JEANNE CRAIN BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Jeanne Crain was born on May 25th, 1925 in Barstow, California with the birth name Jeanne Elizabeth Crain.  Her father was a high school teacher and her family relocated to Los Angeles, California when her father got offered a better teaching position there. 
 
During junior high school, Crain became involved in the school productions and realized her interest was in acting.  She went on to High School and had the chance to do a screen test for Orson Welles, however she did not get the part but it was this event that sparked her interest in pursuing a career as an actress.
 
Following high school graduation, Crain went on to college at the University of Los Angeles where she studied drama.  When she was just eighteen, she was lucky enough to win the, "Miss Camera Girl of 1942" and was given a part in a Fox film called, "The Gang's All Here" (1943).  This film role followed with an even larger part in the film, "Home in Indiana" (1944) which was a huge success. 
 
Due to the huge success of her last film, she then portrayed the character Maggi Preston in the film, "In the Meantime, Darling" (1944) in which she received a raise and star billing.  Sadly, this film did not reach the level of success as was anticipated.  She was able to make a comeback with her next film role though in, "Winged Victory" (1944).  The film was another success.
 
Her career was absolutely heading in the right direction with another lead role in the film, "State Fair" (1945) which included a higher salary and more recognition from Hollywood.
 
Crain then took a small break from acting to start a family and have her first child, but by 1949 she was back at it again with a role in three films all in the same year, "A Letter to Three Wives", "The Fan" and "Pinky" which earned Crain her first Oscar nomination for Best Actress.
 
After Crain worked on the film, "Vicki" (1953) she left her contract with Fox not for any dislike with the company, but more for a change and a search to portray a variety of characters.  She first tried Warner brothers working on the film, "Duel in the Jungle" (1954) but the film lacked any success so she moved on to sign a contract with Universal. 
 
This was a good move for her career as her next film role was another success in, "Man Without a Star" (1955) starring Kirk Douglas followed by, "Joker is Wild" (1957).  Crain then took some more time off to focus on her family and a television career.  She returned to the film industry sporadically to film, "Guns of Timberland" (1960) and her final film role was, "Skyjacked" (1972).
 
After she retired from acting, she spent the majority of her time with her family working on two ranches they owned.    
 
Jeanne Crain married one time to Paul Brooks on December 31st, 1945 through October 1st, 2003 when her husband passed away.  The couple had seven children together.  Only two months after losing her husband, Jeanne Crain passed away on December 14th, 2003 in Santa Barbara, California from a heart attack.

 
Filmography

1972 Skyjacked 
1972 Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law 
1971 The Night God Screamed 
1968 The Name of the Game 
1968 The Danny Thomas Hour 
1967 Hot Rods to Hell
1964-1965 Burke's Law 
1963 Invasion 1700 
1963 The Dick Powell Theatre 
1963 Insight
1963 The Christophers
1962 His Model Wife 
1960-1962 The United States Steel Hour
1960-1962 G.E. True Theater
1962 Pontius Pilate 
1962 Madison Avenue 
1961 Nefertiti, regina del Nilo 
1961 Twenty Plus Two 
1960 Guns of the Timberland 
1959 Riverboat 
1959 Goodyear Theatre 
1959 Meet Me in St. Louis
1958 Schlitz Playhouse 
1958 Playhouse 90  
1957 The Joker Is Wild 
1957 The Tattered Dress 
1956 The Fastest Gun Alive 
1956 The Ford Television Theatre
1955 Star Stage 
1955 The Second Greatest Sex 
1955 Gentlemen Marry Brunettes 
1955 Man Without a Star 
1954 Duel in the Jungle 
1953 City of Bad Men 
1953 Vicki 
1953 Dangerous Crossing 
1952 Full House 
1952 Belles on Their Toes 
1951 The Model and the Marriage Broker 
1951 People Will Talk 
1951 Take Care of My Little Girl 
1950 Cheaper by the Dozen 
1949 Pinky 
1949 The Fan 
1949 A Letter to Three Wives 
1948 Apartment for Peggy 
1948 You Were Meant for Me 
1946 Margie 
1946 Centennial Summer 
1945 Leave Her to Heaven 
1945 State Fair 
1944 Winged Victory 
1944 In the Meantime, Darling 
1944 Home in Indiana 
1943 The Gang's All Here