Jeanne Carmen

Infobox actor
bgcolour = silver
name = Jeanne Carmen


imagesize =
caption =
birthdate = birth date|1930|08|4|mf=y
location = Paragould, Arkansas
deathdate = death date and age|2007|12|20|1930|08|4
deathplace = Irvine, California
spouse =
birthname = Jeanne Laverne Carmen

Jeanne Carmen (August 4, 1930 – December 20, 2007) was an American model, pin-up girl, trick-shot golfer, and B movie actress.

Biography

Early life and career

Jeanne Laverne Carmen was born in Paragould, Arkansas. As a child she picked cotton before running away from home at age 13. As a teen, she moved to New York City and landed a job as a dancer in "Burlesque", with Bert Lahr. Later she became a model, appearing in several men's magazines. She also became a trick golfer, appearing with Jack Redmond.

While in her 20s, she came to Hollywood and appeared in B movies such as "Guns Don't Argue" and "The Monster of Piedras Blancas".cite news|publisher=the Orange County Register|Date=December 24, 2007|title=Pinup legend and trick-shot golfer Jeanne Carmen dies at 77; Irvine resident, known as "Queen of the B Movies," had flings with Clark Gable and Frank Sinatra.|author=Jeff Overly|url=http://www.ocregister.com/news/carmen-james-three-1948543-monroe-told] Carmen's sultry good looks, "naturally dark hair, hourglass figure, and striking green eyes" quickly landed her on the big screen in 1956 playing a feisty Spanish senorita named "Serelda" in "The Three Outlaws", "a western later remade as "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", and co-starring Neville Brand and Alan Hale, Jr as Butch and Sundance. She was then cast by legendary producer/director Howard W. Koch as an Indian girl in "War Drums" alongside Lex Barker of Tarzan fame. Koch took a liking to Carmen and cast her in his next flick for Warner Bros, the teenage rock n roll juvenile delinquent themed "Untamed Youth" in 1957 co-starring Rockabilly legend Eddie Cochran, which inspired Cochran to cover the song "Jeannie, Jeannie, Jeannie" for her.

Carmen also appeared as a femme fatale in "Portland Exposé" alongside Frank Gorshin who later gained fame as the "Riddler" on the Batman series. [cite news|last=Perrone |first=Pierre |publisher=The Independent|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/jeanne-carmen-movie-pinup-and-friend-to-stars-767820.html|title= Jeanne Carmen: Movie pin-up and friend to stars |date=January 03, 2008] She also appeared in the Three Stooges short subject "A Merry Mix Up" playing Joe Besser's girfriend "Mary." The short is notable for the Stooges playing three sets of identical triplets. [cite book |last=Maurer |first=Joan Howard |title=The Three Stooges Scrapbook |year=2000 |publisher=Citadel Press |isbn=0-806-50946-5
pages=264]

"The E! True Hollywood Story": "Jeanne Carmen: Queen of the B-Movies"

In 1998, Carmen was the subject of a TV biography titled "Jeanne Carmen: Queen of the B-Movies", on the series "E! True Hollywood Story". The show stated that Carmen maintained a "dangerously close friendship with Marilyn Monroe and The Kennedys" and that after the death of Monroe, Carmen was told to leave town by Chicago mobster Johnny Rosselli who was working for Chicago Mob Boss Sam Giancana. Carmen, believing her life was in danger, fled to Scottsdale, Arizona, where she lived incognito for over a decade. Carmen abandoned her platinum blonde locks, had three children and lived a quiet life, never mentioning her prior life in Hollywood. [imdb title|id=0285240|title=”E! True Hollywood Story” Jeanne Carmen: Queen of the B-Movies (1998)]

Last interview

Jeanne Carmen's last published interview was on November 21, 2007, by "SX News", an Australian weekly gay and lesbian newspaper. [cite news|last=Devine |first=Stephen |publisher=SX News|url=http://sxnews.e-p.net.au/feature/she-dreams-of-jeanne-1979-2.html|title= She dreams of Jeanne |date=November 21, 2007]

Death

On December 20, 2007, aged 77, Jeanne Carmen died from lymphoma at her home in Orange County, California, where she had resided since 1978. [cite news|publisher=Associated Press|url=http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jme8erPTu8Wbx-ymAw3slJdOe7HgD8TP48500|title=Pinup Girl Jeanne Carmen Dies|date=December 26, 2007] She was survived by three children, Melinda, Kellee Jade and Brandon, and three grandchildren.

At the time of Carmen's death, a biographical film of her life was in early stages of development, with Christina Aguilera, Scarlett Johansson, and Kate Bosworth under consideration to play Carmen. [cite news|publisher=China Daily|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/entertainment/2007-12/04/content_6297936.htm|title= Carmen wants Johansson or Bosworth to play her|accessdate=2007-12-26|date=December 4, 2007]

Filmography

*"The Three Outlaws" (1956)
*"War Drums" (1957)
*"A Merry Mix Up" (1957)
*"Untamed Youth" (1957)
*"Portland Exposé" (1957)
*"I Married a Woman" (Uncredited, 1958)
*"Too Much, Too Soon" (Uncredited, 1958)
*"Born Reckless" (1958)
*"The Monster of Piedras Blancas" (1959)
*"The Devil's Hand" (1962)
*"The Naked Monster" (2005)

Television

*"Mike and Buff" (1 episode, 1951)
*"26 Men" (1 episode, 1958)
*"Riverboat" (1 episode, 1959)
*"Have Gun – Will Travel" (1 episode, 1959)
*"Tightrope" (1 episode, 1960)
*"The Dick Powell Show" (1 episode, 1961)

References

External links

* [http://www.jeannecarmen.com/ Jeannecarmen.com Official Website]
*imdb name|id=0138384|name=Jeanne Carmen
*Find A Grave|id=23535598

Persondata
NAME= Carmen, Jeanne
ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Carmen, Jeanne Laverne
SHORT DESCRIPTION= Actress, model, pin-up girl
DATE OF BIRTH= August 4, 1930
PLACE OF BIRTH= Paragould, Arkansas
DATE OF DEATH= December 20, 2007
PLACE OF DEATH= Irvine, California