Shelley Fabares
Known for Acting · 83 credits
- Born
- 1944-01-19 (age 82)
- Place of birth
- Santa Monica, California, USA
- Also known as
- Shelly Fabares · Michele Ann Marie "Shelley" Fabares · Michele Ann Marie Fabares · شلی فابارس
Biography
Michele Ann Marie "Shelley" Fabares (/fæˈbreɪ/; born January 19, 1944) is a retired American actress and singer. She is best known for her television roles as Mary Stone on the sitcom The Donna Reed Show (1958–1963) and as Christine Armstrong on the sitcom Coach (1989–1997), the latter of which earned her two Primetime Emmy Awards nominations. Her film roles include playing the leading lady to Elvis Presley in Girl Happy, Spinout, and Clambake.
As the niece of singer/comedienne Nanette Fabray, she was indoctrinated early into the show biz life. Tap dancing from age three, she also modeled during her elementary school years and began appearing on such TV shows as Captain Midnight (1954) and Annie Oakley (1954) (the latter a recurring role). At age 12, she made her professional film debut in the Rock Hudson/Cornell Borchers tearjerker Never Say Goodbye (1956) as Hudson's daughter, and went on to play kid sister roles in the rock 'n' roll-themed Rock, Pretty Baby! (1956) and its sequel Summer Love (1957) both starring John Saxon.
Teen-idol status came with her coming-of-age role as the ever-wholesome daughter "Mary Stone" on The Donna Reed Show (1958), a part she played for five seasons before embarking on a more grown-up film career. The character of "Mary Stone" was gently phased out of the show as her character "left for college". During its' run, she and TV "brother" Paul Petersen grew so popular that they sprinted to adjoining pop singing celebrity, although both admitted that their vocal talents were limited. In 1962, her recording of "Johnny Angel" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. She left The Donna Reed Show in 1963 (she would return periodically until its end in 1966) to pursue other acting opportunities.
This was followed by a second album, The Things We Did Last Summer, which included two hit songs "Johnny Loves Me" (no. 21) and "The Things We Did Last Summer" (no. 46). She released a third album, Teenage Triangle in 1963.
She landed top femme parts in such fun-and-frolic fare as Ride the Wild Surf (1964), Hold On! (1966) in which she played the love interest of Peter Noone (of Herman's Hermits) and sings Make Me Happy, as well as three of Elvis Presley's less-acclaimed films of the later 1960s: Girl Happy (1965), Spinout (1966) and Clambake (1967). She then played the love interest of a young Hank Williams Jr. in A Time to Sing (1968).
Known For
TV Shows (46)
Murder, She Wrote
1984
as Liza Caspar
The Love Boat
1977
as Cathy / Mary Frances Bellflower
Ironside
1967
as Charlotte Black
Coach
1989
as Christine Armstrong
The Donna Reed Show
1958
as Mary Stone
Mannix
1967
The Twilight Zone
1959
as Ellen Tillman
Love, American Style
1969
as Julie / Sheila
The Rockford Files
1974
as Jolene Hyland
Fantasy Island
1978
as Jill Marlowe
Matinee Theater
1955
Superman: The Animated Series
1996
as Martha Kent (voice)
One Day at a Time
1975
as Francine Webster
Daniel Boone
1964
as Charity Brown
Newhart
1982
The Incredible Hulk
1977
as Holly Cooper
Marcus Welby, M.D.
1969
as Norma Fritchie
Dinah!
1974
as Self
Medical Center
1969
The Rookies
1972
McCloud
1970
The Bob Hope Show
1950
as Self
Matt Houston
1982
Vega$
1978
Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law
1971
as Lorraine Latham
Justice League
2001
as Martha Kent (voice)
Police Story
1973
Mr. Novak
1963
as Dani Cooper
Mork & Mindy
1978
as Cathy McConnell
Lancer
1968
Hello, Larry
1979
as Marion Alder
Shindig!
