You know how sometimes Hollywood picks a "next big thing" and then just... forgets? That’s basically the vibe of Marianne McAndrew’s career. If you’ve ever watched Hello, Dolly! and wondered who that elegant brunette playing Irene Molloy was—the one keeping up with Barbra Streisand—that’s her. She was 25. She was gorgeous. She had two Golden Globe nominations for her very first movie.
And then? Well, things got weird.
Instead of becoming the next Grace Kelly, she ended up in a cult horror flick about bat people. Honestly, the trajectory of Marianne McAndrew movies and tv shows is a fascinating case study in how the "New Hollywood" era of the 70s chewed up traditional leading ladies and spat them out into the world of guest-starring roles on Hawaii Five-O.
The Hello, Dolly! Breakout (and the Secret Behind the Voice)
In 1969, Marianne McAndrew landed the role of Irene Molloy. It was a massive deal. Gene Kelly—yes, that Gene Kelly—personally chose her. She wasn’t even a singer or dancer. She was a stage actress from Cleveland who had been pounding the pavement in New York, occasionally waiting tables to survive.
But there’s a catch most people don’t realize.
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If you watch the movie today, you aren't actually hearing her sing. Despite her acting being top-tier, her vocals were dubbed by Melissa Stafford and Gilda Maiken. It’s a bit of a Hollywood irony: she got nominated for a Golden Globe for a musical role where she didn't sing a note. She was competing against the likes of Barbra Streisand on screen, which is terrifying for any newcomer. Yet, she held her own. Her performance as the milliner looking for love is still the highlight of the film for many fans.
The Shift to Gritty 70s Cinema
After the glitz of a $25 million musical, you’d think the big roles would keep coming. They didn't. Hollywood was changing. The era of the "big studio musical" was dying.
McAndrew pivoted to The Seven Minutes (1971).
It was a Russ Meyer film.
No, not that kind of Russ Meyer film—it was a serious legal drama about censorship and a controversial book. She played Maggie Sanford. It was a lead role, sure, but the movie didn't ignite the box office.
Then came The Bat People (1974). This is where the Marianne McAndrew movies and tv shows list takes a turn into "cult classic" territory. She starred alongside her real-life husband, Stewart Moss. The plot? A guy gets bitten by a bat and starts turning into one. It’s campy. It’s low-budget. It’s a far cry from the Victorian gowns of Hello, Dolly!, but it’s the movie that horror geeks still talk about today.
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TV Land: From Hawaii Five-O to Murphy Brown
By the mid-70s, McAndrew became a staple of the "guest star of the week" circuit. If you grew up watching network TV, you've definitely seen her face. She was the go-to for sophisticated, slightly mysterious women.
Her TV credits are a literal map of 70s and 80s pop culture:
- Hawaii Five-O: She played Julie Grant in "The Late John Louisiana."
- The Streets of San Francisco: Catch her in the "Mask of Death" episode.
- Cannon: She actually appeared in three different episodes as three different characters. That’s how you know a show liked an actor.
- Murder, She Wrote: Because you haven't lived until you've been in a mystery with Angela Lansbury.
She didn't just do dramas, though. You can find her in Love, American Style and later, a brief appearance in Murphy Brown. She even played the mother in the TV movie Growing Up Brady (2000), showing she could transition into that "matriarch" phase of a career with total ease.
Why She Never Became a "Superstar"
It’s a fair question. Why didn't those Golden Globe nominations lead to an Oscar-winning career?
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Timing. Purely timing.
McAndrew had a classic, "aristocratic" beauty that fit the 1940s or 50s perfectly. By 1970, the industry wanted the gritty, "natural" look of Diane Keaton or the raw energy of the Easy Rider era. She was a "pre-code" style star born thirty years too late.
But here's the thing: she’s still a working-actor legend in some circles. She did the "bus and truck" tours. She did the soap operas (like The Bold and the Beautiful). She did the voice work—she's actually credited as a "voice" in Pixar’s WALL-E.
Looking for Marianne McAndrew Today?
If you want to see her at her absolute peak, you have to go back to the 1969 70mm prints.
- Watch Hello, Dolly! for the costumes and the chemistry with Michael Crawford.
- Hunt down The Bat People if you want to see her work with her husband in a weirdly charming horror flick.
- Check out her guest spots on streaming platforms that carry old procedural dramas like Quincy, M.E. or Barnaby Jones.
Marianne McAndrew didn't "fail" at Hollywood. She just survived it. She moved from the biggest budget movie of its time to the smallest, most eccentric corners of the industry without losing her dignity. That’s a career worth remembering.
Actionable Next Steps:
If you're a fan of classic cinema, your next move is to watch the 4K restoration of Hello, Dolly!. It’s the only way to truly appreciate the "aristocratic beauty" that casting directors raved about in the late 60s. After that, look for the Mystery Science Theater 3000 treatment of The Bat People—it’s the best way to enjoy her mid-70s work with a side of humor.