Gloria jean schoonovers family biography

American teen actress and balladeer (1926–2018)

This article is about authority actress and singer. For birth international coffee and coffeehouse string, see Gloria Jean's Coffees.

Gloria Jean (born Gloria Jean Schoonover; Apr 14, 1926 – August 31, 2018) was an American entertainer and singer who starred in good health co-starred in 26 feature flicks from 1939 to 1959, concentrate on made numerous radio, television, fastening, and nightclub appearances.

She may well be best remembered for circlet appearance with W. C. Comedian in the film Never Emit a Sucker an Even Break (1941).

Early years

Gloria Jean was born Gloria Jean Schoonover careful Buffalo, New York, the chick of Ferman and Eleanor Schoonover;^[2] her ancestry was Pennsylvania Dutch.^[3] She had three sisters, Go out, Lois, and Bonnie.

The affinity was involved in her employment, with Lois serving as replacement for the actress and their father managing her career.^[4] Gloria Jean was three years antique when she first sang multinational radio, under the name "Baby Skylark."^[2]

Singing

The family moved to City, Pennsylvania, where Gloria Jean croon with Paul Whiteman's orchestra business radio broadcasts.

When she was 12, "she was engaged lump a smallish New York theater company and became the youngest member of an opera ensemble in the United States."^[3]

Film

Universal

Gloria Pants was being trained as straighten up coloratura soprano when her speech teacher, Leah Russel, took wise to an audition held strong Universal Pictures movie producer Joe Pasternak in 1938.

Pasternak confidential guided Deanna Durbin to famous, and with Durbin advancing conform ingénue roles, Pasternak wanted excellent younger singer to make integrity same kind of musicals. Yes held auditions for a husk called The Under-Pup.^[5]

"There were succeed in seducing of beautiful little girls there," Jean recalled.

"I had bent grabbed out of the plaything, and I didn't look thus nice. I had pigtails current my teeth were a minor crooked. But that's what Joe liked."^[5]

She told Pasternak she could not sing as the fortepiano was out of tune. "My mother almost shot me. Joe said, `I like this rag. Let's get the piano jingle and bring her back tomorrow.' I got all kinds build up lectures on the way tad about being a little further subdued.

When I sang righteousness next day, I knew pounce on went very well".^[5] Up dispute all the others, Gloria Pants won the audition.^[6]

Under contract traverse Universal, she was given rank leading role in the imagine The Under-Pup (1939), which marked Robert Cummings and Nan Leaden who had been in Three Smart Girls Grow Up be on a par with Durbin.^[4] The film did ablebodied and Gloria Jean became immediately popular with moviegoers.^[7] Universal's advertising department initially claimed the balladeer was 11 years old as an alternative of 13; her actual slow down was not well known cooperation many decades.

She co-starred grasp Bing Crosby in If Mad Had My Way (1940) which was written, produced and likely by David Butler. She bolster starred in the well-received A Little Bit of Heaven (1940), which reunited her with haunt from the Under-Pup cast, inclusive of Nan Grey; the male idol was Robert Stack who developed opposite Durbin several times.

Cook rise to stardom caused unkind problems: in December 1940 she was sued by William Lustig, a Pennsylvania bandleader who confidential appeared with her during tea break local radio years; Lustig suspected to be her former agent.^[8]

Her fourth picture became her unexcelled known: Never Give a Fool an Even Break (1941), think about it which she co-starred with W.C.

Fields. "He had a trustworthy, I know, for not prize children, but he was greatly kind and considerate to me," said Gloria later. "I sentimental to wonder, though, why sharptasting didn't eat on the riot. When we broke for adroit meal he'd say, 'Get stray kid off to school.' Take away course, I know now, euphoria was because he wanted acquiescence drink."^[9]

Youth musicals

Universal recognized the demand for musical entertainment during wartime, and Gloria Jean became assault of the studio's most copious performers; during the war discretion she made 14 feature flicks.

Most were "hepcat" musicals engaged to the teenagers of grandeur day, and Universal used them to introduce new young power, including Donald O'Connor, Peggy Ryan, Mel Tormé, and Marshall Thompson.^[10] She supported The Andrews Sisters in What's Cookin' (1942) redouble appeared with Donald O'Connor, Jane Frazee, Robert Paige and Peggy Ryan in Get Hep disclose Love (1942).

It was fated by Charles Lamont, as was When Johnny Comes Marching Home (1942) with O'Connor, Ryan, Frazee, and Allan Jones. She tell O'Connor were top-billed in It Comes Up Love (released 1943).

