Bamlet Lawrence Price Jr. was an American filmmaker, former military pilot and the first husband of Hollywood actress Anne Francis. Born in California in 1925, he lived a life that was much more interesting than the simple label “celebrity ex-husband” suggests. He served during the World War II era, studied film at UCLA, married Francis in 1952 and later wrote, produced, directed, edited and acted in the independent crime drama One Way Ticket to Hell. He died in Los Angeles in 1996 at age 71.
Quick Bio of Bamlet Lawrence Price Jr.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Bamlet Lawrence Price Jr. |
| Nickname | Bam |
| Born | June 10, 1925 |
| Birthplace | Porterville, Tulare County, California |
| Died | August 23, 1996 |
| Age at Death | 71 |
| Deathplace | Los Angeles, California |
| Father | Bamlet Lawrence Price Sr. |
| Mother | Lucile Martin |
| Famous For | Filmmaker and Anne Francis’s first husband |
| Military Background | Former U.S. Army Air Forces pilot; contemporary reports identify him as a B-25 pilot |
| Education | UCLA film/dramatic arts studies |
| Profession | Director, writer, actor, producer and editor |
| Best-Known Film | One Way Ticket to Hell |
| Alternate Film Title | Teenage Devil Dolls |
| Wife | Anne Francis, 1952–mid-1950s |
| Children With Anne | None known |
| Later Marriages | Several are listed in entertainment records |
| Net Worth | Not publicly verified |
| Burial | Home of Peace Cemetery, Porterville, California |
FamilySearch records his birth as June 10, 1925, in Porterville and his death as August 23, 1996, in Los Angeles. It also identifies his parents as Bamlet Lawrence Price Sr. and Lucile Martin.
Who Was Bamlet Lawrence Price Jr.?
Bamlet Lawrence Price Jr. was a filmmaker who briefly worked inside the American movie business during the 1950s.
Most people discover his name because of Anne Francis.
She later became famous for movies including Forbidden Planet and for playing television detective Honey West.
But when Bamlet and Anne married, her biggest years of fame were still ahead.
Bamlet had his own ambitions.
He was interested in movies.
He studied the subject at UCLA.
And eventually, he made an independent film in which he took responsibility for almost everything behind the camera.
TV Guide lists his professional roles as director, writer, actor, producer and editor.
That tells us he was much more than simply the husband of an actress.
Bamlet Lawrence Price Jr.’s Early Life
Bamlet was born on June 10, 1925, in Porterville, California.
Porterville is located in Tulare County in the central part of the state.
FamilySearch records show that his father was Bamlet Lawrence Price Sr., while his mother was Lucile Martin.
Unlike Anne Francis, who entered entertainment while still very young, Bamlet did not grow up as a famous performer.
His younger years were shaped by something much larger:
World War II.
He reached military age while the war was still underway.
FamilySearch records show that he registered for military service in 1944.
That period would become an important part of his biography.
Was Bamlet Lawrence Price Jr. a World War II Pilot?
Yes, historical accounts identify him as a military pilot.
A contemporary newspaper clipping connected with his wedding described him as a B-25 pilot in World War II.
Later biographical information about Anne Francis also describes her first husband as a former U.S. Army Air Forces pilot.
The B-25 Mitchell was a twin-engine American bomber used extensively during World War II.
However, detailed public records about Bamlet’s specific missions, squadron, rank or decorations are difficult to find.
That means it would be wrong to invent dramatic combat stories.
The reliable point is simpler:
Bamlet had military aviation experience before moving deeper into film.
Bamlet Price and UCLA
After his military years, Bamlet became connected with the University of California, Los Angeles.
A contemporary marriage report described him as a UCLA graduate student studying dramatic arts and working toward a master’s degree.
IMDb also describes him as a graduate of UCLA Film School.
This makes his later filmmaking career much easier to understand.
Bamlet was not simply a man who suddenly decided to make a movie.
He had studied cinema and dramatic production.
That training appears to have helped him take on several technical and creative responsibilities when he later made his own feature.
How Did Bamlet Lawrence Price Jr. Meet Anne Francis?
The exact story of their first meeting is not strongly documented in modern major sources.
What we do know is that the relationship developed while Anne was still a young actress.
She had already begun acting professionally.
By the early 1950s, her career was moving toward larger film opportunities.
Bamlet, meanwhile, was studying filmmaking.
So both were involved in the entertainment world, even though their careers would ultimately take very different paths.
Their relationship became serious enough that they married in 1952.
Bamlet Lawrence Price Jr. and Anne Francis’s Wedding
Bamlet married Anne Francis on May 17, 1952, in Los Angeles.
FamilySearch records the marriage on that date.
A contemporary newspaper report said the ceremony took place at the Harvard Military Academy chapel.
