Jane Wyman
Encyclopedia
Jane Wyman was an American singer, dancer, and character actress of film and television. She began her film career in the 1930s, and was a prolific performer for two decades. She received an Academy Award for Best Actress
for her performance in Johnny Belinda (1948), and later achieved success during the 1980s for her leading role in the television series Falcon Crest
.
Wyman was the first wife of Ronald Reagan
. They married in 1940 and divorced in 1949, before Reagan ran for public office.
indicates that she was born on January 5, 1917. The most likely reason for the 1914 date is that she added to her age when beginning her career as a minor, so that she could work. After Wyman's death, a release posted on her official website confirmed these details.
Her parents were Manning Jefferies Mayfield (1895–1922), a meal-company laborer, and (Gladys) Hope Christian (1895–1960), a doctor's stenographer and office assistant. In October 1921, her mother filed for divorce, and her father died unexpectedly the following year at age 27. After her father's death, her mother moved to Cleveland
, Ohio
, leaving her to be reared by foster parents, Emma (1866–1951) and Richard D. Fulks (1862–1928), the chief of detectives in Saint Joseph. She took their surname unofficially, including in her school records and, apparently, her first marriage certificate.
Her unsettled family life resulted in few pleasurable memories. Wyman later said, "I was raised with such strict discipline that it was years before I could reason myself out of the bitterness I brought from my childhood.
In 1928, around age 11, she moved to southern California with her foster mother, but it is not known for certain if she attempted a career in motion pictures at this time, or if the relocation was due to the fact that some of Fulks' children also lived in the area. In 1930, the two moved back to Missouri
, where Sarah Jane attended Lafayette High School
in Saint Joseph. That same year she began a radio singing career, calling herself "Jane Durrell" and adding years to her birthdate to work legally since she would have been under age.
After Jane dropped out of Lafayette in 1932, at age 15, she returned to Hollywood
, taking on odd jobs as a manicurist and a switchboard operator, before obtaining small parts in films The Kid from Spain (as a "Goldwyn Girl") (1932), My Man Godfrey
(1936) and Cain and Mabel (1936). After changing her surname from Durrell to Wyman, she began her career as a contract player with Warner Bros.
in 1936 at age 19. Her big break came the following year, when she received her first starring role in Public Wedding.
In 1939, Wyman was cast in another starring role, in Torchy Plays With Dynamite. In 1941, she appeared in You're in the Army Now
, in which she and Regis Toomey
had the longest screen kiss in cinema history: 3 minutes and 5 seconds, until Elena Undone beat it by eighteen seconds in 2010.
Wyman finally gained critical notice in the film noir
The Lost Weekend (1945). She was nominated for the 1946 Academy Award for Best Actress
for The Yearling (1946), and won two years later for her role as a deaf-mute rape victim in Johnny Belinda
(1948). She was the first person in the sound era
to win an acting Oscar without speaking a line of dialogue. In an amusing acceptance speech, perhaps poking fun at some of her long-winded counterparts, Wyman took her statue and said only, "I accept this, very gratefully, for keeping my mouth shut once. I think I'll do it again."
The Oscar win gave her the ability to choose higher profile roles, although she still showed a liking for musical comedy. She worked with such directors as Alfred Hitchcock
on Stage Fright
(1950), Frank Capra
on Here Comes the Groom
(1951) and Michael Curtiz
on The Story of Will Rogers
(1952). She starred in The Glass Menagerie
(1950), Just for You
(1952), Let's Do It Again (1953), The Blue Veil
(1951) (another Oscar nomination), the remake of Edna Ferber
's So Big
(1953), Magnificent Obsession
(1954) (Oscar nomination), Lucy Gallant (1955), All That Heaven Allows
(1955), and Miracle in the Rain
(1956).
She replaced the ailing Gene Tierney
in Holiday for Lovers
(1959), and next appeared in Pollyanna
(1960), Bon Voyage! (1962), and her final big screen movie, How to Commit Marriage
(1969). Wyman was also a well-regarded character actress
.
. This appearance led to roles on Summer Playhouse, Lux Playhouse, Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse, Checkmate
, The Investigators, and Wagon Train
. She guest starred in 1959 on The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford
on NBC
. She was hostess of The Bell Telephone Hour
and Bob Hope Presents The Chrysler Theatre. She had telling roles in both The Sixth Sense
and Insight, among other programs.
Wyman hosted an anthology television series
, Jane Wyman Presents the Fireside Theater, for which she was nominated for an Emmy Award
in 1957. During her tenure as host, however, ratings steadily declined, and the show ended after three seasons.
She was later cast in two unsold pilots during the 1960s and 1970s. After those pilots were not picked up, Wyman went into semi-retirement and remained there for most of the 1970s, though she made guest appearances on series such as Charlie's Angels
and The Love Boat
.
and matriarch Angela Channing in The Vintage Years, which was retooled as the primetime soap opera
Falcon Crest
. The series, which ran from December 1981 to May 1990, was created by Earl Hamner, who had created The Waltons
a decade earlier. Also starring on the show was an already established character actress, Susan Sullivan
, as Angela's niece-in-law, Maggie Gioberti, and the relatively unknown actor Lorenzo Lamas
as Angela's irresponsible grandson, Lance Cumson. The on- and off-screen chemistry between Wyman and Lamas helped fuel the series' success. In its first season, Falcon Crest was a ratings hit, behind other 1980s prime-time soap opera
s, such as Dallas
and Knots Landing
, but initially ahead of rival soap Dynasty
. Cesar Romero
appeared from 1985 to 1987 on Falcon Crest as the romantic interest of Angela Channing.
For her role as Angela Channing
, Wyman was nominated for a Soap Opera Digest Award five times (for Outstanding Actress in a Leading Role and for Outstanding Villainess: Prime Time Serial), and was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award in 1983 and 1984. Her 1984 Golden Globe nomination resulted in a win for Wyman, who took home the award for Best Performance By an Actress in a TV Series. Later in the show's run, Wyman suffered several health problems. In 1986, she had abdominal surgery which caused her to miss two episodes (her character simply "disappeared" under mysterious circumstances). In 1988, she missed another episode due to ill-health and was told by her doctors to avoid work. However, she wanted to continue working and she completed the rest of the 1988-1989 season while her health was still deteriorating. Months later in 1989, Wyman collapsed on the set and was hospitalized due to problems with diabetes and a liver
ailment. Her doctors told her that she should end her acting career. Wyman was absent for most of the ninth and final season of Falcon Crest in 1989-1990 (her character was written out of the series by being comatose in a hospital bed following an attempted murder). Going against her doctor's advice, she returned for the final three episodes in 1990, even writing a soliloquy
for the series finale. Wyman ultimately appeared in almost every episode up until the beginning of the ninth and final season, for a total of 208 of the show's 227 episodes.
After Falcon Crest, Wyman only acted once more, playing Jane Seymour
's screen mother in a 1993 episode of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
. Following this, she retired from acting permanently. Wyman had starred in 83 movies, two successful TV series, and was nominated for an Academy Award four times, winning once.
