Jane Wyman(/ˈwaɪmən/WY-mən;bornSarah Jane Mayfield;January 5, 1917 – September 10, 2007)[1]was an American actress. A star of both movies and television, she received anAcademy Award for Best Actress(1948), fourGolden Globe Awards(1948, 1950, 1951 and 1983) and nominations for twoPrimetime Emmy Awards(1957 and 1959). In 1960 she received stars on theHollywood Walk of Famefor both motion pictures and television. She was the first wife of PresidentRonald Reagan.
Jane Wyman | |
---|---|
Born | Sarah Jane Mayfield January 5, 1917 St. Joseph, Missouri,U.S. |
Died | September 10, 2007 | (aged 90)
Resting place | Forest Lawn Mortuary and Memorial Park,Cathedral City, California |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 1934–1993 |
Known for | Brother Rat Larceny, Inc. The Lost Weekend The Yearling Johnny Belinda Stage Fright The Blue Veil Here Comes the Groom Magnificent Obsession All That Heaven Allows The Jane Wyman Show Pollyanna Falcon Crest |
Political party | Republican |
Spouses | Ernest Wyman
(m.1933;div.1935)Myron Futterman
(m.1937;div.1938)Frederick Karger
(m.1952;div.1955)
(m.1961;div.1965) |
Children | 3, includingMaureen ReaganandMichael Reagan |
Jane Wyman's movie career began in earnest in 1934 atParamount Picturesas a chorus girl dancing forLeRoy Prinz.Bryan Foysigned Wyman to her first studio contract withWarner Bros.in 1936 at 19. Over a protracted apprenticeship atWarner Bros.Wyman progressed from bit parts andB filmsto supportingMaureen O’Sullivan(The Crowd Roars,1938),Alice FayeandConstance Bennett(Tail Spin,1939),Olivia De Havilland(My Love Came Back,1940 andPrincess O'Rourke,1943) andBetty Grable(Footlight Serenade,1942) in major studio releases.
After more than a decade on screen the post-war success ofThe Lost Weekend(1945) finally established Jane Wyman, then 28, as amovie star.More dramatic vehicles followed includingThe Yearling(1946),Johnny Belinda(1948),Stage Fright(1950),The Blue Veil(1951),So Big(1953),Magnificent Obsession(1954) andAll That Heaven Allows(1955). She received four nominations for theAcademy Award for Best Actressbetween 1946 and 1954, winning forJohnny Belinda(1948).
In 1955 at 38 Jane Wyman transitioned into television forming her own production company Lewman Productions Ltd.(co-owned withMCA Inc.) and assuming responsibility for producing the next 3 seasons (1955-1958) of the already popular filmed anthology series theFireside TheatrefromHal Roach StudiosforNBC.She served as producer, host and frequent star of the series from 1955 to 1958.
In her early forties Wyman continued to work in both film and television, enjoying a certain level of visibility from the syndication ofThe Jane Wyman Showbut no longer in demand as a leading lady.
After a couple of periods of virtual retirement between 1963–1968 and 1974–1978 she returned to prominence on the prime-time soap operaFalcon Crest(1981–1990), portraying the role of villainous matriarchAngela Channing.
Early life
editSarah Jane Mayfield was born on January 5, 1917, inSt. Joseph, Missouri,to Gladys Hope (néeChristian; 1891–1960) and Manning Jeffries Mayfield (1895–1922). Her father was a meal company laborer and her mother was a doctor'sstenographerand office assistant. Wyman was an only child. Her birth parents were married in March, 1916 inJackson County, Missouri.The1920 censusshowed her to be three years old on January 15, 1920, and living inPhiladelphia,Pennsylvania.[citation needed]
In October 1921, her parents divorced and her father died unexpectedly three months later. After his death, her mother moved to Cleveland, Ohio, leaving her to be reared by neighbours, Emma (née Reiss)[2][3]and Richard D. Fulks, the chief of detectives in Saint Joseph.[4]She took their surname unofficially, including in her school records and on her marriage certificate to first husband Ernest Wyman.[5]The Fulks’ had two older children who were sometimes referenced as siblings.
Her unsettled family life resulted in few pleasurable memories. Wyman later said, "I was raised with such strict discipline that it was years before I could reason myself out of the bitterness I brought from my childhood."[6]
In 1928, aged 11, she moved to Southern California with her foster mother. In 1930, the two moved back to Missouri, where Sarah Jane attendedLafayette High Schoolin Saint Joseph. That same year, she began a radio singing career, calling herself Jane Durrell and adding three years to her birthdate to work legally because she was under-aged.[7][8][9][10][1]
After dropping out of Lafayette High School in 1932 at age 15, she returned toHollywood,taking on odd jobs as a manicurist and a switchboard operator.[11]
Beginnings
edit“I knew only one person who might give me a job. LeRoy Prinz, the famous Hollywood dance coach, Dad Prinz’s son”.
Jane Wyman, 1964[12]
“This (Paramount Pictures ) is where it all started, honey…I came out here from Missouri and became one of the Leroy Prinz dancers.”
Jane Wyman, 1968[13]
Jane Wyman began her 60 year show business career as an extra onThe Kid from Spain(1932),Gold Diggers of 1933(1933),Elmer, the Great(1933), andHarold Teen(1934). She had taken classes with Edward Albert Prinz (Dad Prinz) at Prinz’s Dancing Academy back in St. Joseph, Missouri. Dad Prinz’s sonLeRoy Prinzwas now a successful Dance Director atParamount Pictures.