Bamlet was about 26.
Anne was 21.
The ceremony was reportedly attended mainly by relatives and close friends.
At the time, Anne was already working as a film actress, while Bamlet was pursuing graduate study at UCLA.
Their marriage therefore brought together two young people trying to build careers in the movie business.
Who Was Anne Francis?
Anne Francis was born on September 16, 1930, in Ossining, New York.
She began working as a child model and performer.
As an adult, she became one of the recognizable actresses of 1950s and 1960s film and television.
Her best-known movie role was Altaira Morbius in the 1956 science-fiction classic Forbidden Planet.
She later became even more important to television history through Honey West.
The series made her one of television’s early female private detectives.
Her performance earned her a Golden Globe and an Emmy nomination.
By then, however, her relationship with Bamlet had already ended.
Did Bamlet and Anne Francis Have Children?
No known children were born during their marriage.
This is important because Anne later became a mother, which can cause confusion on biography websites.
Anne married Beverly Hills dentist Robert Abeloff after her relationship with Bamlet ended.
She and Abeloff had a daughter named Jane.
Anne later adopted another daughter, Maggie, as a single woman.
Neither daughter was Bamlet Lawrence Price Jr.’s child.
So the simple answer is:
Bamlet and Anne Francis did not have children together.
How Long Were Bamlet Price and Anne Francis Married?
Their marriage was short.
They wed in May 1952.
Most reliable Anne Francis biographies place the end of the marriage around 1955.
TIME describes both of Anne’s marriages as lasting roughly three years, while The Independent says she married Bamlet in 1952 and divorced him in 1955.
IMDb gives a slightly different legal end date, listing May 3, 1956.
This is a good example of why old celebrity-marriage dates can be confusing.
One source may use:
the separation date,
another the divorce filing,
and another the final legal judgment.
The safest description is:
Bamlet and Anne married in 1952 and their marriage ended in the mid-1950s, commonly reported as 1955.
Why Did Bamlet Lawrence Price Jr. and Anne Francis Divorce?
There is no dependable public account proving one dramatic cause.
Modern articles sometimes try to turn old Hollywood divorces into exciting stories.
They may claim:
career jealousy,
affairs,
financial disagreements,
or personal fights.
But reliable evidence for those explanations is limited.
The couple were young.
Both had career ambitions.
And their marriage lasted only a few years.
Unless stronger first-person testimony appears, it is better to say the exact private reasons for the breakup were not clearly documented.
Bamlet Lawrence Price Jr.’s Movie Career
Bamlet’s main surviving film achievement is One Way Ticket to Hell.
The film is also widely known today as Teenage Devil Dolls.
It was an independent crime drama focusing on juvenile delinquency and drug addiction.
What makes the project remarkable is the number of jobs Bamlet handled.
The New York State Archives records Bamlet L. Price Jr. in connection with the film as both writer and director, with B. Lawrence Price Productions attached to the project.
Other film records credit him as:
director,
writer,
producer,
editor,
and actor.
That is a huge amount of responsibility for one person.
What Was One Way Ticket to Hell About?
The film follows a teenage girl whose life begins to collapse after she becomes involved with the wrong crowd.
She moves deeper into:
juvenile delinquency,
drug use,
and crime.
The story was designed partly as a warning about narcotics and teenage behavior.
The movie used the sensational style common to exploitation films of the 1950s.
Today, it is often marketed under the title Teenage Devil Dolls.
JustWatch currently lists Bamlet as the director and also identifies him in the cast as Miguel “Cholo” Martinez.
Was Bamlet an Actor Too?
Yes, although acting was not his main claim to fame.
He appeared in his own movie.
This makes his professional background unusual.
Some filmmakers direct.
Some write.
Some produce.
Bamlet did all of those and also stepped in front of the camera.
TV Guide’s biography summarizes him as a:
director, writer, actor, producer and editor.
That is probably the best short description of his entertainment career.
His Family Was Also Connected With the Film
Interestingly, records associated with One Way Ticket to Hell show other members of the Price family appearing in the movie.
The film’s cast listings include:
Lucille Price
and
Bamlet Lawrence Price Sr.
The elder Bamlet played a role in the film, while Lucille Price was also credited.
That gives the project a family-made quality.
It appears to have been a genuinely independent production rather than a large studio movie.
Did Anne Francis Help Finance Bamlet’s Movie?
Film-history sources have repeated a claim that Anne Francis contributed money toward the production.
Accounts associated with Teenage Devil Dolls say Bamlet borrowed about $4,000 from Anne Francis to help make the movie.
Because this detail comes through film-history references rather than a readily available financial record, it is best described as reported rather than treated like a bank statement.
Still, it fits the timeline.
