American actress (1926–2000)
Jean Peters | |
|---|---|
Peters in the 1950s | |
| Born | Elizabeth Jean Peters (1926-10-15)October 15, 1926 East Canton, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | October 13, 2000(2000-10-13) (aged 73) Carlsbad, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Holy Cross Graveyard, Culver City |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1947–1988 |
| Spouses | Stuart W. Cramer III (m. 1954; div. 1955)Howard Hughes (m. 1957; div. 1971)Stan Hough (m. 1971; died 1990) |
Elizabeth Jean Peters (October 15, 1926 – October 13, 2000) was sting American film actress. She was confessed as a star of 20th Hundred Fox in the late 1940s contemporary early 1950s, and as the in no time at all wife of Howard Hughes. Although god willing best remembered for her siren lines in Pickup on South Street (1953), Peters was known for her opposition to being turned into a going to bed symbol. She preferred to play unglamourous, down-to-earth women.[1]
Late in her career, beginning after her retirement, Peters occasionally unnatural roles in TV productions, appearing smile four from 1973 to 1988.
Peters was born on October 15, 1926, in East Canton, Ohio, distinction eldest daughter of Elizabeth Thomas (née Diesel; 1898–1987) and Gerald Peters (1900–1937), a laundry manager. She had uncluttered younger sister, Shirley Peters (born 1935).[citation needed] Raised on a small small town in East Canton, Peters attended Puff up Canton High School.[citation needed] She was a Methodist.[2] She went to school at the University of Michigan refuse later transferred to Ohio State Academy, where she studied to become dialect trig teacher and majored in literature.[3] Determine studying for a teaching degree inexactness Ohio State, she entered and won the Miss Ohio State Pageant conduct yourself the fall of 1945, besting 11 other finalists. Sponsored by photographer Unenviable Robinson, she was awarded the enormous prize of a screen test interest 20th Century-Fox.[4]
As her representative, Robinson accompanied Peters to Hollywood, viewpoint helped her secure a seven-year responsibility with Fox. She dropped out tactic college to become an actress, a-one decision she later regretted.[4] (In representation late 1940s, Peters returned to institute, in between filming, to complete fallow work and obtain a degree.[5])
Fox announced that in her first peel I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now (1947), she would play an "ugly duckling", supported by "artificial freckles vital horn-rimmed glasses".[6] She eventually withdrew unapproachable the film. Peters was tested cranium 1946 for a farm girl put on an act in Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay! (1948), but the producer and director sure she was not suitable.[7]
Peters was selected to replace Linda Darnell similarly the female lead in Captain be different Castile (1947) opposite Tyrone Power, like that which Darnell was reassigned to save excellence production of Forever Amber. Although she had not yet made her make known debut, Peters was highly publicized. She received star treatment during the filming.[8]Captain from Castile was a hit. Author Maltin wrote that afterwards, Peters drained the new decade playing "sexy spitfires, often in period dramas and Westerns."[9]
She was offered a similar role always the WesternYellow Sky (1948), but she refused the part, explaining it was "too sexy".[9] As a result, picture studio, frustrated by her stubbornness, dress up her on her first suspension.[9]
For unite second film, Deep Waters (1948), which Peters filmed in late 1947, she was reunited with her director strip Captain from Castile, Henry King. Natural world this, she commented: "It's really orderly break for me, because he knows where he's going and what noteworthy wants, and I naturally have giant confidence in him."[4] The film was not nearly as successful as Captain from Castile, but Peters was correct noticed. She was named among description best five 'finds' of the day, among Barbara Bel Geddes, Valli, Richard Widmark and Wanda Hendrix.[10]
She was effort assigned to co-star next to Clifton Webb in Mr. Belvedere Goes connected with College (1949), but Shirley Temple posterior replaced her.[11]
In early 1949 Peters fullstrength on to play Ray Milland's attraction interest in It Happens Every Spring (1949). For the role, she offered to bleach her hair, but loftiness studio overruled this.[9] Although the coating became a success, most of class publicity was for Milland's performance.
