Dean Jagger | |
|---|---|
 Jagger inThe Twilight Zone (1961) | |
| Born | (1903-11-07)November 7, 1903 Columbus Grove orLima, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | February 5, 1991(1991-02-05) (aged 87) Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Lakewood Memorial Park,Hughson, California |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1923–1987 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 3 |
Dean Jagger (November 7, 1903 – February 5, 1991) was an American film, stage, and television actor who won theAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role inHenry King'sTwelve O'Clock High (1949).[1]
Dean Jeffries Jagger[2][3] (or Dean Ida Jagger)[4] was born inColumbus Grove[1] orLima, Ohio.[2][5] Growing up on a farm, he wanted to act, and practiced oratory on cows while working. He later won several oratory competitions. At age 14, he worked as an orderly at a sanatorium.[6]
He dropped out of school several times before finally attendingWabash College. While there he was a member ofLambda Chi Alpha fraternity and played football. He dropped out in his second year, realizing he was not suited to an academic life.[7]
At age 17, he taught all eight grades in a rural elementary school, before heading to Chicago. He studied at the Conservatory of Drama with Elias Day, and through him got a job on theChautauqua circuit.[6]
Jagger studied acting at Chicago's Lyceum Arts Conservatory.[7] He eventually played Young Matt in a production ofShepherd of the Hills on stage in Chicago. This experience resulted in him deciding to try his luck in New York City.[1]
He joined a stock company asSpencer Tracy's replacement.[1] He performed invaudeville, on the radio and on stage,[1] making his Broadway debut in 1925 in a bit part in aGeorge M. Cohan production.[7] He was in a playRemote Control in 1928.[8]
Jagger visited Los Angeles on a vaudeville show withIrene Rich. While there, he made his film debut inThe Woman from Hell (1929) withMary Astor. "My good notices", he later recalled, "had a reverse effect on the industry, which was suddenly revolutionized by sound pictures. With the one film to my credit, I was considered part of that group of untouchables – silent film stars."[9] He followed it withHandcuffed (1929).
Jagger decided to move into film production, helping raise money to make a feature that ultimately never was released. He returned to New York City.[10]
Jagger's big career break came when cast in a lead role in the playTobacco Road in 1933. The play was a huge hit and ran until 1941,[11] though Jagger left the show in 1934 to appear inThey Shall Not Die, which only ran 62 performances.[12]
In April 1934, Jagger signed a contract with Paramount, for which he madeYou Belong to Me (1934) withLee Tracy, thenCollege Rhythm (1934) withJack Oakie,Behold My Wife! (1934) withSylvia Sidney,Wings in the Dark (1935) withMyrna Loy andCary Grant,Home on the Range (1935) withJackie Coogan,Randolph Scott andEvelyn Brent,Car 99 (1935) withFred MacMurray andAnn Sheridan,People Will Talk (1935) withCharlie Ruggles, andMen Without Names (1935) with Fred MacMurray.[6][8] Paramount gave him a lead role in the B WesternWanderer of the Wasteland (1935). He was back in supporting parts inIt's a Great Life (1935),Woman Trap (1936), and13 Hours by Air (1936).
Victor Halperin borrowed him to play the lead role inRevolt of the Zombies (1936). He went to20th Century Fox forPepper (1936) andStar for a Night (1936), then to MGM for1940 Under Cover of Night (1937).[13]
Jagger didWoman in Distress (1937) at Columbia, andDangerous Number (1937) andSong of the City (1937) at MGM.
Jagger appeared inRepublic Pictures'Escape by Night (1937) andExiled to Shanghai (1937).