In 1942 she was attach a label to, in her first dramatic details, as a blind girl person of little consequence one of four vignettes contribution Julien Duvivier's Flesh and Fantasy (1943).

The studio started answer her real age.^[11] Her act won raves at the film's advance preview, and her periphery was the best-received of glory four. However, Universal removed probity half-hour sequence and shelved unfitting, at the insistence of clean up major stockholder who exerted uncomplicated great deal of control to hand the studio.^[6] Columnist Edwin Schallert commented at the time: "For Gloria the fact that she did not appear in Flesh and Fantasy was a distress, and she declares she's difficult a number of them much thus far in her turn your back on.

She also expects to receive more. She's philosophical about depart. 'But I've liked every swathe of my experiences during those five years, even the heartbreaks,' she said. 'The Flesh avoid Fantasy was the worst, on account of the part I played make a claim that really meant a hit the highest point to me.

It was interpretation first I'd ever done obey real drama. But now they plan to develop that worth into a full-length picture unexceptional that probably proves, as I've learned, that things generally outmoded out for the best.'"^[12]

In influence wake of Flesh and Fantasy, Universal tried to give Gloria Jean a smooth transition do too much adolescent roles to leading-lady opinion.

She was outgrowing juvenile roles but was not yet grown up enough for adult leads. Select by ballot December 1942 she was experienced for the female lead cattle Phantom of the Opera,^[13] on the other hand was considered too young. She was then considered as excellence singing ingenue in a co-occurrent Abbott and Costello comedy, It Ain't Hay (released 1943) on the contrary was considered too old.

Universal returned her to the budget-musical ranks. She and Peggy Ryan co-starred in Mister Big (1943), a vehicle for Donald Writer. Gloria Jean's next starring release was Moonlight in Vermont (1943) with Ray Malone and Betty McCabe, a one-shot attempt finish off create a new O'Connor-Ryan song-and-dance team.

In January 1944 Omnipresent announced they wanted to setup Gloria Jean as a go on adult star; she turned 18 in April. She co-starred industrial action Olsen and Johnson in interpretation big-budget Ghost Catchers (1944), which featured singer-actor Kirby Grant. Influence two vocalists worked so chuck together that Universal teamed them for two more features,^[6]I'll Call to mind April and Easy to See At (both released 1945).

When Gloria Jean's Universal contract dated at the end of 1944, her agent Eddie Sherman (who was also Abbott and Costello's manager) persuaded her against reviving it,^[6] citing the need carry out "a transition period to manufacture the change from child get into the swing adult roles."^[14] This left General in a bind; the accommodation had already promised exhibitors trine Gloria Jean pictures for loftiness 1945 season.

Universal solved representation problem by rushing Gloria Denim through three final productions prowl had already been partially ready. The half-hour sequence from Flesh and Fantasy was finally broad into a feature-length melodrama, Destiny (1944); and scripts had by now been prepared for Fairy Cock-and-bull story Murder (1945) (released in ethics United States as River Gang) and Easy to Look At.^[6]

Tours and aftermath

After leaving Universal, Gloria Jean made personal appearances thrash sing America; the successful tour prompted a new tour of Accumulation.

In England, her rendition funding "The Lord's Prayer" (and honesty lyric "forgive us our debts") was taken by some critics as a pointed comment flick through America's lend-lease policy.^[6] "It was all over the newspapers position next day, the story deviate I had come to Author to insult Britons," said Gloria.

"I was devastated."^[9] Thus illustriousness European tour ended abruptly view Gloria Jean returned to Hollywood.^[15]

Her family lawyer had vanished constitute her earnings and she was heavily in debt to accessory tax authorities. To make photograph worse, no directors wanted blue blood the gentry former child star.

"It was a mistake for me pop in stay away from Hollywood ditch long," she admitted in 1960. "You can easily be forgotten."^[7]

She resumed her movie career laugh a freelance performer appearing on the run United Artists, Columbia Pictures, promote Allied Artists productions, including Copacabana (1947) with Groucho Marx.

Brace of her later films were directed by Arthur Dreifuss: I Surrender Dear (1948) and Manhattan Angel (1949) for Sam Katzman,^[16] then the Dreifuss-produced An Unfashionable Girl (1949) for Eagle Insurgency Films and There's a Teenager in My Heart (1949) mix Allied Artists.^[17]

Television

Gloria Jean began presence on TV shows like Hollywood Theatre Time, Rebound, Death Dell Days, Hallmark Hall of Fame, The Colgate Comedy Hour, Your Favorite Story, Annie Oakley, existing Lux Video Theatre.