Prinz hired Wyman for the chorus ofCollege Rhythm(1934),Rumba(1935),All the King's Horses(1935),Stolen Harmony(1935),Broadway Hostess(1935), andAnything Goes(1936). In between pictures at Paramount she didKing of Burlesque(1936) andGeorge White's 1935 Scandals(1935) at Fox.
She then went to Universal Studios forMy Man Godfrey(1936).
Warner Brothers, part 1
editJane Wyman signed her first contract withWarner Bros.in1936[citation needed] and stayed for the next 2 decades.Miracle in the Rain(1956) would become the last film she completed under contract to the studio. It was released on April 7, 1956 almost exactly twenty years after she signed her inaugural contract.
“Bill (Demarest) shopped me to Bryan Foy, who ran the B movie unit at Warners, and he put me under contract-65$ a week with options for renewal every 6 months.”
Jane Wyman, 1974[14]
AtWarner Bros,Wyman was inFreshman Love(1936) andBengal Tiger(1936),Stage Struck(1936),Cain and Mabel(1936), andHere Comes Carter(1936).
Wyman had her first big role, both singing and dancing in aDick ForanWesternThe Sunday Round-Up(1936).
Wyman had small parts inPolo Joe(1936), andGold Diggers of 1937(1936) but a bigger one inSmart Blonde(1936), the first of theTorchy Blaneseries. She appeared inReady, Willing and Able(1937),The King and the Chorus Girl(1937), andSlim(1937). She had the lead inLittle Pioneer(1937), a short, and parts inThe Singing Marine(1937).
Warner Brothers, part 2
editBy the time Wyman starred inPublic Wedding(1937), a "B" picture, she was already divorced from first husband Ernest Wyman. She retained use of the surname for the remainder of her career.[5]
She had a supporting part inMr. Dodd Takes the Air(1937) and was the female lead in some "B" films, such asThe Spy Ring(1938) (at Universal),He Couldn't Say No(1938) withFrank McHughandWide Open Faces(1938) withJoe E. Brown.[15]
Wyman was borrowed by MGM to play a supporting part inThe Crowd Roars(1938).
Back atWarner Brothers,Wyman was cast as one of the leads inBrother Rat(1938) forHal B. Wallis.It co-starredRonald Reagan,Priscilla Lane,Wayne Morris and Eddie Albert.
Wyman was borrowed by20th Century Foxfor a supporting role inTail Spin(1939), followed byThe Kid from Kokomo(1939) withPat O'Brienand Morris. She played the title role inTorchy Blane..Playing with Dynamite(1939).
Now established, Wyman was cast inKid Nightingale(1939) with John Payne,Private Detective(1939) with Foran,Brother Rat and a Baby(1940) with Reagan,An Angel from Texas(1940) with Albert,Flight Angels(1940), andGambling on the High Seas(1940) with Wayne Morris.
Wyman had supporting roles in "A" films such asMy Love Came Back(1940), starringOlivia de HavillandandJeffrey Lynn.She and Reagan were inTugboat Annie Sails Again(1940). Wyman was a supporting role toAnn SheridaninHoneymoon for Three(1941) and wasDennis Morgan's leading lady inBad Men of Missouri(1941).[16]
Wyman madeThe Body Disappears(1941) with Jeffrey Lynn andYou're in the Army Now(1941) withJimmy Durante;in the latter she andRegis Toomeyhad the longest screen kiss in cinema history: 3 minutes and 5 seconds.[17][18]
Wyman didLarceny, Inc.(1942) withEdward G. Robinson,andMy Favorite Spy(1942) withKay Kyser.
At20th Century Studios,Wyman was a supporting actor toBetty GrableinFootlight Serenade(1942) then back at Warners supported Olivia de Havilland inPrincess O'Rourke(1943).
Warners teamed Wyman with Jack Carson inMake Your Own Bed(1944) andThe Doughgirls(1944), then she was top billed inCrime by Night(1944). She was one of many stars to cameo inHollywood Canteen(1944).[19]
Leading Lady (1945-1955)
editJane Wyman finally gained critical attention withThe Lost Weekend(1945), made by the team ofBilly WilderandCharles Brackett.Wilder had wanted Katherine Hepburn or Barbara Stanwyck for the female lead but Brackett had been impressed by Wyman’s performance inPrincess O'Rourke.Wyman called it "a small miracle".[15]
Wyman remained a supporting actor inOne More Tomorrow(1946), andNight and Day(1946).[20]However Wyman was borrowed by MGM for the female lead inThe Yearling(1946), and was nominated for the 1946Academy Award for Best Actress.
She was leading lady for Dennis Morgan inCheyenne(1947) and James Stewart in RKO'sMagic Town(1947).
Her breakthrough role was playing a deaf-mute rape victim inJohnny Belinda(1948). Wyman spent over six months preparing for the film which was an enormous hit and won Wyman aBest Actress Oscar.[15]She was the first person in thesound erato earn the award without speaking a line of dialogue. In an amusing acceptance speech, Wyman took her statue and said only, "I accept this, very gratefully, for keeping my mouth shut once. I think I'll do it again."[21][11]
Wyman was now a top-billed star. She did two comedies,A Kiss in the Dark(1948) withDavid NivenandThe Lady Takes a Sailor(1949) with Morgan, then made a thriller in England,Stage Fright(1950) forAlfred Hitchcock.[16]
She played Laura inThe Glass Menagerie(1950), and went to MGM forThree Guys Named Mike(1951), a popular comedy.
