Jean Parker (born Lois May Green; August , â€" November , )[a] was an
American film and stage actress. A native of Montana, Parker's parents
were indigent during the Great Depression, and she was adopted by a
family in Pasadena, California at age . She initially aspired to have
a career as an illustrator and artist, and was discovered at age by
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer executive Louis B. Mayer after a photograph of her
was published in a Los Angeles newspaper following her winning a
poster contest.She made her feature film debut in the pre-code drama
Divorce in the Family (), before being loaned to Columbia Pictures,
who cast her in Frank Capra's Lady for a Day (). The same year, she
starred as Elizabeth March in George Cukor's adaptation of Little
Women opposite Katharine Hepburn, Joan Bennett, and Frances Dee.
Subsequent roles included lead parts in the drama Sequoia (), and in
the British comedy-fantasy The Ghost Goes West ().Parker later starred
in the Laurel and Hardy comedy The Flying Deuces (), followed by the
sports film The Pittsburgh Kid (), and the film noir Dead Man's Eyes
(), opposite Lon Chaney Jr. Parker made her Broadway debut in ,
playing the title role of Loco, followed by a leading role in the
Broadway production of Burlesque (â€") opposite Bert Lahr. In , Parker
replaced Judy Holliday for the national Broadway touring production of
Garson Kanin's Born Yesterday, which earned her favorable reviews. The
following year, she appeared opposite Gregory Peck in a stage
production of the comedy Light Up the Sky.By the s, Parker's film
career had slowed, though she continued to appear in a small number of
films, including supporting parts in the Westerns The Gunfighter ()
and Toughest Man in Arizona (), and the film noir Black Tuesday ().
She gave birth to her only child, son Robert Lowery Hanks Jr., in ,
from her fourth marriage to actor Robert Lowery. Parker made her final
film appearance in 's Apache Uprising. Parker spent her later years
residing in California, where she died of a stroke at the Motion
Picture and Television Country House and Hospital in Los Angeles in .
American film and stage actress. A native of Montana, Parker's parents
were indigent during the Great Depression, and she was adopted by a
family in Pasadena, California at age . She initially aspired to have
a career as an illustrator and artist, and was discovered at age by
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer executive Louis B. Mayer after a photograph of her
was published in a Los Angeles newspaper following her winning a
poster contest.She made her feature film debut in the pre-code drama
Divorce in the Family (), before being loaned to Columbia Pictures,
who cast her in Frank Capra's Lady for a Day (). The same year, she
starred as Elizabeth March in George Cukor's adaptation of Little
Women opposite Katharine Hepburn, Joan Bennett, and Frances Dee.
Subsequent roles included lead parts in the drama Sequoia (), and in
the British comedy-fantasy The Ghost Goes West ().Parker later starred
in the Laurel and Hardy comedy The Flying Deuces (), followed by the
sports film The Pittsburgh Kid (), and the film noir Dead Man's Eyes
(), opposite Lon Chaney Jr. Parker made her Broadway debut in ,
playing the title role of Loco, followed by a leading role in the
Broadway production of Burlesque (â€") opposite Bert Lahr. In , Parker
replaced Judy Holliday for the national Broadway touring production of
Garson Kanin's Born Yesterday, which earned her favorable reviews. The
following year, she appeared opposite Gregory Peck in a stage
production of the comedy Light Up the Sky.By the s, Parker's film
career had slowed, though she continued to appear in a small number of
films, including supporting parts in the Westerns The Gunfighter ()
and Toughest Man in Arizona (), and the film noir Black Tuesday ().
She gave birth to her only child, son Robert Lowery Hanks Jr., in ,
from her fourth marriage to actor Robert Lowery. Parker made her final
film appearance in 's Apache Uprising. Parker spent her later years
residing in California, where she died of a stroke at the Motion
Picture and Television Country House and Hospital in Los Angeles in .
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