Angela Cartwright
Her childhood face became unforgettable, first as a TV stepsister and then as one of the singing von Trapp children in a beloved film classic.
Born 1952 (age 74)·British actress·Birthday: September 9·Baby Boomers
Biography
Angela Cartwright's career was shaped in the golden age of television and Hollywood musicals. Born in England, her family moved to the United States where she quickly found work as a child actor. She spent years growing up on screen as Linda Williams on 'Make Room for Daddy' (also known as 'The Danny Thomas Show'), earning America's affection. That familiarity made her perfect for the role of Brigitta, the bespectacled, truth-telling von Trapp daughter in Robert Wise's monumental 'The Sound of Music.' Immediately after, she traded Austrian hills for the cosmos, playing Penny Robinson in the cult sci-fi series 'Lost in Space.' As she transitioned from child star to adult, Cartwright gracefully stepped away from full-time acting, channeling her creativity into photography and running a successful boutique. Her legacy is a unique trifecta: a staple of 50s sitcoms, a member of cinema's most famous musical family, and a stranded space adventurer.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Angela was born in 1952, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Angela Was Born
The biggest hits of 1952
#1 Movie
The Greatest Show on Earth
Best Picture
The Greatest Show on Earth
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Angela's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1952Born
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1957Started school
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1965Became a teenager
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1968Could drive
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1970Could vote
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1973Turned 21
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1982Turned 30
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1992Turned 40
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 50
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 60
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 70
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 74 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played Brigitta von Trapp in the Oscar-winning film 'The Sound of Music', one of the most successful musicals in history.
- Portrayed Penny Robinson for three seasons on the influential science fiction television series 'Lost in Space'.
- Appeared as a series regular for five seasons on the popular family sitcom 'Make Room for Daddy'.
- Authored several books on mixed-media art and photography following her second career as a visual artist.
- Ran 'Cartwright's', a vintage and art boutique in Los Angeles, for over two decades.
Did You Know?
Her older sister is actress Veronica Cartwright, who starred in 'The Birds' and 'Alien'.
She is an accomplished photographer and her work has been exhibited in galleries.
Cartwright published a book of photographs and memories titled 'Styling the Stars: Lost Photos from the Twentieth Century Fox Archive'.
She and most of the other child actors from 'The Sound of Music' remained close friends for life, often reuniting.
“I grew up on television, but my heart is in the darkroom, making photographs.”
