Jean Parker

Birthday: 1915-08-11
Deathday: 2005-11-30
Birthplace: Deer Lodge, Montana, USA
Gender: Female
Owned By: Unowned

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jean Parker (born Lois Mae Green; August 11, 1915 – November 30, 2005) was an American film and stage actress. She landed her first screen test while still in high school. She acted opposite such well-known actors as Katharine Hepburn, Robert Donat, Edward G. Robinson, Randolph Scott, and Laurel and Hardy. She was married four times and had one son, Robert Lowery Hanks.

Parker appeared in 70 movies from 1932 through 1966. In 1932, she posed as a flower girl and living poster in a float in the Tournament of Roses Parade, where she was seen by Ida Koverman, secretary to MGM mogul Louis B. Mayer. The following day the studio called her on the phone and invited her for a screen test.

Parker's film debut came in Divorce in the Family (1932). She had a successful career at MGM, RKO and Columbia including roles in such films as Little Women, Lady for a Day, Gabriel Over the White House, Limehouse Blues, The Ghost Goes West, and Rasputin and the Empress. In 1939, she starred opposite Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy in RKO's The Flying Deuces.

Parker remained active in film throughout the 1940s, playing opposite Lon Chaney in Dead Man's Eyes, and a variety of other films. During World War II, she toured many of the veteran hospitals throughout the U.S. and performed on radio. In the 1950s, Parker co-starred opposite Edward G. Robinson in Black Tuesday; had a small but effective role in The Gunfighter, and appeared in A Lawless Street (1955). Her last film appearance was Apache Uprising (1966).

Parker also appeared on Broadway. In 1949, she replaced Judy Holliday in Born Yesterday on Broadway and enjoyed a successful run in this classic. She appeared on Broadway opposite Bert Lahr in the play Burlesque. She did summer stock in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, toured in the play Candlelight and Loco, and performed on stage in other professional productions. In 1954, Parker played the role of "Cattle Kate Watson of Wyoming" in an episode of the syndicated television series Stories of the Century, the first western program to win an Emmy Award. The series starred and was narrated by Jim Davis. Later in her career and life, Parker continued a successful stint on the West Coast theatre circuit and worked as an acting coach.

At age 83, Parker moved into the Motion Picture and Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California, where she died of a stroke on November 30, 2005, at the age of 90. She was survived by her son, Robert, and granddaughters Katie and Nora Hanks. She was buried at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills.

Credits

Year Title Character
1968-06-23 Cargo of Love Denise
1965-12-29 Apache Uprising Mrs. Hawks
1957-09-23 The Parson and the Outlaw Sarah Jones
1955-11-15 A Lawless Street Cora Dean
1954-12-31 Black Tuesday Hatti Combest
1953-10-16 Those Redheads from Seattle Liz
1952-10-10 Toughest Man in Arizona Della
1950-06-23 The Gunfighter Molly
1946-11-01 Rolling Home Frances Crawford
1945-01-19 Adventures of Kitty O'Day Kitty O'Day
1944-11-24 One Body Too Many Carol Dunlap
1944-11-10 Dead Man's Eyes Heather Hayden
1944-10-26 Bluebeard Lucille
1944-09-02 Oh, What a Night! Valerie
1944-05-13 Detective Kitty O'Day Kitty O'Day
1944-03-15 Lady in the Death House Mary Kirk Logan
1944-02-26 The Navy Way Ellen Sayre
1943-11-22 The Deerslayer Judith Hutter
1943-11-10 Minesweeper Mary Smith
1943-06-24 Alaska Highway Ann Coswell
1943-03-27 High Explosive Connie Baker
1942-12-16 The Traitor Within Molly Betts
1942-11-07 Wrecking Crew Peggy Starr
1942-09-23 Tomorrow We Live Julie Bronson
1942-07-27 Hi, Neighbor Dorothy Greenfield
1942-06-16 I Live on Danger Susan Richards
1942-04-23 Hello, Annapolis Doris Henley
1942-04-16 The Girl from Alaska Mary 'Pete' McCoy
1942-01-24 Torpedo Boat Grace Holman
1941-12-01 No Hands on the Clock Mrs. Louise Campbell
1941-08-29 The Pittsburgh Kid Patricia Mallory
1941-08-29 Flying Blind Shirley Brooks
1941-06-04 Power Dive Carol Blake
1941-04-17 Roar of the Press Alice Williams
1940-07-13 Young America Flies Jane
1940-05-10 Beyond Tomorrow Jean Lawrence
1940-03-30 Son of the Navy Stevie Moore
1940-02-23 Knights of the Range Holly Ripple
1939-11-03 The Flying Deuces Georgette
1939-09-21 Parents on Trial Susan Wesley
1939-08-28 Flight at Midnight Maxine Scott
1939-07-11 She Married a Cop Linda Fay
1939-04-21 Zenobia Mary Tibbett
1939-03-29 Romance of the Redwoods June Martin
1938-10-14 The Arkansas Traveler Judy Allen
1938-06-16 Romance of the Limberlost Laurie
1938-02-05 Penitentiary Elizabeth Mathews
1937-12-10 The Barrier Necia Gale
1937-10-06 Life Begins with Love Carole Martin
1936-08-28 The Texas Rangers Amanda Bailey
1936-03-27 The Farmer in the Dell Adie Boyer
1935-12-17 The Ghost Goes West Peggy Martin
1935-05-24 Murder in the Fleet Betty Lansing
1935-03-31 Princess O'Hara Princess O'Hara
1935-01-16 Sequoia Toni Martin
1934-12-30 Caravan Timka
1934-12-11 Limehouse Blues Toni
1934-12-07 A Wicked Woman Rosanne Stroud, aka Rosanne Trice
1934-09-07 Have a Heart Sally Moore
1934-06-08 Operator 13 Eleanor
1934-03-16 Lazy River Sarah Lescalle
1934-01-26 You Can't Buy Everything Elizabeth 'Beth' Burton Bell
1934-01-26 Two Alone Mazie
1933-11-24 Little Women Beth
1933-09-13 Lady for a Day Louise
1933-06-24 What Price Innocence? Ruth Harper
1933-06-14 Storm at Daybreak Danitza
1933-05-19 Made on Broadway Adele
1933-03-31 Gabriel Over the White House Alice Bronson
1933-02-03 The Secret of Madame Blanche Eloise
1932-12-23 Rasputin and the Empress Princess Maria (uncredited)
1932-08-27 Divorce In The Family Miss Lucile SmIth