Jean Porter
| Jean Porter | |
|---|---|
 from the trailer for the 1945 film Twice Blessed | |
| Born |
December 8, 1922 Cisco, Texas, United States |
| Occupation | Film actress |
| Years active | 1936-1961 |
| Spouse(s) | Edward Dmytryk (1948-1999, his death)[1] |
| Children |
Richard Victoria Rebecca Michael (Stepson) |
Jean Porter (born December 8, 1922)[2] is an American retired film actress. She was born in Cisco, Texas.
Early years
Porter is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H.C. Porter.[3]
Career
At the age of 12, Porter arrived at Hollywood and was discovered while taking dancing lessons at the Fanchon and Marco dancing school. Beginning with a bit parts in movies such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938) and One Million B.C. (1940), she eventually established herself as an actress for MGM in 1941.[2][4] While never a big star, she was active throughout the 1940s, appearing in almost 30 motion pictures alongside stars like Esther Williams, Mickey Rooney and the comedy duo Abbott & Costello.[1] In the 1950s, Porter appeared mainly in television series such as The Red Skelton Show and 77 Sunset Strip. She retired from acting in 1961.[1]
Personal life
Between 1948-1999, she was married to film director and writer Edward Dmytryk, who was one of the Hollywood Ten, the most prominent blacklisted group in the film industry during the McCarthy-era.[1] The two married May 12, 1948, in Ellicott City, Maryland.[5] They had three children.[6] In 2010, Porter wrote and published a biography on jazz musician Jess Stacy.[7]
Selected filmography
- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938) as Pauline - schoolgirl
- The Under-Pup (1939) as penguin girl
- One Million B.C. (1940) as Shell person
- Kiss the Boys Goodbye (1941) as girl going to audition
- Never Give a Sucker an Even Break (1941) as passerby
- Hellzapoppin' (1941) as Chorine
- Babes on Broadway (1941) as chorus girl
- Heart of the Rio Grande (1942) as Pudge
- Home in Wyomin' (1942) as young fan
- The Youngest Profession (1943) as Patricia Drew
- Young Ideas (1943) as southern co-ed
- Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble (1944) as Katy Anderson
- Bathing Beauty (1944) as Jean Allenwood
- San Fernando Valley (1944)
- Thrill of a Romance (1945) as ga-ga bride
- Twice Blessed (1945) as Kitty
- Abbott and Costello in Hollywood (1945) as Ruthie
- Easy to Wed (1946) as Frances
- Betty Co-Ed (1946)
- Till the End of Time (1946) as Helen Ingersoll
- That Hagen Girl (1947) as Sharon Bailey
- Cry Danger (1951) as Darlene
- Kentucky Jubilee (1951) as Sally Shannon
- The Clown (1953) as Jean, ballet student
- The Left Hand of God (1955) as Mary Yin
References
- 1 2 3 4 "Jean Porter", NNDB
- 1 2 "Jean Porter on One Million B.C.". Sci-Fi Swarm and Horror Horde: Interviews with 62 Filmmakers. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
- ↑ "Familiar Face In "Twice Blessed" -- Star Jean Porter". Big Spring Daily Herald. Texas, Big Spring. October 3, 1945. p. 3. Retrieved May 20, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Jean Porter", AllMovie
- ↑ "Actress Jean Porter Weds Film Director". Kingsport Times. Tennessee, Kingsport. Associated Press. May 13, 1948. p. 3. Retrieved May 20, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Third Child". Albuquerque Journal. New Mexico, Albuquerque. United Press International. November 20, 1961. p. 21. Retrieved May 20, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Dmytryk Porter, Jean (2010). Chicago Jazz and Then Some: As Told by One of the Original Chicagoans, Jess StacyB. BearManor Media. ISBN 978-1593935368.