, the authorized biography of Ronald Reagan by Edmund Morris, who says that the marriage certificate is on file with the State of California, with the bride giving her name as Jane Fulks, daughter of Richard D. and Emma Reise Fulks. Morris also says that Reagan hinted at Wyman's first marriage when he told him in 1989, "What you have to look at [is] that there were a few husbands before me." American genealogist William Addams Reitwiesner suggests that Jane Wyman adopted her professional surname from her German-born foster mother, Emma (Reise) Fulks, who he says was previously married to Dr. M. F. Weyman, a St. Louis, Missouri
ophthalmologist by whom she had several children who lived with Jane Wyman in her youth.
on June 29, 1937. Because Wyman desired children and Futterman did not, they separated after three months of marriage. They divorced on December 5, 1938.
In 1938, Wyman co-starred with Ronald Reagan
in Brother Rat
(1938), and its sequel Brother Rat and a Baby (1940). They were engaged at the Chicago Theatre
, and married on January 26, 1940, at the Wee Kirk o' the Heather church
in Glendale, California
. She and Reagan had three children; Maureen Elizabeth Reagan
(1941–2001), their adopted son Michael Edward Reagan
(born March 18, 1945), and Christine Reagan (born prematurely on June 26, 1947 and died the next day). This event soured their marriage irreparably. Wyman stated that their break up was due to a difference in politics. She filed for divorce in 1948; the divorce was finalized in 1949. Since Ronald Reagan is the only U.S. president to have been divorced, Wyman was the only ex-wife of an American President.
Though she remained silent during Reagan's political career, she told a newspaper interviewer in 1968 that this was not because she was:
A few days after Reagan died on June 5, 2004, Wyman broke her silence:
report of the divorce, the bandleader charged that the actress "had walked out on him." Wyman had a stepdaughter, Terrence (Karger) Melton, by Karger's first marriage to Patti Sacks, an actress.
Wyman, who had converted to Catholicism in 1953, never remarried.
's funeral. She broke her silence about her ex-husband upon his death in 2004, attending his funeral and issuing an official statement that read "America has lost a great president and a great, kind, and gentle man."
After retiring, Wyman bought a house in Rancho Mirage, California
. It was reported that she moved to a retirement community in Palm Springs
in April 2003, but after her death, it was confirmed that she did in fact die in her home on the grounds of the Rancho Mirage Country Club.
, released a statement saying:
It was reported that Wyman died in her sleep of natural causes. A member of the Dominican Order
(as a lay tertiary) of the Catholic Church, she was buried in a nun's habit. She was interred at Forest Lawn Mortuary and Memorial Park
in Cathedral City, California.
Wyman has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
; one for motion pictures at 6607 Hollywood Boulevard and one for television at 1620 Vine Street.
Academy Award for Best Actress
Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
for her performance in Johnny Belinda (1948), and later achieved success during the 1980s for her leading role in the television series Falcon Crest
Falcon Crest
Falcon Crest is an American primetime television soap opera which aired on the CBS network for nine seasons, from December 4, 1981 to May 17, 1990. A total of 227 episodes were produced....
.
Wyman was the first wife of Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
. They married in 1940 and divorced in 1949, before Reagan ran for public office.
Early life
Wyman was born Sarah Jane Mayfield in St. Joseph, Missouri. Although her birthdate has been widely reported for many years as January 4, 1914, research by biographers and genealogistsGenealogy
Genealogy is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history. Genealogists use oral traditions, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members...
indicates that she was born on January 5, 1917. The most likely reason for the 1914 date is that she added to her age when beginning her career as a minor, so that she could work. After Wyman's death, a release posted on her official website confirmed these details.
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, leaving her to be reared by foster parents, Emma (1866–1951) and Richard D. Fulks (1862–1928), the chief of detectives in Saint Joseph. She took their surname unofficially, including in her school records and, apparently, her first marriage certificate.
Her unsettled family life resulted in few pleasurable memories. Wyman later said, "I was raised with such strict discipline that it was years before I could reason myself out of the bitterness I brought from my childhood.
In 1928, around age 11, she moved to southern California with her foster mother, but it is not known for certain if she attempted a career in motion pictures at this time, or if the relocation was due to the fact that some of Fulks' children also lived in the area. In 1930, the two moved back to Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, where Sarah Jane attended Lafayette High School
Lafayette High School (St. Joseph)
Lafayette High School is a high school in St. Joseph, Missouri. It was established in 1917 , and at the time was the third high school in the city. As of 2006 it has an enrollment of some 855.-Notable people:...
in Saint Joseph. That same year she began a radio singing career, calling herself "Jane Durrell" and adding years to her birthdate to work legally since she would have been under age.
Early career
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
, taking on odd jobs as a manicurist and a switchboard operator, before obtaining small parts in films The Kid from Spain (as a "Goldwyn Girl") (1932), My Man Godfrey
My Man Godfrey
My Man Godfrey is a 1936 American screwball comedy film directed by Gregory La Cava. The screenplay was written by Morrie Ryskind, with uncredited contributions by La Cava, based on "1101 Park Avenue", a short story by Eric Hatch. The story concerns a socialite who hires a derelict to be her...
(1936) and Cain and Mabel (1936). After changing her surname from Durrell to Wyman, she began her career as a contract player with Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
in 1936 at age 19. Her big break came the following year, when she received her first starring role in Public Wedding.
Recognition and acclaim
You're in the Army Now
You're in the Army Now is a 1941 comedy film starring Jimmy Durante, Phil Silvers, Jane Wyman, and Regis Toomey.It featured the longest kiss in film, lasting three minutes and six seconds until Elena Undone beat it by eighteen seconds.- Cast :...
, in which she and Regis Toomey
Regis Toomey
John Regis Toomey was an American film and television actor.-Early life:Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he was one of four children of Francis X. and Mary Ellen Toomey and attended Peabody High School...
had the longest screen kiss in cinema history: 3 minutes and 5 seconds, until Elena Undone beat it by eighteen seconds in 2010.
Wyman finally gained critical notice in the 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 Lost Weekend (1945). She was nominated for the 1946 Academy Award for Best Actress
Academy Award for Best Actress
Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
for The Yearling (1946), and won two years later for her role as a deaf-mute rape victim in Johnny Belinda
Johnny Belinda (1948 film)
Johnny Belinda is a 1948 American drama film based on the play of the same name by Elmer Blaney Harris. The movie was adapted to the screen by Allen Vincent and Irma von Cube, and directed by Jean Negulesco....
(1948). She was the first person in the sound era
Sound film
A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades would pass before sound motion pictures were made commercially...
to win an acting Oscar without speaking a line of dialogue. In an amusing acceptance speech, perhaps poking fun at some of her long-winded counterparts, Wyman took her statue and said only, "I accept this, very gratefully, for keeping my mouth shut once. I think I'll do it again."
The Oscar win gave her the ability to choose higher profile roles, although she still showed a liking for musical comedy. She worked with such directors as Alfred Hitchcock
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...
on Stage Fright
Stage Fright (film)
Stage Fright is a 1950 British crime film directed and produced by Alfred Hitchcock starring Jane Wyman, Marlene Dietrich, Michael Wilding and Richard Todd...
