Jeanne Crain

These archives also hold the papers of Frank Capra, Ingrid Bergman, Clint Eastwood, and others. Donna Douglas lives in Huntington Beach, California, but still considers Baton Rouge, Louisiana, her home. The Jeanne Crain collection resides perpetually at the Wesleyan University Cinema Archives in Middletown, Connecticut. She has also appeared at conventions and trade shows. Crain's career is fully documented by an extraordinary collection of memorabilia about her assembled by the late Charles J. Finlay (longtime publicist at 20th Century-Fox). She has remained busy making appearances, speaking for church groups, youth groups, schools and colleges. a successful television executive, most known for his work on CBS TV's JAG. Crain was also survived by many grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. She has also written a children's book titled Donna's Critters & Kids: Children's Stories with a Bible Touch, which has Bible stories featuring animals and is combined with a coloring book for ages two to seven.

The Brinkmans were survived by five adult children, including, Paul Brinkman, Jr. She has a gospel album and a country album. The couple outlived two of their children. A devoted Christian, Douglas is also a noted gospel singer. Crain is buried in the Brinkman family plot at Santa Barbara Cemetary. She was offered a role on a prime-time soap opera, but felt there were too many bad things in it, with not enough family values, and turned it down. Crain's funeral Mass was held at the Old Santa Barbara Mission. She did not work in that field long, however, as she remained in show business and found other projects.

Crain passed away a few months later and it was speculated that she died of a broken heart. She received her real estate license after The Beverly Hillbillies went off the air in order to have something to fall back on. Brinkman's death in October of 2003. Having no resentment about being so closely identified with one character, she still makes occasional public appearances in her hillbilly costume of blue jeans with trademark rope belt and a ruffled, pink blouse. As a lifelong devout Catholic, Jeanne Crain Brinkman and her husband Paul remained married, though they lived separately in Santa Barbara, California, until Mr. In 1981, she returned for a made-for-TV reunion movie. Crain obtained an interlocutory divorce decree, each spouse claiming the other had been unfaithful (she also claimed Brinkman had been abusive), but the couple reconciled on the eve of their 11th wedding anniversary. Douglas remained with the The Beverly Hillbillies for the entire run of the series.

The marriage was rocky for some years. Her final movie role was as Frankie in Frederick de Cordova's musical comedy Frankie and Johnny (1966) opposite Elvis Presley. Crain and her husband Brinkman bought a large, lovely home for their growing family on Roxbury Drive in Beverly Hills (The home can be seen and is described by Bette Davis in candid footage of a driving sequence in the 1952 now cult-classic, The Star). She is extremely proud of her role and the show, which she says she loved doing. During the early 1950s, Crain was earning approx. $3,500 per week. The turning point in Douglas' career came when she was chosen over 500 other actresses to play the role of Elly May Clampett on The Beverly Hillbillies. Against her mother's wishes, Crain married former RKO Studios contract player Paul Brinkman on December 31, 1946; the first of their 7 children was born the following April. She and Bourgeois had one son.

Her last role was in Skyjacked in 1972. Leeds (married late 1970s-divorced). Crain was captivating as Nefertiti in the 1961 Italian production of Queen of the Nile, with Edmund Purdom and Vincent Price. She had two husbands, Roland Bourgeois (married 1949-divorced 1954) and director Robert M. Roles became fewer in the 1960s as Crain went into semi-retirement. Douglas made numerous TV appearances, which includes a famous episode of The Twilight Zone titled The Eye of the Beholder (1960). Gentlemen Marry Brunettes was popular throughout Europe at the time and was released under the Belgian title, A Paris Pour les Quatre ("Paris For The Four"). This was followed by a bit part in the musical comedy Li'l Abner (1959) and the role of a secretary in the comedy/romance Lover Come Back (1961) starring Rock Hudson, Doris Day and Tony Randall.

The film was based on the Anita Loos novel that was a sequel to her acclaimed Gentleman Prefer Blondes. Producer Hal Wallis saw the Sullivan episode and cast her in the role of Marjorie Burke in the movie drama Career (1959) starring Anthony Franciosa, Dean Martin and Shirley MacLaine. The production was filmed on location in Paris and Crain's singing in the film was dubbed, as was customary. These and other TV appearances led New York photographers and newspaper reporters to award her the "Miss By-line" crown, which she wore on The Ed Sullivan Show. Also in 1955, Crain also showed off her lively dancing abilities in Gentleman Marry Brunettes, co-starring Jane Russell and Rudy Vallee. She was featured as the "Letters Girl" on The Perry Como Show in 1957, and as the "Billboard Girl" on The Steve Allen Show in 1959. Crain then starred in a string of pictures for Universal, including notable pairings with Kirk Douglas, such as Man Without a Star (1955). She went to New York to pursue a career in entertainment and started out as a model for toothpaste adds.

Mankiewicz production of People Will Talk (1951). She was awarded the titles "Miss Baton Rouge" and, in 1957, "Miss New Orleans.". In the 1950s, Crain paired up with Cary Grant, for the Joseph L. She was a cheerleader as a teenager and won some beauty contests. Zanuck chose to cast a white actress for box-office reasons. Born Dorothy Smith in Baywood, Louisiana, she grew up on the farm of her grandparents loving animals and nature, climbing trees, swinging on vines and playing football and softball. Although Lena Horne and other black actresses were considered for the role, Darryl F. She is best-known for her role as Elly May in the long-running TV series The Beverly Hillbillies.

Pinky was a controversial movie, since it told the story of a girl who passes for white in the northern United States. Donna Douglas (born September 26, 1933) is an American actress. In 1945 she starred in State Fair, and in 1949 in three films,A Letter to Three Wives, The Fan and Pinky, for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress. episode: California, Here We Come. In 1943 she starred in Home in Indiana, and in 1944 in In the Meantime, Darling. Her acting was critically panned, but she rebounded in the hit Winged Victory. During World War II, Crain's fan mail was second in volume only to that of Betty Grable. Herself .. She did not get the part, but at the age of 18, she appeared in a bit part in the movie The Gang's All Here.. The Nanny (March 31, 1999) ..

While still in high school, she was asked to make a screen test opposite Orson Welles. Mildred McVane ... episode: Last Rites for a Dead Druid. Born Jeanne Elizabeth Crain in Barstow, California, she moved to Los Angeles as a young child. Night Gallery (January 26, 1972) .. Jeanne Crain (May 25, 1925 - December 14, 2003) was an American actress. Elly May Clampett. The Beverly Hillbillies (1962-1971) (series regular) ..

episode: Cavender Is Coming. Woman .. The Twilight Zone (May 25, 1962) .. episode: The Celluloid Cowboy.

Rhoda Sheridan .. 77 Sunset Strip (April 28, 1961) .. Janet Tyler ... episode: The Eye of the Beholder. The Twilight Zone (November 11, 1960) ..

Frankie. Frankie and Johnny (1966) (United Artists) .. Deborah. Lover Come Back (1961) (Universal) ..

bit part (uncredited). Li'l Abner (1959) (Paramount) .. Marjorie Burke. Career (1959) (Paramount) ..