Frank Capra used her asBing Crosby's leading lady inHere Comes the Groom(1951) at Paramount, then she had the lead role in RKO'sThe Blue Veil(1951), a melodrama that was a big box office hit and earned her an Oscar nomination.[citation needed]
Wyman was one of many stars in Warner Bros'Starlift(1951). She was the female lead inThe Story of Will Rogers(1952) and Paramount reunited her and Crosby inJust for You(1952). Wyman expressed interest around this time of doing no more "weepy" roles.[22]
Columbia cast her in a musical,Let's Do It Again(1953) with Ray Milland, then at Warners she was inSo Big(1953), a melodrama.
Wyman had a huge success when producerRoss Huntercast her alongsideRock HudsoninMagnificent Obsession(1954). It earned her another Oscar nomination.
Wyman and Hudson were promptly reteamed onAll That Heaven Allows(1955).Pine-Thomas Productionsput Wyman inLucy Gallant(1955) withCharlton Heston.She didMiracle in the Rain(1956) withVan Johnson.Wyman was meant to follow this withAnnabellabut it appears to have not been made.[23][24]
Recording career
editJane Wyman's brief recording career withDecca Recordsextended between 1951 and 1953. She recorded a few solo tracks along with duets and novelty songs achieving three Billboardtop 30 hits and appearing on one #1 album.
“Singing I love, and the way I sing isn’t any work at all… if the people don’t mind, why the heck should I?”
Jane Wyman, 1952[25]
- Decca Albums
- Selections from the Paramount Picture "Just for You"(1952):Bing Crosby,Jane Wyman,The Andrews Sisters,Jud Conlon's Rhythmaires and theDave BarbourOrchestra
- Studio cast recordingof the music from the filmJust for You(1952)
- Danny Kaye sings Hans Christian Andersen(1952):Danny Kayewith Jane Wyman,Gordon Jenkinsand his Chorus and Orchestra
- Thisstudio cast recordingof the music from the filmHans Christian Andersen(1952) spent 17 weeks at #1 on theBillboard“Best Selling Popular Albums Chart” in 1953. Wyman is featured most prominently duetting with Kaye on the track "No Two People" and is also credited with contributing vocals to other tracks.
- Decca Singles
- "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening"/" Misto Cristofo Colombo "(1951): Bing Crosby and Jane Wyman withMatty Matlock's All Stars and the Four Hits and a Miss, from the filmHere Comes the Groom(1951)
- "In the Cool..." peaked at #11 on theBillboardcharts.Hoagy Carmichael(music) andJohnny Mercer(lyrics) won the 1951Academy Award for Best Original Song.Jane Wyman andDanny Kayeperformed it at the24th Academy Awards.
- "How d'ye Do and Shake Hands" / "Black Strap Molasses"(1951):Danny Kaye,Jimmy Durante,Jane Wyman andGroucho Marxwith theSonny BurkeOrchestra
- "Black Strap..." peaked at #29 on theBillboardcharts.
- "Why Didn't I?" / "Blow Out the Candle" (1951)
- "I Love That Feelin'" / "It Was Nice While the Money Rolled In" (1951): with The Four Hits and theDave BarbourOrchestra
- "Checkin' My Heart" / "He's Just Crazy For Me" (1952): with theDave BarbourOrchestra, from the filmJust for You(1952)
- "Zing a Little Zong"/" The Maiden of Guadalupe "(1952): Bing Crosby and Jane Wyman withJud Conlon's Rhythmaires and theNathan Van CleaveOrchestra, from the filmJust for You(1952)
- "Zing a..." peaked at #18 on theBillboardcharts and #10 on the UK Singles charts.Harry Warren(music) andLeo Robin(lyrics) were nominated for the 1952Academy Award for Best Original Song.Peggy LeeandJohnny Mercerperformed it at the25th Academy AwardsonNBC.
- "I Never Heard You Say" / "Doodle Bug Rag" (1952): withHoagy Carmichael
- "I'm Takin' a Slow Burn" / "It Was Great While It Lasted" (1953): with theSonny BurkeOrchestra, from the filmLet's Do It Again(1953)
Television, part 1 (1955-1967)
edit“Along with Loretta Young, she (Jane Wyman) pioneered the movement into TV “.
Rex Reed, 1970[26]
“My agent was Lew Wasserman - end of story. He did it all…(m)y (television) deal with NBC through Lewman Productions was a three-year no-cut contract for 3 million”.
Jane Wyman, 1974[27]
“We thought TV was the end of the world and for some of us it was but it was very good for me.”
Jane Wyman, 1981[28]
Jane Wyman’s television acting debut was the 1955 episode “Amelia” of the anthology seriesGeneral Electric Theaterproduced byMCA Inc.’sRevue Studiosand hosted by her former husband Ronald Reagan.
On August 30, 1955 just a year after “Magnificent Obsession” became Jane Wyman’s biggest hit and her first #1 film at the weekly box office her eponymous weekly television anthology series made its debut on NBC.
Wyman announced her first TV seriesThe Jane Wyman Show(1955–58) in 1955. In its first season it was known asJane Wyman Presents the Fireside Theatrethen theJane Wyman Theatreand finallyThe Jane Wyman Show.Wyman hosted every episode, acted in half, and was a producer.[29]
WhenThe Jane Wyman Showended Wyman was no longer a film star, but she remained in demand. She replaced the ailingGene TierneyinHoliday for Lovers(1959) for Fox, and next appeared in Disney'sPollyanna(1960) andBon Voyage!(1962).[30]
Wyman continued to guest star on TV shows likeCheckmate,Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre,The Investigators,Wagon Train,andInsight.
"Something happened in the sixties," she later said. "it seemed that the time didn't permit women to be part of it except in a sort of secondary sort of way which I resented. I kept telling myself 'I didn't want to playWhatever Happened to Baby Jane."[29]So she went into semi-retirement around 1962.
Re-entrance (1968-1973)
editWyman focused on painting. She made the occasional acting appearance, mostly on television.
