Bernice Hurst

Susan Oliver, born Charlotte Gercke, was an American actress who also found success as a television director, aviator, and author. Her acting career began in the late 1950s with Broadway roles before transitioning to extensive television work and film appearances throughout the 1960s and 1970s. She was recognized for her roles in numerous popular series and films, including a notable early appearance in Star Trek.

Beyond her acting, Oliver developed a passion for aviation. Following a harrowing flight experience, she overcame her fear and pursued a pilot's license. In 1967, she achieved a significant milestone by becoming the fourth woman to fly a single-engine aircraft solo across the Atlantic. Her aviation achievements also included co-piloting a winning aircraft in the "Powder Puff Derby" and being named Pilot of the Year. Oliver documented her life and adventures in her autobiography, "Odyssey: A Daring Transatlantic Journey." She passed away in 1990.

Susan Oliver began her performing career in 1957, appearing in television shows and on stage. Her initial Broadway credits included a role in Robert E. Sherwood's comedy "Small War on Murray Hill" and taking over the female lead in "Look Back in Anger." Following these stage appearances, she moved to Hollywood and featured in various filmed television series such as "Wagon Train," "Father Knows Best," and "Johnny Staccato." Her first motion picture role was the title character in the independent melodrama "The Green-Eyed Blonde" in 1957. She continued to gain experience with a co-starring role in the short-lived Broadway play "Patate," for which she received a Theatre World Award.

Throughout the 1960s and into the 1970s, Oliver was a familiar face on television, appearing in a vast array of popular shows. Her credits include guest roles on "Wagon Train," "The Deputy," "Rawhide," "Laramie," "Adventures in Paradise," "Twilight Zone," "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour," "Route 66," "Dr. Kildare," "The Naked City," "The Fugitive," "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.," "I Spy," "The Virginian," and "Mannix." She also had roles in "The Andy Griffith Show," "The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters," and "The Invaders." Oliver's film work included "The Disorderly Orderly" and "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." A significant role was her portrayal of Vina in the original "Star Trek" pilot "The Cage," later re-used in "The Menagerie," where her green-skinned appearance became iconic. She also held a recurring role on "Peyton Place" and was nominated for an Emmy for her performance as aviator Neta Snook in "Amelia Earhart."

By the late 1970s, Oliver shifted her focus towards directing, becoming one of the first women admitted to the American Film Institute's Directing Workshop for Women. She wrote and directed the short film "Cowboysan." Her directing credits for television include episodes of "M*A*S*H" and "Trapper John, M.D." In her later acting years, she made appearances on "Magnum, P.I.," "Murder, She Wrote," "Simon & Simon," and "Our House." Her final on-screen role was in an episode of "Freddy's Nightmares." Throughout her career, Oliver accumulated over 100 acting credits.

Oliver developed a profound connection with aviation after surviving a significant turbulence event on a transatlantic flight in 1959. This experience initially made her fearful of flying, but she eventually overcame this through hypnosis. Inspired by a flight experience in 1964, she began training as a pilot. In 1967, she successfully completed a solo transatlantic flight in her Aero Commander 200, becoming the fourth woman to achieve this in a single-engine aircraft and the second to fly solo from New York City. Her journey aimed for Moscow but concluded in Denmark due to denied Soviet airspace permission. She chronicled this and her life philosophy in her 1983 autobiography, "Odyssey: A Daring Transatlantic Journey." Oliver also earned a commercial pilot certificate and co-piloted a winning aircraft in the "Powder Puff Derby," earning her Pilot of the Year honors. She was also involved with aviation committees and had her glider training documented for television.