Jean Porter

Jean Porter

Born: December 8, 1922
Died: January 13, 2018
in Cisco, Texas, USA
One of MGM's more vivacious secondary stars during the 40s, petite and lovely Jean Porter was born in Texas in 1925 but left the state while young to pursue her dream as an actress. Following some vaudeville experience, she made her uncredited film debut in 1939 (age 14) and slowly graduated to sweet-natured ingénues in light, wholesome "B" fare. Most were sentimental trifles, such as Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble (1944)and Easy to Wed (1946), or western action with such obvious titles as Heart of the Rio Grande (1942) and Home in Wyomin' (1942). Despite her promise and talent, none of her approximately 30 films managed to set her apart and top stardom remained elusive.

Jean's finest screen roles probably came with The Youngest Profession (1943) and Till the End of Time (1946), where she met future husband, director Edward Dmytryk. They married in 1948 and had three children: Richard, Victoria and Rebecca, the latter becoming a wildlife rescuer and rehabilitator. Not long into their marriage, Dmytryk was branded a Communist as one of the "Hollywood Ten" (he was admittedly once a member of The American Communist Party) and the next decade or so would be a dark period of time for them.

Unable to work, the blacklisted director moved his family to England where he found some employment. In 1951, however, Dmytryk decided to return to the States and was jailed for six months before giving testimony and being granted a reprieve. As a result, he was allowed to return to directing. Jean's last film, in fact, would be The Left Hand of God (1955) starring Humphrey Bogart and Gene Tierney, which was directed by her husband. Throughout their ordeal Jean and Edward remained a loyal couple and in later years wrote a book together "On Screen Acting" in 1984. Happily married until his death at age 90 of heart and kidney failure in 1999, Jean continues to be a regular attendee of film-related events and a by-line contributor for "Classic Images," the popular magazine for old-styled film fans, in which she reminisces of Hollywood back then.

Date of Birth 8 December 1922, Cisco, Texas

Movies for Jean Porter...