(1950), Frank Capra
Frank Capra
Frank Russell Capra was a Sicilian-born American film director. He emigrated to the U.S. when he was six, and eventually became a creative force behind major award-winning films during the 1930s and 1940s...
on Here Comes the Groom
Here Comes the Groom
Here Comes the Groom is a 1951 musical romantic comedy film starring Bing Crosby and Jane Wyman. Directed and produced by Frank Capra, the film was released by Paramount Pictures.-Plot:...
(1951) and Michael Curtiz
Michael Curtiz
Michael Curtiz was an Academy award winning Hungarian-American film director. He had early creditsas Mihály Kertész and Michael Kertész...
on The Story of Will Rogers
The Story of Will Rogers
The Story of Will Rogers is a 1952 movie biography of humorist and movie star Will Rogers, directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Will Rogers, Jr. as his father. The supporting cast features Jane Wyman, Slim Pickens, Noah Beery, Jr., Steve Brodie, and Eddie Cantor...
(1952). She starred in The Glass Menagerie
The Glass Menagerie (1950 film)
The Glass Menagerie is a 1950 American drama film directed by Irving Rapper. The screenplay by Tennessee Williams and Peter Berneis is based on the 1944 Williams play of the same title. It was the first of his plays to be adapted for the screen.-Plot:...
(1950), Just for You
Just for You (film)
Just for You is a 1952 film directed by Elliott Nugent. It stars Bing Crosby and Jane Wyman. It was nominated for two Academy Awards in 1953.-Cast:*Bing Crosby as Jordan Blake*Jane Wyman as Carolina Hill*Ethel Barrymore as Alida De Bronkhart...
(1952), Let's Do It Again (1953), The Blue Veil
The Blue Veil
The Blue Veil is a 1951 American drama film directed by Curtis Bernhardt. The screenplay by Norman Corwin is based on a story by François Campaux, which was adapted for the French language film Le Voile bleu in 1942.-Plot:...
(1951) (another Oscar nomination), the remake of Edna Ferber
Edna Ferber
Edna Ferber was an American novelist, short story writer and playwright. Her novels were especially popular and included the Pulitzer Prize-winning So Big , Show Boat , and Giant .-Early years:Ferber was born August 15, 1885, in Kalamazoo, Michigan,...
's So Big
So Big (1953 film)
So Big is a 1953 American drama film directed by Robert Wise. The screenplay by John Twist is based on the 1924 novel by Edna Ferber. It is the third adaptation of the book, following a 1924 silent film with Colleen Moore and So Big! with Barbara Stanwyck, released in 1932.-Plot:In the late 1890s,...
(1953), Magnificent Obsession
Magnificent Obsession (1954 film)
Magnificent Obsession is a Universal International Pictures romantic feature film directed by Douglas Sirk; starring Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson. The screenplay was written by Robert Blees and Wells Root, after the book Magnificent Obsession by Lloyd C. Douglas. The film was produced by Ross Hunter...
(1954) (Oscar nomination), Lucy Gallant (1955), All That Heaven Allows
All That Heaven Allows
All That Heaven Allows is a romance feature film starring Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson in a tale about a well-to-do widow and a younger landscape designer falling in love. The screenplay was written by Peg Fenwick based upon a story by Edna L. Lee and Harry Lee...
(1955), and Miracle in the Rain
Miracle in the Rain
Miracle in the Rain is a novella by American writer Ben Hecht, published in The Saturday Evening Post bimonthly magazine on April 3, 1943 and adapted by him into a feature film released on March 31, 1956.-Film version:...
(1956).
She replaced the ailing Gene Tierney
Gene Tierney
Gene Eliza Tierney was an American film and stage actress. Acclaimed as one of the great beauties of her day, she is best remembered for her performance in the title role of Laura and her Academy Award-nominated performance for Best Actress in Leave Her to Heaven .Other notable roles include...
in Holiday for Lovers
Holiday for Lovers
Holiday for Lovers is a 1959 comedy film directed by Henry Levin. Based on a 1957 play by Ronald Alexander, the film stars Clifton Webb, Jane Wyman, Jill St. John and Carol Lynley.-Plot:...
(1959), and next appeared in Pollyanna
Pollyanna
Pollyanna is a best-selling 1913 novel by Eleanor H. Porter that is now considered a classic of children's literature, with the title character's name becoming a popular term for someone with the same optimistic outlook. The book was such a success, that Porter soon produced a sequel, Pollyanna...
(1960), Bon Voyage! (1962), and her final big screen movie, How to Commit Marriage
How to Commit Marriage
How to Commit Marriage is a 1969 comedy film directed by Norman Panama, featuring Bob Hope and Jackie Gleason in their only movie together. The film also stars Jane Wyman as Hope's wife, Tina Louise as record-producer Gleason's love interest, Leslie Nielsen as the straight man, and Irwin Corey as...
(1969). Wyman was also a well-regarded character actress
Character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
.
Television
Her first guest-starring television role was on a 1955 episode of General Electric TheaterGeneral Electric Theater
General Electric Theater is an American anthology series hosted by Ronald W. Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations.-Radio:...
. This appearance led to roles on Summer Playhouse, Lux Playhouse, Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse, Checkmate
Checkmate
Checkmate is a situation in chess in which one player's king is threatened with capture and there is no way to meet that threat. Or, simply put, the king is under direct attack and cannot avoid being captured...
, The Investigators, and Wagon Train
Wagon Train
Wagon Train is an American Western series that ran on NBC from 1957–62 and then on ABC from 1962–65...
. She guest starred in 1959 on The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford
The Ford Show
The Ford Show is a half-hour comedy/variety program, starring singer and folk humorist Tennessee Ernie Ford, which aired in color on NBC television on Thursday evenings from October 4, 1956 to June 29, 1961....
on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
. She was hostess of The Bell Telephone Hour
The Bell Telephone Hour
The Bell Telephone Hour is a long-run concert series which began April 29, 1940 on NBC Radio and was heard on NBC until June 30, 1958. Sponsored by Bell Telephone, it showcased the best in classical and Broadway music, reaching eight to nine million listeners each week. It continued on television...
and Bob Hope Presents The Chrysler Theatre. She had telling roles in both The Sixth Sense
The Sixth Sense (TV series)
The Sixth Sense is an American paranormal thriller television series featuring Gary Collins and Catherine Ferrar. Based on the 1971 television movie Sweet, Sweet Rachel, the series was broadcast by the American Broadcasting Company from January 1972 through December 1972.-Synopsis:Collins is...
and Insight, among other programs.
Wyman hosted an anthology television series
Anthology television series
An anthology series is a radio or television series that presents a different story and a different set of characters in each episode. These usually have a different cast each week, but several series in the past, such as Four Star Playhouse, employed a permanent troupe of character actors who...
, Jane Wyman Presents the Fireside Theater, for which she was nominated for an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
in 1957. During her tenure as host, however, ratings steadily declined, and the show ended after three seasons.
