Beatrice Colen (January 10, 1948 – November 18, 1999) was an American television and film actress. She may be best known for her television roles as roller-skating carhop Marsha Simms on Happy Days and as Etta Candy on the first season of Wonder Woman.^[1][2][3]

Early life

Colen was born to Anne and Bruce D Colen in New York City, New York. Both of her parents were of German Jewish descent. She was the granddaughter of playwright George S. Kaufman.^[4]

Career

Starting in the 1970s, Colen landed roles early in her career in both film and television. On Happy Days, she starred as carhop Marsha Simms in seasons 1-3 and 5.^[5]

She was the first actress to portray Etta Candy in the live action adaptation of the DC comic book series Wonder Woman.^[6][7] After the pilot, she appeared only during the series' first season (1976–1977), which were set during World War II. When the series was retooled and reset in modern times, the character was dropped.^[8]

Colen acted in such television film as Schoolboy Father (1980), Brave New World, and in feature films such as Lifeguard, High Anxiety, American Pop, and Who's that Girl.

She guest-starred on a number of TV shows such as The Odd Couple, All in the Family, The Love Boat, Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974, premiere episode: "The Ripper"), Barney Miller (1981, episode: "The Rainmaker" and the 1975 episode: “Grand Hotel”), The Wonder Years, and Baywatch.

Her final television appearance before retiring was in a 1997 episode of Nickelodeon's The Secret World of Alex Mack.

Personal life and death

Colen was married to Patrick Cronin on October 23, 1977,^[9] and together they had two sons, James (born c. 1982) and Charlie (born c. 1983).^[10]

She died of lung cancer, which metastisized to a brain tumour years later, on November 18, 1999, in Los Angeles, California, at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.^[10][11] Colen died on the opening night of Brentwood High School's production of The Man Who Came to Dinner, which was written by her grandfather, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright George S. Kaufman, and which starred her son, James, in the title role of Sheridan Whiteside; James honoured her wish that he perform that night.^[10] Her memorial service was held at Saint James Episcopal Church in Los Angeles 10 days later.^{[citation needed]}

Filmography