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Actress Beverly Garland Recalls How Faith in God Helped Her Overcome Fear

Photo from IMDb – “Beverly Garland in Not of This Earth (1957)”

Actress Beverly Garland Recalls How Faith in God Helped Her Overcome Fear

By Movieguide® Staff

Note: This story is part of our Faith in Hollywood series. For similar stories, click here.

Actress Beverly Garland, known for her roles on TV shows such as DECOY and movies like GUNSLINGER, revealed how faith helped her overcome fear.

“When I was a child my father taught me five words that I’ve used all my life—in my acting career, as a mother, in my business activities,” Garland said in 1989. “If I complained that I was afraid of the dark, or if I seemed worried about meeting new people, Dad would say, ‘Stand porter to your mind.’

“Nowadays this phrase might seem old-fashioned, but it still makes sense. A porter is a gatekeeper, someone who stands at a door letting people in or out. Dad would get me to picture myself stopping destructive things—such as fear—at the door, but saying “Come in” to faith and love and self-assurance,” Garland continued.

“As an actress, before I went on camera, I’d make sure anxiety stayed out and confidence in my ability came in. And as a mother, when I was anxious about my children, I would try not to let worry in but would fill my mind with trust—in them and in God.”

Garland confessed that it was hard to remember to keep her father’s words in her mind in every season of life.

“I remember one time in particular. In 1972 my husband, Fillmore Crank, and I opened the doors to our own hotel, the Beverly Garland in North Hollywood. This was a new business venture for us, and it was a lot more complicated and personally demanding than we, in our naiveté, had figured,” Garland recalled. “We were on call 24 hours a day. Something was always going wrong. Plumbing got clogged, electricity went on the blink, food wasn’t delivered, employees called in sick. Once, a flu epidemic suddenly left us with no maids. Fillmore gave me a choice: Scrub floors or do the laundry. For 10 days I folded enough king-size sheets and pillow cases to blanket the whole state of California.”

Garland continued: “Then there was the energy crisis. The price of gasoline doubled, and tourism in California dropped. How could we fill our beds? What if we kept losing money? What if the hotel didn’t catch on? What if we failed? Here I was at the front desk of a seven-story, 262-room hotel, and those old uninvited guests, fear and worry, were sneaking in. But I caught them just in time. I stood porter.”

Garland noted that her ability to “stand porter” comes from her faith in God and the Bible.

“I stood in the door of my mind and sent fear packing. The Bible tells us, ‘Perfect love casteth out fear’ (I John 4:18). That’s how to stand porter,” Garland said. “These days at the hotel (which is thriving, I am happy to say), whenever fear tries to register, I just smile and point to the sign that reads No Vacancy.”

Garland died on Dec. 5, 2008, but her legacy of faith reminds us to trust in the Lord, especially when it seems like hope is lost.

 

Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.


Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.