Maxine Bliss Jennings (March 8, 1909 – January 11, 1991) was an American actress.

Early years

Jennings was born and raised in

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the list of cities in Oregon, largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, Columbia rivers, Portland is ...

, the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Phillip Bliss Jennings. During her time as a student at the

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc, and its co-founder, billion ...

, she won eight swimming championships. On July 31, 1926, at age 17, Jennings won the Miss Portland beauty pageant, which entitled her to participate in the Miss America contest.

Career

In Paris, Jennings was a model for women's clothing designed by

Jean Patou Jean Patou (; 27 September 1887 – 8 March 1936) was a French fashion designer, and founder of the Jean Patou brand. Early life Patou was born in Paris, France in 1887. Patou's family's business was tanning and furs. Patou worked with his ...

. During her modeling years, she was featured on magazine covers. She also sang on radio and was the original

Old Gold Old gold is a dark yellow, which varies from light olive or olive brown to deep or strong yellow, generally on the darker side of this range. The first recorded use of ''old gold'' as a color name in English was in the early 19th century (exact ...

Girl. On stage, Jennings appeared in ''

Show Boat ''Show Boat'' is a musical with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It is based on Edna Ferber's best-selling 1926 novel of the same name. The musical follows the lives of the performers, stagehands and dock worke ...

'', Earl Carroll's ''Vanities,'' and ''

Ziegfeld Follies The ''Ziegfeld Follies'' was a series of elaborate theatrical revue productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 to 1931, with renewals in 1934 and 1936. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as ''The Ziegfeld Follies of the Ai ...

''. Her film debut came in a bit role in ''Girl Crazy''. Her other films included ''

Chatterbox Chatterbox also styled as CHATTERbOX was a project of the Crucified's Jeff Bellew. The project has hosted many session musicians, including Stavesacre and the Crucified's Mark Salomon, and Argyle Park and Circle of Dust's Scott Albert. Bellew ha ...

'' (1936), '' Second Wife'' (1936) ''Walking on Air'' (1936) and ''You Can't Buy Luck'' (1937).

Personal life

On September 26, 1936, Jennings married animated cartoon film producer

Rudolph Ising Rudolf Carl Ising (August 7, 1903 – July 18, 1992) was an American animator best known for collaborating with Hugh Harman to establish the Warner Bros. and MGM Cartoon studios during the early years of the golden age of American animation. I ...

in Las Vegas, Nevada. She and radio producer Ed Byron were married on May 17, 1940. She married Philip Leverett Saltonstall on February 23, 1946. They had one daughter and were divorced in 1947.

Death

Jennings died on January 11, 1991, in

Riverside, California Riverside is a city in and the county seat of Riverside County, California, United States, in the Inland Empire metropolitan area. It is named for its location beside the Santa Ana River. It is the most populous city in the Inland Empire an ...

Selected filmography

* ''

Roberta ''Roberta'' is a musical from 1933 with music by Jerome Kern, and lyrics and book by Otto Harbach. The musical is based on the novel ''Gowns by Roberta'' by Alice Duer Miller. It features the songs " Yesterdays", "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes", "Let ...

'' (1935) * ''

Old Man Rhythm ''Old Man Rhythm'' is a 1935 American musical film directed by Edward Ludwig from a screenplay by Sig Herzig and Ernest Pagano, based on a story by Herzig, Lewis Gensler, and Don Hartman. The musical director was Roy Webb, with music composed b ...

'' (1935) * '' Walking on Air'' (1936) * ''

The Witness Chair ''The Witness Chair'' is a 1936 courtroom drama film directed by George Nicholls, Jr. and starring Ann Harding and Walter Abel. Plot Late one night, secretary Paula Young (Ann Harding) leaves the office of her boss, Stanley Whittaker (Douglas ...

'' (1936) * '' The Last Outlaw'' (1936) * ''

The Farmer in the Dell "The Farmer in the Dell" is a singing game, nursery rhyme, and children's song. It probably originated in Germany and was brought to America by immigrants.I. Opie and P. Opie, ''The Singing Game'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1985), pp. 183� ...

'' (1936) * '' Muss 'em Up'' (1936) * ''

Make Way for a Lady ''Make Way for a Lady'' is a 1936 romantic comedy/drama directed by David Burton, starring Herbert Marshall and Anne Shirley. June Drew ( Anne Shirley) is the teenaged "lady" based on Elizabeth Jordan's novel ''Daddy and I''. Plot June Drew ( ...

'' (1936) * ''

Follow the Fleet ''Follow the Fleet'' is a 1936 American RKO musical comedy film with a nautical theme starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in their fifth collaboration as dance partners. It also features Randolph Scott, Harriet Hilliard, and Astrid Allwyn, ...

'' (1936) * ''

Don't Turn 'em Loose ''Don't Turn 'Em Loose'' is a 1936 American crime drama film directed by Ben Stoloff and produced by RKO Radio Pictures, who released the film on September 18, 1936. Written by Harry Segall and Ferdinand Reyher, the production’s screenplay is a ...

'' (1936) *''

You Can't Buy Luck ''You Can't Buy Luck'' is a 1937 murder mystery film directed by Lew Landers and starring Onslow Stevens and Helen Mack. Plot Superstitious New York gambler Joe Baldwin (Onslow Stevens), owner of the thoroughbred racing horse Sarcasm, believes ...

'' (1937) *''

We're on the Jury ''We're on the Jury'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Ben Holmes and starring Victor Moore and Helen Broderick Helen Broderick (August 11, 1891 – September 25, 1959) was an American actress known for her comic roles, especia ...

'' (1937) *''

There Goes My Girl ''There Goes My Girl'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Ben Holmes, written by Harry Segall, and starring Gene Raymond, Ann Sothern, Gordon Jones, Richard Lane, Frank Jenks and Bradley Page. It was released on May 21, 1937, by RKO P ...

'' (1937) *'' The Big Shot'' (1937) *'' On Again-Off Again'' (1937) *''

Mr. Wong, Detective ''Mr. Wong, Detective'' is a 1938 American crime film directed by William Nigh and starring Boris Karloff in his first appearance as Mr. Wong.Stephen Jacobs, ''Boris Karloff: More Than a Monster'', Tomahawk Press 2011 p. 223-224 Plot Simon D ...

'' (1938) *''

G.I. War Brides ''G.I. War Brides'' is a 1946 American comedy film directed by George Blair and written by John K. Butler. The film stars Anna Lee, James Ellison, Harry Davenport, William "Bill" Henry, Stephanie Bachelor, Doris Lloyd and Robert Armstrong. ...

'' (1946) Source: AllMovie

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Jennings, Maxine 1908 births 1991 deaths 20th-century American actresses Actresses from Portland, Oregon American film actresses Year of birth uncertain University of Oregon alumni Ziegfeld girls