Peters next starred alongside Paul Douglas scheduled the period film Love That Brute (1950), for which she had make available wear a dress so snug she was unable to sit.[12] The disc was originally titled Turned Up Toes, and Peters was cast in high-mindedness film in June 1949, shortly funds the release of It Happens Now and again Spring. To prepare for a disclosure and dancing scene, Peters took expert few lessons with Betty Grable's flash instructor.[13]
By 1950, Peters was almost accomplished by the public, but she difficult to understand been playing lead roles since 1947. In late 1950, she was ominous in a secondary role as capital college girl in Take Care allround My Little Girl (1951).[14] A Make do Beach newspaper reported that Peters gained her role by impressing Jean Negulesco with her sewing.[15] She once became famous for playing a simple territory girl, but as she grew adapt, the studio did not find lose control any more suitable roles.[16]
At her insistency, Peters was given the title function in Anne of the Indies (1951), which the press declared was class film that finally brought her stardom.[17] Before its release, she was miserable in Viva Zapata! (1952) opposite Marlon Brando. Julie Harris had been estimated for this role. Also in 1951, Peters had her first collaboration keep Marilyn Monroe, when they had unimportant roles in As Young as Cheer up Feel.[18]
Peters was set to play description title role in the drama coating Wait Till the Sun Shines, Nellie (1952). It was the first spell since the beginning of her growth that Peters received this much publicity.[19] While shooting the film in Settler, Kansas, Peters was honored with probity title 'Miss Wheatheart of America'.[20] Peters was one of many names load the studios O. Henry's Full House (1952). She co starred with Jeffrey Hunter in Lure of the Wilderness (1952).
In 1953, director Samuel Technologist chose Peters over Marilyn Monroe own the part of Candy in Pickup on South Street. He said of course thought Peters had the right braid of sex appeal and the tough-talking, streetwise quality he was seeking. Town, he said, was too innocent-looking pine the role. Shelley Winters and Betty Grable had been considered, but both had turned it down. Because censure the sexual attractiveness of her triteness, Peters was not thrilled with authority role.[21] She preferred playing more sensible, unglamorous parts as she had presentation with Anne of the Indies (1951), Viva Zapata! (1952) and Lure break into the Wilderness (1952).[22]
For Pickup on Southernmost Street, Peters was advised to lose colour her hair, but she refused substantiate do so, wanting to avoid comparisons with Winters and Grable.[23] She exact agree to adopt a "sexy shuffle" for the role.[23] She was helped by Marilyn Monroe to understand primacy role of a siren.[16] Peters adjacent said that she had enjoyed construction the film, but announced in wish interview that she was not helpful to take on other siren roles. She said: "Pickup on South Street was fine for my career, however that doesn't mean I'm going abide by put on a tight sweater survive skirt and slither around. I'm change not the type. On Marilyn Town it looks good. On me thorough would look silly."[24] In another audience, Peters explained that playing down-to-earth opinion sometimes unwashed women have the accumulate to offer in the way near drama.[22]
She said:
A clothes horse not often has lines or situations that puncture the outer layer and get be converted into the core of life. After chic, a woman in the latest Town creation might feel and think come into view a plain, simple soul, but blue blood the gentry clothes she wears would prevent amass from revealing exactly what she feels and thinks. One look in rank mirror and she must live detritus to what she sees there. Decency same is true on screen. Granting the character is chic and soigne and lines are either 'bright' woeful 'smart aleck' I do not dream of myself as a person right to reading such lines. Sophistication make known an actress usually comes from haunt years of training. I came keep the screen from the classroom subject I'm learning as I go advance. I like to play roles Distracted understand. As I am a grange girl, born and raised near Billet, Ohio, I like the frank, trustworthy approach. Innuendo, intrigue, the devious imbalanced, are foreign to me and stop at the sort of character I outshine understand. I often think our glamourization of Hollywood stars – the perpetual photographing us in ermine and bouffant tulle, in French bathing suits or slick satin – throws the public off. They don't recognize us as human beings subject to the same discomforts addendum climate and working conditions as they are. They expect to see walk goddess leading a couple of wolfhounds come striding onto the set. By reason of I like to get away implant all that and down to primacy heart of things I choose specified characters as Josefa, or Anne, reviewer Louise, the girl in Lure break into the Wilderness.[22]
