Jan Clayton

Infobox Actor
name = Jan Clayton

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birthdate = birth date|1917|8|26|mf=y
birthplace = Tularosa, New Mexico, United States
deathdate = death date and age|1983|8|28|1917|8|26|mf=y
deathplace = West Hollywood, California, United States
othername = Jane Clayton
occupation = Actress
yearsactive =
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Jan Clayton (August 26, 1917 - August 28, 1983) was an American film, musical theatre, and television actress.

Career

Clayton began her career in 1935 with an appearance in musical comedy short "Hail, Brother". She followed with bit parts in movies including an unbilled role as a singing inmate in "The Snake Pit". In 1945, she was selected to play Julie Jordan in the original Broadway production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's classic musical, "Carousel". This ultimately became her most famous role, and it led to her leaving that show to star in the 1946 Broadway revival of "Show Boat", as Magnolia, while "Carousel" was still continuing its Broadway run.

The 1946 production of "Show Boat", was the longest-running revival of a stage musical up to that time - 416 performances. Clayton can be heard on the original cast recordings of both"Carousel" (1945) and "Show Boat" (1946). The "Show Boat" album was the first American production of the show to be recorded with its original cast - American Original cast recordings did not yet exist in 1927, when the first production of the musical opened on Broadway.

Later generations may remember Clayton as the mother on "Lassie" (aka "Jeff's Collie" in reruns). She played Jeff Miller's (Tommy Rettig) mother, Ellen Miller. That same year she was one of the many guest stars in a tribute special to Rodgers and Hammerstein on television known as the "General Foods 25th Anniversary Show: A Salute to Rodgers and Hammerstein". The program featured all the then-surviving stars - with the exception of Alfred Drake - of all the classic shows that the team had written between 1943 and 1954. Clayton and John Raitt, in full makeup and costume, performed the "If I Loved You" scene (also known as the Bench Scene) from "Carousel". It was the first opportunity for millions of viewers to see a scene from the musical - none of the film versions of the Rodgers and Hammerstein stage musicals had yet been released.

In later years, she appeared in guest roles on television including roles in "Gunsmoke", "My Three Sons, and "Archer". She also appeared in the 1973 television movie "Blood Sport", with Ben Johnson and Gary Busey. Clayton's last onscreen appearance was in an episode of "The Love Boat" in 1981.

Personal life

Clayton was married to actor Russell Hayden from 1938 to 1943. They had one child, daughter Sandra, born in 1940. In 1946, Clayton married attorney Robert (Bob) Lerner, brother of famed Broadway lyricist Alan Jay Lerner. They had three children: daughter Robin (born in 1948); daughter Karen (born in 1949); and son Joe (born in 1950). She and Lerner were divorced in 1958, the result of a drinking problem which she had developed following the death of her eldest daughter, Sandra, in an automobile accident in 1956 [cite book|last=Pagliaro|first=Ann M. |coauthors=Pagliaro, Louis A. |title=Substance Use Among Women: A Reference and Resource Guide|publisher=Psychology Press|date=2000|pages=40|isbn=1-583-91035-2] (Clayton later recovered from her alcoholism with the help of Alcoholics Anonymous and the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence).

Her third and final marriage was to pianist/film and television composer George Greeley. They were married in 1966, and divorced in 1968.

From 1974 to 1980, she toured the country - all 48 contiguous states - giving lectures on alcoholism in order to reach others with the same problem (In a 1976 episode of "Police Story" entitled "The Long Bull", she appeared as a character named "Janet Handy" who, like herself, was involved in counseling alcoholics). In 1978, she opened the Jan Clayton Center for Alcohol and Drug Recovery in Hollywood, California. [cite web|url=http://www.voala.org/our_programs/recovery_rehab/jan_clayton_center.html|title=Jan Clayton center|publisher=voala.org|accessdate=2008-10-07]

Death

Clayton died of cancer in 1983, two days after her 66th birthday. [cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,926209,00.html?iid=digg_share|title=Milestones|date=1983-09-12|publisher="Time"|accessdate=2008-10-07] For her contribution to the television industry, Jan Clayton has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6200 Hollywood Boulevard.

Filmography

Award nominations

References

External links

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Persondata
NAME= Clayton, Jan
ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Clayton, Jane
SHORT DESCRIPTION= Actress
DATE OF BIRTH= August 26, 1917
PLACE OF BIRTH= Tularosa, New Mexico, United States
DATE OF DEATH= August 28, 1983
PLACE OF DEATH= West Hollywood, California, United States