Sondra Rodgers

Born Fenella Jewell Rodgers,^[2] she grew up on the family farm in Trimble County, Kentucky.^[3] She was the daughter of J.L. Rodgers^[4] and his wife, Lacy Rodgers. When she was 17, she moved to New York and began modeling for a commercial photographer.^[3]

Rodgers left the stage to work in radio in 1934.^[4] She was heard often in the United States on broadcasts of Miniature Theater of the Air and on a number of soap operas.^[3]

She also worked in radio in Europe. Although she was employed by Radio Luxembourg, she was based in London. Her programs were recorded and shipped to Luxembourg for broadcast.^[4] After concluding her work in Europe, she returned to Kentucky and wrote scripts for WLAP in Lexington.^[4]

Rodgers' early acting experience came in New York when she worked (using the name Sondra Arleaux)^[4] in stock theater with Jessie Bonstelle. She appeared on Broadway in Riddle Me This (1933).^[5]

Rodgers spent time in Europe studying with playwrights, then returned to the United States, where she directed plays at the Pasadena Playhouse with Gilmour Brown as her supervisor.^[4]

Later, in Los Angeles, Rodgers acted in plays, including No Time for Comedy, Heaven Can Wait, Cry Havoc, an dFamily Portrait.^[3]

Rodgers signed her first film contract, with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, in May 1944.^[6] Her film debut came in Marriage Is a Private Affair (1944).^[7]

Rodgers portrayed Mrs. Appleby in the 1961 episode "A Doctor Comes to Town" of the television series Window on Main Street.^{[citation needed]}. She played the prudish (unnamed) mother of daughters Elmira and Dodie on "Wagon Train" in S1 E18 "The Gabe Carswell Story" which aired 1/14/1958.