Jean Wallace (born Jean Walasek or Wallasek; October 12, 1923 – February 14, 1990) was an American television and film actress.

Early life

Wallace was born in

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

to John T. Walaszek and Mary A. Walaszek (''née'' Sharkey). Her grandfather Karol Walaszek emigrated from Galicia. She was Polish-American. Wallace graduated from Austin High School in Chicago before the family moved to Hollywood in 1940.

Career

Wallace began her career as a model. She made her screen debut when she was 17, a bit part in ''

Louisiana Purchase The Louisiana Purchase (french: Vente de la Louisiane, translation=Sale of Louisiana) was the acquisition of the territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803. In return for fifteen million dollars, or app ...

'' (1941). By the time Wallace turned 18, she had worked as a dancer and singer, appearing as an

Earl Carroll Earl Carroll (September 16, 1893 – June 17, 1948) was an American theatrical producer, director, writer, songwriter and composer. Early life Carroll was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1893. He lived as an infant in the Nunnery Hill ( Fine ...

showgirl and at Hollywood's Florentine Gardens nightclub.

Personal life

Wallace married her '' Jigsaw'' costar

Franchot Tone Stanislaus Pascal Franchot Tone (February 27, 1905 – September 18, 1968) was an American actor, producer, and director of stage, film and television. He was a leading man in the 1930s and early 1940s, and at the height of his career was known ...

on October 18, 1941 in

Yuma, Arizona Yuma ( coc, Yuum) is a city in and the county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. The city's population was 93,064 at the 2010 census, up from the 2000 census population of 77,515. Yuma is the principal city of the Yuma, Arizona, M ...

. They had two sons, Pascal "Pat" Franchot Tone, born July 29, 1943, and Thomas Jefferson Tone, born September 16, 1945. Wallace and Tone divorced in 1948, and Tone was awarded custody of their sons.Fowler, Glenn
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

''. Obituary, "Jean Wallace, 66, Screen Actress Known for 1940's and 50's Roles", February 18, 1990. Accessed: July 25, 2013. Wallace attempted suicide in 1946 with

sleeping pills Hypnotic (from Greek ''Hypnos'', sleep), or soporific drugs, commonly known as sleeping pills, are a class of (and umbrella term for) psychoactive drugs whose primary function is to induce sleep (or surgical anesthesiaWhen used in anesthesia ...

. In 1949, she made another attempt with a self-inflicted knife wound, causing her to be replaced with

Ella Raines Ella Wallace Raines (August 6, 1920 – May 30, 1988) was an American film and television actress. Early life Raines was born Ella Wallace Raines on August 6, 1920, in Fall City, Washington. She studied drama at the University of Washingto ...

as the star of ''

A Dangerous Profession ''A Dangerous Profession'' is a 1949 American film noir directed by Ted Tetzlaff, written by Warren Duff and Martin Rackin, and starring George Raft, Ella Raines, and Pat O'Brien.Everett Aaker, ''The Films of George Raft'', McFarland & Compan ...

''. In 1950, Wallace married former U.S. Army captain Jim Lloyd Randall, but the marriage was annulled later that year. Wallace's third marriage was to actor

Cornel Wilde Cornel Wilde (born Kornél Lajos Weisz; October 13, 1912 – October 16, 1989) was a Hungarian-American actor and filmmaker. Wilde's acting career began in 1935, when he made his debut on Broadway. In 1936 he began making small, uncredited app ...

, her costar in ''

The Big Combo ''The Big Combo'' is a 1955 American film noir crime film directed by Joseph H. Lewis, written by Philip Yordan and photographed by cinematographer John Alton, with music by David Raksin. The film stars Cornel Wilde, Richard Conte and Brian Don ...

'', '' Lancelot and Guinevere'' and '' Beach Red'', from 1951 to 1981. She and Wilde had one son, Cornel Wallace Wilde, born on December 19, 1967. Wallace was a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

and supported Adlai Stevenson during the 1952 presidential election campaign.''Motion Picture and Television Magazine'', November 1952, page 33, Ideal Publishers

Death

Wallace died of a

gastrointestinal hemorrhage Gastrointestinal bleeding (GI bleed), also called gastrointestinal hemorrhage (GIB), is all forms of bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract, from the mouth to the rectum. When there is significant blood loss over a short time, symptoms may includ ...

on February 14, 1990. She is interred at

Hollywood Forever Cemetery Hollywood Forever Cemetery is a full-service cemetery, funeral home, crematory, and cultural events center which regularly hosts community events such as live music and summer movie screenings. It is one of the oldest cemeteries in Los Angel ...

Filmography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wallace, Jean Actresses from Chicago American film actresses American television actresses Burials at Hollywood Forever Cemetery 1923 births 1990 deaths 20th-century American actresses American people of Polish descent Illinois Democrats California Democrats