17 of Perry Mason. Film Carson had roles in films such as 1955's The Phenix City Story and 1958's I Married a Monster from Outer Space. Carson felt she was typecast by some of these roles ("I'm what you call a 'second woman' or 'second tomato.' They never get the man." ). She earned fourth billing in the 1968 Peter Sellers comedy The Party, perhaps her best-known film. Her last film role was 1977's Fun with Dick and Jane. Personal life For the first half of the 1970s Carson had a drinking problem which limited her acting career. She retired early in the 1980s, with the exception of mentoring from community theater actors in the Palm Springs area, where she had moved to be close to her children. She later became sober. She was associated with The Andy Griffith Show for many years, attending cast performances, conventions, and other meetings and writing back to fans personally until she suffered a severe stroke which left her incapacitated in September 2005. Carson was married to Leonard Smith, Jr., who was the assistant manager of the Roxy Theater. Death On November 2, 2005, Carson died in Palm Springs, California, from complications of a stroke; she was 82 years old. She was survived by two sons. Filmography References External links "Hello Doll" - Official website 2003 Jean Carson interview at Christian Activities 1923 births 2005 deaths American film actresses American stage actresses American television actresses Carnegie Mellon University College of Fine Arts alumni Actors from Charleston, West Virginia Actresses from Los Angeles Actresses from Palm Springs, California Actresses from West Virginia 20th-century American actresses