Kristine Miller
Encyclopedia
Kristine Miller is an American
actress who appeared in various supporting roles throughout the 1940s
to the early 1960s
.
father and an American mother, the family moved to Denmark
when Jacqueline was eight years of age. In 1938, they relocated again, this time to Long Island
, and later to California
. As a child, she showed no interest in acting. However, after she played a main role in her high school's production of American Way, her taste for show-business began to form. She saw an opportunity when word spread that a Warner Bros. talent scout was to attend one of her school's performances. The scout never showed up, so she sent a letter and photograph to the studio, and garnered a screen test.
, Lizabeth Scott
, Kirk Douglas
and Charlton Heston
, it represented quite an opportunity. After changing her name to Kristine Miller, she played her first role, an uncredited bit part, opposite fellow newcomer Lizabeth Scott
in 1945's You Came Along
. The pair would work together four times, all in films produced by Hal Wallis.
Wallis ensured Miller received billing for Desert Fury
(1947), despite her role being little more than walk-on. In 1948, she featured with Barbara Stanwyck
in Sorry, Wrong Number
, a very successful and memorable film for which Stanwyck received an Oscar nomination. Miller had expected to play the wife of the investigating detective but was cast as the girlfriend of the wife's doctor (played by Wendell Corey
).
In 1949, she moved on to a more substantial part, again opposite Lizabeth Scott, in Too Late for Tears
. Miller played Kathy Palmer, the sister-in-law of Jane Palmer (Scott), whom she suspects has murdered her brother. As she is romanced by Don DeFore
, the pair quietly investigate the shady dealings of Jane. After a string of small roles in both film and television, she appeared as Georgette in From Here to Eternity
(1953).
After establishing herself as a "discovery" of Hal Wallis, she soon found herself left behind. In Wallis' biography Hal Wallis: Producer to the Stars, she says "He didn't know what to do with me". Miller's prospects began to look a little better when she met journalist and film producer Mark Hellinger, who felt sure she could be a star. But he died suddenly in 1947, and Kristine soon found herself making a living with the usual small roles she had always been given.
In 1955, she appeared as Margaret Jones in the western
television series Stories of the Century
, with co-star and narrator
Jim Davis
. Stories of the Century was the first western to win an Emmy Award
. In this role, she replaced Mary Castle
, who had portrayed fellow detective Frankie Adams. In the last episode of the series, Miller joined Davis as Matt Clark in investigating horse theft by the outlaw L.H. Musgrove
.
. Filling her time with public speaking and lecturing on films of the 1940s and 1950s, the couple continue to reside in the coastal town today, while also running the William H and Kristine M Schuyler Charitable Foundation.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress who appeared in various supporting roles throughout the 1940s
1940s
File:1940s decade montage.png|Above title bar: events which happened during World War II : From left to right: Troops in an LCVP landing craft approaching "Omaha" Beach on "D-Day"; Adolf Hitler visits Paris, soon after the Battle of France; The Holocaust occurred during the war as Nazi Germany...
to the early 1960s
1960s
The 1960s was the decade that started on January 1, 1960, and ended on December 31, 1969. It was the seventh decade of the 20th century.The 1960s term also refers to an era more often called The Sixties, denoting the complex of inter-related cultural and political trends across the globe...
.
Early life
Born Jacqueline Olivia Eskesen in Buenos Aires, Argentina to a DanishDenmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
father and an American mother, the family moved to Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
when Jacqueline was eight years of age. In 1938, they relocated again, this time to Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, and later 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...
. As a child, she showed no interest in acting. However, after she played a main role in her high school's production of American Way, her taste for show-business began to form. She saw an opportunity when word spread that a Warner Bros. talent scout was to attend one of her school's performances. The scout never showed up, so she sent a letter and photograph to the studio, and garnered a screen test.
Acting career
After Eskesen came to the attention of producer Hal Wallis, he cast her in a number of his films. Famed for his discoveries such as Shirley MaclaineShirley MacLaine
Shirley MacLaine is an American film and theater actress, singer, dancer, activist and author, well-known for her beliefs in new age spirituality and reincarnation. She has written a large number of autobiographical works, many dealing with her spiritual beliefs as well as her Hollywood career...
, Lizabeth Scott
Lizabeth Scott
Lizabeth Scott is an American actress and singer widely known for her film noir roles.-Early life:She was born Emma Matzo in the Pine Brook section of Scranton, Pennsylvania, one of six children, to Ruthenian parents who had emigrated from Uzhgorod, in what is now Ukraine...
, Kirk Douglas
Kirk Douglas
Kirk Douglas is an American stage and film actor, film producer and author. His popular films include Out of the Past , Champion , Ace in the Hole , The Bad and the Beautiful , Lust for Life , Paths of Glory , Gunfight at the O.K...
and Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston was an American actor of film, theatre and television. Heston is known for heroic roles in films such as The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, El Cid, and Planet of the Apes...
