Dean Jagger facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dean Jagger
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Jagger in The Twilight Zone (1961)
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| Born |
Dean Jeffries Jagger or Dean Ida Jagger
November 7, 1903 Columbus Grove or Lima, Ohio, U.S.
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| Died | February 5, 1991 (aged 87) Santa Monica, California, U.S.
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| Resting place | Lakewood Memorial Park, Hughson, California |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1923–1987 |
| Spouse(s) |
Antoinette Lowrance
(m. 1935; div. 1943)Gloria Ling
(m. 1947; div. 1967)Etta Mae Norton
(m. 1968) |
| Children | 3 |
Dean Jagger (born November 7, 1903 – died February 5, 1991) was a famous American actor. He worked in movies, on stage, and on television. He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the movie Twelve O'Clock High (1949).
Contents
Early Life and Beginnings
Dean Jagger was born in Columbus Grove or Lima, Ohio. He grew up on a farm and dreamed of becoming an actor. He even practiced speaking to cows! He won many public speaking contests as a teenager. At age 14, he worked at a special hospital called a sanatorium.
He left school a few times before going to Wabash College. There, he played football. He soon realized that college life wasn't for him and left after his second year.
At 17, he taught all eight grades in a small country school. After that, he moved to Chicago to study acting. He joined a traveling show called the Chautauqua circuit, which helped him gain experience.
Acting Career
Starting on Stage
Jagger studied acting in Chicago. He got his first big stage role in a play called Shepherd of the Hills. This made him want to try acting in New York City.
He joined a theater group and even replaced actor Spencer Tracy in a play. He performed in vaudeville (a type of stage show), on the radio, and in plays. His first show on Broadway (New York's famous theater district) was in 1925.
First Movies
Jagger visited Los Angeles for a vaudeville show. While there, he made his first movie, The Woman from Hell (1929). This was just as movies were starting to have sound. He later said that being in a silent film made it harder for him to get roles in the new "talkies." He made another film, Handcuffed (1929), before returning to New York.
Big Break on Stage
Jagger's career really took off when he got a main role in the play Tobacco Road in 1933. This play was a huge success and ran for many years. Jagger left the show in 1934 for another play, but Tobacco Road helped him become well-known.
Moving to Hollywood
In 1934, Jagger signed a contract with Paramount Pictures. He appeared in many films, often in supporting roles. Some of his early movies included Wings in the Dark (1935) with Myrna Loy and Cary Grant, and Men Without Names (1935). He also had a main role in a Western movie called Wanderer of the Wasteland (1935).
He continued to act in many films for different studios. He also returned to Broadway for several plays, like Missouri Legend (1938) and Farm of Three Echoes (1939).
Playing Brigham Young
Jagger became even more famous for playing Mormon leader Brigham Young in the movie Brigham Young (1940). People said he looked and sounded just like the real Brigham Young. Many years later, in 1972, he joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
After this role, Fox studio signed him to a long-term contract. He appeared in Western Union (1941) and other films.
Award-Winning Role
Jagger won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his part in Twelve O'Clock High (1949). In the movie, he played Major/Lt. Col. Harvey Stovall, a wise older officer who advises General Savage (Gregory Peck) during World War II.
Even after winning an Oscar, Jagger mostly played supporting roles. He appeared in Westerns like Sierra (1950) and Rawhide (1951). He was also in the big biblical movie The Robe (1953).
He played a retired general in the classic musical White Christmas (1954) with Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye. He also appeared in the exciting Western Bad Day at Black Rock (1955) with Spencer Tracy.
Jagger continued to work a lot in the 1950s. He was in the science-fiction film X the Unknown (1956) and Westerns like Forty Guns (1957) and The Proud Rebel (1958). He even played the father of Elvis Presley's character in King Creole (1958).
In 1959, he played the father of Audrey Hepburn's character in The Nun's Story. He also appeared in the well-known drama Elmer Gantry (1960).
Television Success
In the 1960s, Jagger started working more on television. He appeared in popular shows like The Twilight Zone and Dr. Kildare.
He became very popular for his role as high-school principal Albert Vane in the TV series Mr. Novak (1963–1965). He was nominated for an Emmy Award twice for this role. However, he sometimes disagreed with the show's writers and directors. He left the show in 1964 due to health reasons.
After Mr. Novak, Jagger continued to appear in TV shows like The F.B.I. and The Fugitive. He also acted in movies such as Firecreek (1968) and The Kremlin Letter (1970). In 1971, he appeared in a Christmas episode of The Partridge Family.
Later Career
In his later years, Jagger continued to act in many TV shows and movies. He was in Columbo, Kung Fu, and The Waltons. He played a villain in the martial arts film Game of Death (1978), which starred Bruce Lee.
He won a Daytime Emmy award for a guest role in a religious TV series called This Is the Life. His very last acting role was in the TV show St. Elsewhere in 1985.
Dean Jagger has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to movies. You can find it at 1523 Vine Street.
Personal Life and Passing
Dean Jagger was married three times and had three children. When he tried to marry his second wife, Gloria Ling, in California in 1947, they faced a challenge because of a state law at the time. They quickly traveled to New Mexico, where they were able to get married.
Later in his life, Jagger had heart problems. He passed away peacefully in his sleep in Santa Monica, California, on February 5, 1991, at the age of 87. He is buried in Hughson, California.
Images for kids
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Jagger in The Twilight Zone (1961)
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Left to right: Norman Lloyd, Katherine Emery, and Dean Jagger in a play called Everywhere I Roam (1938)
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From the movie Dangerous Number (1937)
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James Franciscus and Dean Jagger in the TV show Mr. Novak