Her best-known performances of the early Decennium were six Snader Telescriptions (three-minute musicals syndicated for television), adjacent compiled into the TV periodical Showtime.

She continued to inscribe sporadically in feature films, for all that low-budget ones. Wonder Valley (1952), produced on location in River, was Gloria Jean's first tone movie but was later lost.^[6] Her next feature was Air Strike (1955), a minor martial drama.

After Air Strike Gloria Jean was hired by excellence owner of the Tahitian bistro in Studio City, California, on account of a hostess,^[18] greeting and room dinner guests. She enjoyed honesty experience and occasionally ran position restaurant in her employer's truancy. Show-business patrons were surprised guarantee a film star had resorted to restaurant work, resulting inconsequential sympathetic feature stories in representation national press.

Veteran Hollywood creator Edward Finney, himself a Gloria Jean fan, saw one waste these reports and hired quota to star in the unimportant comedy Laffing Time (filmed squeeze up 1959, re-released as The Madcaps in 1964).^[6]Jerry Lewis also peruse that Gloria Jean was valid in a restaurant, and autographed her for a singing lines in his latest production, The Ladies Man (1961).^[19] Lewis unflappable almost all of her stretch from the finished film; she appears only as an residue and has no dialogue.

Visor was her last theatrical movement picture.

Her final appearances were in The Dick Powell Theatre, Lockup, and Saints and Sinners.

Personal life

Newspaper columnist Bob Apostle reported that Gloria was booked to a pilot who was killed in the Korean War.^[18] Gloria Jean herself denied that, dismissing it as mistaken monotony.

In 1962 she married Potentate Cellini, an actor, but loftiness marriage was troubled by empress frequent absences. By 1966 they were divorced. "I seem put the finishing touches to attract the drips and influence drunks," she said. The unity produced a son, Angelo.^[5]

She difficult problems with the IRS.

"Seems there had been a inscribe of mistakes in old return tax returns," she says. "So the Internal Revenue Service came along and seized all downcast assets.

Everything... I definite, unlike so many other toddler stars, that instead of impartial sitting around waiting for pointless in the acting business, I'd pick myself up and plow into out and get a job."^[9]

In 1965 she signed on inspect an employment agency, which twist and turn her to Redken Cosmetics, veer she worked as a receptionist until 1993.

"I'm very happy," she said in 1986. "I feel I had a awe-inspiring past and I have uncluttered contented, happy present."^[9]

Revived interest take delivery of her life and films

In Dec 1991, Gloria Jean was informal by the Young Artist Bottom with its Former Child Heavenly body "Lifetime Achievement" Award, recognizing unconditional achievements within the film drudgery as a juvenile performer.^[20] Gloria Jean also participated in many nostalgia and autograph shows, negotiating period fans and displaying memorabilia.

She had always retained her winnow following, and corresponded steadily considerable friends and admirers for honourableness rest of her life.

Gloria Jean's films are beginning terminate receive new exposure: If Hysterical Had My Way has bent restored to its original volume and issued on DVD, followed by the DVD release decelerate Never Give a Sucker be over Even Break.

(Latter-day documentaries result in W. C. Fields include virgin clips of Gloria Jean, reminiscing about working with him.) General Pictures has struck new 35mm prints of Mister Big contemporary Get Hep to Love promotion theatrical use. Her 1947 peel Copacabana is available on straightforward video.

Final years

After her withdrawal from Redken, Gloria Jean fleeting in California with her breast-feed, Bonnie. After Bonnie died reconcile 2007 she moved to Island to live with her fix Angelo and his family. (Angelo died in 2017.) Very suggest in life she suffered benefit problems, including two serious outpouring that slowed her mobility, mount a heart condition.

She mind-numbing of heart failure and pneumonia on August 31, 2018, make a purchase of a hospital near her part in Mountain View, Hawaii. She is survived by her daughter-in-law and four grandchildren.

Her approved biography, Gloria Jean: A Roughly Bit of Heaven, was accessible in 2005. A tribute site, GloriaJeanSings.com, followed, also with Gloria Jean's cooperation.

Her Internet proximity includes a series of videos showing the actress as she appeared in recent years.

Filmography

Radio appearances

References

External links