Jayne Meadows
| Jayne Meadows | |
|---|---|
 Press photo 1985 |
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| Born | Jane Cotter September 27, 1919 Wu-ch'ang, Heilongjiang, China |
| Occupation | Actress, author |
| Years active | 1946–2009 |
| Spouse(s) | Steve Allen (m. 1954-2000; his death); 1 child |
| Website | |
| http://www.jaynemeadows.com | |
Jayne Meadows (born September 27, 1919) is an American stage, film and television actress, as well as an author and lecturer.
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Early life [edit]
Jayne Meadows was born as Jane Cotter in 1919[1] in Wu-ch'ang, Heilongjiang, China, to Episcopal missionary parents, the Rev. Francis James Meadows Cotter and his wife, the former Ida Miller Taylor, who had married in 1915.[2] Meadows is the older sister of the late actress Audrey Meadows. She also had two brothers (both deceased). The family later returned to their home in Sharon, Connecticut.
Career [edit]
Meadows' most famous movies include: Undercurrent (with Katharine Hepburn), Song of the Thin Man (with William Powell and Myrna Loy), David and Bathsheba (with Gregory Peck, Susan Hayward and Raymond Massey), Lady in the Lake (with Robert Montgomery and Audrey Totter), Enchantment (with David Niven and Teresa Wright), and City Slickers (as the voice of Billy Crystal's oversolicitous mother). Among her earliest television appearances, Meadows played reporter Helen Brady in a 1953 episode of Suspense opposite Walter Matthau entitled, "F.O.B. Vienna."
She was a regular panelist on the original version of I've Got a Secret and an occasional panelist on What's My Line?, the latter alongside husband Steve Allen. She also appeared on the NBC interview program Here's Hollywood. During the early days of the burgeoning live entertainment scene in Las Vegas, the Allens occasionally worked together as an act. She has also been active in Republican affairs although Steve Allen was a Democrat. She is the recipient of several Doctor of Humane Letters degrees from various universities.[3]
Marriage [edit]
She was married to Steve Allen from 1954 until his death in 2000. They had one son, Bill. Allen's three children from his first marriage (Stephen Jr., Brian and David) are her stepchildren.[4] She was credited as Jayne Meadows Allen for much of her marriage.
Filmography [edit]
- Undercurrent (1946)
- Lady in the Lake (1947)
- Dark Delusion (1947)
- Song of the Thin Man (1947)
- The Luck of the Irish (1948)
- Enchantment (1948)
- The Fat Man (1951)
- David and Bathsheba (1951)
- It Happened to Jane (1959)
- College Confidential (1960)
- Norman... Is That You? (1976)
- Da Capo (1985)
- Murder by Numbers (1990)
- City Slickers (1991)
- The Player (1992)
- For Goodness Sake (1993)
- City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold (1994)
- Casino (1995)
- The Story of Us (1999)
Notable television work [edit]
- I've Got a Secret (panelist from 1952–1959)
- Jukebox Jury (1953)
- To Tell the Truth (regular panelist from 1957–1961)
- The Judy Garland Show (ep. 11, 1963)
- The Eleventh Hour (guest star, 2-part episode, 1964)
- Medical Center (cast member from 1969–1972)
- James Dean (1976)
- Meeting of Minds (1977–1981)
- Trivia Trap (panelist Celebrity Week from 1984)
- Miss All-American Beauty (1982)
- The Ratings Game (1984)
- Alice in Wonderland (1985)
- The Parent Trap: Hawaiian Honeymoon (1989)
References [edit]
External links [edit]
- Jayne Meadows official website
- Jayne Meadows at the Internet Movie Database
- Jayne Meadows radio interview WSLR with Doug Miles
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