Jean Muir (actress) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jean Muir
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Warner Bros. publicity portrait of Muir
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| Born |
Jean Muir Fullarton
February 13, 1911 Suffern, New York, U.S.
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| Died | July 23, 1996 (aged 85) Mesa, Arizona, U.S.
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| Years active | 1930–1968 |
| Spouse(s) |
Henry Jaffe
(m. 1940; div. 1960) |
| Children | 3, including Michael Jaffe |
Jean Muir (born Jean Muir Fullarton; February 13, 1911 – July 23, 1996) was an American actress who worked in theater and films. She also became a teacher. She was the first person to be unfairly stopped from working in Hollywood, a process known as being "blacklisted." This happened after her name appeared in a pamphlet called Red Channels in 1950.
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Early Life
Jean Muir Fullarton was born on February 13, 1911, in Suffern, New York. She was an only child. Her father was an accountant, and her mother was a substitute teacher. Jean went to the Dwight School in Englewood, New Jersey.
Acting Career
Jean Muir started her acting career on Broadway when she was just 19 years old in a play called The Truth Game (1930). In the early 1930s, she also worked as a model in New York City.
In 1933, a big movie studio called Warner Bros. signed her. She made 14 films in her first three years there! She acted alongside famous actors like Warren William and Paul Muni. However, Jean wasn't happy with the types of roles she was getting. So, in 1937, she decided to go back to Broadway. She still appeared in films sometimes until 1943. She was even considered for the role of Melanie in the famous movie Gone with the Wind.
Jean Muir sometimes had disagreements with the movie studio bosses. She was involved in creating the Screen Actors Guild, which is a group that helps protect actors' rights. She also questioned how the film business worked and didn't always want to pose for publicity photos.
The Hollywood Blacklist
In 1950, Jean Muir faced a very difficult situation. She was accused of being a "Communist sympathizer" in a well-known pamphlet called Red Channels. This accusation meant she was immediately removed from a TV show called The Aldrich Family, where she was playing Mrs. Aldrich.
NBC, the TV network, received calls protesting her being on the show. The show's sponsor, General Foods, said they would not support programs with "controversial persons." Even though thousands of people later called to protest this decision, it was not changed.
Jean Muir was the first performer to lose her job because her name was listed in Red Channels. It seems the reason for the accusation was her short membership in a group called the Congress of American Women. At the time, the government considered this group to be "subversive," meaning they thought it might try to undermine the government.
Later Years and Teaching
Jean Muir started acting again in 1958, appearing in an episode of Matinee Theater on NBC-TV.
After her acting career, Jean found a new passion: teaching drama. She taught and directed plays at two community centers in New York. In 1968, she moved to Missouri and became a Master Acting Teacher at Stephens College. She also directed many plays there and even earned her own college degree from Stephens in 1977.
When she reached the mandatory retirement age at Stephens, she had to stop teaching there. But she continued to share her knowledge, teaching for a year at the University of Missouri–Kansas City in 1981.
Personal Life
On December 20, 1940, Jean Muir married Henry Jaffe in New York. He was an entertainment lawyer and later became a television producer. They had three children together.
Death
Jean Muir passed away in a nursing home in Mesa, Arizona, on July 23, 1996. She was 85 years old.
Recognition
Jean Muir has a special star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. You can find it at 6280 Hollywood Blvd.
Images for kids
