Yvonne Lime, the classic TV actress who starred opposite Michael Landon in I Was a Teenage Werewolf and Elvis Presley in his early film career, has died.
Videos by Suggest
Lime passed away from natural causes at her home in Paradise Valley, Arizona, on Jan 23. She was 90.
Her death was announced by Childhelp, the nonprofit she co-founded in 1959 with fellow actress Sara O’Meara to help abused, neglected, and at-risk children.
“We are blessed to share her legacy, and we’re grateful to have been part of her life,” a post on Childhelp’s Facebook page reads in part. “As our hands and hearts find strength in our memories of Yvonne and her generous spirit, may all our hearts find comfort in the faith she treasured and the brilliant legacy of love she leaves behind.”
“Yvonne was my dearest friend and my partner in this mission for more than six decades,” O’Meara added in a statement, per The Hollywood Reporter. “Her compassion, strength and belief in the power of love shaped Childhelp from its earliest days. I will forever be grateful for the life we built together in service to children.”
According to THR, Lime and O’Meara first met while working on ABC’s The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.
Born on April 7, 1935, in Glendale, California, Lime’s acting career launched in 1956 with various TV guest spots and a role alongside Burt Lancaster and Katharine Hepburn in the drama The Rainmaker.
That same year, she began a multi-season recurring role as Dotty on the popular sitcom Father Knows Best. Per IMDb, she appeared in over a dozen episodes between 1956 and 1959.
Yvonne Lime Lands Her Signature Role in a Cult Horror Classic
The following year, she appeared in more television shows and landed her most fan-favorite role as the girlfriend of Michael Landon’s title character in the cult horror film I Was a Teenage Werewolf.
Around that time, Lime also had an uncredited role in Loving You, Elvis Presley’s first major starring film.
In 1958, Lime had top billing in the biker film Dragstrip Riot. She also starred as the new girl on campus in High School Hellcats. Her final film role was a co-lead in the car-racing drama Speed Crazy that same year.
From there, Lime shifted her focus entirely to television. Her only series-regular role was on the NBC sitcom Happy. In the series, she starred alongside Ronnie Burns as part of a young married couple managing a luxury motel. The show featured their baby, Happy, who reacted to events with facial expressions and a voice provided off-camera. It aired for one season from 1960 to 1961.
During the 1960s, she appeared on popular series such as The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet, The Andy Griffith Show, Gomer Pyle: USMC, Dragnet, and My Three Sons.
Lime married My Three Sons and Family Affair producer Don Fedderson in 1969. She later managed his production company, Don Fedderson Productions. He passed away in 1994.