, it represented quite an opportunity. After changing her name to Kristine Miller, she played her first role, an uncredited bit part, opposite fellow newcomer Lizabeth Scott
Lizabeth Scott
Lizabeth Scott is an American actress and singer widely known for her film noir roles.-Early life:She was born Emma Matzo in the Pine Brook section of Scranton, Pennsylvania, one of six children, to Ruthenian parents who had emigrated from Uzhgorod, in what is now Ukraine...
in 1945's You Came Along
You Came Along
You Came Along is a 1945 romance film set in World War II with a screenplay by Ayn Rand. It starred Robert Cummings and, in her film debut, Lizabeth Scott. Robert Cummings' character has the same name of his character on his 1950's television show Love That Bob.-Cast:*Robert Cummings as Major Bob...
. The pair would work together four times, all in films produced by Hal Wallis.
Wallis ensured Miller received billing for Desert Fury
Desert Fury
Desert Fury is a 1947 Paramount Pictures color film noir drama film starring Lizabeth Scott, John Hodiak and Burt Lancaster, with Mary Astor and Wendell Corey....
(1947), despite her role being little more than walk-on. In 1948, she featured with Barbara Stanwyck
Barbara Stanwyck
Barbara Stanwyck was an American actress. She was a film and television star, known during her 60-year career as a consummate and versatile professional with a strong screen presence, and a favorite of directors including Cecil B. DeMille, Fritz Lang and Frank Capra...
in Sorry, Wrong Number
Sorry, Wrong Number
Sorry, Wrong Number is a 1948 American suspense film noir directed by Anatole Litvak. It tells the story of a woman who overhears a plot for murder. It stars Barbara Stanwyck, Burt Lancaster, Ann Richards, Wendell Corey, Ed Begley, Leif Erickson and William Conrad.The film was adapted by Lucille...
, a very successful and memorable film for which Stanwyck received an Oscar nomination. Miller had expected to play the wife of the investigating detective but was cast as the girlfriend of the wife's doctor (played by Wendell Corey
Wendell Corey
Wendell Reid Corey was an American actor and politician.He was born in Dracut, Massachusetts, the son of Milton Rothwell Corey and Julia Etta McKenney . His father was a Congregationalist clergyman...
).
In 1949, she moved on to a more substantial part, again opposite Lizabeth Scott, in Too Late for Tears
Too Late for Tears
Too Late for Tears is a 1949 black-and-white film noir directed by Byron Haskin and starring Lizabeth Scott and Dan Duryea. The screenplay was written by Roy Huggins, drawn from a serial he wrote for the Saturday Evening Post. The film was reissued as Killer Bait in 1955...
. Miller played Kathy Palmer, the sister-in-law of Jane Palmer (Scott), whom she suspects has murdered her brother. As she is romanced by Don DeFore
Don DeFore
Donald John DeFore was an American actor who played "the regular guy" and "the good, ol' boy next door" in many films in the 1940s and 1950s.-Life and career:...
, the pair quietly investigate the shady dealings of Jane. After a string of small roles in both film and television, she appeared as Georgette in From Here to Eternity
From Here to Eternity
From Here to Eternity is a 1953 drama film directed by Fred Zinnemann and based on the novel of the same name by James Jones. It deals with the troubles of soldiers, played by Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Frank Sinatra and Ernest Borgnine stationed on Hawaii in the months leading up to the...
(1953).
After establishing herself as a "discovery" of Hal Wallis, she soon found herself left behind. In Wallis' biography Hal Wallis: Producer to the Stars, she says "He didn't know what to do with me". Miller's prospects began to look a little better when she met journalist and film producer Mark Hellinger, who felt sure she could be a star. But he died suddenly in 1947, and Kristine soon found herself making a living with the usual small roles she had always been given.
In 1955, she appeared as Margaret Jones in the western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
television series Stories of the Century
Stories of the Century
Stories of the Century is a Western television series that ran in syndication through Republic Pictures between January 23, 1954, and March 11, 1955.-Synopsis:...
, with co-star and narrator
Narrator
A narrator is, within any story , the fictional or non-fictional, personal or impersonal entity who tells the story to the audience. When the narrator is also a character within the story, he or she is sometimes known as the viewpoint character. The narrator is one of three entities responsible for...
Jim Davis
Jim Davis (actor)
Jim Davis was an American actor, best known for his role as Jock Ewing in the CBS prime-time soap Dallas, a role which he held up until his death in April 1981.-Biography:...
. Stories of the Century was the first western to win 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 this role, she replaced Mary Castle
Mary Castle
Mary Ann Castle was an American actress of early film and television whose personal problems destroyed her once burgeoning career. Her best known role was as female detective Frankie Adams in the syndicated western series, Stories of the Century, which aired from 1954 to 1955.-Early years:Castle...
, who had portrayed fellow detective Frankie Adams. In the last episode of the series, Miller joined Davis as Matt Clark in investigating horse theft by the outlaw L.H. Musgrove
L.H. Musgrove
L. H. Musgrove was an outlaw of the American West who was sprung from jail in Denver, Colorado, and hanged by a vigilante mob. Over a number of years, he had been was charged with several murders and the theft of horses....
.
Later years
After she met her husband, William Schuyler, she continued her career mostly on television into the 1960s, until the couple moved to Monterey, CaliforniaMonterey, California
The City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,810. Monterey is of historical importance because it was the capital of...
. Filling her time with public speaking and lecturing on films of the 1940s and 1950s, the couple continue to reside in the coastal town today, while also running the William H and Kristine M Schuyler Charitable Foundation.