The head shape of one of the young men took my eye; I thought it a handsome and strong shape. White Christmas is a 1954 American musical dance film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, and Vera-Ellen. Bob asks how he can pay back Phil for saving his life, and Phil suggests they become a duo act. Patricia Neal is best known for several roles, including Emily Eustace Failenson in Breakfast at Tiffanys, as well as her role as Alma Brown in the movie Hud. You gals are so smart! They felt the whole script needed rewriting, and Curtiz agreed. True stardom eludes her over the course of her career as a result of racism that she experiences professionally. The Shaggy Dog. She was at her best when she was being funny or tough. Later that year, however, she became pregnant with her first child. [citation needed] Marjorie Lord was cast a year later as Danny's second wife and played opposite Thomas successfully for the remainder of the series. It is too bad that it doesn't hit the eardrums and the funnybone with equal force. Audiences remember her as an actress of great talent whose career was all too brief. We used to put on plays in our basement in Chicago. Even though she auditioned against many talented actresses, including Barabara Lawrence and Nina Foch, Jean Hagen was cast as Lina Lamont in the hit musical film, Singin in the Rain. Our parents were very family-oriented people, very close. Facts Verse She guest-starred in a few popular television series and managed to land a few minor roles in movies, but it wasnt the same. She was auditioned the very next morning, and almost immediately after, she was signed to a contract with MGM. Little did she know, however, that the playwrights were right next to her, and overheard everything! They have also lived in Minneapolis, MN and Riverside, CA. director of photography Film Editing by Frank Bracht . Thats why that part is so dynamic and so wonderful., Ironically, Hagen preferred dramatic roles over comedy or hard-boiled because she grew weary of the typecasting. Oak Island is a privately owned island that sits off the coast of Nova Scotia in Canada. A composer's demo of the original song can be found on the CD Irving Sings Berlin. He had hoped it would help alleviate her dependency, but it only made things worse. Went to my Google and sure enough, it was. The two had a shaky marriage which led to a divorce in 1965. The show would be free advertising for Bob and Phil. I could not believe my eyes! She made her film debut in 1949 with a role as a comical femme fatale in the Katharine Hepburn-Spencer Tracy pairing Adam's Rib (1949). Fred and Ethel beloved supporting characters on the series that were always bickering [] More, There is plenty of drama going on behind the scenes, and the cast of Threes Companys tons of on-screen chemistry. Following a throat operation and very ill, Hagen made her last appearance as a landlady in a TV movie Alexander: The Other Side of Dawn (1977). While there she supplemented her income by appearing in local radio programs like The Brewster Boy and also worked the freshman dorms switchboard. Thanks to his time portraying the titular character on the hit Disney series Zorro. They arrive at the empty Columbia Inn and are aghast to discover that General Waverly is the landlord of the hotel, has sunk his life savings into it, and is on the verge of bankruptcy. They acted in college together, and both girls were revered by their peers and professors for their amazing acting talent. It was a terrible mistake. From the grand old school of wisecracking, loud and lanky Mary Wickes had few peers while forging a career as a salty scene-stealer. iTunes: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/album/unto-us/id1165482867?mt=1\u0026app=music\u0026at=11lxDmListen to JJs new music on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/jjheller/playlist/32DgCFJ39GrDPQTW1yIgIxLyrics:I'mdreaming of a whiteChristmasJust like the ones I used to knowWhere the treetops glistenand children listenTo hearsleigh bells in the snowI'mdreaming of a whiteChristmasWith every Christmas card I writeMay your days be merryand brightAnd may all your Christmasesbe whiteJJ's other popular songs:What Love Really Means: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgGUKWiw7WkBoat Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTzBWdLJG98Like JJ on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jjhellermusicFollow JJ on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jjhellerFollow JJ on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/jjhellermusicFollow JJ on Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/jjhellerFollow JJ on Bandsintown: http://www.bandsintown.com/jjhellerWebsite: http://www.jjheller.com Free a different world you'd see if it were left to me. Unfortunately for her, another actress decided to show up to the screen tests; Marilyn Monroe. I have always thought