“I’m ready to work, but they just haven’t gotten around to me yet”
Jane Wyman, 1968[31]
In 1966,Reginald Denhamannounced Wyman would appear in a playWonderful Usbased on theParker–Hulme murder casebut it was not produced.[32]
She returned to films withHow to Commit Marriage(1969).
Wyman continued to work in the 1970s, guest starring onMy Three Sons;The Bold Ones: The New Doctors;The Sixth Sense;andOwen Marshall, Counselor at Lawand her first film for television,The Failing of Raymond(1971). She starred in a pilot for a TV seriesAmanda Fallonbut it was not picked up.[33]
She was offered roles of "murderers, old ladies that were senile – they were awful. The weirdest kind of writing."[29]
Television, part 2 (1978-1993)
edit“I am really grateful for this. I tell you, I am having the time of my life. I’m a little too old to be happy but I’m just old enough to be grateful.”
Jane Wyman, 41st Annual Golden Globe Awards, 1984[34]
After 5 years of retirement living in Carmel painting and focussing on her philanthropic work she took her first acting role since 1974. She accepted a featured role in the television movie,The Incredible Journey of Doctor Meg Laurel(1979). She then guest starred onCharlie's AngelsandThe Love Boat.[citation needed]
In the spring of 1981, Wyman's career enjoyed a resurgence when she was cast as the scheming Californianvintnerand matriarchAngela ChanninginThe Vintage Years,which was retooled as the primetimesoap operaFalcon Crest.Wyman said she wanted to make it as it was a change from "the four handkerchief bits" she was known for. "You just can't miss on a thing like this," she added.[29]
Then relatively unknownLorenzo Lamasappeared as Angela's irresponsible grandson, Lance Cumson. The on- and off-screen chemistry between Wyman and Lamas helped fuel the series' success.[citation needed]
For her role as Angela Channing, Wyman was nominated for aSoap Opera DigestAwardfive times (for Outstanding Actress in a Leading Role and for Outstanding Villainess: Prime Time Serial), and was also nominated for a Golden Globe award in 1983 and 1984. She won in 1984 for Best Performance By an Actress in a TV Series. Later in the show's run, Wyman suffered several health problems. In 1986 abdominal surgery caused her to miss two episodes. She was plagued with fatigue during the 1988–1989 season, and her health continued to deteriorate. Later in 1989 she collapsed on the set and was hospitalized due to problems withdiabetesand aliverailment. Her doctors told her that she should end her acting career. Wyman was absent for most of the ninth and final season ofFalcon Crestin 1989–1990.
Against her doctor's advice, she returned for the final three episodes in 1990, even writing asoliloquyfor the series finale. Wyman appeared in 208 of the show's 227 episodes.
Final role
editAfterFalcon Crest,Wyman acted only once more, playingJane Seymour's screen mother in a 1993 episode ofDr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.[35]In all, Wyman had starred in 83 movies[citation needed]and two successful TV series, and was nominated for an Academy Award four times, winning once.
Personal life
editMarriages
editJane Wyman was married five times,[5]to four men. Her last marriage to Fred Karger ended in 1965 and she never remarried.
Ernest Wyman
editAt age 16, Wyman married salesman Ernest Eugene Wyman in Los Angeles, California, on April 8, 1933. She recorded her name as 'Jane Fulks', foster parents Emma and Richard Fulks, and her age as 19 on the wedding certificate. Though the couple divorced after just two years, she retained the name Wyman professionally for the rest of her life.[5]
Myron Futterman
editWyman was 20 when she married dress manufacturer Myron Martin Futterman inNew Orleanson June 29, 1937. She wanted children but he did not, and they separated after only three months.[36]They were divorced on December 5, 1938.[37]
Ronald Reagan
editIn 1938, Wyman co-starred withRonald ReaganinBrother Rat(1938). They were engaged at theChicago Theatre,[38]and married on January 26, 1940, at theWee Kirk o' the HeatherinGlendale, California.[39]She and Reagan had two biological daughters:Maureenin 1941, and Christine in 1947 (born prematurely and died the following day). They adopted a son,Michael,in 1945.[40]
In the aftermath of the premature birth and subsequent death of their infant daughter Christine on June 26, 1947 Wyman separated from Reagan. Wyman’s divorce from Reagan was granted on June 28, 1948 and finalized on July 18, 1949. Wyman leased a home inPalm Springs, California.[41]Wyman, who was a registeredRepublican,said that their divorce was due to political differences; Ronald Reagan was still aDemocratat the time.[42]
When Reagan wasinauguratedaspresidenton January 20, 1981, Wyman became the first ex-wife of a U.S. president in American history. Although she remained silent during Reagan's political career, she told a newspaper interviewer in 1968 that this was not because she was bitter or because she did not agree with him politically:
I've always been a registered Republican. But it's bad taste to talk about former husbands and former wives, that's all. Also, I don't know a damn thing about politics.[43]
When Reagan died in 2004, Wyman issued a statement, saying, "America has lost a great president. And a great, kind and gentle man."[44]
Frederick Karger
editOn November 1, 1952, Wyman marriedGerman-AmericanHollywood music director and composer Frederick M. "Fred" Karger at El MontecitoPresbyterianChurch, Santa Barbara. They separated on November 7, 1954, and were granted an interlocutory divorce decree on December 7, 1954; the divorce was finalized on December 30, 1955.
