Jean Kent facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jean Kent
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Jean Kent in 1947
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| Born |
Joan Mildred Field
29 June 1921 |
| Died | 30 November 2013 (aged 92) Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England
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| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1935–1991 |
| Spouse(s) |
Josef Ramart
(m. 1946; died 1989) |
Jean Kent (born Joan Mildred Field; June 29, 1921 – November 30, 2013) was a famous English actress. She starred in many films and television shows.
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About Jean Kent
Jean Kent was born Joan Mildred Field in Brixton, London, in 1921. Her parents were performers, and her father used the stage name "Norman Field." Jean started dancing when she was just 10 years old in 1931. She used the stage name Jean Carr when she was a chorus girl at the Windmill Theatre in London.
Becoming a Film Star
During World War II, Jean Kent signed a contract with Gainsborough Pictures, a big film studio. She had small roles in movies like It's That Man Again (1943) and Miss London Ltd. (1943). She also appeared in Two Thousand Women (1944).
Her career really took off when she got a dramatic role in the film Fanny by Gaslight (1944). She played a friend of the main character, who becomes involved with James Mason's character. This movie was a huge success in Britain. It made Jean Kent a rising star at Gainsborough Pictures, often playing roles similar to the studio's top actress, Margaret Lockwood.
Jean continued to star in successful films. She was in Madonna of the Seven Moons (1945) and Waterloo Road (1945).
Jean Kent's Stardom
Jean Kent became a leading actress. She shared top billing with Stewart Granger in Caravan (1946), where she played a gypsy girl. This film was very popular and led to a new contract for Jean. She and Granger worked together again in The Magic Bow (1946).
Jean once said that at Gainsborough, there was a "pecking order" for actresses. She often took roles that other, more established stars didn't want.
She played the main female role in The Man Within (1947). She also had a great part in The Loves of Joanna Godden (1947). Jean was the main star in Good-Time Girl (1948), a drama about a girl who gets into trouble. She also appeared in the thriller Sleeping Car to Trieste (1948) as a spy.
One of her favorite films was the musical Trottie True (1949), where she played the lead. She also worked with famous actor Dirk Bogarde in The Woman in Question (1950). In 1950 and 1951, Jean Kent was voted one of the top British stars by film exhibitors. She continued to act in films like The Reluctant Widow (1951) and The Browning Version (1951).
In the mid-1950s, Jean started appearing in plays. She even got sick while touring with a play in South Africa in 1954.
Later Career
As time went on, Jean Kent appeared in fewer films. She had supporting roles in movies like The Prince and the Showgirl (1957) and the horror film The Haunted Strangler (1959).
She also took on television roles. From 1961 to 1962, she played Queen Elizabeth I in the TV adventure series Sir Francis Drake. In 1982, she joined the popular soap opera Crossroads as Jennifer Lamont.
Personal Life
Jean Kent was married to Austrian actor Josef Ramart from 1946 until he passed away in 1989. They met while filming Caravan. Their co-star, Stewart Granger, was the best man at their wedding. Jean and Josef also appeared together in the film Trottie True.
In 1974, Jean Kent was featured on the TV show This Is Your Life, where guests are surprised by their life story being told.
Jean made her last public appearance in June 2011. She was honored by the British Film Institute for her 90th birthday. She attended a special screening of her film Caravan.
Death
Jean Kent passed away on November 30, 2013, at the West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St. Edmunds. She had fallen at her home in Westhorpe.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1935 | The Rocks of Valpre | |
| 1935 | Who's Your Father | Mary Radcliffe |
| 1939 | A Ship in the Bay | Iris |
| 1943 | It's That Man Again | Kitty |
| 1943 | Warn That Man | Frances Lane |
| 1943 | Miss London Ltd. | The Encyclopaedia Girl |
| 1944 | Bees in Paradise | Jani |
| 1944 | Fanny by Gaslight | Lucy Beckett |
| 1944 | Champagne Charlie | Dolly Bellwood |
| 1944 | Two Thousand Women | Bridie Johnson |
| 1945 | Madonna of the Seven Moons | Vittoria |
| 1945 | Waterloo Road | Toni |
| 1945 | The Wicked Lady | Captain Jerry Jackson's doxy |
