In 2003, the Derrick Days committee honored Dawson native Anjanette Comer as the parade’s grand marshal. She was also inducted into the Pioneer Village Hall of Fame that year. Here is a “Derrick Days Gone By” memory of Comer’s special day as it appeared that year in the Daily Sun.

By Deanna Brown

Daily Sun

From humble origins on Main Street in Dawson, Texas to the bright lights of Hollywood, Anjanette Comer has enjoyed a career in acting that spans several decades.

As a little girl of 5 or 6 years old, she “borrowed” sister Jerra’s evening gown and paraded three blocks at night to the movie theater in Dawson, sashaying down the aisle to the delight of adoring locals.

Comer’s first taste of the limelight would certainly not be her last.

Anjanette Comer was born to Frank and Sue Comer in Dawson, Texas. Frank Comer was a cotton farmer and rancher, and also the third generation of his family to reside in Dawson.

Frank Comer instilled his love of movies in his daughter, taking her to the Dawson theater as an infant, and throughout her childhood.

“My imagination had a lot of play — we didn’t have a television until I was in high school,” Anjanette Comer said.

Growing up in a small town provided fond memories for Comer.

“(It was) like an extended family, everybody knew everybody, didn’t have to lock the doors — I had the run of the town,” Comer said. “It was an idyllic time to grow up.”

Comer recalls going to the Palace Theater as a teenager, and watching James Dean in “Rebel Without a Cause.” Shortly after, Comer found out Dean had passed away.

In her junior year at Dawson High School, Comer read for a part in a play, and was chosen for the role. While she enjoyed the play, it didn’t sink in right then that she was destined for the stage.

After graduation, she attended Baylor University, but wasn’t fond of the college experience and decided to stay with an aunt in Dallas. While in Dallas, she tried her hand at modeling school, not because she wanted to be a model, but because she was searching for her calling.

When her aunt decided to go to Beverly Hills on vacation, she took Anjanette with her and encouraged her to audition at the Pasadena Playhouse, which was like a stationary stock company. She auditioned, was accepted, and loved acting. A nagging thought that she was perhaps missing something caused her to return to Texas and attend Texas University “for about a minute” — and she returned to the Pasadena Playhouse.

Comer was advised to get an agent, and walked in off the street at the William Morris Agency.

“I need an agent,” Comer said, and was immediately besieged with calls, offers, and people wanting to date her. “I just retreated from William Morris — I just wanted to act, I didn’t want anything to do with agents.”

(Read the rest of this “Derrick Days Gone By” story on our online newspaper, www.corsicanadailysun.com)

“This was near the end of the studio system, and MGM, Paramount and Universal all offered me contracts, which I declined.” Comer instead preferred to be independent and have control over her acting choices.

“I started doing TV — got six leads on episodic TV, then got an Emmy. From that, I got a movie offer,” Comer said.

The movie was “The Loved One” co-starring Rod Steiger, and was directed by Tony Richardson, who had just won an Academy Award.

She heard about a great script called “Southwest to Sonora” that Universal Studio was working on, starring Marlon Brando. Brando was under contract to Universal at that time, as was Katharine Ross. Ross was the studio’s choice for the female lead, but Comer knew that she wanted the part. Comer managed to get the part, but Brando wasn’t happy about being under contract to Universal.

“Brando was a very bad boy,” Comer said. “He liked to fight with the director. They threw out the original script — which was great — and were working without a script when I got there.

“John Saxon wrote two of his own scenes, and his role got much better.

“Brando kept trying to date me. Women were treated like objects, and I just withdrew. If Brando had wanted to work, he would have been great. He just wanted to go out to dinner, and silly stuff.”

“The Appaloosa” was the end product of this collaborative effort.

Comer has many movie, television and stage works of which she is proud. When asked which medium she prefers, Comer became thoughtful.

“Whatever medium gave me the best parts. Television tended to give me better parts, such as “The Long Summer of George Adams” with James Garner.

Naturally, there are the parts that she regrets not taking.

“I was offered equal billing with Paul Newman in “Harper”, but they wanted me to wear a bikini, and I didn’t want to,” Comer said.

She was also offered the role Mia Farrow got on “Peyton Place”, but didn’t want to commit to a series at that time. Comer admits to being torn between the idea of a traditional family life and her career.

Among her many co-stars were Tony Curtis, James Caan, Alan Arkin, Tony Franciosa, Anthony Quinn and Robert Wagner — the latter two which she remembers fondly as being “very nice men.”

Recent works include “The Underneath” with Academy Award winning director Steven Soderbergh, and “The Pennsylvania Miners’ Story” which was a television movie. She recently completed work on an independent film called “Screendoor Jesus” which is waiting for release, and is to report to San Antonio next week for a cameo part in the film “The Alamo.”

Comer’s work has involved some travel over the years, and she has been many beautiful places.

“Probably Italy was my favorite. France is nice, too — driving trips can be very interesting.” Comer said. “I enjoy nature very much. It’s a beautiful world — there are so many beautiful places on this earth.”

She also returns to Dawson, splitting her time between there and Los Angeles. Since Comer’s mother still lives in Dawson, she is torn between spending time there and feeling like she needs to be in California in order to get work.

“I think I am going to get an agent,” Comer said.

“I would like to spend time with my mother, but I don’t want to take her away from what she knows.”

Comer has been nominated and won many awards for her acting throughout her career, but finds it touching to be honored in her home county.

“I think it’s very nice what they are doing in Corsicana,” Comer said.

Anjanette Comer will be the Grand Marshall of the Derrick Days parade Saturday at noon, followed by her induction into the Pioneer Village Hall of Fame at 2:30 p.m. She will then make a personal appearance at the showing of “The Appaloosa” at 7:30 p.m. at The Palace Theater.

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Deanna Brown may be contacted via e-mail at deanna@corsicanadailysun.com