They remarried on March 11, 1961, and Karger divorced her again on March 9, 1965. According toThe New York Times'report of the divorce, the bandleader charged that the actress "had walked out on him."[45]Wyman had a stepdaughter, Terry, from Karger's marriage to Patti Sacks.[46]
Wyman, who had converted to Catholicism in 1953, never remarried.[47]She was a member of the Good Shepherd Parish and the Catholic Motion Picture Guild inBeverly Hills, California.[48]
Later life
editAfterFalcon Crestended, Wyman made a guest appearance on the CBS seriesDr. Quinn, Medicine Womanand then completely retired from acting; she spent her retirement painting and entertaining friends. Wyman was a recluse and made only a few public appearances in her last years in part due to suffering from arthritis. Wyman also suffered fromType 1 diabetesfrom a very young age. She attended the funeral of her long-time friendLoretta Youngin 2000. She attended her daughter's funeral in 2001 after Maureen died ofmelanoma,and Ronald Reagan's funeral in 2004.[35]
Death
editOn September 10, 2007, Wyman died in her sleep of natural causes[1]at her home inRancho Mirage, California,at age 90.[49]Her sonMichael Reaganreleased a statement saying:
I have lost a loving mother, my children Cameron and Ashley have lost a loving grandmother, my wife Colleen has lost a loving friend she called Mom and Hollywood has lost the classiest lady to ever grace the silver screen.[50]
Alay tertiaryof theDominican Orderof theCatholic Church,she was buried in a nun's habit.[51]She was interred atForest Lawn Mortuary and Memorial ParkinCathedral City, California.[1]
Filmography
editFilm
editYear | Title | Role |
Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1932 | The Kid from Spain | extra | Uncredited |
1933 | Elmer, the Great | extra | Uncredited |
1933 | Gold Diggers of 1933 | extra | Uncredited |
1934 | All the King's Horses | Chorine | Uncredited, Paramount |
1934 | College Rhythm | Chorine | Uncredited, Paramount |
1935 | Broadway Hostess | Chorine | Uncredited |
1935 | Rumba | Chorine | Uncredited, Paramount |
1935 | George White's 1935 Scandals | Chorine | Uncredited, Fox |
1935 | Stolen Harmony | Chorine | Uncredited, Paramount |
1936 | King of Burlesque | Chorine | Uncredited, Fox |
1936 | Freshman Love | Co-Ed | Uncredited |
1936 | Anything Goes | Chorine | Uncredited, Paramount |
1936 | Bengal Tiger | Saloon Girl | Uncredited |
1936 | My Man Godfrey | Socialite | Uncredited, Universal |
1936 | Stage Struck | Bessie Funfnick | Uncredited, Warner Bros. |
1936 | Cain and Mabel | Chorus Girl | Uncredited, Warner Bros. |
1936 | Here Comes Carter | Nurse | Uncredited |
1936 | The Sunday Round-Up | Butte Soule | Short film |
1936 | Polo Joe | Girl at Polo Field | Uncredited, Warner Bros. B picture |
1936 | Gold Diggers of 1937 | Chorus Girl | Uncredited |
1937 | Smart Blonde | Dixie the Hat Check Girl | |
1937 | Ready, Willing, and Able | Dot | |
1937 | The King and the Chorus Girl | Babette Latour | |
1937 | Slim | Stumpy's Girl | |
1937 | Little Pioneer | Katie Snee | Short film |
1937 | The Singing Marine | Joan | |
1937 | Public Wedding | Florence Lane Burke | |
1937 | Mr. Dodd Takes the Air | Marjorie Day | |
1937 | Over the Goal | Co-Ed | Uncredited |
1938 | The Spy Ring | Elaine Burdette | |
1938 | He Couldn't Say No | Violet Coney | |
1938 | Fools for Scandal | Party Guest | Uncredited |
1938 | Wide Open Faces | Betty Martin | |
1938 | The Crowd Roars | Vivian | |
1938 | Brother Rat | Claire Adams | |
1939 | Tail Spin | Alabama | |
1939 | The Kid from Kokomo | Marian Bronson | |
1939 | Torchy Blane... Playing with Dynamite | Torchy Blane | |
1939 | Kid Nightingale | Judy Craig | |
1939 | Private Detective | Myrna "Jinx" Winslow | Warner Bros., B picture |
1940 | Brother Rat and a Baby | Claire Terry | |
1940 | An Angel from Texas | Marge Allen | |
1940 | Flight Angels | Nan Hudson | |
1940 | Gambling on the High Seas | Laurie Ogden | |
1940 | My Love Came Back | Joy O'Keefe | |
1940 | Tugboat Annie Sails Again | Peggy Armstrong | |
1941 | Honeymoon for Three | Elizabeth Clochessy | |
1941 | Bad Men of Missouri | Mary Hathaway | |
1941 | The Body Disappears | Joan Shotesbury | |
1941 | You're in the Army Now | Bliss Dobson | |
1942 | Larceny, Inc. | Denny Costello | |
1942 | My Favorite Spy | Connie | |
1942 | Footlight Serenade | Flo La Verne | |
1943 | Princess O'Rourke | Jean Campbell | |
1944 | Make Your Own Bed | Susan Courtney | |
1944 | The Doughgirls | Vivian Marsden Halstead | |
1944 | Crime by Night | Robbie Vance | |
1944 | Hollywood Canteen | Jane Wyman | |
1945 | The Lost Weekend | Helen St. James | |
1946 | One More Tomorrow | Frankie Connors | |
1946 | Night and Day | Gracie Harris | |
1946 | The Yearling | Orry Baxter | Nominated –Academy Award for Best Actress |
1947 | Cheyenne | Ann Kincaid | |
1947 | Magic Town | Mary Peterman | |
1948 | Johnny Belinda | Belinda MacDonald | Academy Award for Best Actress Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role PhotoplayGold Medal Actress PicturegoerAward - Best Actress |
1949 | A Kiss in the Dark | Polly Haines | |
1949 | It's a Great Feeling | Jane Wyman | |
1949 | The Lady Takes a Sailor | Jennifer Smith | |
1950 | Stage Fright | Eve Gill | |
1950 | The Glass Menagerie | Laura Wingfield | |
1951 | Three Guys Named Mike | Marcy Lewis | |
1951 | Here Comes the Groom | Emmadel Jones | |
1951 | The Blue Veil | Louise Mason | Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama Laurel Awards- Best Dramatic Performance PicturegoerAward - Best Actress Nominated –Academy Award for Best Actress |