Title: The RKO Story: Tales From Hollywood
Character: Self
Released: July 3, 1987
Type: TV
Ed Asner tells the story of RKO Pictures from the 1920s to the 1960s.
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Title: 77 Sunset Strip
Released: October 10, 1958
Type: TV
Stu Bailey and Jeff Spencer are the wisecracking, womanizing private-detective heroes of this Warner Brothers drama. They work out of an office located at 77 Sunset Strip in Los Angeles, California, right next door to a snazzy restaurant where Kookie works as a valet. The finger-snapping, slang-talking Kookie occasionally helps Stu and Jeff with their cases, and eventually becomes a full-fledged member of the detective agency. Rex Randolph and J.R. Hale also join the firm, and Suzanne is their leggy secretary.
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Title: Sea Hunt
Released: January 4, 1958
Type: TV
Sea Hunt is an American adventure television series that aired in syndication from 1958 to 1961 and was popular in syndication for decades afterwards. The series originally aired for four seasons, with 155 episodes produced. It stars Lloyd Bridges as ex-Navy frogman Mike Nelson, and was produced by Ivan Tors.
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The Left Hand of God
Title: The Left Hand of God
Character: Mary Yin
Released: September 2, 1955
Type: Movie
A man in priestly robes, seemingly the long-awaited Father O'Shea, arrives at a little-frequented Catholic mission in 1947 China. Though the man seems curiously uncomfortable with his priestly duties, his tough tactics prove very successful in the Seven Villages, as around them China disintegrates in civil war and revolution. But he has a secret, and his friendship with mission nurse Anne (an attractive war widow) seems to be taking on an unpriestly tone.
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Title: Climax!
Character: Joan
Released: October 7, 1954
Type: TV
Climax! is an American anthology series that aired on CBS from 1954 to 1958. The series was hosted by William Lundigan and later co-hosted by Mary Costa. It was one of the few CBS programs of that era to be broadcast in color. Many of the episodes were performed and broadcast live.
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G.I. Jane
Title: G.I. Jane
Character: Jan Smith
Released: July 6, 1951
Type: Movie
A civilian, ordered to report to his draft board, slips off into a dream about the army life ahead of him. He is assigned to a remote desert post where the soldiers crave female companionship. He forges orders that brings a platoon of WACs who are forbidden to fraternize with the soldiers.
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Kentucky Jubilee
Title: Kentucky Jubilee
Character: Sally Shannon
Released: May 18, 1951
Type: Movie
A film director travels to Kentucky to seek out local talent for a hillbilly musical film. There, he gets kidnapped.
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Cry Danger
Title: Cry Danger
Character: Darlene LaVonne
Released: February 23, 1951
Type: Movie
After serving five years of a life sentence, Rocky Mulloy hopes to clear his friend who's still in prison for the same crime.
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Roller Derby Girl
Title: Roller Derby Girl
Released: July 10, 1949
Type: Movie
Roller Derby Girl is 1949 short documentary directed by Justin Herman about how mid-twentieth century women made advances and careers in roller derby. The film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Short Subject, One-Reel.
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Two Blondes and a Redhead
Title: Two Blondes and a Redhead
Character: Catherine Abbott
Released: November 5, 1947
Type: Movie
Socialite Cathy Abbott is working in the chorus of a Broadway show instead of being enrolled at an exclusive girl's school as her parents think. When the show closes, she brings two of her chorus friends home with her. In addition to trying to make her friends acceptable to the snooty society of which her family is part, she is also being blackmailed by a rival.
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That Hagen Girl
Title: That Hagen Girl
Character: Sharon Bailey
Released: November 1, 1947
Type: Movie
Mary Hagen lives in a small town in Ohio and goes to Jordon Junior College. For years, there has been whispers, rumors and gossip about who are her real parents. When Tom Bates returns to town, he takes over the house and practice that Judge Merrivale left him when he died. As Tom has been away a number of years, this leads to more gossip and Mary believes that he is her father. The popular and rich Ken loves Mary, but his family and friends constantly remind him that she is 'not one of us'. Julia, a teacher at school encourages Mary but Mary cannot get a break in anything she does, or is accused of doing. Tom knows the answer to her true identity, and he is silent.
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Sweet Genevieve
Title: Sweet Genevieve
Character: Genevieve
Released: October 23, 1947
Type: Movie
The biggest town problem is worrying whether the high school basketball team will win the championship...until racketeers move into town and the kids begin to bet on horses, become overly fond of stripped-down racing cars, and Genevieve Rogers (Jean Porter) suspects her father of being too fond of the school principal's secretary. Town nerd Bill Kennedy (Jimmy Lydon) invents a new fuel amidst rumors that - horrors - the basketball game might be fixed. River City is not the only town that has trouble starting with a "T" and there's not a pool hall in sight.
