“ENA Hartman, A Pioneering Black Actress Who Had a Regular Role Opposite Burt Reynolds on the 1970-71 ABC COP SHOW DAN AUGUST, HAS DIED. She Was 93. Hartman Died April 16 of Natural Cause at Her Home in Van Nuys, Her Goddaughter Lorraine Foxworth told the Hollywood Reporter. Hartman Also is Known for Her Starring”, – WRITE: www.hollywoodReporter.com
Hartman Died April 16 of Natural Cause at Her Home in Van Nuys, Her Goddaughter Lorraine Foxworth Told The Hollywood Reporter.
Hartman Also Is Known for Her Starring Turn As The Tough Girl Carmen Simms Alongside Tom Selleck, Don Marshall, Roger E. Mosley, Phyllis Davis and Marta Kristen in the Cult Prison Terminal islanD (1973), Written and Directed by Stephanie Rothman.
She Assisted Lee J. Cobb’s Character in The Spy Spoof Our Man Flint (1966), Starring James Coburn; Played A Party Guest in Games (1967), Starring James Caan, Simone Signoret and Katharine ROSS; d Was a flight attandnt in Airport (1970).
And in Firsts for NBC in 1968, She appeared on the inaugural episode of Adam-12 and in the telefilm Prescription MurderWHICH Starred Peter Falk in His Initial Outing As Columbo.
In One of the Rare Regular Tv Roles Given to Black Actresses Back Then, Hartman Stood Out As The Smart, No-Nonsense Police Dispatcher Katy Grant On Dan AugustWHICH Starred Reynolds as the Titular Cop Investigating Homicides in His Hometown of Santa Luisa, California.
However, The Series, WHICH ALSO FEATUED Richard Anderson and Norman Fell, Lasted Just One Season and 26 episodes.
From left: Ned Romero, Richard Anderson, Burt Reynolds, Norman Fell And Ena Hartman from ABC’s ‘Dan August.’ Courtesy Everett Collection
Earlier, Hartman Had A CHANCE TO HIT IT BIG WHEN FAMED ACTRESS-SINGER DOROTHY DANDRIDGE Picked Her to Play Her in A Planed Biopic That Was To Star Sidney Poitier as Well. Poitier, Thought, Decides in the Final Stages to pass on the Film, and it was Never Made.
(Hartman Did Get to Be Poitier’s Guest at the 1964 Academy Awards WHEN HE BECAME The FIRST Black Man to Win the Oscar for Best Actor.)
Later, she was said to be in the running to play lieutenant uhura on nbc’s Star Trek and One of the Nuns in Elvis Presley’s Change of Habit (1969), but she lost out to Nichelle Nichols and Barbara Mcnair, Respectiely. (Shew appetar on the First-Season Trek Episode “The Corbomite Maneuver.”)
The Daughter of Sharecropers, Gerthaline Henry Was Born on April 1, 1932, In Moscow, Arkansas. Raised by her grandparents, she Moved to Buffalo, New York, WHEN She WAS 13 TO LIVE TO HER MOTHER.
She Droped Out of High School To Open A Restaurant and Wuld Earn Earn Enough Money to GO to New York City, WHERE She WAuld Adopt A Stage Name, Become A Top Model In Tount A raisin in the sun Director Lloyd Richards.
Hartman Participated in an NBC-SPONSORED TALENT COMPETITION FOR Young Actors and Actresses, and that Got Her A Talent Contract From The Network-Said to Be First Such for Any. (Ebony Magazine in 1962 Reported that “Grooming” Contract Was for Five Years at $ 12,000 A Year. “IT’s The MOST EXCITING THAT’S EVER HAPPENED TO ME,“ She SAID.)
In 1964, She Made Her Onscreen Debuts on An Episode of Bonanza and in the Sequel Feature The New Interns. And after NBC, she sigrated a Contract with Universal and Was Named Honoryary Mayor of Universal City in 1968.
Hartman Also Showed Up on Such Series As Profiles in Courage, The Farmer’s Daughter, Tarzan, Ironside, It takes a thief, Dragnet 1967, The name of the game, The Outsider, Ironside and, for Her Final onscreen Credit, A 1975 Episode of Police Story.
In addition to her goddaughhter, survivors include her Son, Doug, and Daughter-in-law, kimberly.