GC was so talented, I loved him in Diamond Head and of course West Side Story, I did notice him dancing in White Christmas. Comedy Musical Romance A silent film star falls for a chorus girl just as he and his delusionally jealous screen partner are trying to make the difficult transition to talking pictures in 1920s Hollywood. John Brascia leads the dance troupe and appears opposite Vera-Ellen throughout much of the movie, particularly in the "Mandy" and "Choreography" numbers. Facts Verse Bob determines to prove to the General he is not forgotten and calls up Ed Harrison, another old Army buddy who now has his own variety show, for help. Originally, Gloria Wood was going to do Vera-Ellen's singing until Clooney intervened on behalf of her friend. I recall a Hagen family story he sometimes tells when a new member of the Hagen family is bornhow the doctor slaps the babyand if the baby does not let out a cry, a songit's tossed aside. And I cant remember when Jean wasnt interested in acting. Born on August 3, 1923 in United States of America, Jean Hagen started her career as actress (1923-1977) . . [7] Near the end of January 1953, Crosby returned to the project, and Donald O'Connor was signed to replace Astaire. January 16, 2023, 9:22 am, by How she ever got the idea of me for Lina from that Ill never know. The film, starring Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn, was a hit and helped Hagen enormously. Produced and distributed by Paramount Pictures, the film is notable for being the first to be released in VistaVision, a widescreen process developed by Paramount that entailed using twice the surface area of standard 35mm film; this large-area negative was also used to yield finer-grained standard-sized 35mm prints.[4]. was originally written for an un-produced project called Stars on My Shoulders. This is my favorite Christmas movie. Later, Bob discovers Waverly received a rejection letter to his request to rejoin the army. She battled with cancer for many long years, and while the symptoms were occasionally lenient enough for her to act in a few more minor roles, she eventually succumbed to the disease on August 29, 1977. Nowadays, Anna venerates as the groundbreaking icon. It needed a brand new story, one that made sense." Facts Verse Her father was a Dutch immigrant. In the mid 1970s, I had the opportunity to interview many of the classic performers, writers, directors and those involved in the entertainment world. "Is that George Chakiris?" She was a closet drinker. He would end up having to fight an even tougher battle [] More, What could be more mysterious than an island filled with buried treasure? She appeared in the film noir Side Street (1950), playing a gangster's sincere but dim girlfriend. Active on Broadway in the following productions: A prolonged illness necessitated her early retirement in the mid-60s It was one of the best TV shows during the Golden Age of Television in the USA. The Paramount logo is pretty much the same as before here. Unfortunately, after her alcoholism problem was solved, Jean was plagued with a new problem; throat cancer. Hagen's portrayal of the helium-voiced silent film star Lina Lamont earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress; she lost to Gloria Grahame for The Bad and the Beautiful (1952).Following her 'Singin' in the Rain' success, Ms. Hagen joined the cast of the television sitcom The Danny Thomas Show (1953). If not alerted to look for George in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, I most likely would not have recognized him. She gave birth to a lovely daughter, who she named Christine Patricia, in honor of her best friend, Patricia Neal. From a money pit 100 feet deep to Shakespearean manuscripts, the legendary finds on Oak Island have kept it in the news for centuries. She also dabbled in Broadway plays. Hot Hagen would be nominated for an Emmy for the show and it made her more famous than her MGM films but it was not a role she enjoyed. The Hollywood Golden Age musical . Hagen and her family moved to Elkhart, Indiana when she was twelve; she subsequently graduated from Elkhart High School. Then the young man turned around and faced the camera, and I almost dropped my cereal bowl. Many that I spoke to from Bud Abbott to Larry Fine to Babe London had moved to the Motion Picture Home in Woodland Hills, Ca. Jean Shirley Verhagen was born in Chicago, Illinois on August 3, 1923 to Christian Verhagen, a Dutch immigrant and his American wife Marie. Check out our jean hagen selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our shops. Sunrise at Campobello. I asked myself. The website's consensus reads "It may be too sweet for some, but this unabashedly sentimental holiday favorite is too cheerful to resist. Mr. Verhagen was a Dutch immigrant, but his wife Marie was born and raised in Chicago. The song "What Can You Do with a General?" 