Coleen Gray
Encyclopedia
Coleen Gray is an American movie and television actress born in Staplehurst, Nebraska
. She is known for her roles in the films Nightmare Alley
(1947), Red River (1948), in which she played John Wayne
's fiancée, and Stanley Kubrick
's The Killing (1956).
. After graduating from high school, she studied dramatics at Hamline University
, graduating with a bachelor of arts degree. She then decided to see America and traveled to California
, stopping at La Jolla, where she worked in a restaurant as a waitress. After several weeks there, she moved to Los Angeles and enrolled in a drama school. She had several leading roles in the Los Angeles stage productions Letters to Lucerne and Brief Music, which won her a 20th Century Fox
contract in 1944. After initially playing a bit part in State Fair
(1945), she became pregnant and briefly stopped working, only to return a year later as the love interest of John Wayne in Red River (1948), which was shot in 1946 but held for release until 1948, by which time she had already graduated to leading roles in films noir like Kiss of Death
(1947) opposite Victor Mature and Nightmare Alley
(1947) opposite Tyrone Power.
s: Kiss of Death
, as ex-con Victor Mature
's wife and Richard Widmark
's target and Nightmare Alley
, as "Electra", Tyrone Power
's carnival performer wife. In 1948, she appeared as John Wayne
's love interest in the opening sequences of Red River, but, overshadowed by the men in Howard Hawks
' western, her career suffered and Fox ending her contract in 1950.
Gray worked steadily in the 1950s. She played a crooked nurse in The Sleeping City
(1950) and appeared in Kansas City Confidential (1952), and the Stanley Kubrick
film noir
The Killing (1956), in which she plays a lonely woman desperate for love. Other films included Father Is a Bachelor
(1950), the cult horror film The Leech Woman
(1960), The Phantom Planet
(1961), and P.J. (1968).
She made only one film in the 70s, The Late Liz (1971). She also appeared in one in the 80s, the religious flick Cry From the Mountain (1986), produced by Billy Graham
. She filmed Forgotten Lady (1977) in Houston, Texas
and Mother (1978) with Patsy Ruth Miller
. Mother had a premiere at Museum of Modern Art
in New York City
.
In 1964, along with actors Victor Jory
and Susan Seaforth, Gray testified before the United States Congress
as part of "Project Prayer", arguing in favor of Constitutional amendment allowing school prayer
.
, Alfred Hitchcock Presents
, Mr. Ed, Rawhide
, 77 Sunset Strip
, Bonanza
, and The Deputy
, Have Gun Will Travel, Perry Mason
, Family Affair
, Ironside
and The Name of the Game
, among dozens of others.
She has been married to Fritz Zeiser since 1979. They are involved with the non-profit volunteer organization Prison Fellowship
, founded in 1976 by Chuck Colson (a former prisoner himself for his involvement in the Watergate scandal
), which assists the church in ministering to prisoners and their families, as well as their victims.
Staplehurst, Nebraska
Staplehurst is a village in Seward County, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Lincoln, Nebraska Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 270 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Staplehurst is located at ....
. She is known for her roles in the films Nightmare Alley
Nightmare Alley (1947 film)
Nightmare Alley is a 20th Century Fox film noir starring Tyrone Power and Joan Blondell, and directed by Edmund Goulding. The movie rights for the 1946 novel of the same name, written by William Lindsay Gresham, were bought by Power, who planned on starring in the film...
(1947), Red River (1948), in which she played John Wayne
John Wayne
Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
's fiancée, and Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick was an American film director, writer, producer, and photographer who lived in England during most of the last four decades of his career...
's The Killing (1956).
Early career
Born Doris Jensen, Gray was a farmer's daughter from NebraskaNebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
. After graduating from high school, she studied dramatics at Hamline University
Hamline University
-Red Wing location :Hamline was named in honor of Leonidas Lent Hamline, a bishop of the Methodist Church whose interest in the frontier led him to donate $25,000 toward the building of an institution of higher learning in what was then the territory of Minnesota. Today, a statue of Bishop Hamline...