The film was made during the period when Bamlet and Anne were married or separating.
Was One Way Ticket to Hell Successful?
It did not turn Bamlet into a major Hollywood director.
The movie belongs more to the history of low-budget exploitation cinema than mainstream studio filmmaking.
It attracted criticism when released.
The New York Times was reportedly not impressed with the movie’s treatment of drug addiction and crime.
But sometimes a film can become historically interesting even without becoming a major hit.
Today, Teenage Devil Dolls survives because fans of:
1950s exploitation films,
juvenile-delinquency movies,
drug-scare cinema,
and cult filmmaking
continue to discover it.
That means Bamlet’s small filmmaking career has lasted in movie history far longer than he might have expected.
Can You Still Watch Bamlet Price’s Movie?
Yes.
Despite being made in the 1950s, One Way Ticket to Hell remains available through modern streaming services.
As of a July 2026 check, JustWatch listed it on services including Cultpix, Artiflix, Tubi and Fandango at Home Free, with rental or purchase options on some platforms.
Availability can change, of course.
But it is interesting that a small independent film Bamlet made more than 70 years ago can still be watched today.
What Happened to Bamlet After Anne Francis?
Bamlet continued living largely outside mainstream celebrity attention.
IMDb lists several later marriages after Anne Francis.
The database records marriages to:
Diane J. Coldwell
Margaret E. Richardson
and
Diana Joy Dubois.
Because these later relationships received little mainstream press coverage, there is far less public information about them than about his marriage to Anne.
The precise reasons those marriages ended are private.
There is also limited dependable information about whether Bamlet had children through his later relationships.
Did Bamlet Become a Major Hollywood Director?
No.
His known filmography remained small.
One Way Ticket to Hell is the title most closely associated with him.
That does not make his work meaningless.
Making even one independent feature requires:
raising money,
organizing actors,
managing cameras,
writing,
editing,
production planning,
and distribution.
Bamlet managed many of these jobs himself.
But he never developed the kind of long directing career associated with Hollywood names such as Alfred Hitchcock or Billy Wilder.
His life instead became increasingly private.
Bamlet Lawrence Price Jr.’s Net Worth
There is no reliable public record of his net worth.
Modern biography websites sometimes assign exact figures to people from old Hollywood.
Those estimates are usually impossible to prove.
To know Bamlet’s actual wealth, we would need records covering:
income,
property,
investments,
business ownership,
debts,
and other assets.
Those details are not publicly available in a reliable form.
So the accurate answer is:
Bamlet Lawrence Price Jr.’s net worth was never publicly verified.
When Did Bamlet Lawrence Price Jr. Die?
Bamlet died on August 23, 1996, in Los Angeles, California.
He was 71 years old.
IMDb reports that the cause was cancer, although the genealogical record establishing his death date does not specify a cause.
Because of that difference, the death date and age are firmer facts than the medical detail.
FamilySearch says he was buried at the Home of Peace Cemetery in Porterville, California.
That brought his story back to the California community where he had been born.
Was Bamlet Alive When Anne Francis Became Famous?
Yes.
In fact, he lived long enough to see nearly all of Anne’s major career.
After their marriage ended, Anne became internationally famous through Forbidden Planet.
She went on to Honey West and appeared in dozens of television series.
Bamlet died in 1996.
Anne continued acting for years afterward and died in 2011 at age 80.
So although their marriage lasted only a short time, both lived long lives after separating.
Why Is Bamlet Lawrence Price Jr. Still Searched Today?
There are two major reasons.
The first is Anne Francis.
Fans looking into her personal life eventually discover that Bamlet was her first husband.
The second is cult film history.
People who watch Teenage Devil Dolls often want to know more about the person who seemed to do almost everything on the production.
That person was Bamlet.
His unusual name also makes readers curious.
There are not many famous people called Bamlet Lawrence Price Jr.
So once someone sees the name, it is memorable.
Was Bamlet More Than Anne Francis’s Ex-Husband?
Definitely.
The marriage is why most modern readers find him.
But his own story includes several different chapters.
He was:
a California native,
a World War II-era military pilot,
a UCLA film student,
a writer,
a director,
a producer,
an editor,
and an actor.
The New York State Archives independently preserves records connecting him with his film production, which helps show that his filmmaking work was genuine and not simply a detail copied between celebrity websites.
That is why calling him only “Anne Francis’s ex-husband” feels incomplete.
What We Actually Know About Bamlet Lawrence Price Jr.
The reliable story is fairly clear.
Bamlet was born June 10, 1925, in Porterville, California.
His parents were Bamlet Lawrence Price Sr. and Lucile Martin.
He registered for military service during World War II and was later described as a former Army Air Forces pilot.