She was later cast in two unsold pilots during the 1960s and 1970s. After those pilots were not picked up, Wyman went into semi-retirement and remained there for most of the 1970s, though she made guest appearances on series such as Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels is a television series about three women who work for a private investigation agency, and is one of the first shows to showcase women in roles traditionally reserved for men...
and The Love Boat
The Love Boat
The Love Boat is an American television series set on a cruise ship, which aired on the ABC Television Network from September 24,1977, until May 24,1986.The show starred Gavin MacLeod as the ship's captain...
.
Falcon Crest
In the spring of 1981, Wyman's career enjoyed a resurgence when she was cast as the scheming Californian vintnerVintner
A vintner is a wine merchant. You pronounce it like this In some modern use, in particular in American English, the term is alsoused as a synonym for winemaker....
and matriarch Angela Channing in The Vintage Years, which was retooled as the primetime soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Falcon Crest
Falcon Crest
Falcon Crest is an American primetime television soap opera which aired on the CBS network for nine seasons, from December 4, 1981 to May 17, 1990. A total of 227 episodes were produced....
. The series, which ran from December 1981 to May 1990, was created by Earl Hamner, who had created The Waltons
The Waltons
The Waltons is an American television series created by Earl Hamner, Jr., based on his book Spencer's Mountain, and a 1963 film of the same name. The show centered on a family growing up in a rural Virginia community during the Great Depression and World War II. The series pilot was a television...
a decade earlier. Also starring on the show was an already established character actress, Susan Sullivan
Susan Sullivan
Susan Michaela Sullivan is an American actress, known for several notable roles on various television programs. Sullivan played the role of Lenore Curtin Delaney on the daytime soap opera, Another World ; waitress Lois Adams during the first season of the comedy It's a Living, Maggie Gioberti...
, as Angela's niece-in-law, Maggie Gioberti, and the relatively unknown actor Lorenzo Lamas
Lorenzo Lamas
Lorenzo Lamas y de Santos is an American actor. Lamas is known for playing Lance Cumson on the popular 1980s soap opera Falcon Crest, Reno Raines on the 1990s crime drama Renegade, and Hector Ramirez on the daytime soap opera The Bold and The Beautiful...
as Angela's irresponsible grandson, Lance Cumson. The on- and off-screen chemistry between Wyman and Lamas helped fuel the series' success. In its first season, Falcon Crest was a ratings hit, behind other 1980s prime-time soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
s, such as Dallas
Dallas (TV series)
Dallas is an American serial drama/prime time soap opera that revolves around the Ewings, a wealthy Texas family in the oil and cattle-ranching industries. Throughout the series, Larry Hagman stars as greedy, scheming oil baron J. R. Ewing...
and Knots Landing
Knots Landing
Knots Landing is an American primetime television soap opera that aired from December 27, 1979 to May 13, 1993 on CBS. Set in a fictitious coastal suburb of Los Angeles in California, the show centered on the lives of four married couples living in a cul-de-sac, Seaview Circle...
, but initially ahead of rival soap Dynasty
Dynasty (TV series)
Dynasty is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12, 1981 to May 11, 1989. It was created by Richard & Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron Spelling, and revolved around the Carringtons, a wealthy oil family living in Denver, Colorado...
. Cesar Romero
Cesar Romero
Cesar Julio Romero, Jr. was an American film and television actor who was active in film, radio, and television for almost sixty years...
appeared from 1985 to 1987 on Falcon Crest as the romantic interest of Angela Channing.
For her role as Angela Channing
Angela Channing (Falcon Crest)
Angela Channing is a fictional character on the American primetime drama, Falcon Crest.The role was originated by Jane Wyman in 1981...
, Wyman was nominated for a Soap Opera Digest Award five times (for Outstanding Actress in a Leading Role and for Outstanding Villainess: Prime Time Serial), and was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award in 1983 and 1984. Her 1984 Golden Globe nomination resulted in a win for Wyman, who took home the award for Best Performance By an Actress in a TV Series. Later in the show's run, Wyman suffered several health problems. In 1986, she had abdominal surgery which caused her to miss two episodes (her character simply "disappeared" under mysterious circumstances). In 1988, she missed another episode due to ill-health and was told by her doctors to avoid work. However, she wanted to continue working and she completed the rest of the 1988-1989 season while her health was still deteriorating. Months later in 1989, Wyman collapsed on the set and was hospitalized due to problems with diabetes and a liver
Liver
The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals. It has a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion...
ailment. Her doctors told her that she should end her acting career. Wyman was absent for most of the ninth and final season of Falcon Crest in 1989-1990 (her character was written out of the series by being comatose in a hospital bed following an attempted murder). Going against her doctor's advice, she returned for the final three episodes in 1990, even writing a soliloquy
Soliloquy
A soliloquy is a device often used in drama whereby a character relates his or her thoughts and feelings to him/herself and to the audience without addressing any of the other characters, and is delivered often when they are alone or think they are alone. Soliloquy is distinct from monologue and...
for the series finale. Wyman ultimately appeared in almost every episode up until the beginning of the ninth and final season, for a total of 208 of the show's 227 episodes.
After Falcon Crest, Wyman only acted once more, playing Jane Seymour
Jane Seymour (actress)
Jane Seymour, OBE is an English actress best known for her performances in the James Bond film Live and Let Die , East of Eden , Onassis: The Richest Man in the World , and the American television series Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman...
's screen mother in a 1993 episode of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman is an American post-Civil War western/drama series created by Beth Sullivan. Dr. Michaela "Mike" Quinn, played by Jane Seymour, left Boston in search of adventure. She goes to Colorado Springs, Colorado where she establishes herself as doctor/adviser.The show ran on CBS...
. Following this, she retired from acting permanently. Wyman had starred in 83 movies, two successful TV series, and was nominated for an Academy Award four times, winning once.
Ernest Eugene Wyman
It has been rumored that on April 8, 1933, Wyman married Ernest Eugene Wyman (or Weymann) (1906–1970), a salesman; the marriage was mentioned in DutchDutch: A Memoir of Ronald Reagan
Dutch: A Memoir of Ronald Reagan a 1999 biography with fictional elements by Edmund Morris, a Kenyan-born writer now living in the United States, about Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States...
, the authorized biography of Ronald Reagan by Edmund Morris, who says that the marriage certificate is on file with the State of California, with the bride giving her name as Jane Fulks, daughter of Richard D. and Emma Reise Fulks. Morris also says that Reagan hinted at Wyman's first marriage when he told him in 1989, "What you have to look at [is] that there were a few husbands before me." American genealogist William Addams Reitwiesner suggests that Jane Wyman adopted her professional surname from her German-born foster mother, Emma (Reise) Fulks, who he says was previously married to Dr. M. F. Weyman, a St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
ophthalmologist by whom she had several children who lived with Jane Wyman in her youth.
Myron Martin Futterman
Wyman married Myron Martin Futterman (1900–1965), a dress manufacturer, in New OrleansNew Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
on June 29, 1937. Because Wyman desired children and Futterman did not, they separated after three months of marriage. They divorced on December 5, 1938.
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
in Brother Rat
Brother Rat
Brother Rat is a 1938 film about cadets at Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia, directed by William Keighley and starring Priscilla Lane and Wayne Morris....