, graduating with a bachelor of arts degree. She then decided to see America and traveled to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, stopping at La Jolla, where she worked in a restaurant as a waitress. After several weeks there, she moved to Los Angeles and enrolled in a drama school. She had several leading roles in the Los Angeles stage productions Letters to Lucerne and Brief Music, which won her a 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
contract in 1944. After initially playing a bit part in State Fair
State Fair (1945 film)
State Fair is a 1945 film directed by Walter Lang. The film a musical adaptation of the 1933 film of the same name, with original music by Rodgers and Hammerstein. The film starred Jeanne Crain, Dana Andrews, Dick Haymes, Vivian Blaine, Fay Bainter and Charles Winninger...
(1945), she became pregnant and briefly stopped working, only to return a year later as the love interest of John Wayne in Red River (1948), which was shot in 1946 but held for release until 1948, by which time she had already graduated to leading roles in films noir like Kiss of Death
Kiss of Death (1947 film)
Kiss of Death is a 1947 film noir movie directed by Henry Hathaway and written by Ben Hecht and Charles Lederer from a story by Eleazar Lipsky. The story revolves around the film's protagonist, a former robber, and the antagonist, the ruthless, violent Tommy Udo...
(1947) opposite Victor Mature and Nightmare Alley
Nightmare Alley (1947 film)
Nightmare Alley is a 20th Century Fox film noir starring Tyrone Power and Joan Blondell, and directed by Edmund Goulding. The movie rights for the 1946 novel of the same name, written by William Lindsay Gresham, were bought by Power, who planned on starring in the film...
(1947) opposite Tyrone Power.
Film appearances
Gray appeared in two 1947 film noirFilm noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
s: Kiss of Death
Kiss of Death (1947 film)
Kiss of Death is a 1947 film noir movie directed by Henry Hathaway and written by Ben Hecht and Charles Lederer from a story by Eleazar Lipsky. The story revolves around the film's protagonist, a former robber, and the antagonist, the ruthless, violent Tommy Udo...
, as ex-con Victor Mature
Victor Mature
Victor John Mature was an American stage, film and television actor.-Early life:Mature was born in Louisville, Kentucky to an Italian-speaking father from the town Pinzolo, in the Italian part of the former County of Tyrol , Marcello Gelindo Maturi, later Marcellus George Mature, a cutler,...
's wife and Richard Widmark
Richard Widmark
Richard Weedt Widmark was an American film, stage and television actor.He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as the villainous Tommy Udo in his debut film, Kiss of Death...
's target and Nightmare Alley
Nightmare Alley
Nightmare Alley is a novel by William Lindsay Gresham. It is a study of the lowest depths of showbiz and its sleazy inhabitants- the dark, shadowy world of a second rate carnival filled with hustlers, scheming grifters, and Machiavellian femme fatales....
, as "Electra", Tyrone Power
Tyrone Power
Tyrone Edmund Power, Jr. , usually credited as Tyrone Power and known sometimes as Ty Power, was an American film and stage actor who appeared in dozens of films from the 1930s to the 1950s, often in swashbuckler roles or romantic leads such as in The Mark of Zorro, Blood and Sand, The Black Swan,...
's carnival performer wife. In 1948, she appeared as John Wayne
John Wayne
Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
's love interest in the opening sequences of Red River, but, overshadowed by the men in Howard Hawks
Howard Hawks
Howard Winchester Hawks was an American film director, producer and screenwriter of the classic Hollywood era...
' western, her career suffered and Fox ending her contract in 1950.
Gray worked steadily in the 1950s. She played a crooked nurse in The Sleeping City
The Sleeping City
The Sleeping City is a 1950 film noir, shot in semidocumentary style, starring Richard Conte. Set in and shot at New York's Bellevue Hospital, it was directed by George Sherman....
(1950) and appeared in Kansas City Confidential (1952), and the Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick was an American film director, writer, producer, and photographer who lived in England during most of the last four decades of his career...
film noir
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
The Killing (1956), in which she plays a lonely woman desperate for love. Other films included Father Is a Bachelor
Father Is a Bachelor
Father Is a Bachelor is a 1950 romantic comedy film starring William Holden and Coleen Gray.-Plot:Carefree vagabond Johnny Rutledge is stuck in a small town when his medicine show employer and friend Professor Mordecai Ford is put in jail. He befriends a young girl named May Chalotte...
(1950), the cult horror film The Leech Woman
The Leech Woman
-Plot:A mysterious old woman approaches Dr. Paul Talbot and promises to reveal to him the secret of eternal youth. Following her to Africa, he and his wife June Talbot witness the secret ceremony that utilizes orchid pollen and a victim's pineal gland secretions...
