Jeanne Crain

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Jeanne Crain
Jeanne Crain 1948.JPG
Jeanne Crain in 1948
BornJeanne Elizabeth Crain
May 25, 1925
BarstowCalifornia, U.S.
DiedDecember 14, 2003 (aged 78)
Santa BarbaraCalifornia, U.S.
Cause of death
heart attack
OccupationActress
Years active1943–1975
ReligionRoman Catholic
Spouse(s)Paul Brinkman (1946-2003) (his death) 7 children
Website
http://www.jeannecrain.org/
Jeanne Elizabeth Crain (May 25, 1925 – December 14, 2003) was an American actress whose career spanned from 1943 to 1975. She received an Academy Awardnomination for Best Actress in the 1949 film Pinky, in which she played the leading role. She was also noted for her ability in ice skating.

Early life[edit]

Crain was born in Barstow, California, to George A. Crain, a school teacher, and Loretta Carr; she was of Irish Catholic parents.[1] By 1930, the family were living in Inglewood at 822 S Walnut Ave. [2] After her parents divorced in 1934, the family of three moved to 5817 Van Ness Ave in Los Angeles. [3]
An excellent ice skater, Crain first attracted attention when she was crowned Miss Pan Pacific at the Pan-Pacific Auditorium in Los Angeles. Later, while still in high school, she was asked to make a screen test opposite Orson Welles. She did not get the part, but in 1943, at age 18, she appeared in a bit part in the film The Gang's All Here.

Career[edit]

Jeanne Crain.jpg
In 1944, Crain starred in Home in Indiana and In the Meantime, Darling. Her acting was critically panned, but she gained nationwide attention. It resulted in landing the leading role in The Shocking Miss Pilgrim in October 1944, a musical film which was eventually made with Betty Grable as the star.[4]
Crain first received critical acclaim when she starred in Winged Victory (1944). She co-starred in 1945 with Dana Andrews in the musical film State Fair, in which Louanne Hogan dubbed Crain's singing numbers. After that, Crain often had singing parts in films, and they were invariably dubbed, in most cases by Hogan. Also in 1945, Crain starred in Leave Her to Heaven with Gene Tierney. Her ice skating ability was on display in the 1946 film, Margie, in which she and Conrad Janis danced around the ice rink as her boyfriend, Alan Young, slipped and stumbled his way along the ice.
In 1949, Crain appeared in three films — A Letter to Three WivesThe Fan, and Pinky, the latter earning her an Academy Award nomination for Best ActressPinky was controversial, since it told the story of a light-skinned African American woman who passes for white in the Northern United States. Although Lena Horne and other black actresses were considered, producer Darryl F. Zanuck chose to cast a white actress for fear of racial backlash.
Crain starred opposite Myrna Loy and Clifton Webb in the 1950 biographical film Cheaper by the Dozen. Next, Crain paired with Cary Grant in the Joseph L. Mankiewicz film of the offbeat drama People Will Talk (1951). Despite Jeanne heavily campaigning for the female lead, Anne Baxter was initially cast in the part, but when she had to forfeit due to pregnancy, Crain was given the role after all.[5] Shortly after, she starred in Charles Brackett's production The Model and the Marriage Broker (1951). Cast in May 1951, Crain was Brackett's first choice for the role.[6] Crain was reunited with Loy for Belles on Their Toes (1952), the sequel to Cheaper by the Dozen.
While still at 20th Century Fox, Crain played a young wife quickly losing her mind amidst high-seas intrigue in Dangerous Crossing (1953), co-starring Michael Rennie. Crain then starred in a string of films for Universal Pictures, including a notable pairing with Kirk Douglas in Man Without a Star (1955).
Crain showed her dancing skills in 1955's Gentlemen Marry Brunettes co-starring Jane RussellAlan Young, and Rudy Vallee. The production was filmed on location in Paris. The film was based on the Anita Loos sequel to Gentlemen Prefer BlondesGentlemen Marry Brunettes was popular[citation needed] throughout Europe at the time and was released in France as A Paris Pour les Quatre (To Paris for the Four), and in Belgium as Cevieren Te Parijs. Later in the 1950s, Crain, Russell, and another actress formed a short-lived singing and dancing lounge act on the Strip in Las Vegas.
In 1956, Crain starred opposite Glenn FordRuss Tamblyn, and Broderick Crawford in the Western film The Fastest Gun Alive directed by Russell Rouse. In 1957, she played a socialite who helps a floundering singer and comedian (Frank Sinatra) redeem himself in The Joker Is Wild.
In 1959, Crain appeared in a CBS special television production of Meet Me in St. Louis. Also starring in the broadcast were Loy, Walter PidgeonJane Powell, and Ed Wynn, with top billing going to Tab Hunter. Film roles became fewer in the 1960s as Crain went into semiretirement. She appeared as Nefertiti in the Italian production of Nefertiti, Queen of the Nile (1961) with Edmund Purdom and Vincent Price. During this period, Crain appeared - for the second time - as one of the mystery guests on the CBS game showWhat's My Line?, and made guest appearances on the NBC Western series, Riverboat, with Darren McGavin, and the ABC detective series, Burke's Law, starring Gene Barry.
She starred again with Dana Andrews in Hot Rods To Hell (1967). Her last films were Skyjacked (1972) and The Night God Screamed (1975).[7]