1952 | The Story of Will Rogers | Betty Blake Rogers | |
1952 | Just for You | Carolina Hill | |
1953 | Three Lives | Commentator | Short film |
1953 | Let's Do It Again | Constance "Connie" Stuart | |
1953 | So Big | Selina DeJong | |
1954 | Magnificent Obsession | Helen Phillips | PicturegoerAward - Best Actress Nominated –Academy Award for Best Actress |
1955 | All That Heaven Allows | Cary Scott | |
1955 | Lucy Gallant | Lucy Gallant | |
1956 | Miracle in the Rain | Ruth Wood | |
1959 | Holiday for Lovers | Mrs. Mary Dean | |
1960 | Pollyanna | Polly Harrington | |
1962 | Bon Voyage! | Katie Willard | |
1969 | How to Commit Marriage | Elaine Benson |
Box office ranking
editFor several years, film exhibitors voted Wyman as among the most popular stars in the country. AnnualTop Ten Money Making Stars Pollrankings:
- 1949 – 25th (US),[52]6th (UK)[53]
- 1952 – 15th (US)[54]
- 1953 – 19th (US)
- 1954 – 9th (US)
- 1955 – 18th (US)
- 1956 – 23rd (US)
Television
editAir Date | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1955 | General Electric Theatre | Dr. Amelia Morrow | Episode: "Amelia" |
1955–1958 | The Jane Wyman Show | Various | Host, star and producer |
1957 | Summer Playhouse | Host | Episodes 01-07 |
1957 | Tennessee Ernie Ford Show | Guest | Episode: Jane Wyman |
1957 | The Lux Show with Rosemary Clooney | Guest | Episode: 01-01 |
1958 | The Perry Como Show | Guest | Episode: #10.36 |
1958 | Wagon Train | Dr. Carol Ames Willoughby | Episode: "The Doctor Willoughby Story" |
1958 | Tennessee Ernie Ford Show | Guest | Episode: Jane Wyman(2) |
1959 | The Perry Como Show | Guest | Episode: #11.18 |
1959 | Lux Video Theatre | Selena Shelby | Episode: "A Deadly Guest" |
1960 | Dr. Kate | Dr. Kate | Episode: "Spitfire” |
1960 | Startime | Host | Episode: "Academy Award Songs" |
1960 | Checkmate | Joan Talmadge | Episode: "Lady on the Brink" |
1961 | The Investigators | Elaine | Episode: "Death Leaves a Tip" |
1962 | Insight | Edith Stein | Episode: "The Cross in Crisis" |
1962 | Wagon Train | Hannah | Episode: "The Wagon Train Mutiny" |
1963 | The Andy Williams Show | Guest | Episode: #1.16 |
1963 | The Andy Williams Show | Guest | Episode: #2.3 |
1964 | The Bell Telephone Hour | Host | Episode: “The Younger Generation” |
1964 | Insight | Marie | Episode: "The Hermit" |
1966 | Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre | Addie Joslin | Episode: "When Hell Froze" |
1967 | Insight | Auschwitz Victim | Episode: "Why Does God Allow Men to Suffer?" |
1968 | The Red Skelton Show | Clara Crowley Appleby | Episode: "Clara and Me and Mama Makes Three" |
1969 | Insight | Catherine | Episode: "Prince in the Apple Town" |
1969 | The Jim Nabors Hour | Guest | Episode: #1.11 |
1970 | My Three Sons | Sylvia Cannon | Episode: "Who Is Sylvia?" |
1970 | The Jim Nabors Hour | Guest | Episode: #2.15 |
1971 | The Failing of Raymond | Mary Bloomquist | TV movie |
1971 | The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour | Guest | Episode: The 42nd Annual Photoplay Awards |
1972 | The Sixth Sense | Ruth Ames | Episode: "If I Should Die Before I Wake" |
1972 | The Bold Ones: The New Doctors | Dr. Amanda Fallon | Episode: "Discovery at Fourteen" |
1973 | The Bold Ones: The New Doctors | Dr. Amanda Fallon | Episode:"And Other Things I May Not See" |
1974 | Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law | Sophia Ryder | Episode: "The Desertion of Keith Ryder" |
1979 | The Incredible Journey of Doctor Meg Laurel | Granny Arrowroot | TV movie |
1980 | The Love Boat | Sister Patricia | Episode: "Another Day, Another Time" |
1980 | Charlie's Angels | Eleanor Willard | Episode: "To See an Angel Die" |
1981–1990 | Falcon Crest | Angela Channing | Main cast |
1993 | Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman | Elizabeth Quinn | Episode: "The Visitor" |
Radio appearances
editProgram | Episode | Date | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Burns and Allen | Gracie's Christmas Party | December. 25, 1947 | Wyman played Gracie Allen, due to the star's illness |
Screen Guild Players | The Lost Weekend | January 7, 1946 | [55] |
Screen Guild Players | Saturday's Children | June 2, 1947 | [56] |
The Jack Benny Show | From San Francisco | March 30, 1947 | [56] |
The Martin and Lewis Show | Jane Wyman | November 30, 1951 | [citation needed] |
Hollywood Star Playhouse | A Letter from Laura | February 24, 1952 | [57] |
Hallmark Playhouse | Whistler's Mother | May 8, 1952 | [58] |
Lux Radio Theatre | The Blue Veil | November 24, 1952 | [59] |
Awards and nominations
editYear | Award | Category | Nominated work | Results | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1946 | Academy Awards | Best Actress | The Yearling | Nominated | [60] |
1948 | Johnny Belinda | Won | [61] | ||
1951 | The Blue Veil | Nominated | [62] | ||
1954 | Magnificent Obsession | Nominated | [63] | ||
1948 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actress in a Leading Role | Johnny Belinda | Won | [64] |
1950 | World Film Favorite – Female | — | Won | ||
1951 | Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama | The Blue Veil | Won | ||
1982 | Best Actress in a Television Series – Drama | Falcon Crest | Nominated | ||
1983 | Won | ||||
1957 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Best Continuing Performance by an Actress | The Jane Wyman Show | Nominated | [65] |
1959 | Best Actress in a Leading Role (Continuing Character) in a Dramatic Series | The Jane Wyman Show | Nominated |
- Jane Wyman's imprints were set in concrete in front ofGrauman's Chinese Theatreon September 17, 1952.