He studied film and dramatic arts at UCLA.
He married actress Anne Francis on May 17, 1952.
Their marriage ended in the mid-1950s.
They had no children together.
Bamlet then became best known professionally for One Way Ticket to Hell, also called Teenage Devil Dolls.
He wrote, directed, produced and edited the film and also appeared in it.
He later remarried, according to entertainment records, but those relationships remained much more private.
He died in Los Angeles on August 23, 1996, at age 71.
Final Thoughts
Bamlet Lawrence Price Jr.’s biography is a small but fascinating piece of Hollywood history.
At first, his name usually appears beside Anne Francis.
That makes sense.
She became a major film and television star.
They married in 1952 when both were young and trying to build their futures.
But Bamlet was building something of his own.
He had served as a military pilot.
He studied filmmaking at UCLA.
Then he took the difficult path of making an independent movie.
He did not simply direct One Way Ticket to Hell.
He also wrote it.
Produced it.
Edited it.
And acted in it.
That is a lot for one filmmaker.
His marriage to Anne did not last.
Sources differ slightly about whether the divorce should be dated to 1955 or 1956, but the relationship had clearly ended before Anne’s biggest Hollywood breakthrough.
Anne went on to become the star of Forbidden Planet and Honey West.
Bamlet moved into a quieter life.
Still, his film survived.
More than seven decades later, people can find One Way Ticket to Hell on modern streaming services and see the unusual project he created.
For readers searching for Bamlet Lawrence Price Jr., the clearest answer is this:
He was much more than Anne Francis’s first husband. He was a World War II-era pilot, UCLA-trained filmmaker and independent movie creator whose short but unusual film career left behind a cult title that remains available today.
Frequently Asked Questions About Bamlet Lawrence Price Jr.
Who was Bamlet Lawrence Price Jr.?
Bamlet Lawrence Price Jr. was an American filmmaker, former military pilot and the first husband of actress Anne Francis.
When was Bamlet Lawrence Price Jr. born?
He was born on June 10, 1925, in Porterville, California.
Who were Bamlet Price’s parents?
His parents were Bamlet Lawrence Price Sr. and Lucile Martin.
Was Bamlet Lawrence Price Jr. a pilot?
Yes. Historical biographical material identifies him as a former U.S. Army Air Forces pilot, with contemporary reports describing him as a B-25 pilot.
Did Bamlet Price attend UCLA?
Yes. He studied film/dramatic arts at UCLA and is listed by IMDb as a UCLA Film School graduate.
Who was Bamlet Lawrence Price Jr.’s famous wife?
His first wife was Anne Francis, the actress known for Forbidden Planet and Honey West.
When did Bamlet Price marry Anne Francis?
They married on May 17, 1952, in Los Angeles.
How old was Anne Francis when she married Bamlet?
Anne was 21 years old.
When did Bamlet and Anne Francis divorce?
Most major biographies place their divorce around 1955, although IMDb lists a final date in May 1956.
Why did Bamlet and Anne Francis divorce?
The exact private reason was not reliably documented. Claims of affairs or other dramatic causes should not be presented as fact without evidence.
Did Bamlet and Anne Francis have children?
No known children were born during their marriage.
Who were Anne Francis’s children?
Anne later had daughter Jane with second husband Robert Abeloff and later adopted daughter Maggie. They were not Bamlet’s children.
What did Bamlet Lawrence Price Jr. do for a living?
He worked in filmmaking as a director, writer, actor, producer and editor.
What movie did Bamlet Price direct?
His best-known film was One Way Ticket to Hell.
Is One Way Ticket to Hell also called Teenage Devil Dolls?
Yes. The film is widely known today by the alternate title Teenage Devil Dolls.
Did Bamlet Price act in the movie?
Yes. JustWatch lists him as Miguel “Cholo” Martinez in the cast.
Did Bamlet write his own movie?
Yes. New York State Archives records connect Bamlet Price with the film as writer and director.
Did he produce and edit it too?
Film records credit him as producer and editor as well as writer and director.
Is One Way Ticket to Hell still available?
Yes. It continues to appear on streaming platforms, although availability can change.
Did Bamlet Lawrence Price Jr. remarry?
IMDb lists later marriages to Diane J. Coldwell, Margaret E. Richardson and Diana Joy Dubois.
What was Bamlet Lawrence Price Jr.’s net worth?
His exact net worth was never publicly verified.
When did Bamlet Lawrence Price Jr. die?
He died on August 23, 1996.
How old was Bamlet when he died?
He was 71 years old.
Where did Bamlet Price die?
He died in Los Angeles, California.
Where was Bamlet Lawrence Price Jr. buried?
FamilySearch records his burial at Home of Peace Cemetery in Porterville, California.
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