Jean Porter facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jean Porter
|
|
---|---|
![]() Porter in 1945
|
|
Born |
Bennie Jean Porter
December 8, 1922 Cisco, Texas, U.S
|
Died | January 13, 2018 Los Angeles, California, U.S
|
(aged 95)
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1936–1961 |
Spouse(s) | |
Children | 3 |
Bennie Jean Porter (born December 8, 1922 – died January 13, 2018) was an American actress. She was known for her roles in movies like The Youngest Profession (1943) and Bathing Beauty (1944). She also appeared in Abbott and Costello in Hollywood (1945) and The Left Hand of God (1955).
Jean Porter was married to Edward Dmytryk, a famous film director. He was part of a group of filmmakers who faced difficulties in the movie industry during the 1950s.
Contents
Early Life and Talents
Jean Porter was born in Cisco, Texas. Her father worked for a railway, and her mother was a music teacher. When she was a baby, people in her hometown called her the "Most Beautiful Baby" in Eastland County.
At just 10 years old, Jean hosted her own radio show. It was a half-hour show every Saturday morning on the WRR station in Dallas, Texas. She also spent a summer working with Ted Lewis's Vaudeville Band, showing her early talent.
Jean Porter's Acting Career
Starting in Hollywood
When Jean was 12, in 1935, she moved to Hollywood. She took dancing lessons at a special school. There, a director named Allan Dwan noticed her. Jean acted in Dwan's 1936 musical movie, Song and Dance Man. However, her name wasn't listed in the movie's credits.
Jean started with small parts in movies like The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938). She also appeared in One Million B.C. (1940). By 1941, she became a regular actress for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, a big movie studio.
Becoming a Film Actress
Jean Porter was not the biggest star, but she was very active in movies during the 1940s. She often played sweet and funny young characters. She appeared in almost 30 films. She worked alongside famous stars like Esther Williams, Mickey Rooney, and the comedy team Abbott and Costello.
Television Roles and Retirement
In the 1950s, Jean Porter also appeared on television. She was a regular on shows like The Red Skelton Show and The Abbott and Costello Show. Her last TV roles were on Sea Hunt and 77 Sunset Strip.
In 1955, she worked with her husband, Edward Dmytryk, again in the movie The Left Hand of God. Jean Porter stopped acting in 1961.
Personal Life and Writing
Jean Porter married film director and writer Edward Dmytryk on May 12, 1948. She was 25 years old. It was her first marriage.
At one point, Edward Dmytryk faced difficulties in his career and was unable to work in the U.S. Because of this, Jean and Edward moved to England. While there, they had their first child. They later returned to the U.S. in 1950. Jean found herself in a tough situation, needing to support her family without a steady acting job. Actor Dick Powell helped her get a role in the movie Cry Danger.
Jean Porter also enjoyed writing. She wrote an unpublished book called The Cost of Living, which was about her life with her husband. She also wrote Chicago Jazz and Then Some, a book about jazz pianist Jess Stacy. With her husband, she co-wrote a book called On Screen Acting.
Death
Jean Porter passed away peacefully in Canoga Park, California, on January 13, 2018. She was 95 years old. She was survived by two daughters and a stepson.
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Source |
---|---|---|---|
1936 | Song and Dance Man | Girl | Uncredited |
1938 | The Adventures of Tom Sawyer | Pauline | Uncredited |
1939 | The Under-Pup | Penguin girl | Uncredited |
1940 | One Million B.C. | Shell person | Uncredited |
1941 | The Hard-Boiled Canary | Girl | Uncredited |
Kiss the Boys Goodbye | Girl going to audition | Uncredited | |
Never Give a Sucker an Even Break | Passerby | Uncredited | |
Henry Aldrich for President | Student | Uncredited | |
Hellzapoppin' | Chorine | Uncredited | |
Babes on Broadway | Chorus girl | Uncredited | |
1942 | Born to Sing | Dancer | Uncredited |
Heart of the Rio Grande | Pudge | ||
Home in Wyomin' | Young fan | Uncredited | |
Fall In | Joan | ||
1943 | Calaboose | Major Barabara | |
The Youngest Profession | Patricia Drew | ||
That Nazty Nuisance | Kela | ||
Young Ideas | Southern co-ed | Uncredited | |
1944 | Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble | Katy Anderson | |
Bathing Beauty | Jean Allenwood | ||
San Fernando Valley | Betty Lou Kenyon | ||
1945 | Thrill of a Romance | Ga-ga bride | Uncredited |
Twice Blessed | Kitty | ||
Abbott and Costello in Hollywood | Ruthie | ||
What Next, Corporal Hargrove? | Jeanne Quidoc | ||
1946 | Easy to Wed | Frances | Uncredited |
Till the End of Time | Helen Ingersoll | ||
Betty Co-Ed | Joanne Leeds | ||
1947 | Little Miss Broadway | Judy Gibson | |
Sweet Genevieve | Genevieve Rogers | ||
That Hagen Girl | Sharon Bailey | ||
Two Blondes and a Redhead | Catherine Abbott | ||
1951 | Cry Danger | Darlene | |
Kentucky Jubilee | Sally Shannon | ||
G.I. Jane | Jan Smith | ||
1953 | The Clown | Jean | Uncredited |
1954 | Racing Blood | Lucille Mitchell | |
1955 | The Left Hand of God | Mary Yin | |
1961 | Sea Hunt | Marna Gould | Season 4, Episode 31, (final appearance) |