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Little Miss Broadway
Title: Little Miss Broadway
Character: Judy Gibson
Released: June 19, 1947
Type: Movie
Upon leaving finishing school, Judy Gibson goes to meet her presumed wealthy and socially prominent relatives. However they are penniless Broadway characters and take possession of a Long Island mansion owned by an incarcerated thief so Judy doesn't find out the truth. Judy arrives with her fiancé and his father, who tries to sell worthless stock to Judy's family. They give him $200,000, part of the stashed loot they found belonging to the home-owner thief.
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Betty Co-Ed
Title: Betty Co-Ed
Character: Joanne Leeds
Released: November 28, 1946
Type: Movie
The plot gets under way when Joanne, a carnival hootchy-kootchy dancer, is accepted into a snobbish college sorority when it is assumed that she hails from a blueblooded Virginia family.
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Till the End of Time
Title: Till the End of Time
Character: Helen Ingersoll
Released: July 23, 1946
Type: Movie
Three former marines have a hard time readjusting to civilian life. Perry can't deal with the loss of the use of his legs. William is in trouble with bad debts. And Cliff can't decide what he wants to do with his life, although he gets encouragement from war widow Pat Ruscomb.
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What Next, Corporal Hargrove?
Title: What Next, Corporal Hargrove?
Character: Jeanne Quidoc
Released: November 21, 1945
Type: Movie
An Army corporal and his con-man sidekick take a shortcut to heroism in World War II France.
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Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Hollywood
Title: Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Hollywood
Character: Ruthie
Released: October 5, 1945
Type: Movie
When two bumbling barbers act as agents for a talented but unknown singer, they stage a phony murder in order to get him a plum role.
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Twice Blessed
Title: Twice Blessed
Character: Kitty
Released: May 31, 1945
Type: Movie
Stephanie and Terry are identical twins who have been raised separately since their parents divorced seven years earlier. Each envies the lifestyle of the other; and they decide, without telling Jeff or Mary, to switch families for a day or two. They soon find that it is harder to do what the other person is expected to do, and that looking alike is not enough. When they find that their charade may bring their parents back together, they agree to continue it. A major complication begins when Alice, Jeff's girlfriend and co-worker, finds out the real story.
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Thrill of a Romance
Title: Thrill of a Romance
Character: Ga-Ga Bride (uncredited)
Released: May 23, 1945
Type: Movie
A soldier falls in love with a newly-married woman after her husband abandons her for a business meeting on their honeymoon.
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San Fernando Valley
Title: San Fernando Valley
Character: Betty Lou Kenyon
Released: September 15, 1944
Type: Movie
A ranch owner fires his ranch hands and brings in women to replace them. The owner's daughter wants the male hands back and comes up with a plan to do it.
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Bathing Beauty
Title: Bathing Beauty
Character: Jean Allenwood
Released: June 27, 1944
Type: Movie
After breaking up with her fiancé, a gym teacher returns to work at a women's college, but a legal loophole allows him to enroll as one of her students.
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Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble
Title: Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble
Character: Katy Anderson
Released: May 4, 1944
Type: Movie
Andy is going to Wainwright College as did his father. He sees a pretty blonde on the train and he is alternately winked at or slapped every time he sees her. Andy is clueless. On the train Andy meets Kay and Dr. Standish who are both headed for Wainwright. Andy likes Kay, but Dr. Standish also seems to take an interest in her. Things are going well at College with Kay, but the blonde is nice one minute and ignores Andy the next. When Andy finds out that the blonde is really identical twins, he tries to help them out with their father but gets caught at their rooming house after midnight.
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Nazty Nuisance
Title: Nazty Nuisance
Character: Kela
Released: August 6, 1943
Type: Movie
Germany's Adolf Hitler, with his Axis-stooges, Italy's Mussolini and Japan's Suki Yama, although he tried to avoid taking them, is on his way, via submarine, to a tropical country to negotiate a treaty with the High Chief Paj Mab. However, an American P.T-boat crew is already there and have some plans for schickenbit-grubber and his buddies.
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The Youngest Profession
Title: The Youngest Profession
Character: Patricia Drew
Released: February 26, 1943
Type: Movie
Joan Lyons and her friend Patricia Drew are autograph hounds spending most of their day bumping into, and having tea, with the likes of Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon. Based on misinformation from a meddling old-maid governess, Miss Featherstone, Joan also devotes some time to working on the no-problem marriage of her parents to the extent of hiring Dr. Hercules, the strong man from a side show to pay attention to her mother in order to make her father jealous, despite the good advice received from Walter Pidgeon.
