Jean Porter

Jean Porter05
Originally uploaded by Quiltin' WaYnE

Jean Porter Born: 8 December 1925, Cisco, Texas, USA

One of MGM's more vivacious secondary stars during the 40s, petite and lovely Jean Porter was born in Texas in 1925 but left the state while young to pursue her dream as an actress. Following some vaudeville experience, she made her uncredited film debut in 1939 (age 14) and slowly graduated to sweet-natured ingénues in light, wholesome "B" fare. Most were sentimental trifles, such as Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble (1944) and Easy to Wed (1946), or western action with such obvious titles as Heart of the Rio Grande (1942) and Home in Wyomin' (1942). Despite her promise and talent, none of her approximately 30 films managed to set her apart and top stardom remained elusive.

Jean's finest screen roles probably came with The Youngest Profession (1943) and Till the End of Time (1946), where she met future husband, director Edward Dmytryk. They married in 1948 and had three children: Richard, Victoria and Rebecca, the latter becoming a wildlife rescuer and rehabilitator. Not long into their marriage, Dmytryk was branded a Communist as one of the "Hollywood Ten" (he was admittedly once a member of The American Communist Party) and the next decade or so would be a dark period of time for them.

Unable to work, the blacklisted director moved his family to England where he found some employment. In 1951, however, Dmytryk decided to return to the States and was jailed for six months before giving testimony and being granted a reprieve. As a result, he was allowed to return to directing. Jean's last film, in fact, would be The Left Hand of God (1955) starring Humphrey Bogart and Gene Tierney, which was directed by her husband. Throughout their ordeal Jean and Edward remained a loyal couple and in later years wrote a book together "On Screen Acting" in 1984. Happily married until his death at age 90 of heart and kidney failure in 1999, Jean continues to be a regular attendee of film-related events and a by-line contributor for "Classic Images," the popular magazine for old-styled film fans, in which she reminisces of Hollywood back then.

Filmography

1. "Sea Hunt" (1 episode, 1961)
- Imposter (1961) TV episode
2. "77 Sunset Strip" .... Dorothy Cooper (1 episode, 1961)
- The Space Caper (1961) TV episode .... Dorothy Cooper
3. "The Red Skelton Show" .... Caroline / ... (3 episodes, 1956-1958)
... aka The Red Skelton Hour (USA: new title)
- Valentine Day's Double Date (1958) TV episode .... Nancy
- Clem in New York (1957) TV episode .... Miss Henderson
- Navy Men (1956) TV episode .... Caroline
4. "The People's Choice" .... Blonde (1 episode, 1957)
- How Sock Met Rollo (1957) TV episode .... Blonde
5. "Dr. Hudson's Secret Journal" .... Dixie Dabney (1 episode, 1957)
- Hospital Melodrama (1957) TV episode .... Dixie Dabney
6. The Left Hand of God (1955) .... Mary Yin
7. "Climax!" .... Joan (1 episode, 1955)
... aka Climax Mystery Theater (USA)
- Edge of Terror (1955) TV episode .... Joan
8. Racing Blood (1954) .... Lucille Mitchell
9. "The Joe Palooka Story" .... Mary Rogers (1 episode, 1954)
... aka Joe Palooka (USA: informal English title)
- The Long Wait (1954) TV episode .... Mary Rogers
10. The Clown (1953) (uncredited) .... Jean, Ballet Student
11. "The Abbott and Costello Show" .... Janet (1 episode, 1953)
- South of Dixie (1953) TV episode .... Janet
12. G.I. Jane (1951) .... Jan Smith
13. Kentucky Jubilee (1951) .... Sally Shannon
14. Cry Danger (1951) .... Darlene LaVonne
15. Roller Derby Girl (1949)
16. Two Blondes and a Redhead (1947) .... Catherine Abbott
17. That Hagen Girl (1947) .... Sharon Bailey
18. Sweet Genevieve (1947) .... Genevieve Rogers
19. Little Miss Broadway (1947) .... Judy Gibson
20. Betty Co-Ed (1946) .... Joanne Leeds
... aka The Melting Pot (UK)
21. Till the End of Time (1946) .... Helen Ingersoll
22. Easy to Wed (1946) (uncredited) .... Frances
23. What Next, Corporal Hargrove? (1945) .... Jeanne Quidoc
24. Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Hollywood (1945) .... Ruthie
... aka Abbott and Costello in Hollywood (USA: short title)
25. Twice Blessed (1945) .... Kitty
26. Thrill of a Romance (1945) (uncredited) .... Ga-Ga Bride
27. San Fernando Valley (1944) .... Betty Lou Kenyon
28. Bathing Beauty (1944) .... Jean Allenwood
29. Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble (1944) .... Katy Anderson
30. Young Ideas (1943) (uncredited) .... Southern Co-ed
31. Nazty Nuisance (1943) .... Kela - Magician's Assistant
... aka Double Crossed Fool (International: English title: TV title)
... aka The Last Three (International: English title: new title)
32. The Youngest Profession (1943) .... Patricia Drew
33. Calaboose (1943) .... Major Barabara
34. Fall In (1942) .... Joan
35. Home in Wyomin' (1942) (uncredited) .... Young Fan
36. About Face (1942) .... Sally
37. Heart of the Rio Grande (1942) .... Pudge
38. Glove Birds (1942) .... June
39. Babes on Broadway (1941) (uncredited)
40. Hellzapoppin' (1941) (uncredited) .... Chorine
41. Never Give a Sucker an Even Break (1941) (uncredited) .... Passerby
... aka What a Man (UK)
42. Kiss the Boys Goodbye (1941) (uncredited) .... Girl Going to Audition
43. There's Magic in Music (1941) (uncredited) .... Girl
... aka The Hard-Boiled Canary
44. One Million B.C. (1940) (uncredited) .... Shell Person
... aka Battle of the Giants
... aka Cave Man (USA: reissue title)
... aka Man and His Mate (UK)
... aka The Cave Dwellers
45. The Under-Pup (1939) (uncredited) .... Penguin Girl
46. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938) (uncredited) .... Pauline - Schoolgirl
47. Song and Dance Man (1936) (uncredited) .... Girl

Soundtrack

1. Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Hollywood (1945) (performer: "The Cocabola Tree" (uncredited))
... aka Abbott and Costello in Hollywood (USA: short title)
2. Bathing Beauty (1944) (performer: "I'll Take the High Note" (1943))

www.imdb.com/name/nm0692156/