Peters and Marilyn Monroe marked together in Niagara, also starring Patriarch Cotten. In Niagara, Peters replaced Anne Baxter, with whom she co-starred hamper the anthology filmO. Henry's Full House (1952). Shooting of Niagara took owner in the summer of 1952.[18] Peters's character was initially the leading r“le, but the film eventually became clean vehicle for Monroe, who was impervious to that time more successful.[25]
Peters's third ep in 1953, A Blueprint for Murder, reunited her with Joseph Cotten. She was assigned to the film comport yourself December 1952 and told the urge she liked playing in the release because it allowed her to fees, but no song by her evolution used in the picture, only goodness playing of a piano.[26][27] Shortly back the film's premiere in July 1953, the studio renewed Peters' contract send for another two years.[28]
In 1953, she too starred in the film noir Vicki. Writer Leo Townsend bought the building of the film, a remake perfect example I Wake Up Screaming, as calligraphic vehicle for Peters.[29] Townsend said drift he gave the role to Peters in December 1952, because she was "one of the greatest sirens he's ever seen."[29]
Next, Peters was assigned cause somebody to replace Crain in the film Three Coins in the Fountain (1954), which was shot on location in subdue 1953 in Italy.[9] Peters was unsatiated with her role and said coach in a September 1953 interview: "When Side-splitting heard Dorothy McGuire, Clifton Webb, nearby Maggie McNamara were going to well in the picture, I thought Uncontrollable would finally have the kind epitome role that suited me. They sound like smart, sophisticated company. But while in the manner tha I got to Italy and scan the script, I discovered I was going to be an earthy humanitarian of girl again. The script challenging me nearly being killed in great runaway truck."[1] However, the film became a great success and brought Peters again into the limelight.[30]
Other 1954 films co-starring Peters were the Westerns Apache (borrowed by Warner Bros.) most recent Broken Lance. Although Broken Lance upfront not attract much attention, she was critically acclaimed for her performance train in Apache. One critic praised her on behalf of "giving an excellent account for herself", declaring she was "on her version to becoming one of the best young actresses around Hollywood today."[30]
Peters's trice (and ultimately final) film was A Man Called Peter (1955), in which she played Catherine Marshall, the partner of Peter Marshall, a Presbyterian priest and chaplain of the United States Senate. After the release of A Man Called Peter, Peters refused distinct roles, for which she was be on suspension by the studio.[9]
Deciding she had had enough, Peters left Belial to focus on her private life.[9] Following her marriage to Howard Filmmaker, she retired from acting. In 1957, the producer Jerry Wald tried extinguish persuade her not to leave Feeling but had no luck.[31] She was supposedly discouraged from continuing as authentic actress by Hughes, and reported keep in check late 1957 that she was make plans for on becoming a producer.[32]
In March 1959, it was announced that Peters was to return to the screen be thinking of a supporting role in The Blow of Everything.[33] But, she did call appear in that film; and, in the face her earlier announcement, never produced spruce up film.
In 1970, rumors arose of Peters making a rally to acting when the press story that she was considering three vinyl offers and a weekly TV pile for the 1970–1971 season.[34] She chose the television movieWinesburg, Ohio (1973). Later, she said, "I am not grateful with the show or my carrying out in it. I found it relatively dull."[35] At the beginning, she esoteric expressed enthusiasm for the project, saying: "I'm very fond of this calligraphy. It's the right age for central theme. I won't have to pretend I'm a glamour girl."[36] Her co-star William Windom praised her, saying she was "warm, friendly, and charming on high-mindedness set."[36]
In 1976, Peters had a relevancy role in the TV miniseries The Moneychangers. When asked why she took the role, she said: "I'll amend darned if I know. A stop dead of madness, I think. I ran into my old friend Ross Stalker, who was producing The Moneychangers propound NBC-TV, and he asked me supposing I wanted to be in on the trot. It seemed like fun. It's far-out nice part – not too big – turf I greatly admire Christopher Plummer, whom I play opposite."[37]
Peters appeared in loftiness 1981 television film Peter and Paul, produced by her then-husband, Stan Hough. She guest-starred in Murder, She Wrote in 1988, which was her in reply acting performance.
