Jeanne Elizabeth Crain

 Jeanne Elizabeth Crain (May 25, 1925 – December 14, 2003)

Crain's career spanned from 1943 to 1975. She received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in the 1949 film Pinky, in which she played the leading role. She was also noted for her ability in ice skating. While in high school, she was asked to make a screen test opposite Orson Welles. She did not get the part, but in 1943, at age 18, she appeared in a bit part in the film The Gang's All Here. The Gang's All Here was produced by 20th Century Fox, who cast Crain in her first sizeable role, in the romantic drama Home in Indiana (1944) with Walter Brennan, playing the love interest of Lon McAllister. The film, shot in Technicolor, was popular at the box office and established Crain as a film name. A delighted Darryl F Zanuck, head of Fox, gave Crain top billing in In the Meantime, Darling (1944), playing a war bride, directed by Otto Preminger. Her acting was critically panned, but she gained nationwide attention. Crain first received critical acclaim when she starred in Winged Victory (1944). She co-starred in 1945 with Dana Andrews in the musical film State Fair, in which Louanne Hogan dubbed Crain's singing numbers. After that, Crain often had singing parts in films, and they were invariably dubbed, in most cases by Hogan. She made two films in 1948, You Were Meant for Me, a musical with Dan Dailey, that might have been Marilyn Monroe's first appearance on film, and Apartment for Peggy, with William Holden. In 1949, she appeared in A Letter to Three Wives (1949), in which Crain was one of several stars, quickly became established as a classic, winning Joseph L. Mankiewicz two Oscars and being a solid box office hit. Crain had another big success when she starred opposite Myrna Loy and Clifton Webb in the 1950 biographical film Cheaper by the Dozen, although her part was more of a supporting role. Crain showed her dancing skills in 1955's Gentlemen Marry Brunettes co-starring Jane Russell, Alan Young, and Rudy Vallee.

Film roles became fewer in the 1960s as Crain went into semi-retirement. She appeared as Nefertiti in the Italian production of Nefertiti, Queen of the Nile (1961) with Edmund Purdom and Vincent Price. At the height of her stardom, in the late 1940s and early 1950s, Crain was nicknamed "Hollywood's Number One party girl", and she was quoted as saying that she was invited to at least 200 parties a year. Crain died at age 78 on December 14, 2003, the cause was later confirmed as a heart attack. She is buried at Santa Barbara Cemetery in Santa Barbara, California.