(1960), The Phantom Planet
The Phantom Planet
The Phantom Planet is a science fiction film directed by William Marshall.Footage from the film was used in a 2010 advertising campaign for La Quinta Inns and Suites, an American hotel chain...
(1961), and P.J. (1968).
She made only one film in the 70s, The Late Liz (1971). She also appeared in one in the 80s, the religious flick Cry From the Mountain (1986), produced by Billy Graham
Billy Graham
William Franklin "Billy" Graham, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian evangelist. As of April 25, 2010, when he met with Barack Obama, Graham has spent personal time with twelve United States Presidents dating back to Harry S. Truman, and is number seven on Gallup's list of admired people for...
. She filmed Forgotten Lady (1977) in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
and Mother (1978) with Patsy Ruth Miller
Patsy Ruth Miller
Patsy Ruth Miller was an American film actress.After being discovered by the actress Alla Nazimova at a Hollywood party, Patsy Ruth Miller got her first break with a small role in Camille, which starred Rudolph Valentino...
. Mother had a premiere at Museum of Modern Art
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
In 1964, along with actors Victor Jory
Victor Jory
Victor Jory was a Canadian actor.-Biography:Born in Dawson City, Yukon, Jory was the boxing and wrestling champion of the Coast Guard during his military service, and he kept his burly physique. He toured with theater troupes and appeared on Broadway, before making his Hollywood debut in 1930...
and Susan Seaforth, Gray testified before the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
as part of "Project Prayer", arguing in favor of Constitutional amendment allowing school prayer
School prayer
School prayer in its common usage refers to state-approved prayer by students in state schools. Depending on the country and the type of school, organized prayer may be required, permitted, or prohibited...
.
Television
From the 1950s, she guest starred in episodes of television series such as MaverickMaverick (TV series)
Maverick is a western television series with comedic overtones created by Roy Huggins. The show ran from September 22, 1957 to July 8, 1962 on ABC and stars James Garner as Bret Maverick, a cagey, articulate cardsharp. Eight episodes into the first season, he was joined by Jack Kelly as his brother...
, Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
, Mr. Ed, Rawhide
Rawhide (TV series)
Rawhide is an American Western series that aired for eight seasons on the CBS network on Friday nights, from January 9, 1959 to September 3, 1965, before moving to Tuesday nights from September 14, 1965 until January 4, 1966, with a total of 217 black-and-white episodes...
, 77 Sunset Strip
77 Sunset Strip
77 Sunset Strip is an hour-length American television private detective series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Roger Smith, and Edd Byrnes....
, Bonanza
Bonanza
Bonanza is an American western television series that both ran on and was a production of NBC from September 12, 1959 to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 430 episodes, it ranks as the second longest running western series and still continues to air in syndication. It centers on the...
, and The Deputy
The Deputy (TV series)
The Deputy is a 1959-1961 half-hour NBC western series featuring Henry Fonda as Chief Marshal Simon Fry of the Arizona Territory and Allen Case as Deputy Clay McCord, a storekeeper who tried to avoid using a gun.-Production:...
, Have Gun Will Travel, Perry Mason
Perry Mason (TV series)
Perry Mason is an American legal drama produced by Paisano Productions that ran from September 1957 to May 1966 on CBS. The title character, portrayed by Raymond Burr, is a fictional Los Angeles defense attorney who originally appeared in detective fiction by Erle Stanley Gardner...
, Family Affair
Family Affair
Family Affair is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from September 12, 1966 to September 9, 1971. The series explored the trials of well-to-do civil engineer and bachelor Bill Davis as he attempted to raise his brother's orphaned children in his luxury New York City apartment. Davis' traditional...
, Ironside
Ironside (TV series)
Ironside is a Universal television series which ran on NBC from September 14, 1967 to January 16, 1975. The show starred Raymond Burr as the wheelchair-using Chief of Detectives, Robert T. Ironside. The character's debut was in a TV-movie on March 28, 1967. The original title of the show in the...
and The Name of the Game
The Name of the Game (TV series)
The Name of the Game is an American television series starring Tony Franciosa, Gene Barry, and Robert Stack that ran from 1968 to 1971 on NBC, totaling 76 episodes of 90 minutes. It was a pioneering wheel series, setting the stage for the likes of The Bold Ones and the NBC Mystery Movie in the 1970s...