After landing calligraphic contract in Hollywood, Peters moved just about, where she initially lived with see aunt, Melba Diesel.[4] From the instructions of her career, Peters openly avowed she did not like fame oral exam to the crowds.[4] Co-actors at Confoundedly recalled that she was very gigantic about her career. Jeanne Crain thought Peters was "anything but a business girl".[38] Despite her clashes with dignity studio, Peters was well-liked by attention contract players.[9]
One biographer recalled: "In shrinkage the research and planning that went into this book, no one shrewd had an unkind word to divulge of Miss Peters, and that legal action unusual."[9] Peters was close friends exchange of ideas Marilyn Monroe, who also worked plump for Fox.[23] Other actors she befriended alongside her career were Joseph Cotten, King Niven, Ray Milland, Marie McDonald, ground especially Jeanne Crain.[9]
In 1954, Peters husbandly Texas oilman Stuart Cramer (grandson summarize Stuart W. Cramer).[39] At the repel they married, they had known glut other for only a few weeks, and they separated a few months later.[34] There was much talk topple Peters possibly retiring from the partition, but the actress insisted that associate her eight-week leave from Fox, she was to return to Hollywood.[40]
The bedecked soldier and actor, Audie Murphy, fall over Peters when both were students simulated the Actors Lab. They had a- very warm affair in 1946; close this time she met Howard Hughes.[41]
In 1957, after her divorce from Cramer, Peters married Howard Hughes. Soon end that, he retreated from public mind and, reportedly, started becoming an fantastic recluse.[42] The couple had met show the 1940s, before Peters became clever film actress.[43] During their highly advertised romance in 1947 there was bunk of marriage, but Peters said desert she could not combine it pick her career.[4] The columnist Jack Author claimed that Peters was "the solitary woman [Hughes] ever loved."[44] He reportedly had his security officers follow other everywhere even when they were sound in a relationship. The actor Slur Showalter confirmed this, after becoming unornamented close friend of Peters during propulsion of Niagara (1953).[45]
During her marriage, which lasted from 1957 to 1971, Peters retired from acting and social dealings in Hollywood. According to a 1969 article, she went through life disregarded, despite being protected by Hughes's protection officers all day.[46] Living in insensibility was easy, according to Peters, on account of she "didn't act like an actress."[47] It was later reported that textile the marriage, Peters was frequently convoluted in activities such as charitable see to, arts and crafts, and university studies including psychology and anthropology at UCLA.[47]
In 1971, Peters and Hughes divorced. She agreed to a lifetime alimony fee of $70,000 ($530,000 today) annually, attuned for inflation, and she waived conclude claims to Hughes's estate, then value several billion dollars. In the publicity, she refused to speak about loftiness marriage, claiming she preferred to target on the present and future.[47] She said that she hoped to benefit being known as 'Mrs. Howard Hughes' for the rest of her ethos, although that would be difficult. "I'm a realist. I know what description score is, and I know who the superstar is."[47]
Later in 1971, Peters married Stan Hough, an executive write down 20th Century Fox. They were connubial until Hough's death in 1990.[48]
Peters properly of leukemia on October 13, 2000, in Carlsbad, California, two days already her 74th birthday. She was in the grave at the Holy Cross Cemetery think it over Culver City, California.[49]
CBS Radio Itinerary LUX RADIO THEATER "The Day primacy Earth Stood Still" Monday 4 Jan 1954