(1938), and its sequel Brother Rat and a Baby (1940). They were engaged at the Chicago Theatre
Chicago Theatre
The Chicago Theatre, originally known as the Balaban and Katz Chicago Theatre, is a landmark theater located on North State Street in the Loop area of Chicago, Illinois. Built in 1921, the Chicago Theatre was the flagship for the Balaban and Katz group of theaters run by A. J. Balaban, his brother...
, and married on January 26, 1940, at the Wee Kirk o' the Heather church
Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale
Forest Lawn Memorial Park is a privately owned cemetery in Glendale, California. It is the original location of Forest Lawn, a chain of cemeteries in Southern California. The land was formerly part of Providencia Ranch.-History:...
in Glendale, California
Glendale, California
Glendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California...
. She and Reagan had three children; Maureen Elizabeth Reagan
Maureen Reagan
Maureen Elizabeth Reagan was the first child of former President Ronald Reagan and his first wife, Jane Wyman...
(1941–2001), their adopted son Michael Edward Reagan
Michael Reagan
Michael Edward Reagan is a former American radio host and Republican strategist. His nationally syndicated radio show, The Michael Reagan Talk Show, aired on stations throughout the United States on the Premiere Radio Networks before being dropped, after which it moved to Radio America...
(born March 18, 1945), and Christine Reagan (born prematurely on June 26, 1947 and died the next day). This event soured their marriage irreparably. Wyman stated that their break up was due to a difference in politics. She filed for divorce in 1948; the divorce was finalized in 1949. Since Ronald Reagan is the only U.S. president to have been divorced, Wyman was the only ex-wife of an American President.
Though she remained silent during Reagan's political career, she told a newspaper interviewer in 1968 that this was not because she was:
A few days after Reagan died on June 5, 2004, Wyman broke her silence:
Fred Karger
Following her divorce from Reagan, Wyman married Hollywood music director and composer Frederick M. Karger (1916–1979) on November 1, 1952, at El Montecito Presbyterian Church in Santa Barbara. They separated on November 7, 1954 and were granted an interlocutory divorce decree on December 7, 1954; the divorce was finalized on December 30, 1955. They remarried on March 11, 1961, and Karger divorced her again on March 9, 1965. According to The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
report of the divorce, the bandleader charged that the actress "had walked out on him." Wyman had a stepdaughter, Terrence (Karger) Melton, by Karger's first marriage to Patti Sacks, an actress.
Wyman, who had converted to Catholicism in 1953, never remarried.
Later life
After Falcon Crest ended, Wyman made a guest appearance on the CBS series Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman and then completely retired from acting, spending her retirement painting and entertaining friends. A recluse, Wyman made only a few public appearances in her last years in part due to suffering from diabetes and arthritis, although she did attend her daughter Maureen's funeral in 2001 after the latter's death from cancer (Ronald Reagan was unable to attend due to his Alzheimer's Disease), as well as her friend Loretta YoungLoretta Young
Loretta Young was an American actress. Starting as a child actress, she had a long and varied career in film from 1917 to 1953...
's funeral. She broke her silence about her ex-husband upon his death in 2004, attending his funeral and issuing an official statement that read "America has lost a great president and a great, kind, and gentle man."
After retiring, Wyman bought a house in Rancho Mirage, California
Rancho Mirage, California
Rancho Mirage is a resort city in Riverside County, California, United States. The population was 17,218 at the 2010 census, up from 13,249 at the 2000 census, but the seasonal population can exceed 20,000. In between Cathedral City and Palm Desert, it is one of the eight cities of the Coachella...
. It was reported that she moved to a retirement community in Palm Springs
Palm Springs
Palm Springs is a desert city in CaliforniaPalm Springs may also refer to:* Palm Springs, Florida* Palm Springs, Hong Kong, a residential development in Yuen Long, Hong Kong* Coachella Valley, also known as the Palm Springs area...
in April 2003, but after her death, it was confirmed that she did in fact die in her home on the grounds of the Rancho Mirage Country Club.
Death
Jane Wyman died at the age of 90 at her Rancho Mirage home on Monday, September 10, 2007. Wyman's son, Michael ReaganMichael Reagan
Michael Edward Reagan is a former American radio host and Republican strategist. His nationally syndicated radio show, The Michael Reagan Talk Show, aired on stations throughout the United States on the Premiere Radio Networks before being dropped, after which it moved to Radio America...
, released a statement saying:
It was reported that Wyman died in her sleep of natural causes. A member of the Dominican Order
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
(as a lay tertiary) of the Catholic Church, she was buried in a nun's habit. She was interred at Forest Lawn Mortuary and Memorial Park
Forest Lawn Cemetery (Cathedral City)
Forest Lawn Cemetery , renamed from Palm Springs Mortuary & Mausoleum in 2005, is a cemetery in Cathedral City, California near Palm Springs...
in Cathedral City, California.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1932 | Goldwyn Girl (uncredited) | ||
| 1933 | Elmer, the Great Elmer, the Great Elmer, the Great is a 1933 drama directed by Mervyn LeRoy, starring Joe E. Brown and Patricia Ellis. Joe E. Brown plays Elmer Kane, a rookie ballplayer with the Chicago Cubs whose ego is matched only by his appetite. Because he is not only vain but naive, Elmer's teammates take great delight in... |
Game Spectator (uncredited) | |
| 1933 | Gold Diggers of 1933 Gold Diggers of 1933 Gold Diggers of 1933 is a pre-code Warner Bros. musical film directed by Mervyn LeRoy with songs by Harry Warren and Al Dubin , staged and choreographed by Busby Berkeley... |
Gold Digger (uncredited) | |
| 1934 | All the King's Horses All the King's Horses (1935 film) All the Kings Horses is a 1935 American comedy musical film directed by Frank Tuttle, starring Carl Brisson and Mary Ellis. The film tells the story of a film actor who changes places with a Ruritanian prince... |
Chorine (uncredited) | |
| 1934 | College Rhythm | Chorine (uncredited) | |
| 1935 | Rumba Rumba (1935 film) Rumba is a 1935 musical drama film starring George Raft as a Cuban dancer and Carole Lombard as a Manhattan socialite. The movie was directed by Marion Gering and is considered an unsuccessful follow-up to Raft and Lombard's smash hit Bolero the previous year.-Cast:*George Raft as Joe Martin*Carole... |
Chorus Girl (uncredited) | |
| 1935 | George White's 1935 Scandals George White's 1935 Scandals George White's 1935 Scandals is an American musical film, written by Jack Yellen and produced in 1935 by Fox Film Corporation . It was a follow-up to the 1934 release, George White's Scandals.-Plot:The film centers on real-life stage and screen producer George White as he gathers acts for his new... |
