Eve Bernhardt
Eve Bernhardt, born Evelyn May Bernard on December 7, 1930 in Dayton, Ohio, was an American actress best known for The Wizard of Mars (1965). Her family moved to Los Angeles after a flood destroyed their home, and she studied at UCLA while working as a model and in beauty pageants. She won titles such as Miss Van Nuys, Miss Los Angeles Fire Department, and Queen of Flowers, which helped her get noticed by RKO Pictures.
Her film debut came with The French Line (1954) and Son of Sinbad (1955). On Son of Sinbad, she befriended Pat Sheehan and they refused a studio executive’s sexual advances. She earned about $250 a week as an actress and also worked nights in diners and bars, and occasionally as a cigarette girl at Ciro’s. She later had small, uncredited roles in The Big Combo (1955), The Harder They Fall (1956), and Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964). She also pursued theatre, working with acting coach William Jarvis and appearing in plays such as The Derelict and Drunkards (1960).
Cecil B. DeMille once spoke of a contract, but he died before anything happened. Bernhardt’s first credited TV role was Sue Harrington in the 1960 Lock Up episode Flying High, which led to more TV work on shows like Girl Talk, Beauty Parade, Truth or Consequences, The Bob Hope Show, The Red Skelton Show, and The Al Jarvis Show. Her breakthrough came in 1965 as Dorothy in The Wizard of Mars, making her a cult figure in science fiction.
During filming, co-star Roger Gentry made unwanted advances, and their romance scene was cut. The space suits also caused her spinal problems. She left acting not long after, married Richard Harwood on February 2, 1969, and later sold jewelry and cosmetics door to door. Their daughter, Elizabeth Reynolds, also became an actress. Eve Bernhardt died in 2014 at age 83.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 22:27 (CET).