Jane Greer
| Jane Greer | |
|---|---|
 Photo taken 1947 | |
| Born |
Bettejane Greer September 9, 1924 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Died |
August 24, 2001 (aged 76) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Westwood Memorial Park |
| Occupation | Film, television actress |
| Years active | 1945–1996 |
| Spouse(s) |
Rudy Vallee (1943–1944) Edward Lasker (1947–1963; divorced); 3 children |
| Partner(s) | Frank London (1963–2001; his death) |
| Children |
Lawrence Lasker Alex Lasker Steven Lasker (b. 1954) |
Jane Greer (born Bettejane Greer; September 9, 1924 – August 24, 2001) was an American film and television actress who was perhaps best known for her role as femme fatale Kathie Moffat in the 1947 film noir Out of the Past.
Contents
Early years[edit]
Greer was born in Washington, D.C., the daughter of Charles Durell McClellan Greer, Jr., and his wife, Bettie.[1] In 1940, at age 15, Greer suffered from a facial palsy, which paralyzed the left side of her face. She recovered, but it has been speculated that the condition contributed to her "patented look" and "a calm, quizzical gaze and an enigmatic expression that would later lead RKO to promote her as 'the woman with the Mona Lisa smile'."[2] She claimed that the facial exercises used to overcome the paralysis taught her how to convey human emotion.[3]
On December 4, 1945, Greer had her name legally changed to Jane Greer by a court in Los Angeles. She said of her previous name: "Mine is a sissy name. It's too bo-peepish, ingenueish, for the type of role I've been playing. It's like Mary Lou or Mary Ann."[4]
Music[edit]
A beauty-contest winner and professional model from her teens, Greer began her show business career as a big band singer. She sang in Washington, D.C., with the orchestra of Enrique Madriguera.[5] She "sang phonetically in Spanish" with the group.[6]
Film[edit]
Howard Hughes spotted Greer modeling in the June 8, 1942, issue of Life magazine and sent her to Hollywood to become an actress. Hughes lent out the actress to RKO to star in many films, (another source says Greer's then-husband, Rudy Vallee, "helped her get out of her contract with Hughes and secure another pact with RKO Studios"[6]) including Dick Tracy (1945), Out of the Past (1947), They Won't Believe Me (1947), and the comedy/suspense film The Big Steal (1949), alongside Out of the Past co-star Robert Mitchum. Hughes refused to let her work for a time; when she finally began film acting again, she appeared in You're in the Navy Now (1951), The Prisoner of Zenda (1952), Run for the Sun (1956), and Man of a Thousand Faces (1957). In 1984, she was cast in Against All Odds, a remake of Out of the Past, as the mother of the character she had played in 1947.
In 1952, Greer obtained a release from her contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios. She said: "When there is a good role at MGM, the producers want Lana or Ava. There is no chance for another actress to develop into important stardom at the studio."[7]
Television[edit]
Greer's noteworthy roles in television included guest appearances on episodes of numerous shows over the decades, such as Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Bonanza, Quincy, M.E., Murder, She Wrote, and a 1975 gig with Peter Falk and Robert Vaughn in an episode of Columbo titled Troubled Waters. She even got to make fun of Out of the Past in a parody with Robert Mitchum on TV's Saturday Night Live in 1987. Greer joined the casts of Falcon Crest in 1984, and Twin Peaks in 1990, in recurring roles.
Recognition[edit]
Greer was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1634 Vine Street for her contributions to the motion picture industry. The star was dedicated on February 8, 1960.[8]
Personal life[edit]
Jane Greer married Rudy Vallee on December 2, 1943, in Hollywood.[9] They separated after three months and divorced on July 27, 1944.[10][11] On August 20, 1947, Greer married Edward Lasker (1912–1997), a Los Angeles lawyer and businessman, with whom she had three sons: Alex, Steven, and Lawrence, a movie producer (WarGames, Sneakers).[12] Greer and Lasker divorced in 1967.[6] Frank London (an actor and dialogue coach) was Greer's domestic partner from 1965 until his death in 2001; he predeceased her by six months.[13]
Death[edit]
Greer died of cancer on August 24, 2001 at the age of 76, in Bel Air, Los Angeles.[14] Her body was interred at Los Angeles' Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery.[15]
Complete filmography[edit]
- Pan-Americana (1945) as Miss Downing (uncredited)
- Two O'Clock Courage (1945) as Helen Carter (as Bettejane Greer)
- George White's Scandals (1945) as Billie Randall (as Bettejane Greer)
- Dick Tracy (1945) as Judith Owens
- The Falcon's Alibi (1946) as Lola Carpenter
