Jacqueline V. "Jackie" Loughery (sometimes credited as Evelyn Avery, is a retired American actress and former beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned "Miss Rockaway Point" in 1949 before becoming crowned Miss New York USA 1952 and later, was the first-ever winner of the

Miss USA Miss USA is an American beauty pageant that has been held annually since 1952 to select the entrant from United States in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operated both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA, until 2020, ...

competition (

Miss USA 1952 Miss USA 1952 was the inaugural Miss USA pageant, held at the Long Beach Municipal Auditorium in Long Beach, California on June 27, 1952. At the end of the event, American actress and Miss America 1941 Rosemary LaPlanche crowned Jackie Lougher ...

Early life

Loughery was born and raised in

Flatbush, Brooklyn Flatbush is a neighborhood in the New York City Borough (New York City), borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood consists of several subsections in central Brooklyn and is generally bounded by Prospect Park (Brooklyn), Prospect Park to the north, ...

, New York, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Loughery. She attended St. Francis Xavier Academy for Young Ladies.

Career

Miss USA

In 1952, Loughery won the Miss USA title after a second ballot broke a first-place tie. Loughery, a redhead, went on to represent the US at the first

Miss Universe Miss Universe is an annual international beauty pageant that is run by a United States and Thailand based Miss Universe Organization.Natalie Tadena (July 2, 2015"Donald Trump's Miss USA Pageant Lands on Reelz Cable Channel". ''The Wall Stre ...

pageant, where she placed ninth.

Entertainment

Loughery appeared in several films, including the 1956 comedy ''

Pardners ''Pardners'' is a 1956 American comedy western film starring the comedy team of Martin and Lewis. It was released on July 25, 1956 by Paramount Pictures. A western spoof directed by Norman Taurog, this was the penultimate film of the 16 screen c ...

'' with

Martin and Lewis Martin and Lewis were an American comedy duo, comprising singer Dean Martin and comedian Jerry Lewis. They met in 1945 and debuted at Atlantic City's 500 Club on July 25, 1946; the team lasted ten years to the day. Before they teamed up, Martin w ...

and the 1957 drama ''

The D.I. ''The D.I.'' (1957 in film, 1957) is a black-and-white military drama film starring and directed by Jack Webb. The film was produced by Webb's production company Mark VII Limited and distributed by Warner Bros. Webb's co-star was his future wife ...

'', with

Jack Webb John Randolph Webb (April 2, 1920 – December 23, 1982) was an American actor, television producer, Television director, director, and screenwriter, who is most famous for his role as Joe Friday, Sgt. Joe Friday in the Dragnet (franchise) ...

, whom she married in 1958. In 1951, Loughery appeared in the short-lived variety show '' Seven at Eleven''. In 1954, she was

Johnny Carson John William Carson (October 23, 1925 – January 23, 2005) was an American television host, comedian, writer and producer. He is best known as the host of ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' (1962–1992). Carson received six Pr ...

's assistant in the short lived game show ''Earn Your Vacation''. In 1956, she co-starred with

Edgar Buchanan William Edgar Buchanan II (March 20, 1903 – April 4, 1979) was an American actor with a long career in both film and television. He is most familiar today as Uncle Joe Carson from the ''Petticoat Junction'', ''Green Acres'', and ''The ...

and

Jack Buetel Jack Buetel (September 5, 1915 – June 27, 1989) was an American film and television actor. Life Born John Alexander Beutel in Dallas, Texas, he moved to Los Angeles, California in the late 1930s with the intention of establishing a film caree ...

in the syndicated

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

television series ''

Judge Roy Bean Phantly Roy Bean Jr. (c. 1825 – March 16, 1903) was an American saloon-keeper and Justice of the Peace in Val Verde County, Texas, who called himself "The Only Law West of the Pecos". According to legend, he held court in his saloon along the ...

'', as Judge Bean's niece, Letty. In 1957–58, she made five guest appearances 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 ...

''; three as "Joyce Collins" and the other two as "Vicki Donovan". In 1963, she appeared on ''

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a cli ...

'' as murderer Nell Grimes, the title character, in "The Case of the Bigamous Spouse." She appeared as Martha, sister of Sheriff Sam Phelps in the May 18, 1961 episode of the series ''Bat Masterson'', "Farmer with a Badge". She was featured in the film ''

Eighteen and Anxious ''Eighteen and Anxious'' is a 1957 American drama film directed by Joe Parker and written by Katherine Eunson and Dale Eunson. The film stars William Campbell, Martha Scott, Jackie Loughery, Jim Backus, Ron Hagerthy, and Jackie Coogan. The film ...

'' (1957) and top-billed in ''

The Hot Angel ''The Hot Angel'' is a 1958 American drama film directed by Joe Parker and written by Stanley Kallis. The film stars Jackie Loughery, Ed Kemmer, Mason Alan Dinehart, Emory Parnell, Lyle Talbot and Boyd Santell. It was released in December 1958 ...

'' (1958).

Personal life

Jackie Loughery and Jack Webb marriage license (cropped)

In October 1952, aged 23, Loughery married

Guy Mitchell Guy Mitchell (born Albert George Cernik; February 22, 1927 – July 1, 1999) was an American pop singer and actor, successful in his homeland, the UK, and Australia. He sold 44 million records, including six million-selling singles. In the fal ...

, a singer. After that marriage ended, she wed, in July 1958, actor/producer

. (A 1964 newspaper brief reported that Loughery and Webb were wed June 24, 1958 in Studio City.) Loughery divorced Webb in March 1964. She married Jack W. Schwietzer in 1969, and they remained married until his death in 2009.Clemens, Samuel. "Jackie Loughery", ''Western Clippings''. December 2022 In December 2022, Jackie was featured in ''Western Clippings'' where she discussed her onscreen career.

Filmography

References

External links

*
Jackie Loughery pictures at allstarpics.net

{{DEFAULTSORT:Loughery, Jackie American film actresses American television actresses Living people Miss Universe 1952 contestants Miss USA 1950s delegates Miss USA winners People from Flatbush, Brooklyn 20th-century American people 21st-century American women Year of birth missing (living people)