Dana Wynter
An elegant, coolly detached actress who became an enduring symbol of paranoid 1950s America as the last human holdout in 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers'.
1931–2011 (age 80)·German-born English actress·Birthday: June 8·The Silent Generation
Biography
Dana Wynter possessed a poised, almost otherworldly beauty that made her perfect for the chilling conformity of 1950s science-fiction, yet her career was far more varied than her most famous role suggests. Born in Germany and raised in England and Southern Africa, she brought a refined, transatlantic quality to both film and television. While she is forever remembered as Becky Driscoll, the terrified love interest in Don Siegel's classic 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers', she spent decades playing sophisticated women in peril, cunning villains, and genteel leads on series like 'The Twilight Zone' and 'The Virginian'. Her later work often saw her as the poised, sometimes manipulative, society figure in mystery dramas. Wynter's legacy is that of a versatile performer whose striking presence could signal either vulnerability or menace, often within the same scene.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Dana was born in 1931, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dana Was Born
The biggest hits of 1931
#1 Movie
Frankenstein
Best Picture
Cimarron
Dana's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1931Born
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1936Started school
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1944Became a teenager
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1947Could drive
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1949Could vote
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1952Turned 21
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
1961Turned 30
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1971Turned 40
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1981Turned 50
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1991Turned 60
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 70
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 80
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
Key Achievements
- Delivered a defining performance in cinematic history as Becky Driscoll in the seminal sci-fi horror film 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' (1956).
- Starred opposite Rock Hudson in the romantic drama 'Something of Value' (1957), addressing the Mau Mau Uprising in Kenya.
- Played a memorable role in the classic 'Twilight Zone' episode 'The Jungle' (1961) as a skeptical wife haunted by curses.
- Had a recurring role as the elegant and often troublesome Laura Deane on the popular television series 'The Virginian' in the late 1960s.
Did You Know?
She was studying to become a doctor at Rhodes University in South Africa before pursuing acting.
During World War II, she was interned for a brief period on the Isle of Man as a 'friendly enemy alien' due to her German birthplace.
She was one of the founding members of the famous Hollywood social club, The Magic Castle.
She turned down the role of Lisa Fremont in Alfred Hitchcock's 'Rear Window' (1954), a part that went to Grace Kelly.
“An actress must be a chameleon, but the skin never quite fits.”