Chorine (uncredited) | |
| 1935 | Stolen Harmony Stolen Harmony Stolen Harmony is a 1935 film about a saxophone-player/dancer who joins a Big Band upon his release from jail. The movie climaxes with an exciting car chase and was directed by Alfred L... |
Chorine (uncredited) | |
| 1936 | King of Burlesque King of Burlesque King of Burlesque is a 1936 musical film about a former burlesque producer played by Warner Baxter who moves into a legitimate theatre does very well, until he marries a socialite... |
Dancer (uncredited) | |
| 1936 | Freshman Love | Co-Ed (uncredited) | |
| 1936 | Anything Goes | Chorus Girl (uncredited) | |
| 1936 | Bengal Tiger | Saloon Girl (uncredited) | |
| 1936 | My Man Godfrey My Man Godfrey My Man Godfrey is a 1936 American screwball comedy film directed by Gregory La Cava. The screenplay was written by Morrie Ryskind, with uncredited contributions by La Cava, based on "1101 Park Avenue", a short story by Eric Hatch. The story concerns a socialite who hires a derelict to be her... |
Socialite (uncredited) | |
| 1936 | Stage Struck | Bessie Funfnick (uncredited) | |
| 1936 | Cain and Mabel Cain and Mabel Cain and Mabel is a 1936 romantic comedy film designed as a vehicle for Marion Davies in which she co-stars with Clark Gable and Robert Paige .... |
Chorus Girl (uncredited) | |
| 1936 | Here Comes Carter | Nurse (uncredited) | |
| 1936 | Butte Soule | Short film | |
| 1936 | Polo Joe | Girl at Polo Field (uncredited) | |
| 1936 | Gold Diggers of 1937 Gold Diggers of 1937 Gold Diggers of 1937 is a 1936 Warner Bros. movie musical directed by Lloyd Bacon with musical numbers created and directed by Busby Berkeley, and starring Dick Powell and Joan Blondell, who were married at the time, and Victor Moore. The film features songs by the teams of Harold Arlen and E.Y... |
Chorus Girl (uncredited) | |
| 1937 | Smart Blonde | Dixie | |
| 1937 | Ready, Willing and Able | Dot | |
| 1937 | Babette Latour | ||
| 1937 | Slim Slim (film) Slim is a 1937 movie starring Henry Fonda. The movie is sometimes called Slim the Lineman.It is a film adaptation of the 1934 novel Slim, written by William Wister Haines, which concerns linemen in the electric power industry... |
Stumpy's Girl | |
| 1937 | Little Pioneer Little Pioneer Little Pioneer was a 1937 Warner Brothers/Vitaphone short subject.-Plot outline:In 1880 South Africa, young Betsy has an adventure involving Zulu tribesmen, Dutch settlers, The Vortrekkers, and her older brother's romance of Katie Snee.... |
Katie Snee | Short film |
| 1937 | Joan | ||
| 1937 | Public Wedding | Florence Lane Burke | |
| 1937 | Mr. Dodd Takes the Air | Marjorie Day | |
| 1937 | Over the Goal | Co-Ed (uncredited) | |
| 1938 | Elaine Burdette | ||
| 1938 | He Couldn't Say No | Violet Coney | |
| 1938 | Fools for Scandal | Party Guest (uncredited) | |
| 1938 | Wide Open Faces | Betty Martin | |
| 1938 | Vivian | ||
| 1938 | Brother Rat Brother Rat Brother Rat is a 1938 film about cadets at Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia, directed by William Keighley and starring Priscilla Lane and Wayne Morris.... |
Claire Adams | |
| 1939 | Tail Spin Tail Spin Tail Spin is a 1939 aviation film starring Alice Faye, Constance Bennett, Nancy Kelly, Joan Davis, Charles Farrell, and Jane Wyman. The movie was written by Frank Wead and directed by Roy Del Ruth.-Cast:* Alice Faye as Trixie Lee... |
Alabama | |
| 1939 | Marian Bronson | ||
| 1939 | Torchy Blane... Playing with Dynamite | Torchy Blane | |
| 1939 | Kid Nightingale | Judy Craig | |
| 1939 | Private Detective | Myrna 'Jinx' Winslow | |
| 1940 | Brother Rat and a Baby | Claire Terry | |
| 1940 | Marge Allen | ||
| 1940 | Flight Angels | Nan Hudson | |
| 1940 | Gambling on the High Seas | Laurie Ogden | |
| 1940 | My Love Came Back | Joy O'Keefe | |
| 1940 | Tugboat Annie Sails Again Tugboat Annie Sails Again Tugboat Annie Sails Again was a 1940 sequel to the classic 1933 film Tugboat Annie. Marjorie Rambeau takes over the late Marie Dressler's role, and the supporting cast includes Alan Hale, Jane Wyman, and Ronald Reagan... |
Peggy Armstrong | |
| 1941 | Honeymoon for Three | Elizabeth Clochessy | |
| 1941 | Bad Men of Missouri | Mary Hathaway | |
| 1941 | Joan Shotesbury | ||
| 1941 | You're in the Army Now You're in the Army Now You're in the Army Now is a 1941 comedy film starring Jimmy Durante, Phil Silvers, Jane Wyman, and Regis Toomey.It featured the longest kiss in film, lasting three minutes and six seconds until Elena Undone beat it by eighteen seconds.- Cast :... |
Bliss Dobson | |
| 1942 | Larceny, Inc. Larceny, Inc. Larceny, Inc. is an American film. Originally released on May 2, 1942 by Warner Brothers, the film is a cross between the comedy and gangster genres. Directed by Lloyd Bacon, it stars Edward G. Robinson, Jane Wyman, Broderick Crawford, Jack Carson, Anthony Quinn, and Edward Brophy.The film is based... |
Denny Costello | |
| 1942 | My Favorite Spy | Connie | |
| 1942 | Footlight Serenade Footlight Serenade Footlight Serenade is a 1942 musical comedy film directed by Gregory Ratoff, starring Betty Grable, John Payne and Victor Mature-Plot:Tommy Lundy is an arrogant ex-champion boxer who tries for an acting career on Broadway. He falls in love with his costar , who's secretly married to actor John... |
Flo La Verne | |
| 1943 | Princess O'Rourke Princess O'Rourke Princess O'Rourke is a 1943 romantic comedy film. It was directed and written by Norman Krasna and starring Olivia de Havilland, Robert Cummings and Charles Coburn... |
Jean Campbell | |
| 1944 | Make Your Own Bed | Susan Courtney | |
| 1944 | Vivian Marsden Halstead | ||
| 1944 | Crime by Night Crime by Night Crime by Night is a 1944 drama directed by William Clemens, starring Jane Wyman and Jerome Cowan. It tells the story of Sam Campbell and his wife , who take a vacation and uncover a murder.-Plot summary:... |
Robbie Vance | |
| 1945 | Helen St. James | ||
| 1946 | One More Tomorrow | Frankie Connors | |
| 1946 | Night and Day | Gracie Harris | |
| 1946 | Orry Baxter | ||
| 1947 | Cheyenne | Ann Kincaid | |
| 1947 | Magic Town Magic Town Magic Town is a comedy film directed by William A. Wellman, starring James Stewart and Jane Wyman. It is one of the first films about the then-new science of public opinion polling... |
Mary Peterman | |
| 1948 | Johnny Belinda Johnny Belinda (1948 film) Johnny Belinda is a 1948 American drama film based on the play of the same name by Elmer Blaney Harris. The movie was adapted to the screen by Allen Vincent and Irma von Cube, and directed by Jean Negulesco.... |
Belinda McDonald | |
| 1949 | Polly Haines | ||
| 1949 | Jennifer Smith | ||
| 1950 | Stage Fright Stage Fright (film) Stage Fright is a 1950 British crime film directed and produced by Alfred Hitchcock starring Jane Wyman, Marlene Dietrich, Michael Wilding and Richard Todd... |
Eve Gill | |
| 1950 | Laura Wingfield | ||