Personal life[edit]

At the top of her stardom, in the late 1940s and early 1950s, Crain was nicknamed 'Hollywood's Number One party girl', and she was quoted saying that she was invited to at least 200 parties a year.[8]
Against her mother's wishes, on December 31, 1945, Crain married Paul Brinkman, a former RKO Pictures contract player credited as Paul Brooks. The first of their seven children was born in April 1947.
During the early 1950s, Crain was earning about $3,500 per week.[citation needed] Crain and her husband bought a large home for their growing family on Roxbury Drive in Beverly Hills. The home can be seen and is described by Bette Davis in candid footage of a driving sequence in the film The Star (1952).
The marriage was rocky for some years. In the mid-1950s, Crain obtained an interlocutory divorce decree, each spouse claiming the other had been unfaithful (she also claimed Brinkman had been abusive), but the couple reconciled on the eve of their 11th wedding anniversary.
In the early 1960s, she was one of many conservative actors who spent their time fervently fighting for the Republican cause. Others included James StewartWalter PidgeonJerry LewisWendell Corey, and Troy Donahue.[9]
Crain and her husband remained married, although they lived separately in Santa Barbara until Brinkman's death in October 2003.
Crain died a few months later, and the cause was later confirmed as a heart attack.[10] Crain's funeral Mass was held at the Old Santa Barbara Mission. Crain is buried in the Brinkman family plot at Santa Barbara Cemetery. The Brinkmans were survived by five adult children, including Paul Brinkman Jr., a television executive, most known for his work on the television series JAG.

Legacy[edit]

Crain's career is fully documented by a collection of memorabilia about her assembled by Charles J. Finlay, a longtime publicist at 20th Century Fox. The Jeanne Crain Collection resides at the Cinema Archives at Wesleyan University in MiddletownConnecticut. These archives also hold the papers of Ingrid BergmanFrank CapraClint Eastwood, and others.[11]

Filmography[edit]

Film
YearFilmRoleNotes
1943The Gang's All HereChorus Girl/Pool Party Guestuncredited
1944Home in Indiana'Char' Bruce
In the Meantime, DarlingMargaret 'Maggie' Preston
Winged VictoryHelen
1945State FairMargy Frakea.k.a. Rodgers and Hammerstein's State Fair
also Soundtrack
Leave Her to HeavenRuth Berent
1946Centennial SummerJulia Rogersalso Soundtrack
MargieMarjorie 'Margie' MacDuffalso Soundtrack
1948You Were Meant for MePeggy Mayhew
Apartment for PeggyPeggy Tayloralso Soundtrack
1949A Letter to Three WivesDeborah Bishop
The FanLady Margaret 'Meg' Windermerea.k.a. Lady Windermere's Fan
PinkyPatricia 'Pinky' JohnsonNominated — Academy Award for Best Actress
1950Cheaper by the DozenAnn Gilbreth
I'll Get ByJeanne Crainuncredited
Cameo appearance
1951Take Care of My Little GirlElizabeth 'Liz' Erickson
People Will TalkDeborah Higgins
The Model and the Marriage BrokerKitty Bennett
1952Belles on Their ToesAnn Gilbretha.k.a. Belles on Their Toes: The Further Adventures of the Gilbreth Family
O. Henry's Full HouseDella YoungSegment The Gift of the Magi
1953Dangerous CrossingRuth Stanton Bowman
VickiJill Lynn
City of Bad MenLinda Culligan
1954Duel in the JungleMarian Taylor
1955Man Without a StarReed Bowman
Gentlemen Marry BrunettesConnie Jones/Mitzi Jonesalso Soundtrack
The Second Greatest SexLiza McClurealso Soundtrack
1956The Fastest Gun AliveDora Temple
1957The Tattered DressDiane Blane
The Joker Is WildLetty Pagea.k.a. All the Way
1960Guns of the TimberlandLaura Riley
1961Twenty Plus TwoLinda Fostera.k.a. It Started in Tokyo
Nefertiti, Queen of the NileTenet/NefertitiOriginal title: Nefertiti, regina del Nilo
1962Madison AvenuePeggy Shannon
Pontius PilateClaudia ProculaOriginal title: Ponzio Pilato
1963Invasion 1700HelenOriginal title: Col ferro e col fuoco
a.k.a. Daggers of Blood
a.k.a. With Fire and Sword
1967Hot Rods to HellPeg Phillipsa.k.a. 52 Miles to Terror
1971The Night God ScreamedFanny Piercea.k.a. Scream
1972SkyjackedMrs. Clara Shawa.k.a. Sky Terror
Television
YearTitleRoleNotes
1955Star StageNancy1 episode
1956The Ford Television TheatreJoyce Randall1 episode
1958Playhouse 90Daisy Buchanan1 episode
Schlitz Playhouse of StarsRuth Elliot1 episode
1959Meet Me in St. LouisRose SmithTV movie
Goodyear TheatreLila Babrek Barnes1 episode
RiverboatLaura Sutton1 episode
1960-62G.E. True TheaterHope/Marion Miller3 episodes
1963The Dick Powell TheatreElsie1 episode
1964-65Burke's LawAmy Booth / Lorraine Turner / Polly Martin3 episodes
1968The Danny Thomas HourFrances Merrill1 episode
The Name of the GameMrs. McKendricks1 episode
1972Owen Marshall: Counselor at LawLily MacMurdy1 episode

