Diane Jergens (born Dianne Irgens; March 31, 1935 – October 9, 2018) was an American film and television actress.

Early years

Jergens was the daughter of Norman C. Irgens, an alderman in Minneapolis, and his wife. In 1944, at age 8, she auditioned for two film studios in Hollywood and was asked to return to make a film. In 1950, the family moved to Hollywood. When Jergens was 16, she was a member of the Heidt Steppers dancing troupe, which was part of the

Horace Heidt Horace Heidt (May 21, 1901 – December 1, 1986) was an American pianist, big band leader, and radio and television personality. His band, Horace Heidt and his Musical Knights, toured vaudeville and performed on radio and television during the 19 ...

Show. Soon after Jergens graduated from Hollywood High School, she performed as a singer on tour with composer

Jimmy McHugh James Francis McHugh (July 10, 1894 – May 23, 1969) was an American composer. One of the most prolific songwriters from the 1920s to the 1950s, he is credited with over 500 songs. His songs were recorded by many artists, including Chet Baker, Ju ...

Career

She made her screen debut in the 1946 film '' Ginger''. She was featured in such 1950s films as ''

The FBI Story ''The FBI Story'' is a 1959 American drama film starring James Stewart, and produced and directed by Mervyn LeRoy. The screenplay by Richard L. Breen and John Twist is based on a book by Don Whitehead. Plot John Michael ("Chip") Hardesty ( Jam ...

'' with James Stewart and ''

Desk Set ''Desk Set'' (released as ''His Other Woman'' in the UK) is a 1957 American romantic comedy film directed by Walter Lang and starring Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. The screenplay was written by Phoebe Ephron and Henry Ephron from the 1955 p ...

'' starring

Spencer Tracy Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was an American actor. He was known for his natural performing style and versatility. One of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, Tracy was the first actor to win two cons ...

and Katharine Hepburn. Her other films included leading roles in '' High School Confidential'' and '' Island of Lost Women''. On television, she portrayed Francine Williams on ''

The Bob Cummings Show ''The Bob Cummings Show'' (also known in reruns as ''Love That Bob'') is an American sitcom starring Bob Cummings, which was broadcast from January 2, 1955, to September 15, 1959. The program began with a half-season run on NBC, then ran for tw ...

'' in the 1955–1956 season, and she had a recurring role on ''

The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show ''The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show'', sometimes called ''The Burns and Allen Show'', was a half-hour television situation comedy broadcast from 1950 to 1958 on CBS. It starred George Burns and Gracie Allen, one of the most enduring acts in ...

''. She also appeared on other TV shows such as '' Dragnet'', ''

The Danny Thomas Show ''The Danny Thomas Show'' (titled ''Make Room for Daddy'' for its first three seasons) is an American sitcom that ran from 1953 to 1957 on ABC and from 1957 to 1964 on CBS. Starring Danny Thomas as a successful night club entertainer, the show f ...

'', ''

The Addams Family ''The Addams Family'' is a fictional family created by American cartoonist Charles Addams. They originally appeared in a series of 150 unrelated single-panel cartoons, about half of which were originally published in ''The New Yorker'' over ...

'', and ''

77 Sunset Strip ''77 Sunset Strip'' is an American television private detective drama series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Roger Smith, Richard Long (from 1960 to 1961) and Edd Byrnes (billed as Edward Byrnes). Each episode was o ...

''.

Personal life

Jergens was married to actor Peter Brown between 1958 and 1960. In 1962, she wed musician and songwriter

Randy Sparks Randy Sparks (born July 29, 1933, Leavenworth, Kansas) is an American musician, singer-songwriter and founder of The New Christy Minstrels and The Back Porch Majority. Biography Sparks grew up in Oakland, California, and attended the Universit ...

. They had four children, Kevin Ray Sparks, Melinda Anne Sparks & Cameron Michael Sparks (twins), and Amanda Hamilton Sparks. She died on October 9, 2018.

Filmography

References

External links

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Diane Jergens
at the American Film Institute 1935 births 2018 deaths American film actresses American television actresses Actresses from Minneapolis 21st-century American women {{US-actress-stub