| 1951 | Three Guys Named Mike Three Guys Named Mike Three Guys Named Mike is a 1951 American black-and-white film by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, directed by Charles Walters.Described as a "lighthearted and lightweight story" by Turner Classic Movies, Three Guys Named Mike chronicles the story of a flight attendant and three men.-Production:The credits... |
Marcy Lewis | |
| 1951 | Here Comes the Groom Here Comes the Groom Here Comes the Groom is a 1951 musical romantic comedy film starring Bing Crosby and Jane Wyman. Directed and produced by Frank Capra, the film was released by Paramount Pictures.-Plot:... |
Emmadel Jones | |
| 1951 | Louise Mason | ||
| 1952 | Betty Rogers | ||
| 1952 | Just for You Just for You (film) Just for You is a 1952 film directed by Elliott Nugent. It stars Bing Crosby and Jane Wyman. It was nominated for two Academy Awards in 1953.-Cast:*Bing Crosby as Jordan Blake*Jane Wyman as Carolina Hill*Ethel Barrymore as Alida De Bronkhart... |
Carolina Hill | |
| 1953 | Three Lives | Commentator | Short film |
| 1953 | Let's Do It Again | Constance 'Connie' Stuart | |
| 1953 | So Big So Big (1953 film) So Big is a 1953 American drama film directed by Robert Wise. The screenplay by John Twist is based on the 1924 novel by Edna Ferber. It is the third adaptation of the book, following a 1924 silent film with Colleen Moore and So Big! with Barbara Stanwyck, released in 1932.-Plot:In the late 1890s,... |
Selina DeJong | |
| 1954 | Magnificent Obsession Magnificent Obsession (1954 film) Magnificent Obsession is a Universal International Pictures romantic feature film directed by Douglas Sirk; starring Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson. The screenplay was written by Robert Blees and Wells Root, after the book Magnificent Obsession by Lloyd C. Douglas. The film was produced by Ross Hunter... |
Helen Phillips | |
| 1955 | All That Heaven Allows All That Heaven Allows All That Heaven Allows is a romance feature film starring Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson in a tale about a well-to-do widow and a younger landscape designer falling in love. The screenplay was written by Peg Fenwick based upon a story by Edna L. Lee and Harry Lee... |
Cary Scott | |
| 1955 | Lucy Gallant | Lucy Gallant | |
| 1956 | Miracle in the Rain Miracle in the Rain Miracle in the Rain is a novella by American writer Ben Hecht, published in The Saturday Evening Post bimonthly magazine on April 3, 1943 and adapted by him into a feature film released on March 31, 1956.-Film version:... |
Ruth Wood | |
| 1959 | Holiday for Lovers Holiday for Lovers Holiday for Lovers is a 1959 comedy film directed by Henry Levin. Based on a 1957 play by Ronald Alexander, the film stars Clifton Webb, Jane Wyman, Jill St. John and Carol Lynley.-Plot:... |
Mrs. Mary Dean | |
| 1960 | Pollyanna Pollyanna (1960 film) Pollyanna is a Walt Disney Productions feature film starring child actress Hayley Mills, Jane Wyman, Karl Malden and Richard Egan in a story about a cheerful orphan changing the outlook of a small town. Based upon the novel Pollyanna by Eleanor Porter, the film was written and directed by David... |
Aunt Polly | |
| 1962 | Bon Voyage! Bon Voyage! (1962 film) Bon Voyage! is a 1962 Walt Disney film directed by James Neilson and released by Buena Vista Distribution Company. Following their practice of the time, it was also issued as a comic book... |
Katie Willard | |
| 1969 | How to Commit Marriage How to Commit Marriage How to Commit Marriage is a 1969 comedy film directed by Norman Panama, featuring Bob Hope and Jackie Gleason in their only movie together. The film also stars Jane Wyman as Hope's wife, Tina Louise as record-producer Gleason's love interest, Leslie Nielsen as the straight man, and Irwin Corey as... |
Elaine Benson |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | G.E. True Theater | Dr. Amelia Morrow | Episode: "Amelia" |
| 1955–1958 | Jane Wyman Presents The Fireside Theatre | Various | 49 episodes |
| 1957 | Summer Playhouse | Host | TV series |
| 1958 | Wagon Train Wagon Train Wagon Train is an American Western series that ran on NBC from 1957–62 and then on ABC from 1962–65... |
Dr. Carol Ames Willoughby | Episode: "The Doctor Willoughby Story" |
| 1959 | Lux Video Theatre Lux Video Theatre Lux Video Theatre, is a weekly television anthology series that was produced from 1950 until 1959. The series presented both comedy and drama in original teleplays, as well as abridged adaptations of films and plays.... |
Selena Shelby | Episode: "A Deadly Guest" |
| 1960 | Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse is an American television anthology series produced by Desilu Productions. The show ran on CBS television between 1958 and 1960... |
Dr. Kate | Episode: "Dr. Kate" |
| 1960 | Startime Startime (TV series) Startime is an anthology show of drama, comedy, and variety, and was one of the first American television shows broadcast in color. The program was aired Tuesday nights in the United States on the NBC Television network in the 1959-60 television season.... |
Host | Episode: "Academy Award Songs" |
| 1960 | Checkmate Checkmate (TV series) Checkmate is an American detective television series starring Anthony George, Sebastian Cabot, and Doug McClure. The show aired on CBS Television from 1960 to 1962 for a total of 70 episodes and was produced by Jack Benny's production company, "JaMco Productions" in co-operation with Revue... |
Joan Talmadge | Episode: "Lady on the Brink" |
| 1961 | Elaine | Episode: "Death Leaves a Tip" | |
| 1962 | Wagon Train Wagon Train Wagon Train is an American Western series that ran on NBC from 1957–62 and then on ABC from 1962–65... |
Hannah | Episode: "The Wagon Train Mutiny" |
| 1964 | Insight Insight (TV series) Insight was an Emmy-winning syndicated television series produced by Paulist Productions that aired 250 episodes from 1960 to 1983. The series presented half-hour dramas illuminating the contemporary search for meaning, freedom, and love... |
Marie | Episode: "The Hermit" |
| 1966 | Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre is an anthology television series, sponsored by Chrysler Corporation, which ran on NBC from 1963 through 1967... |
Addie Joslin | Episode: "When Hell Froze" |
| 1967 | Insight Insight (TV series) Insight was an Emmy-winning syndicated television series produced by Paulist Productions that aired 250 episodes from 1960 to 1983. The series presented half-hour dramas illuminating the contemporary search for meaning, freedom, and love... |
Episode: "Why Does God Allow Men to Suffer?" | |
| 1968 | Clara Appleby | Episode: "18.9" | |
| 1970 | My Three Sons My Three Sons My Three Sons is an American situation comedy. The series ran from 1960 to 1965 on ABC, and moved to CBS until its end on August 24, 1972. My Three Sons chronicles the life of a widower and aeronautical engineer named Steven Douglas , raising his three sons.The series was a cornerstone of the CBS... |
Sylvia Cannon | Episode: "Who Is Sylvia?" |
| 1971 | Mary Bloomquist | TV movie | |
| 1972 | Ruth Ames | Episode: "If I Should Die Before I Wake" | |
| 1972 | Dr. Amanda Fallon | Episode: "Discovery at Fourteen" | |
| 1973 | Dr. Amanda Fallon | Episode: "And Other Springs I May Not See" | |