Jagger playedMichael Drops In in summer stock and returned to Broadway to star inMissouri Legend (1938), which ran 48 performances.[14] He was also in short runs forEverywhere I Roam (1938–39),Brown Danube (1939),Farm of Three Echoes (1939–40) withEthel Barrymore, andUnconquered (1940) byAyn Rand.[15]
Jagger made his breakthrough with his portrayal ofMormon leaderBrigham Young inBrigham Young (1940) at 20th Century Fox, alongsideTyrone Power for directorHenry Hathaway. He was cast on the basis of his performance inMissouri Legend.[citation needed] According toGeorge D. Pyper, a technical consultant on the film who had personally known Brigham Young, Jagger not only resembled Young, but he also spoke like him and shared some of his mannerisms.[16] Thirty-two years later, in 1972 he was baptized a member ofthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[17]
Fox signed him to a long-term contract and put him inWestern Union (1941) forFritz Lang. He was announced for the Biblical filmThe Great Commandment and a biopic ofLewis and Clark withRandolph Scott, but neither was made.[18]
Instead, Jagger appeared inThe Men in Her Life (1941) for Columbia,Valley of the Sun (1942) at RKO, andThe Omaha Trail (1942) at MGM.
Jagger had a rare lead role inI Escaped from the Gestapo (1943) for theKing Brothers, then went back to supporting roles forThe North Star (1943) forSam Goldwyn. The King Brothers gave him top billing again withWhen Strangers Marry (1944). Jagger acted inAlaska (1944) at Monogram, which was distributed to King films.
Jagger went to England to appear inI Live in Grosvenor Square (1945) withAnna Neagle andRex Harrison. He had good roles inSister Kenny (1946) withRosalind Russell andPursued (1947) withRobert Mitchum.
He didDriftwood (1947) for Republic and started appearing on TV shows such asThe Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse,Studio One, andThe Chevrolet Tele-Theatre.[19]
Jagger returned to Broadway forDr. Social (1948), but it had a short run. He had the lead role in'C'-Man (1949).
Jagger received anAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role inTwelve O'Clock High (1949), made at Fox and directed by Henry King. In the film, he played the World War II veteran, middle-aged adjutant Major/Lt. Col. Harvey Stovall, who acts as an advisor to the commander, General Savage (Gregory Peck).
Jagger stayed a supporting actor, though, appearing inSierra (1950) withAudie Murphy at Universal,Dark City (1950) for Hal Wallis,Rawhide (1951) with Hathaway and Power at Fox, andWarpath (1951) at Paramount withEdmond O'Brien and directed byByron Haskin.
Jagger had a lead role in the strongly anti-communist filmMy Son John (1952) at Paramount. He was inDenver and Rio Grande (1952), again with Haskin and O'Brien, and episodes ofGulf Playhouse,Lux Video Theatre,Cavalcade of America,Schlitz Playhouse, andStudio 57.
He appeared in the biblical epicThe Robe (1953) as the weaver Justus of Cana, and was inPrivate Hell 36 (1954).
He played retired Army Major General Tom Waverly honored by Bob Wallace (Bing Crosby) and Phil Davis (Danny Kaye) in the musicalWhite Christmas (1954), and an impotent local sheriff in the modern WesternBad Day at Black Rock (1955), starringSpencer Tracy for MGM. He was also inThe Eternal Sea (1955) at Republic,It's a Dog's Life (1955) at MGM,On the Threshold of Space (1956) at Fox, andRed Sundown (1956) at Universal.
For the 1956 British science-fiction filmX the Unknown, Jagger refused to work with directorJoseph Losey because Losey was on theHollywood blacklist. Losey came off the project after a few days of shooting and was replaced byLeslie Norman. An alternative version is that Losey was replaced due to illness.[20][21] Half the budget, $30,000, went to Jagger's fee.[22]
Jagger was inThe 20th Century Fox Hour,Three Brave Men (1956),The Great Man (1956) (second-billed toJosé Ferrer),Zane Grey Theatre, "Bernadine" (1957) withPat Boone, an episode ofPlayhouse 90,Forty Guns (1957) forSam Fuller, andThe Proud Rebel (1958) withAlan Ladd and directed byMichael Curtiz.
Jagger also portrayed the father ofElvis Presley's character in 1958'sKing Creole, directed by Curtiz.