, among dozens of others.
Personal life
Gray married Rodney Amateau, a screenwriter, on August 10, 1945. They divorced on February 11, 1949. They had one daughter, Susan (born 1946). Her second husband was William Clymer Bidlack, an aviation executive. They were married from July 14, 1953 until his death in 1978. They have one child, a son named Bruce Robin Bidlack, born 1954.She has been married to Fritz Zeiser since 1979. They are involved with the non-profit volunteer organization Prison Fellowship
Prison Fellowship
Prison Fellowship is a Christian prison outreach and criminal justice reform organization. Its programs reach prisoners, ex-prisoners, and families of prisoners throughout the United States and, through Prison Fellowship International , in 112 countries worldwide.- Leadership :Charles W...
, founded in 1976 by Chuck Colson (a former prisoner himself for his involvement in the Watergate scandal
Watergate scandal
The Watergate scandal was a political scandal during the 1970s in the United States resulting from the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., and the Nixon administration's attempted cover-up of its involvement...
), which assists the church in ministering to prisoners and their families, as well as their victims.
Quotes
"When I attended the University, I daydreamed about being a movie star. I would do my dressing room in Early American and give lovely presents to my make-up man and hairdresser for making me look so lovely, and so on. When I got my contract at 20th I was in seventh heaven, but I found out that a movie career is mostly hard work laced with disappointments".—Coleen Gray, quoted in The Boston Sunday Post, November 9, 1947Partial filmography
- Kiss of DeathKiss of Death (1947 film)Kiss of Death is a 1947 film noir movie directed by Henry Hathaway and written by Ben Hecht and Charles Lederer from a story by Eleazar Lipsky. The story revolves around the film's protagonist, a former robber, and the antagonist, the ruthless, violent Tommy Udo...
(1947) - Nightmare Alley (1947)
- Red River (1948)
- Father Is a BachelorFather Is a BachelorFather Is a Bachelor is a 1950 romantic comedy film starring William Holden and Coleen Gray.-Plot:Carefree vagabond Johnny Rutledge is stuck in a small town when his medicine show employer and friend Professor Mordecai Ford is put in jail. He befriends a young girl named May Chalotte...
(1950) - Riding HighRiding High (1950 film)Riding High is a black and white musical racetrack film featuring Bing Crosby and directed by Frank Capra in which the songs were actually sung as the movie was being filmed instead of the customary lip-synching to previous recordings. The movie is a remake of an earlier Capra film called...
(1950) - The Sleeping CityThe Sleeping CityThe Sleeping City is a 1950 film noir, shot in semidocumentary style, starring Richard Conte. Set in and shot at New York's Bellevue Hospital, it was directed by George Sherman....
(1950) - I'll Get You for ThisI'll Get You for ThisI'll Get You for This is a 1951 UK black-and-white film made by Kaydor. It was directed by Joseph M...
(1951) - Kansas City Confidential (1952)
- Sabre Jet (1953)
- Tennessee's PartnerTennessee's PartnerTennessee's Partner is a Western film starring Ronald Reagan in what Peter Bogdanovich calls his "most likeable performance." It co-starred John Payne as Tennessee....
(1955) - The Killing (1956)
- Death of a ScoundrelDeath of a ScoundrelDeath of a Scoundrel is a 1956 film starring George Sanders, Zsa Zsa Gabor and Yvonne De Carlo. It was written and directed by Charles Martin.Death of a Scoundrel is a fictionalized adaptation of the life and mysterious death of Serge Rubenstein....
(1956) - The Leech WomanThe Leech Woman-Plot:A mysterious old woman approaches Dr. Paul Talbot and promises to reveal to him the secret of eternal youth. Following her to Africa, he and his wife June Talbot witness the secret ceremony that utilizes orchid pollen and a victim's pineal gland secretions...
(1960) - The Phantom PlanetThe Phantom PlanetThe Phantom Planet is a science fiction film directed by William Marshall.Footage from the film was used in a 2010 advertising campaign for La Quinta Inns and Suites, an American hotel chain...
(1961) - P.J. (1968)
- MotherMotherA mother, mum, mom, momma, or mama is a woman who has raised a child, given birth to a child, and/or supplied the ovum that grew into a child. Because of the complexity and differences of a mother's social, cultural, and religious definitions and roles, it is challenging to specify a universally...
(1978)