- Jane Wyman has two stars on theHollywood Walk of Fame:one for motion pictures, at 6607 Hollywood Boulevard; and one for television, at 1620 Vine Street. Both from the inaugural placement of stars in 1960.
References
edit- ^abcd"Actress, Philanthropist Jane Wyman Dies".Jane-Wyman Retrieved September 10, 2007.
- ^Morris, Edmund.Dutch: A Memoir of Ronald Reagan.Random House, Inc., 1999
- ^U.S. Census, April 15, 1910, State of Missouri, County of Buchanan, enumeration district 54, p. 5-A, family 99. California death index, 1940–1997.
- ^Jane Wyman, 90, Star of Film and TV, Is Dead,The New York Times,September 11, 2007. Fulks' position was upgraded to mayor of Saint Louis by theWarner Bros.publicity department when his foster daughter became a successful actress. Source:Jane Wyman (obituary),The Times(London), September 11, 2007.
- ^abcdMorris, Edmund.Dutch: A Memoir of Ronald Reagan.Random House, Inc., 1999.ISBN978-0-307-79142-9
- ^Jane Wyman (obituary)ArchivedSeptember 14, 2007, at theWayback Machine,The Independent(London), September 11, 2007.
- ^Edwards, Anne.Early Reagan: The Rise to Power.William Morrow & Co (November 1990);ISBN0-688-06050-1.
- ^Bubbeo, Daniel.The Women of Warner Brothers: The Lives and Careers of 15 Leading Ladies,McFarland & Company (October 2001);ISBN0-7864-1137-6.
- ^Colacello, Bob.ASIN044653272XRonnie and Nancy: Their Path to the White House – 1911 to 1980.Warner Books; 1st Warner Books Edition (2004);ISBN0-446-53272-X.
- ^Wyman is listed in the U.S. Census taken in April 1930 as being 18 years old, when she was actually 13. U.S. Census, April 1, 1930, State of California, County of Los Angeles, City of Los Angeles, enumeration district 328, p. 13A, family 503.
- ^ab"Obituary of Jane Wyman Oscar-winning actress famous for her melodramatic 'weepies' who became the first Mrs Ronald Reagan"The Daily TelegraphSeptember 11, 2007: 025.
- ^June, 1964, Guideposts
- ^,1970, Conversations in the Raw
- ^2016, Conversations with Classic Film Stars
- ^abc"Deaf Girl Role Helps Jane Wyman Career: Deaf Role Helps Jane Wyman Up" Hopper, Hedda.Los Angeles TimesOctober 3, 1948: D1.
- ^ab"Jane Wyman, star of 'Falcon Crest,' dies". Bob Thomas The Associated Press.The Salt Lake TribuneSeptember 10, 2007.
- ^cinemaspotArchivedSeptember 1, 2017, at theWayback Machine,quotingGuinness Book of World Records
- ^"Jane Wyman: Some Kisser"The Washington PostSeptember 29, 1941: 11.
- ^"Jane Wyman Comedy"Star Los Angeles TimesJune 14, 1944: A8.
- ^Plaudits Handed to Jane Wyman: Change in Screen Personality Stamps Her as Dramatic Star Jane Wyman Lauded for Drama Roles Her Screen Personality Changes in 'Yearling' and 'Lost Week-end' Schallert, Edwin.Los Angeles TimesOctober 21, 1945: B1.
- ^Jane Wyman's Oscar acceptance speech, 1948onYouTube
- ^"Jane Wyman Abandons Weepy Roles" By Bob Thomas.The Washington PostAugust 16, 1952: 13.
- ^"Jane Wyman Will Portray Architect" Hopper, Hedda.Los Angeles TimesMarch 2, 1955: B6.
- ^"Jane Wyman Goes Out on Loan"The Washington Post and Times-HeraldJune 17, 1954: 38.
- ^January, 1952 Photoplay
- ^,1970, Conversations in the Raw
- ^,2016 Conversations with Classic Film Stars
- ^,October 20, 1981, Star Magazine
- ^abcdJane Wyman: 'I Always Did Four-Handkerchief Roles. Until Now.': Jane Wyman By Marianne Constantinou.The New York TimesNovember 29, 1981: D29.
- ^Maurine Myers Remenih. "Busiest Gal in Hollywood!"Chicago Daily TribuneMarch 2, 1957: b3.