| 1945 | The Rake's Progress | Jill Duncan |
| 1946 | Caravan | Rosal |
| 1946 | The Magic Bow | Bianca |
| 1946 | Carnival | Irene Dale |
| 1947 | The Man Within | Lucy |
| 1947 | The Loves of Joanna Godden | Ellen Godden |
| 1948 | Good-Time Girl | Gwen Rawlings |
| 1948 | Bond Street | Ricki Merritt |
| 1948 | Sleeping Car to Trieste | Valya |
| 1949 | Trottie True | Trottie True |
| 1950 | The Reluctant Widow | Helena |
| 1950 | Her Favourite Husband | Dorothy Pellegrini |
| 1950 | The Woman in Question | Agnes / Astra |
| 1951 | The Browning Version | Millie Crocker-Harris |
| 1952 | The Lost Hours | Louise Parker |
| 1955 | Before I Wake | Florence Haddon |
| 1957 | The Prince and the Showgirl | Maisie Springfield |
| 1958 | Bonjour Tristesse | Helen Lombard |
| 1958 | The Haunted Strangler | Cora Seth |
| 1959 | Beyond This Place | Louise Burt |
| 1959 | Please Turn Over | Janet Halliday |
| 1960 | Bluebeard's Ten Honeymoons | Julienne Guillin |
| 1976 | Shout at the Devil | Mrs. Smythe |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | Cinderella | Prince Charming | TV miniseries |
| 1949 | Big Ben | Grace Green | TV film |
| 1955 | London Playhouse | Elsa Carter | Episode: "A Call on the Widow" |
| 1956 | Theatre Royal | Ada Weston | Episode: "The Lovebirds" |
| 1956 | Pantomania, or Dick Whittington | Dick Whittington | TV film |
| 1956 | The Errol Flynn Theatre | Henrietta | Episode: "1000th Night of Don Juan" |
| 1956, 1958 | Sunday Night Theatre | Polly Tremayne, Jeanne Liron | Episodes: "Morning Star", "The Sulky Fire" |
| 1957 | The Twelve Pound Look | Lady Sims | TV film |
| 1957 | ITV Television Playhouse | Alicia Collins | Episode: "Love Her to Death" |
| 1958 | Web | Rita Carpenter | Episodes: "The Painting", "The Other Warren", "The Gallery" |
| 1958 | Sword of Freedom | Valeska | Episode: "The Lion and the Mouse" |
| 1958 | Dick Whittington and His Cat | Dick Whittington | TV film |
| 1959 | Epilogue to Capricorn | Lady Kerwin | TV series |
| 1959, 1962 | ITV Play of the Week | Molly, Ariane | Episodes: "The Signal", "Coach 7, Seat 15" |
| 1960 | Hotel Imperial | Madame Trazini | Episode: "The Leopardess in 424" |
| 1961 | Debt to a Spy | Madame Sophie | TV short |
| 1961–62 | Sir Francis Drake | Queen Elizabeth I | Main role |
| 1963 | Maupassant | Marquise Obardi | Episode: "Yvette" |
| 1963, 1965 | No Hiding Place | Paula Hudson, Mrs. Black | Episodes: "A Pocketful of Bones", "Rat in a Trap" |
| 1963–1965 | Emergency – Ward 10 | Gillian Blaine | Guest role |
| 1964 | Love Story | Zoe Slater | Episode: "The Smile on the Face of a Tiger" |
| 1964 | The Indian Tales of Rudyard Kipling | Mrs. Threegan | Episodes: "Three: And an Extra", "The Sending of Dana Da", "The Rescue of Pluffles" |
| 1966 | This Man Craig | Joyce Maitland | Episode: "Period of Adjustment" |
| 1966–67 | United! | Margie Stringer | Guest role |
| 1967 | Vanity Fair | Mrs. O'Dowd | Episode: "The Celebrated Battle Scene" |
| 1968 | Comedy Playhouse | Aggie Plunkett | Episode: "The Family of Fred" |
| 1968 | Detective | Miss Mayberry | Episode: "The Deadly Climate" |
| 1968 | The Wednesday Play | Mrs. Da Tanka | Episode: "A Night with Mrs. Da Tanka" |
| 1968–69 | Thicker Than Water | Aggie Plunkett | TV series |
| 1969 | The Doctors | Mrs. Randall | Episodes: "1.8", "1.9" |
| 1970 | ITV Playhouse | Beatrice | Episode: "Brother and Sister" |
| 1970 | Up Pompeii! | Aphrodite | Episode: "Exodus" |
| 1970 | Steptoe and Son | Daphne Goodlace | Episode: "Two's Company" |
| 1971 | Doctor at Large | Mrs. Bentinck | Episode: "Trains & Notes & Veins" |
| 1971 | A Family at War | Dora Martin | Episode: "Flesh and Blood" |
| 1972 | Public Eye | Mrs. Podmore | Episode: "Mrs. Podmore's Cat" |
| 1974 | Thriller | Mrs. Garrick | Episode: "Color Him Dead" |
| 1976 | Angels | Miss Buckle | Episode: "Legacies" |
| 1978 | Do You Remember? | Milly Billet | Episode: "Night School" |
| 1978 | Tycoon | Mary Clark | TV series |
| 1980 | Time of My Life | Mrs. Wordsworth | Episodes: "1.4", "1.5" |
| 1981 | Crossroads | Jennifer Lamont | Episode: "1.3543" |
| 1985 | Lytton's Diary | Margot Shelley | Episode: "The Silly Season" |
| 1990 | Missing Persons | Phillida Meadowhite | TV film |
| 1990 | After Henry | Mrs Judd Skefferton | Episode: Party Politics |
| 1991 | Lovejoy | Madelene Gilbert | Episode: "National Wealth" |
| 1991 | Shrinks | Charlotte Merrick | Episode: "1.5" |
Box Office Success
For several years, people who owned movie theaters in Britain voted Jean Kent as one of the top ten British stars. This was based on how popular her movies were and how much money they made.
- 1950 – 9th most popular
- 1951 – 8th most popular
See also
In Spanish: Jean Kent para niños
