Claude Jarman Jr. facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Claude Jarman Jr.
In Intruder In The Dust (1949)
Born	Claude Miller Jarman Jr. (1934-09-27)September 27, 1934 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Died	January 12, 2025(2025-01-12) (aged 90) Kentfield, California, U.S.
Resting place	Woodlawn Memorial Park, Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Occupation	Actor businessman producer executive director
Years active	1946–1956 1979
Spouse(s)	Virginia Murray ​ ​ (m. 1958; div. 1968)​ Maryann de Lichtenberg ​ ​ (m. 1983; div. 1984)​ Katharine Stuart ​ (m. 1986)​
Children	7, including Vanessa Getty

Jarman Jr. in the trailer of the film High Barbaree (1947)

John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, and Jarman Jr. in Rio Grande (1950)

Claude Miller Jarman Jr. (September 27, 1934 – January 12, 2025) was an American actor. He became a famous child star for his role as Jody Baxter in the 1946 movie The Yearling. For this role, he won a special award called the Academy Juvenile Award. He also appeared in other well-known films like Intruder in the Dust (1949) and Rio Grande (1950).

As he grew up, Jarman mostly stopped acting. Later, he became the executive director of the San Francisco International Film Festival. He also worked as the director of Cultural Affairs for the City of San Francisco.

Life and Career

Early Life and Discovery

Claude Jarman Jr. was born in Nashville, Tennessee. His father, Claude Miller Jarman, was an accountant. As a young boy, Claude Jr. enjoyed acting in plays at The Nashville Community Playhouse's Children's Theatre.

When he was 10 years old and in fifth grade, a big movie studio called Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) found him. They were looking for a young actor for their new film, The Yearling. Claude was chosen to play the main character, Jody Baxter. In the movie, famous actors Gregory Peck and Jane Wyman played his parents.

Becoming a Child Star

Claude's acting in The Yearling was highly praised. Because of his amazing performance, he received a special Academy Juvenile Award as the best child actor of 1946.

He continued his studies at the MGM studio school. During his time as a child actor, he made a total of 11 movies. His second film was High Barbaree, where he played the younger version of the main character.

In 1949, Claude had another important role as teenager Chick Mallison in Intruder in the Dust. This movie talked about serious topics like racism and segregation in the southern United States. It was quite open about these issues for a Hollywood film at that time.

The next year, he played a big role in the western movie Rio Grande. He played the son of characters played by John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. To prepare for his role as a young soldier, Claude learned how to do roman riding. This is a special way of riding horses while standing up.

Life as an Adult

As Claude Jarman Jr. became an adult, his acting career slowed down. He decided to move back to Tennessee to finish college at Vanderbilt University. After studying pre-law, he made his last movie, Disney's The Great Locomotive Chase (1956).

After his acting career, Claude served three years in the U.S. Navy. He worked in public relations, which involves sharing information with the public.

Later, Jarman started working behind the scenes in the film industry. He managed the San Francisco International Film Festival for 15 years, from 1965 to 1980. He was known for showing special collections of movies by famous actors and directors. He also helped produce the music documentary film Fillmore (1972).

In 1978, he briefly returned to acting for a TV miniseries called Centennial. He was also a special guest at the 70th and 75th Academy Award shows. He was invited as a past award winner to celebrate the history of the Oscars.

Claude Jarman Jr. also worked as the director of cultural affairs for the City of San Francisco. In 1986, he started his own travel company, Jarman Travel Inc. He also wrote a book about his life called My Life and the Final Days of Hollywood, which was published in 2018.

Personal Life and Passing

Claude Jarman Jr. was married three times and had seven children. He passed away at his home in Kentfield, California, on January 12, 2025, at the age of 90. He is buried in Woodlawn Memorial Park in Nashville, Tennessee.

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Claude Jarman Jr. para niños