- Sunset Pass (1946) as Lolita Baxter
- The Bamboo Blonde (1946) as Eileen Sawyer
- Sinbad the Sailor (1947) as Pirouze
- They Won't Believe Me (1947) as Janice Bell
- Out of the Past (1947) as Kathie
- Station West (1948) as Charlie
- The Big Steal (1949) as Joan Graham
- The Company She Keeps (1951) as Diane Stuart
- You're in the Navy Now (1951) as Ellie C. Harkness
- You for Me (1952) as Katie McDermad
- The Prisoner of Zenda (1952) as Antoinette de Mauban
- Desperate Search (1952) as Julie Heldon
- The Clown (1953) as Paula Henderson
- Down Among the Sheltering Palms (1953) as Diana Forrester
- Run for the Sun (1956) as Katherine "Katie" Connors
- Man of a Thousand Faces (1957) as Hazel Bennet Chaney
- Where Love Has Gone (1964) as Marian Spicer
- Billie (1965) as Agnes Carol
- The Outfit (1973) as Alma Macklin
- A Christmas for Boomer (1979 TV movie)
- The Shadow Riders (1982 TV movie) as Ma Traven
- Against All Odds (1984) as Mrs. Wyler
- Just Between Friends (1986) as Ruth Chadwick
- Immediate Family (1989) as Michael's Mother
- Perfect Mate (1996) as Mom
Partial television credits[edit]
- The Ford Television Theatre - "Look for Tomorrow" (1953), "One Man Missing (1955)", "Moment of Decision" (1957)
- Celebrity Playhouse - "Diamonds in the Sky" (1955) as Nina
- Zane Grey Theater - "A Gun for My Bride" (1957), "The Vaunted" (1958), "Stagecoach to Yuma" (1960)
- Playhouse 90 - "No Time at All" (1958) as Karen
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents - "A True Account" (1959) as Mrs. Cannon-Hughes
- Bonanza - "The Julia Bulette Story" (1959) as Julia Bulette
- Stagecoach West - "High Lonesome" (1960) as Kathleen Kane
- Thriller - "Portrait Without a Face" (1961) as Ann Moffat
- Burke's Law - "Who Killed My Girl?" (1964) as Lonnie Smith
- Columbo "Troubled Waters" (1975) as Sylvia Danziger
- Quincy, M.E. "The Depth of Beauty" (1979) as Dorrie Larkin
- Falcon Crest (1984) as Charlotte Pershing (recurring role, 6 episodes)
- The Law & Harry McGraw - "Murder by Landslide" (1987) as Augusta Stillman
- Saturday Night Live - "Robert Mitchum/Simply Red" (1987) as Kathy (uncredited)
- Murder, She Wrote - "The Last Flight of the Dixie Damsel" (1988) as Bonnie Phelps
- Twin Peaks Season 2 episodes 8, 9 and 10 (1990) as Vivian Smythe Niles
References[edit]
- ^ "Rudee Vallee Will Take Bride This Evening". The Daily Chronicle. December 2, 1943. p. 11. Retrieved October 3, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Jane Greer profile at". Yahoo! Movies.
- ^ "Jane Greer Biography". hollywoodupclose.com.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Bettejane Greer Changes Name". The Bee. December 5, 1945. p. 7. Retrieved October 3, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Carroll, Harrison (August 8, 1945). "Behind the Scenes in Hollywood". The Morning News. p. 6. Retrieved October 3, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Bowlin, Michael (June 9, 1991). "Jane Greer had roles into mid '80s". The Kerrville Times. p. 48. Retrieved October 4, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Johnson, Erskine (December 17, 1952). "Eclipsed By Stars, Jane Greer Quits Studio". The Fresno Bee The Republican. p. 36. Retrieved October 4, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Jane Greer - Hollywood Walk of Fame". walkoffame.com. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
- ^ "Bettejane Greer and Lt. Rudy Vallee Wed". Dunkirk Evening Observer. December 3, 1943. p. 4. Retrieved October 3, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Bettejane Greer and Rudy Vallee Separate". Dunkirk Evening Observer. March 7, 1944. p. 3. Retrieved October 3, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Bettejane Greer Granted Divorce From Rudy Vallee". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. July 27, 1944. p. 3. Retrieved October 3, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Jane Greer Weds Lasker". The Decatur Daily Review. August 21, 1947. p. 34. Retrieved October 3, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Jane Greer Obituary". The Telegraph. 28 Aug 2001.
- ^ Jane Greer - L.A. Times Hollywood Star Walk
- ^ Jane Greer - Find a Grave
External links[edit]
- Jane Greer on IMDb
- Jane Greer at aenigma
- Jane Greer at Find a Grave
- 1924 births
- 2001 deaths
- 20th-century American actresses
- Actresses from Washington, D.C.
- American female singers
- American film actresses
- American television actresses
- American racehorse owners and breeders
- Burials at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
- Deaths from cancer in California
- Singers from Washington, D.C.
- RKO Pictures contract players
- 20th-century American singers
- 20th-century women musicians
- Western (genre) film actresses
- Western (genre) television actors