11:04 AM. Jeans alcoholism became so pronounced that her husband, Tom Seidel, chose to divorce her. She studied drama at Northwestern University, where she was a roommate of actress Patricia Neal. Just had to be. Listen now: http://smarturl.it/vt8c7qGet this song (from JJ Heller's new album \"UNTO US\") today! As a result, Jean started drinking. Sheldon said that Danny had the full backing of his Uncle Abe Lastfogel who was the head of The William Morris Agency who essentially had Jean blacklisted. She also worked as an usher for a time. Then she did Sabina in Skin of Our Teeth and she was terrific; she was extremely talented. And then came Singin in the Rain. Betty becomes suddenly cold towards a baffled Bob. "[21], White Christmas was released on VHS in 1986 and again in 1997. All songs were written by Irving Berlin. Hagens alcoholism reached a point where she ended up in a coma at UCLA Medical Center in 1968 with the doctors only giving her a few weeks to live. Bob strongly rejects the idea. For the young ones, George went on to star in West Side Story. L.B. She had two children with Tom Seidel. Portrayed by stars Vivian Vance and William Frawley. White Christmas is a 1954 American musical dance film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, and Vera-Ellen. Hagen died, twenty-six days after her 54th birthday, of esophageal cancer on August 29, 1977, at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital,[4] and was buried in Chapel of the Pines Crematory. My all-time favorite Christmas was, is, and always will be, "White Christmas." The two got along amazingly well, and they stuck together as best friends for many long years. They didnt get a ditzy blonde to play the part; they got a great actress to play the ditzy blonde. Her friends and her family remember her as funny, warm and loving. When I met Jean, she was quite heavy and rather blowsy. In 1945, Jean Hagen successfully graduated from Northwestern University. While she was in college, Jean met and became roommates with Patricia Neal, who would go on to become an incredibly famous actress. Jean Hagen Height, Weight & Measurements At 54 years old, Jean Hagen height is 5' 4" (1.63 m) . 1.9k Views. Betty and Bob's romance starts to bloom. She was nominated for three Emmys for her role as Margaret Williams, but grew tired of the role after three seasons and subsequently left the show.For the rest of her career, Hagen mostly made guest appearances on numerous television shows, including Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955), The Andy Griffith Show (1960), Wagon Train (1957), and Starsky and Hutch (1975). Jean, meanwhile, decided to spend more time at home with her two children, Christine and Aric (who she gave birth to in 1952). After a brief rest with her new child, however, Jean decided it was time to get back on the big screen. So, how much is Jean Hagen worth at the age of 54 years old? Here is some dubbing trivia that might surprise you. Jean Hagen rekindled her talent for radio shows, but this time, it was on a much bigger scale. While she did manage to win a. Auto-suggest helps you quickly narrow down your search results by suggesting possible matches as you type. On the whole the action is pleasing and it puts the spectator in a happy frame of mind. She was also very professional, but obviously not in a happy mood, particularly. Its unclear who Hagen was mourning, but very likely it was the end of her marriage. *You're signing up to receive QVC promotional email. Hagen was born August 3, 1923, in Chicago, to Christian Verhagen, a Dutch immigrant, and Marie, his Chicago-born wife. When she was just twelve years old, she and her parents moved to Elkhart Indiana. I thought he should have been a much bigger star than he was in Hollywood. Not only did they introduce themselves to Jean, but they also suggested that she try out for a minor role to replace a cast member who had fallen ill. After a brief struggle with appendicitis, Jean took the two playwrights up their offer, and she was overjoyed to learn she had landed the role. A born actress.. But she ended up spilling the beans on one of the most embarrassing chapters of her life instead. Hecht and MacArthur introduced themselves and in the ensuing discussion, asked her to try out for a small role as a replacement for a sick cast member. Patricia Neal felt the same way, and the two moved to New York together, where they became roommates once again. "It was a torturous eight weeks of rewriting", said Panama. While she had fun working the switchboard at her college dorm and making appearances on radio programs, Jean felt it was time to move onto bigger and better things. 1. (The first edition of Vera-Ellen's biography by David Soren made the mistake of suggesting that "perhaps" Clooney sang for Vera in "Sisters". Trudy Stevens did the singing for Vera-Ellen inWhite Christmas. Actress. 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