Phyllis Davis

Phyllis Ann Davis (July 17, 1940 – September 27, 2013) was an American actress who appeared primarily on television. She was most notably a co-star with the cast of the dramatic series Vega$, in which she portrayed Beatrice Travis, secretary and girl Friday of the show's main character, private detective Dan Tanna, played by Robert Urich.

Phyllis Davis
Davis (center) with cast of Love, American Style, 1973
Born
Phyllis Ann Davis

(1940-07-17)July 17, 1940
Port Arthur, Texas, U.S.
DiedSeptember 27, 2013(2013-09-27) (aged 73)
Henderson, Nevada, U.S.
Resting placePalm Mortuary Memorial Park, Henderson, Nevada, U.S.
Other namesPhyllis Elizabeth Davis
OccupationActress
Years active1966-1995

Early life

Phyllis Davis was born in Nederland, Texas, but considered Port Arthur, Texas, her hometown.[1] Growing up, Davis and her family lived in her parents’ mortuary business, in their home on the second floor. Davis recalled that when a funeral service was being held, the Davis children had to be very quiet on the second floor. After graduating in 1958 from Nederland High School, Davis attended Lamar University. After working as a secretary, and as a flight attendant for Continental Airlines, she moved to Los Angeles in 1965. While in Los Angeles, Davis attended acting classes at the Pasadena Playhouse.

Career

Davis's films include The Big Bounce (1969), Russ Meyer's Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970), Sweet Sugar (1972), Terminal Island (1973), The Day of the Dolphin (1973), The Choirboys (1977), The Wild Women of Chastity Gulch (1982) and Guns (1990).

Davis appeared in guest roles on the prime-time series Love, American Style (1969) for five seasons.[2] She also appeared in television series such as Knight Rider; she acted out the role of the villainous Tanya Walker in its pilot installment, "Knight of the Phoenix." Davis also had guest roles in Magnum, P.I., The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, and The Wild Wild West and was a regular performer in the vignettes in Love, American Style. She was in an episode of Adam-12 titled "You Blew It" in 1969. She was also a Match Game panelist on occasion and, during her tenure on ABC's Vega$, appeared on a Battle of the Network Stars special.

Davis was well known as a co star on the ABC prime-time series Vega$ from 1978 to 1981, alongside star Robert Urich. Davis's character, Beatrice Travis, worked for Dan Tanna, a Las Vegas-based private investigator played by Urich. Her role was working as Tanna's smart secretary and girl Friday in the crime drama.[3]

Later years

Davis never married, but she had a long-term relationship with actor-singer Dean Martin during the 1970s, and a relationship with Hall of Fame racehorse jockey Laffit Pincay Jr. during the 1980s.

Davis died of cancer on September 27, 2013, in Henderson, Nevada, where she had made her home. She was 73.

References
  1. Dunn, Bill (June 10, 1971). "Debutante Ball Helps Phyllis's Career". The Journal News. Ohio, Hamilton: King Features Syndicate, Inc. p. 74. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
  2. "Phyllis Davis Bucks A Family Tradition". Times-News. 1 September 1979. p. 13.
  3. Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 1138. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.
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