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A fascinating aura of mystery seemed to surround the characters portrayed by blue-eyed blonde actress Susan Oliver, whose trademark high cheekbones, rosebud lips and heart-shaped face kept audiences intrigued for nearly three decades. While her career didn't play out as well as it should have, she nevertheless left a fine legacy of work on stage, film and TV. Born Charlotte Gercke on February 13, 1932 . A long-time smoker, the never-married Susan was diagnosed with lung cancer and died at the Motion Picture and Television Hospital in Woodland Hills, California at age 58 -- an untimely end for such a beautiful lady and strong talent.
She was a licensed pilot.
She won the Powder Puff Derby in 1970.
She was named Pilot of the Year in 1970.
Attempted to become the first woman to fly a single-engine plane solo from New York to Moscow, but was deterred in Denmark when the Soviet government denied her permission to enter their air space.
Her mother was noted Hollywood astrologer Ruth Oliver. She died in 1988, two years before Susan. Her father, George Gercke , was a newspaperman.
Gorgeous blonde of 1960s movies with equally gorgeous cheekbones who tended to play neurotic, troubled types. She attracted major television attention on "Peyton Place" when her character, Ann Howard, was killed off, and also has a minor cult following as Vina from the original series pilot "Star Trek" {The Cage (#1.0)} .
Trained at the Neighborhood Playhouse.
Her memoir "Odyssey" detailed her journeys as a pilot. She once survived the crash of her own Piper Cub plane in 1966.
In celebration of "Star Trek" s 30th anniversary, an action figure was released of Susan as her character, Vina, on "Star Trek" {The Cage (#1.0)} .
Was a Buddhist and an expert on baseball.
She was one of the original 19 women admitted to the American Film Institutes Directing Workshop for Women (AFI DWW).
A week after her popular character Ann Howard on "Peyton Place" was killed off on the series in 1966, Susan survived the crash of a Piper Cub near Santa Paula, California that a friend was piloting.
Oliver experienced an event in February 1959 that belied her later aviation accomplishments. She was a passenger aboard the Clipper Washington, a Boeing 707 on a transatlantic flight from Paris to New York City when it dropped from 35,000 feet to 6000 feet. It happened on February 3, 1959, the same day Buddy Holly died in an airplane crash. These events caused her a paralyzing fear of flying and it took extensive hypnosis to overcome it. In July 1964, she was reintroduced to personal flying during an evening flight over Los Angeles in a Cessna 172. The experience motivated her to return the next day to the Santa Monica Airport to begin training for a Private Pilot certificate next year.
Lived with Jim Hutton throughout 1963; and they parted, when she began focusing on her career as a pilot.
Susan Oliver became an iconic image within the Star Trek universe as the original "green Orion slave girl.".
[in 1988 interview] Any actor who is a professional picks up so much,information from years of experience that they bring extra insights,into directing. Not every actor will be a good director, you must have,a good visual sense, a good story sense. I feel very deeply that I want,to tell stories of value on film.
I want to be the best actress I can. But most of all, I want to be,myself. .
