilling it was to work with such iconic actors, especially appreciating their unique vocal performances.
Sturgess, who stood 5 feet 2 inches tall, was skilled at horse riding and participated in rodeos. She also starred in one Western feature film, “Requiem for a Gunfighter” (1965).
Her last appearance onscreen was in a 1974 episode of “The Rookies,” but she continued to engage with her fans through mail until her passing.
Sturgess was married to Dale Anderson, a Hollywood studio musician who frequently collaborated with John Williams, from 1964 until his death in 2003. She is survived by her daughter Amy, son Stephen, son-in-law Lorenzo, daughter-in-law Rikke, and granddaughter Jennifer.