- ^,1970, Conversations in the Raw
- ^"News of the Rialto: Jane Wyman Says 'Yes' Jane Wyman Says 'Yes'" By Lewis Funke.New York TimesMay 8, 1966: X1.
- ^"Jane Wyman to Be Guest Star".Los Angeles TimesMarch 5, 1974: c12.
- ^1984-Jan-28
- ^abSilverman, Stephen (September 10, 2007)."Falcon Crest Star Jane Wyman Dies at 93".People.RetrievedSeptember 9,2021.
- ^Jane Wyman biography.Official Jane Wyman website.
- ^"Film Actress Wins Divorce",Los Angeles Times,December 6, 1938, p. 3.
- ^"Dispute Over Theatre Splits Chicago City Council".The New York Times.May 8, 1984.RetrievedMay 17,2007.
- ^Oliver, Marilyn (March 31, 1988). "Locations Range From the Exotic to the Pristine".Los Angeles Times.
- ^"Biography".Jane Wyman.RetrievedSeptember 5,2011.
- ^Meeks, Eric G. (2014) [2012].The Best Guide Ever to Palm Springs Celebrity Homes.Horatio Limburger Oglethorpe. p. 33.ISBN978-1479328598.
- ^"Reagan: Home".HBO.RetrievedSeptember 5,2011.
- ^McClelland, Doug (1983).Hollywood on Ronald Reagan: Friends and Enemies Discuss Our President, The Actor.Winchester:Faber and Faber.p. 120.ISBN978-0-571-12522-7.OCLC9197297.RetrievedMarch 20,2021.
- ^Dvorak, Petula (November 26, 2017)."Jane Wyman as the anti-Ivana Trump: Why Ronald Reagan's ex-wife refused to dish about him".The Washington Post.Archivedfrom the original on March 5, 2021.
- ^"Jane Wyman Divorced",The New York Times,March 10, 1965.
- ^"Frederick M. Karger, 63, Arranger and Composer",The New York Times,August 6, 1979.
- ^Paul Kengor,God and Ronald Reagan: A Spiritual Life.Harper Collins Publishers (2004). p. 50.
- ^Church of the Good Shepherd: Our History
- ^"Johnny Belinda Actress Jane Wyman Dies",USA Today,September 10, 2007.
- ^"Oscar-Winner Jane Wyman, Ronald Reagan's First Wife, Dead at 93".Fox News.September 10, 2007.
- ^Alan Petrucelli,Morbid Curiosity: The Disturbing Demises of the Famous and Infamous.Penguin Group (2009). p. 5.
- ^"Filmdom Ranks Its Money-Spinning Stars Best At Box-Office".The Sydney Morning Herald.National Library of Australia. March 30, 1950. p. 12.RetrievedOctober 4,2014.
- ^"Tops at Home".The Courier-Mail.Brisbane: National Library of Australia. December 31, 1949. p. 4.RetrievedOctober 4,2014.
- ^"Box Office Draw".The Barrier Miner.Broken Hill, NSW: National Library of Australia. December 29, 1952. p. 3.RetrievedOctober 4,2014.
- ^"Those Were the Days".Nostalgia Digest.Vol. 39, no. 1. Winter 2013. pp. 32–41.
- ^ab"Those Were the Days".Nostalgia Digest.Vol. 35, no. 2. Spring 2009. pp. 32–39.
- ^Kirby, Walter (February 24, 1952)."Better Radio Programs for the Week".The Decatur Daily Review.p. 38.RetrievedMay 28,2015– viaNewspapers.
- ^Kirby, Walter (May 4, 1952)."Better Radio Programs for the Week".The Decatur Daily Review.p. 50.RetrievedMay 8,2015– viaNewspapers.
- ^Kirby, Walter (November 23, 1952)."Better Radio Programs for the Week".The Decatur Daily Review.p. 48.RetrievedJune 16,2015– viaNewspapers.
- ^"The 18th Academy Awards (1946) Nominees and Winners".Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.RetrievedAugust 19,2011.
- ^"The 21st Academy Awards (1949) Nominees and Winners".Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.RetrievedAugust 18,2011.
- ^"The 24th Academy Awards (1952) Nominees and Winners".Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.RetrievedAugust 19,2011.
- ^"The 27th Academy Awards (1955) Nominees and Winners".Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.RetrievedAugust 20,2011.
- ^"Jane Wyman".Golden Globe Awards.RetrievedSeptember 10,2023.
- ^"Jane Wyman".Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.RetrievedSeptember 10,2023.
Further reading
edit- Bubbeo, Daniel.The Women of Warner Brothers: The lives and Careers of 15 Leading Ladies, with filmographies for each(McFarland, 2010).
- Lafferty, William. "'No Attempt at Artiness, Profundity, or Significance': 'Fireside Theater' and the Rise of Filmed Television Programming."Cinema Journal(1987): 23–46online.
- Leff, Leonard J. "What in the World Interests Women? Hollywood, Postwar America, and 'Johnny Belinda.'"Journal of American Studies31#32 (1997), pp. 385–405.online
- Morella, Joe, and Edward Z. Epstein.Jane Wyman(Dell, 1986).
External links
edit- Jane Wyman Official website
- Jane Wymanat theAmerican Film Institute Catalog
- Jane WymanatIMDb
- Jane Wymanat theTCM Movie Database
- Jane WymanatAllMovie
- Jane WymanatRotten Tomatoes
- Jane WymanatFind a Grave
- Tough LoveArchivedJune 20, 2008, at theWayback MachineReminisces byMichael Reagan
- Obituaryin theBoston Globe
- Jane Wyman, 90, Star of Film and TV, Is Dead
- Jane Wymanat Virtual History