In this film, she starred with Yvette Vickers and William Hudson, and it is probably her best-known role. With its science fiction storyline and low budget, the film attained popularity with some movie fans, and in the subsequent years has attracted a cult film following based primarily on Hayes spending almost all the time she’s enlarged calling for "Harry!" as she angrily searches for her philandering husband. The film did not lead to better roles, though she remained constantly employed and found work as a model. During 1963 and 1964, she played a continuing role in the "General Hospital" but by this time her movie career was virtually over. In 1958, she appeared in the recurring role of Ellie Winters, beautiful poker dealer/secret agent, in seven episodes in the western series "Bat Masterson" starring Gene Barry. A close friend of Raymond Burr since filming "Count Three and Pray", she made five guest appearances on "Perry Mason" during this time, including the role of Pearl Chute in the 1962 episode "The Case of the Bogus Books." As her acting career declined, she began to experience severe health problems and was unable to walk without a cane. In severe pain, her usually good-natured personality began to change and she became emotional and volatile, making it difficult for her to secure acting work. She was given a minor role in the 1965 Elvis Presley film "Tickle Me", making her final appearances in a guest role on "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C." in 1967. Hayes later said that the pain of her illness caused her to contemplate suicide, and that her symptoms were not taken seriously by doctors. Reading a medical book about the metal poisoning of factory workers, Hayes recognized the symptoms described as being similar to her own. Hayes began to question the ingredients of a calcium supplement she had been taking for a long time and when she employed a toxicologist to test a sample of the product, he determined that it had an extremely high content of lead and concluded that Hayes was most likely suffering from lead poisoning. Hayes mounted a campaign to have the FDA ban the import or sale of the food supplement. An invalid, Hayes moved to San Clemente, California and her health continued to deteriorate. In 1976, she was diagnosed with leukemia and was treated regularly in La Jolla, California. While at the hospital receiving a blood transfusion, her condition unexpectedly and rapidly deteriorated as she experienced chills, flu-like symptoms and intense pain. She was transferred to the University of California Medical Center in San Diego, California on February 26, 1977, where she died the following day, one week before her 47th birthday.