| 1973 | Amanda Fallon Amanda Fallon Amanda Fallon is a 1973 American TV drama film directed by Jack Laird.-Cast:*Jane Wyman ... Dr. Amanda Fallon*Laurie Prange ... Joyce Cummings*Kathleen Nolan ... Carol Steadman*Leslie Nielsen ... Mr. Cummings*Pat O'Brien ... Emory... |
Dr. Amanda Fallon | TV movie |
| 1974 | Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law is an American legal drama, jointly created by David Victor and former law professor Jerry McNeely, that starred actor Arthur Hill. The series was broadcast on ABC from 1971 to 1974... |
Sophia Ryder | Episode: "The Desertion of Keith Ryder" |
| 1979 | Granny Arrowroot | TV movie | |
| 1980 | Sister Patricia | 1 episode | |
| 1980 | Charlie's Angels Charlie's Angels Charlie's Angels is a television series about three women who work for a private investigation agency, and is one of the first shows to showcase women in roles traditionally reserved for men... |
Eleanor Willard | Episode: "To See an Angel Die" |
| 1981–1990 | Falcon Crest Falcon Crest Falcon Crest is an American primetime television soap opera which aired on the CBS network for nine seasons, from December 4, 1981 to May 17, 1990. A total of 227 episodes were produced.... |
Angela Channing | 228 episodes |
| 1993 | Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman is an American post-Civil War western/drama series created by Beth Sullivan. Dr. Michaela "Mike" Quinn, played by Jane Seymour, left Boston in search of adventure. She goes to Colorado Springs, Colorado where she establishes herself as doctor/adviser.The show ran on CBS... |
Elizabeth Quinn | Episode: "The Visitor" |
Television work
- Fireside TheaterFireside TheaterFireside Theater is an American anthology drama series that ran from on NBC from 1949 to 1958, and was the first successful filmed series on American television. Stories were low budget and often based on public domain stories or written by freelance writers such as Rod Serling. While it was panned...
(host from 19551955 in televisionThe year 1955 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1955.-Events:*March 5 – Elvis Presley appears on television for the first time...
- 19581958 in televisionThe year 1958 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1958.-Events:*January 14 – TWW, the first ITV franchise for South Wales and West of England, went on the air....
) - Summer Playhouse (host in 19571957 in televisionThe year 1957 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1957.-Events:*January 6 – Elvis Presley makes final appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show....
) - My Three SonsMy Three SonsMy Three Sons is an American situation comedy. The series ran from 1960 to 1965 on ABC, and moved to CBS until its end on August 24, 1972. My Three Sons chronicles the life of a widower and aeronautical engineer named Steven Douglas , raising his three sons.The series was a cornerstone of the CBS...
'"Who Is Sylvia"' (1970) - The Failing of Raymond (19711971 in televisionThe year 1971 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1971.For the American TV schedule, see: 1971-72 American network television schedule.-Events:...
) - Amanda FallonThe Bold OnesThe Bold Ones is the umbrella title for several television series. It was produced by Universal Television and broadcast on NBC from 1969 to 1973...
(19731973 in televisionThe year 1973 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1973.-Events:*January 4 – The record breaking, long-running comedy series in the UK and the world "Last of the Summer Wine" starts as a 30-minute pilot on BBC1's Comedy Playhouse show....
) (unsold pilot) - Falcon CrestFalcon CrestFalcon Crest is an American primetime television soap opera which aired on the CBS network for nine seasons, from December 4, 1981 to May 17, 1990. A total of 227 episodes were produced....
(19811981 in televisionThe year 1981 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1981.For the American TV schedule, see: 1981-82 American network television schedule.- Events :...
- 19901990 in televisionFor the American TV schedule, see: 1990-91 United States network television schedule.The year 1990 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1990.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
) - Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman (1993)
Academy Awards
- Nominated: Best Actress, The Yearling (1946)
- Won: Best Actress, Johnny BelindaJohnny Belinda (1948 film)Johnny Belinda is a 1948 American drama film based on the play of the same name by Elmer Blaney Harris. The movie was adapted to the screen by Allen Vincent and Irma von Cube, and directed by Jean Negulesco....
(1948) - Nominated: Best Actress, The Blue VeilThe Blue VeilThe Blue Veil is a 1951 American drama film directed by Curtis Bernhardt. The screenplay by Norman Corwin is based on a story by François Campaux, which was adapted for the French language film Le Voile bleu in 1942.-Plot:...
(1951) - Nominated: Best Actress, Magnificent ObsessionMagnificent ObsessionMagnificent Obsession is a 1929 novel by Lloyd C. Douglas. It was one of four of his books that were eventually made into blockbuster motion pictures, the other three being The Robe, White Banners and The Big Fisherman.-Plot summary:...
(1954)
Emmy Awards
- Nominated: Best Lead Actress - Drama Series, Jane Wyman Presents The Fireside Theatre (1957)
- Nominated: Best Lead Actress - Drama Series, Jane Wyman Presents The Fireside Theatre (1959)
Golden Globe Awards
- Won: Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama, Johnny BelindaJohnny Belinda (1948 film)Johnny Belinda is a 1948 American drama film based on the play of the same name by Elmer Blaney Harris. The movie was adapted to the screen by Allen Vincent and Irma von Cube, and directed by Jean Negulesco....
(1949) - Won: Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama, The Blue VeilThe Blue VeilThe Blue Veil is a 1951 American drama film directed by Curtis Bernhardt. The screenplay by Norman Corwin is based on a story by François Campaux, which was adapted for the French language film Le Voile bleu in 1942.-Plot:...
(1952) - Nominated: Best Actress - Drama Series, Falcon CrestFalcon CrestFalcon Crest is an American primetime television soap opera which aired on the CBS network for nine seasons, from December 4, 1981 to May 17, 1990. A total of 227 episodes were produced....
(1983) - Won: Best Actress - Drama Series, Falcon CrestFalcon CrestFalcon Crest is an American primetime television soap opera which aired on the CBS network for nine seasons, from December 4, 1981 to May 17, 1990. A total of 227 episodes were produced....
(1984)
Wyman has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
; one for motion pictures at 6607 Hollywood Boulevard and one for television at 1620 Vine Street.
External links
- Jane Wyman Official website
- Jane Wyman, 90, Star of Film and TV, Is Dead
- Tough Love Reminisces by Michael ReaganMichael ReaganMichael Edward Reagan is a former American radio host and Republican strategist. His nationally syndicated radio show, The Michael Reagan Talk Show, aired on stations throughout the United States on the Premiere Radio Networks before being dropped, after which it moved to Radio America...
- Obituary in the Boston Globe