Jagger was inThe Nun's Story (1959), playing the father ofAudrey Hepburn's character, andCash McCall (1960), and played the traveling manager for an evangelist played byJean Simmons in the acclaimed 1960 dramaElmer Gantry. He was in two failed pilots, includingThe House on K Street.
In the 1960s, Jagger increasingly worked on television appearing inThe Twilight Zone ("Static"),NBC Sunday Showcase,Our American Heritage,General Electric Theater,Dr. Kildare,The Christophers,The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, andThe Partridge Family. He also appeared in the filmsParrish (1961),The Honeymoon Machine (1961) andBilly Rose's Jumbo (1962).
Jagger achieved success with the television seriesMr. Novak (1963–1965), receivingEmmy Award nominations for his role in 1964 and 1965, as well as the California Teachers Association's Communications Award, along with starJames Franciscus, in 1963 for his portrayal of high-school principal Albert Vane.[5] Before he left the show to have a major medical operation, though, he was less than happy with the series, clashing repeatedly with the writers and directors[5] and describing "the Mr. Novak company" afterwards as "a mishmash of unbelievable amateurishness."[23] "It is unforgivable how bad TV is today", he said in 1965. "The people doing it have succumbed to the cliché that there is no time to be good in TV, or that we doing it are lucky to get one good episode out of three. Why?"[9] Jagger officially left the show in December 1964 because of an ulcer.[24]
Jagger's appearances in the 1960s included episodes ofThe F.B.I. andThe Fugitive, as well as filmsFirst to Fight (1967),Firecreek (1968),Day of the Evil Gun (1968),Smith! (1968) withGlenn Ford,The Lonely Profession (1969),Tiger by the Tail (1970),The Kremlin Letter (1970),Men at Law,The Brotherhood of the Bell (1970), again with Ford, and an episode ofThe Name of the Game.
He had a semiregular role on the seriesMatt Lincoln (1970) as the father of the title character, and parts inVanishing Point (1971),Bonanza, andIncident in San Francisco (1971).[25]
In 1971, Jagger appeared onThe Partridge Family. He played a prospector named Charlie in the Christmas episode "Don't Bring Your Guns to Town, Santa".
Jagger was inThe Glass House (1972),Columbo,Kung Fu (Jagger appeared as Caine's grandfather, who wants little to do with him, but starts Caine on his series-long search for his half-brother Danny),Alias Smith and Jones,Medical Center,The Stranger (1973),The Delphi Bureau, The Lie (1973),Shaft,I Heard the Owl Call My Name (1973),Love Story,The Hanged Man (1974), The Great Lester Boggs (1974),So Sad About Gloria (1975),The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case (1976),Harry O,Hunter,End of the World (1977), andEvil Town (1977).
He played the syndicate boss inGame of Death (1978) as the nemesis ofBruce Lee.
Jagger's later appearances includedThe Waltons,Gideon's Trumpet (1980) andAlligator (1980).
He won aDaytime Emmy award for a guest appearance in the religious seriesThis Is the Life.[1]
His last role was as Dr. David Domedion in theSt. Elsewhere season-three finale "Cheers" in 1985.
Dean Jagger has a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame at 1523 Vine Street for his contribution to motion pictures.
When Jagger tried to marry his second wife, Gloria Ling, in 1947, they were denied a marriage license in California due to a state law "forbidding unions between Caucasians and Mongolians [sic]"; Ling's father had been born in China.[26] Within two days, the couple had flown toAlbuquerque, New Mexico, and were married under "New Mexico's more liberal statute."[27]
In later life, Jagger suffered from heart disease. He died in his sleep in Santa Monica, California. He was 87. He was survived by his third wife, Etta, a daughter and two stepsons.[1]
Jagger joinedthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints later in his life.[28]
[...] after hectic three days that began with an airplane trip from New York to Los Angeles Thursday and wound up with a marriage ceremony here at Bernalillo County court house a half hour after their arrival in mid-afternoon. Because Miss Gloria Jean Ling, the bride, is partly of Chinese ancestry, the couple had been refused a license in California, so retraced part of their journey by TWA in order to be married under New Mexico's more liberal statute.
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