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Calaboose
Title: Calaboose
Character: Major Barabara
Released: January 29, 1943
Type: Movie
A love-smitten cowpoke acciidentally causes a horse stampede.
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Fall In
Title: Fall In
Character: Joan
Released: November 20, 1942
Type: Movie
An Army sergeant's photographic memory puts him in conflict with a Nazi spy.
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Better Not Roll Those Eyes
Title: Better Not Roll Those Eyes
Released: November 9, 1942
Type: Movie
A Soundie with Harry Barris and Jean Porter.
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About Face
Title: About Face
Character: Sally
Released: April 16, 1942
Type: Movie
Two Army sergeants disrupt a bar, a party and an Army-Navy dance.
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Two Pair of Shoes
Title: Two Pair of Shoes
Released: March 30, 1942
Type: Movie
A Soundie with Jean Porter and Larry Stewart.
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Heart of the Rio Grande
Title: Heart of the Rio Grande
Character: Pudge
Released: March 11, 1942
Type: Movie
As foreman of a dude ranch, Gene has two problems. One is a guest, the spoiled daughter of a millioniare, and the other is the disgruntled ex-foreman that Gene replaced, now just a ranch hand. Gene eventually gets the daughter straightened out but has to fire the ex-foreman and this leads to trouble when he returns intent on revenge.
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Hellzapoppin'
Title: Hellzapoppin'
Character: Chorine (uncredited)
Released: December 25, 1941
Type: Movie
Olsen and Johnson, a pair of stage comedians, try to turn their play into a movie and bring together a young couple in love, while breaking the fourth wall every step of the way.
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Never Give a Sucker an Even Break
Title: Never Give a Sucker an Even Break
Character: Passerby (uncredited)
Released: October 10, 1941
Type: Movie
Never Give a Sucker an Even Break is a 1941 film about a man who wants to sell a film story to Esoteric Studios. On the way he gets insulted by little boys, beaten up for ogling a woman, and abused by a waitress. W. C. Fields' last starring role in a feature-length film.
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Kiss the Boys Goodbye
Title: Kiss the Boys Goodbye
Character: Girl Going to Audition (uncredited)
Released: August 1, 1941
Type: Movie
New York chorus girl Cindy Lou Bethany becomes frustrated when she prepares for an audition for a Broadway musical, but the auditions close and her roommate, Gwen Abbott, is hired to be secretary to Top Rumson, the show's financial backer. Gwen tells Cindy that the director, Lloyd Lloyd, and composer, Dick Rayburn, have been sent to the South on a talent search for a classic Southern belle type to star in the show, although their shows usually feature Myra Stanhope, an actress whose style is hopelessly inappropriate for this show. Desperate for work, Cindy returns to her aunt Lily Lou and uncle Jefferson Davis Bethany's home in the South and schemes to get Lloyd and Rayburn to audition her.
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One Million B.C.
Title: One Million B.C.
Character: Shell Person - Loana's Sister
Released: April 5, 1940
Type: Movie
One Million B.C. is a 1940 American fantasy film produced by Hal Roach Studios and released by United Artists. It is also known by the titles Cave Man, Man and His Mate, and Tumak. The film stars Victor Mature as protagonist Tumak, a young cave man who strives to unite the uncivilized Rock Tribe and the peaceful Shell Tribe, Carole Landis as Loana, daughter of the Shell Tribe chief and Tumak's love interest, and Lon Chaney, Jr. as Tumak's stern father and leader of the Rock Tribe.
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The Under-Pup
Title: The Under-Pup
Character: Penguin Girl
Released: August 31, 1939
Type: Movie
A young city girl from a poor family is invited to spend the summer at a camp for girls from wealthy families. At first made fun of and ridiculed because of her background, she determines to show the snooty rich girls she's just as good as they are.
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Song and Dance Man
Title: Song and Dance Man
Character: Girl (uncredited)
Released: March 11, 1936
Type: Movie
Julia and Hap are a dance team. He drinks and gambles, she succeeds for a while with the help of producer Alan.
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Inside Information
Title: Inside Information
Character: Gertie
Released: September 24, 1934
Type: Movie
Lloyd Wilson, trusted employee of an investment firm, is suspected of theft when $20,000 in security bonds is stolen from his office. Tarzan, the Famous Police Dog, has an intuitive dislike of an apparently respectable citizen, and this leads Wilson and the police to the gang headquarters. Tarzan wins a public citation for his leading part in breaking the case against a desperate gang of criminals.
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The Gambling Sex
Title: The Gambling Sex
Character: Classmate
Released: November 21, 1932
Type: Movie
A wealthy young socialite gets the gambling bug, and soon it goes from being just a fun pastime to an addiction, and she begins to lose more and more of her fortune.