Jean Wallace
Jean Wallace (born Jean Walasek or Wallasek;[1] October 12, 1923 – February 14, 1990) was an American television and film actress.
Jean Wallace | |
|---|---|
.jpg.webp) Wallace in The Big Combo (1955) | |
| Born | Jean Walasek October 12, 1923 |
| Died | February 14, 1990 (aged 66) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Hollywood Forever Cemetery |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1941–1970 |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 3 |
Early life
Wallace was born in Chicago, Illinois to John T. Walaszek and Mary A. Walaszek (née Sharkey). Her grandfather Karol Walaszek emigrated from Galicia. She was Polish-American.[2]
Wallace graduated from Austin High School in Chicago[3] before the family moved to Hollywood in 1940.[4]
Career
Wallace made her screen debut when she was 17, a bit part in Louisiana Purchase (1941).[5]
By the time Wallace turned 18, she had worked as a dancer and singer, appearing as an Earl Carroll showgirl and at Hollywood's Florentine Gardens nightclub.
Personal life
Wallace married her Jigsaw costar Franchot Tone on October 18, 1941 in Yuma, Arizona.[3] They had two sons, Pascal "Pat" Franchot Tone, born July 29, 1943, and Thomas Jefferson Tone, born September 16, 1945. Wallace and Tone divorced in 1948, and Tone was awarded custody of their sons.[6]
Wallace attempted suicide in 1946 with sleeping pills. In 1949, she made another attempt with a self-inflicted knife wound, causing her to be replaced with Ella Raines as the star of A Dangerous Profession.[7][6]
In 1950, Wallace married former U.S. Army captain Jim Lloyd Randall, but the marriage was annulled later that year.[6]
Wallace's third marriage was to actor Cornel Wilde, her costar in The Big Combo, Lancelot and Guinevere and Beach Red, from 1951 to 1981. She and Wilde had one son, Cornel Wallace Wilde, born on December 19, 1967.[6][5]
Wallace was a Democrat and supported Adlai Stevenson during the 1952 presidential election campaign.[8]
Wallace died from a gastrointestinal hemorrhage on Valentine's Day, 1990 at the age of 66.[6]
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1941 | Ziegfeld Girl | Ziegfeld girl | Uncredited |
| Glamour Boy | Girl | Uncredited | |
| Louisiana Purchase | Louisiana Belle | ||
| 1943 | Salute for Three | Hostess offering Buzz apple from basket | |
| 1944 | You Can't Ration Love | Madge | |
| 1946 | It Shouldn't Happen to a Dog | Bess Williams | |
| 1947 | Blaze of Noon | Poppy | |
| 1948 | When My Baby Smiles at Me | Sylvia Marco | Uncredited |
| 1949 | Jigsaw | Barbara Whitfield | Alternative title: Gun Moll |
| The Man on the Eiffel Tower | Edna Wallace | ||
| 1950 | The Good Humor Man | Bonnie Conroy | |
| 1951 | Native Son | Mary Dalton | Alternative title: Sangre negra |
| 1954 | Star of India | Katrina | Alternative title: Stella dell'India |
| 1955 | The Big Combo | Susan Lowell | |
| Storm Fear | Elizabeth | ||
| 1957 | The Devil's Hairpin | Kelly James | |
| 1958 | Maracaibo | Laura Kingsley | |
| 1963 | Lancelot and Guinevere | Guinevere | Alternative title: Sword of Lancelot |
| 1967 | Beach Red | Julie MacDonald | Appears in flashback photos; sings the title song |
| 1970 | No Blade of Grass | Ann Custance | (Last appearance) |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1952 | Schlitz Playhouse of Stars | 1 episode | |
| 1955 | General Electric Theater | Leslie Mason | 1 episode |
References
- Joseph F. Clarke (1977). Pseudonyms. BCA. p. 168.
- Migrants, Immigrants, and Slaves: Racial and Ethnic Groups in America By Thompson Dele Olasiji. p. 118.
- "Franchot Tone Weds 18 Year Old Chicago Actress in Arizona". Chicago Tribune. Illinois, Chicago. Associated Press. October 19, 1941. p. 1. Retrieved November 13, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Tone, Russell Pierced by Dart". Argus-Leader. South Dakota, Sioux Falls. Associated Press. October 19, 1941. p. 1. Retrieved November 13, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- Folkart, Burt A. (February 17, 1990). "Jean Wallace; Film Star, Wife of Late Cornel Wilde". The Los Angeles Times. California, Los Angeles. p. A 36. Retrieved November 13, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- Fowler, Glenn. The New York Times. Obituary, "Jean Wallace, 66, Screen Actress Known for 1940's and 50's Roles", February 18, 1990. Accessed: July 25, 2013.
- "Franchot Tone's Ex-Wife Jean Wallace Stabs Self". The Los Angeles Times. California, Los Angeles. November 21, 1949. p. 1. Retrieved November 13, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- Motion Picture and Television Magazine, November 1952, page 33, Ideal Publishers
External links
- Jean Wallace at IMDb