1964
as Self - Singer
The Ghost & Mrs. Muir
1968
Arrest and Trial
1963
as Donna Blaney
Medical Story
1975
as Susan Duffy
Matt Helm
1975
as Chris / Tina
The Wonderful World of Disney
1954
as Grace Donovan
Letter to Loretta
1953
as Marie Schumann
Lucan
1977
Forever Fernwood
1977
The Practice
1976
as Jenny Bedford
The Brian Keith Show
1972
as Dr. Anne Jamison
Spencer's Pilots
1976
A Whole New Ballgame
1995
as Christine Armstrong
Annette
1957
as Moselle Corey
Highcliffe Manor
1979
as Helen Straight Blacke
Movies (37)
The Great Mom Swap
1995
as Millie Ridgeway
The Bad Seed
1956
as Margie (uncredited)
Girl Happy
1965
as Valerie
Hot Pursuit
1987
as Buffy Cronenberg
A Nightmare Come True
1997
as Lily Zarn
The Canterville Ghost
1985
as Lucy
Clambake
1967
as Dianne Carter
Superman: Brainiac Attacks
2006
as Martha Kent (voice)
Never Say Goodbye
1956
as Suzy Parker
Memorial Day
1983
as Ellie Walker
Elvis: A Life in Music
2026
as Self (archive footage)
Operation Heartbeat
1969
as 'Mike' Carter
Two for the Money
1972
as Bethany Hagan
Brian's Song
1971
as Joy Piccolo
Your Studio and You
1995
as Shelley Fabares
Sky Hei$t
1975
as Lisa
Deadly Relations
1993
as Shirley Fagot
Superman: The Last Son of Krypton
1996
as Martha Kent (voice)
Love or Money
1990
as Lu Ann Reed
Spinout
1966
as Cynthia Foxhugh
Marjorie Morningstar
1958
as Seth's Friend (uncredited)
Ride the Wild Surf
1964
as Brie Matthews
Jeanne Eagels
1957
as Teenage Girl (uncredited)
Donovan's Kid
1979
as Grace Donovan
A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes: The Annette Funicello Story
1995
as Self (uncredited)
Playing to Win: A Moment of Truth Movie
1998
as Nancy Erickson
Summer Love
1958
as Twinkie Daley
Run Till You Fall
1988
as Kathy Reuben
Pleasure Cove
1979
as Helen Perlmutter
Rock, Pretty Baby
1956
as Teresa "Twinky" Daley
Hold On!
1966
as Louisa Page
Our Town
1955
as Rebecca Gibbs
A Time to Sing
1968
as Amy Carter
The Girl Rush
1955
as Young Kim
Friendships, Secrets and Lies
1979
as Mary Alice
Suburban Beat
1985
as Mimi
Gridlock
1980
as Louise Gregory
About Shelley Fabares
Michele Ann Marie "Shelley" Fabares (/fæˈbreɪ/; born January 19, 1944) is a retired American actress and singer. She is best known for her television roles as Mary Stone on the sitcom The Donna Reed Show (1958–1963) and as Christine Armstrong on the sitcom Coach (1989–1997), the latter of which earned her two Primetime Emmy Awards nominations. Her film roles include playing the leading lady to Elvis Presley in Girl Happy, Spinout, and Clambake. As the niece of singer/comedienne Nanette Fabray, she was indoctrinated early into the show biz life… With 83 credits spanning from 1950 to 2026, Shelley Fabares has appeared in 37 films and 46 TV shows.
Fans searching for Shelley Fabares movies, Shelley Fabares filmography, or the latest projects starring Shelley Fabares can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Shelley Fabares Movies
- The Great Mom Swap (1995) — as Millie Ridgeway
- The Bad Seed (1956) — as Margie (uncredited)
- Girl Happy (1965) — as Valerie
- Hot Pursuit (1987) — as Buffy Cronenberg
- A Nightmare Come True (1997) — as Lily Zarn
Where to Watch Shelley Fabares Films
Most Shelley Fabares movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Shelley Fabares, check our movies catalogue and browse page.