References[edit]

  1. Jump up ^ The Guardian: Jeanne Crain obituary
  2. Jump up ^ 1930 United States Federal Status http://search.ancestrylibrary.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?gss=angs-c&new=1&rank=1&msT=1&gsfn=Jeanne&gsln=Crain&msbdy=1926&msbpn__ftp=Barstow%2c+Fresno%2c+California%2c+USA&msbpn=67930&msbpn_PInfo=8-%7c0%7c1652393%7c0%7c2%7c3249%7c7%7c0%7c1090%7c67930%7c0%7c&msrpn__ftp=Los+Angeles&msfng=George&msfns=Crain&msmng=Loretta&msmns=Carr%5d&MSAV=0&uidh=6i3&pcat=USFEDCEN&h=72412823&db=1940usfedcen&indiv=1&ml_rpos=2
  3. Jump up ^ 1940 United states Federal Census http://interactive.ancestrylibrary.com/2442/m-t0627-00383-00054/72412823?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestrylibrary.com%2f%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fgss%3dangs-c%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26msT%3d1%26gsfn%3dJeanne%26gsln%3dCrain%26msbdy%3d1926%26msbpn__ftp%3dBarstow%252c%2bFresno%252c%2bCalifornia%252c%2bUSA%26msbpn%3d67930%26msbpn_PInfo%3d8-%257c0%257c1652393%257c0%257c2%257c3249%257c7%257c0%257c1090%257c67930%257c0%257c%26msrpn__ftp%3dLos%2bAngeles%26msfng%3dGeorge%26msfns%3dCrain%26msmng%3dLoretta%26msmns%3dCarr%255d%26MSAV%3d0%26uidh%3d6i3%26pcat%3dUSFEDCEN%26h%3d72412823%26db%3d1940usfedcen%26indiv%3d1%26ml_rpos%3d2&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnRecord
  4. Jump up ^ "SCREEN NEWS; Fox Picks Starring Film for Jeanne Crain"The New York Times. October 18, 1944. Retrieved 2010-02-05.
  5. Jump up ^ "Gets Anne's Role" by Louella ParsonsDeseret News, March 12, 1951, p. 3
  6. Jump up ^ "Jeanne Crain Gets 'Marriage Broker' Lead" by Louella O. Parsons, San Antonio Light, May 24, 1951, p. 6
  7. Jump up ^ ephriam Katz, The Film Encyclopedia, Third Edition, 1998, p. 304
  8. Jump up ^ "Jeanne Crain Likes Night Life, Says So", Long Beach Independent, March 18, 1955, p. 27
  9. Jump up ^ http://www.glamourgirlsofthesilverscreen.com/show/50/Jeanne+Crain/index.html
  10. Jump up ^ "Actress Jeanne Crain Dead At 78"CBS News. December 15, 2003.
  11. Jump up ^ http://www.wesleyan.edu/cinema/

External links[edit]