Jeanne Arnold (actress)
Jeanne Arnold | |
|---|---|
 Arnold in 1975 | |
| Born | July 30, 1921 Berkeley, California, U.S. |
| Died | September 20, 1996 (aged 75) Flint, Michigan, U.S. |
| Education | University of California, Berkeley |
| Occupations | Actress, singer |
| Years active | 1943–1996 |
| Spouse |
William C. Stevens (m. 1978) |
Jeanne Arnold (July 30, 1921 – September 20, 1996) was an American actress and singer known for her work in Broadway and Off-Broadway theater, television, cabaret, and regional theater. She appeared in productions including The Threepenny Opera, Coco, The Happy Time, and the daytime soap opera Guiding Light. Later in her career she became associated with Michigan's Meadow Brook Theatre.[1]
Early life and education
Arnold was born on July 30, 1921, in Berkeley, California, the daughter of George Arnold and Agnes Kirkman Arnold, and was raised in San Francisco.[2][3]
As a child she performed in school assemblies and theatrical activities. She attended a convent school and later studied acting at a Jesuit college before enrolling at the University of California, Berkeley, where she concentrated in speech and history and graduated in 1943.[2]
Inspired by radio drama and 1930s films, particularly the performances of Spencer Tracy, Arnold moved to New York during World War II in hopes of entering professional theater and radio.[2]
Career
During World War II, Arnold worked with an Army Special Services troupe on a European tour.[4] She later recalled auditioning for a USO entertainment unit while working as a tour guide at Rockefeller Center.[2]
Following the war, she continued theatrical work in Germany and France before returning to California.[2]
Arnold performed in theaters and nightclubs in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco.[5]
She first gained significant critical attention in New York for playing Lucy in a revival of The Threepenny Opera.[5] She also appeared for two seasons at the New York cabaret venue Upstairs at the Downstairs.[5]
Her Broadway and Off-Broadway credits included The Threepenny Opera, The Beggar's Opera, The Happy Time, and the musical Coco starring Katharine Hepburn.[6]
Arnold also performed and recorded as a singer. Her best-known recording was the satirical song "Gristedes" from the album Take Five with Ronnie Graham.[5]
In 1964 Arnold was cast in her first major television assignment, a regular featured role on the CBS sitcom The Cara Williams Show where she portrayed Mary Hamilmeyer, a secretary at Fenwick Industries.[7][5]
She also became familiar to television audiences for her three-year portrayal of Ellen Mason on the soap opera Guiding Light during the late 1960s.[8][6]
In 1974 she appeared in the educational children's television program Cozmics, portraying the eccentric science instructor Ms. Strator.[9]
Arnold also appeared as a guest on the television talk program Girl Talk alongside Brenda Vaccaro and Virginia Graham.[10]
Her film roles include an uncredited role as Rita in Dear Heart (which original title was "The Out-of-Towners"), Grace Munster in Munster, Go Home! (1966) and Gertrude in What's So Bad About Feeling Good? (1968).[11][12][13]
Arnold became a prominent performer at Meadow Brook Theatre at Oakland University near Rochester, Michigan.[14]
Her Meadow Brook performances included She Stoops to Conquer, Picnic, The Corn Is Green, Blithe Spirit, The Dining Room, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Deathtrap, and What I Did Last Summer.
Arnold frequently received favorable critical notices for her versatility and comic range.[15]
She also performed one-woman musical and theatrical shows in Michigan, including Jeanne Arnold Sings!!! at Buckham Alley Theatre in Flint in 1992.[16]
Personal life and death
In 1978 Arnold married William C. Stevens, chairman of Henry H. Stevens Moving and Storage Company of Flint, Michigan, who she had 3 stepchildren.[6][3]
In the 1990s she remained active in Flint civic and cultural events, serving as mistress of ceremonies for the Flint YWCA Women of Achievement Awards Dinner in 1995.[17][18]
Arnold died of cancer in 1996 at the age of 75 in Flint, Michigan.[3][19][20]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Dear Heart | Rita | Uncredited |
| 1966 | Munster, Go Home! | Grace Munster | |
| 1968 | What's So Bad About Feeling Good? | Gertrude | |
| 1971 | Mr. and Mrs. Bo Jo Jones | Joan Hartlane | Television film |
| 1971 | The Pompeii Way | Senilita | Television film |
Television
| Years | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | My Three Sons | Helen Powell | 1 episode |
| 1964–1965 | The Cara Williams Show | Mary Hammilmeyer / Mary Hammiimeyer | 16 episodes |
| 1965 | Camp Runamuck | Diana | 1 episode |
| 1965 | I Spy | Mme. Chulock | 1 episode |
| 1965–1966 | Please Don't Eat the Daisies | Mrs. Podesta | 3 episodes |
| 1966 | The Farmer's Daughter | Jan Cummings / Ellen | 2 episodes |
| 1966 | The Monkees | Maria | 1 episode |
| 1969–1973 | Guiding Light | Ellen Mason | 1266 episodes |
| 1972 | Bewitched | Maude Hickman / Martha Norton | 2 episodes |
References
- ↑ Naranjo, Denis (April 24, 1992). "Concerts offer different styles". The Flint Journal. p. 27.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Harvey, James E. (January 6, 1982). "Meadow Brook star 'having a ball' at home in Flint". The Flint Journal. p. 13.
- 1 2 3 "Obituaries". The Flint Journal. September 23, 1996. p. 23.
- ↑ "Still An Actress". The Times. Trenton, New Jersey. October 26, 1964. p. 13.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Jeanne Arnold To Portray Secretary". Biddeford-Saco Journal. September 26, 1964. p. 11.
- 1 2 3 Krajewski, Fran Rogers (January 6, 1991). "Actress stays in lead at Meadow Brook". The Flint Journal. p. 71.
- ↑ "Hollywood". The Philadelphia Inquirer. September 18, 1964. p. 24.
- ↑ Krajewski, Fran Rogers (February 19, 1988). "Actress left bright lights, not footlights". The Flint Journal. p. 12.
- ↑ Scheible, Sue (January 17, 1974). "A Merry Mix Of Fun and Phenomena". The Patriot Ledger. p. 36.
- ↑ "Girl Talk listing". The Ottawa Journal. December 7, 1968. p. 54.
- ↑ "Jeanne Arnold Signed". Daily News. New York. October 22, 1963. p. 350.
- ↑ Marsh, W. Ward (July 11, 1966). "'Munster' Is LSD for the Wacky Set". The Plain Dealer. p. 42.
- ↑ Thomas, Kevin (August 30, 1968). "'Bad About Feeling Good?" Playing at Warner Beverly". The Los Angeles Times. p. 73.
- ↑ "Flint actress in Meadow Brook play". The Flint Journal. January 28, 1979. p. 29.
- ↑ Harvey, James E. (January 27, 1984). "'Dining Room' hits satiric mark". The Flint Journal. p. 22.
- ↑ "On stage". The Flint Journal. May 1, 1992. p. 52.
- ↑ "YMCA looking for volunteers". The Flint Journal. January 27, 1995. p. 6.
- ↑ "Women of Achievement Dinner". The Flint Journal. February 4, 1995. p. 20.
- ↑ Krajewski, Fran Rogers (September 22, 1996). "JEANNE ARNOLD STEVENS 1921-1996 'Grande Dame' of theater also known for soap role". The Flint Journal. p. 51.
- ↑ "In memoriam". The San Francisco Examiner. December 27, 1996. p. 49.
External links
