Janet Landgard, actress who appeared on The Swimmer and The Donna Reed Show, dies at 75 after a brief battle with brain cancer
Janet Landgard, who co-starred with Burt Lancaster in the 1968 drama The Swimmer, has died at the age of 75.
Landgard passed away on Monday, November 6, after a short battle with brain cancer. The Hollywood Reporter reported.
Actor Paul Petersen, who worked with Landgard on the ABC series The Donna Reed Show, confirmed the news.
On Facebook, Petersen praised her as “the best TV girlfriend my alternate ego, Jeff Stone, has ever had.” Janet was beautiful, inside and out… a flawless Scandinavian beauty who literally silenced jaded Hollywood types.
“We were always close, no matter the time or distance.”
Rest in Peace: Janet Landgard, who co-starred with Burt Lancaster in the 1968 drama The Swimmer, has died at the age of 75; pictured in 1965
Illness: Landgard died on Monday, November 6, after a brief battle with brain cancer, The Hollywood Reporter reported
Janet was born on December 2, 1947 and grew up in Pasadena, California.
She modeled with the William Adrian Modeling Agency before making her film debut on The Donna Reed Show in 1963.
She played the character Sabrina in an episode that aired during the show’s fifth season, while she was still a high school student.
That year she also appeared on ABC’s My Three Sons Deadline.
In the critically acclaimed drama The Swimmer, directed by esteemed author Frank Perry and based on John Cheever’s classic story of the same name, the blonde beauty starred opposite Lancaster’s Ned Merrill.
Langard later appeared on the big screen with the lead role in 1969’s Land Raiders, which also starred George Maharis, Arlene Dahl and Telly Savalas.
In 1971, she starred in the television film The Deadly Dream, alongside Lloyd Bridges and Janet Leigh.
In 1972, she worked with Victor Buono in Moonchild, before leaving show business.
Previous work: Janet depicted in the 1968 film Land Raiders with George Maharis
Another film still: Janet and George pictured in another scene from Land Raiders
Youth: The blonde beauty pictured in October 1965 on The Donna Reed Show
Landgard was highlighted as an emerging talent along with Raquel Welch, Barbara Parkins and Mary Ann Mobley in The Hollywood Deb Stars in 1965.
She next appeared as a hostess on the Chuck Barris-produced show Dream Girl Of ’67.
At the end of her life, Peterson described Janet as “a real outdoorswoman” who loved horse racing.
Information about survivors and funeral arrangements has not been shared.