Jan Duggan (born Genevieve Hussey; November 6, 1881 – March 10, 1977) was an American film and stage actress.

Early life

Duggan was born Genevieve Hussey in St. Louis, Missouri. She was the daughter of George W. Hussey Sr. and Mary E. Flynn, she had three siblings. Her father died from a gunshot wound in 1894 in an act that was considered a homicide. Voice lessons and breathing exercises that were administered for her frailty in childhood helped to prepare her for her career. She sang in light opera and in concerts in St. Louis and taught voice lessons after she moved to Dallas.

Career

Duggan started her theatrical career in 1933 after she was cast as the "Bowery Nightingale" in the revival of ''

The Drunkard ''The Drunkard; or, The Fallen Saved'' is an American temperance play first performed on February 12, 1844.

'' in the Los Angeles Theatre Mart. Her film career started in 1934, when

W. C. Fields William Claude Dukenfield (January 29, 1880 – December 25, 1946), better known as W. C. Fields, was an American comedian, actor, juggler, and writer. Fields's comic persona was a misanthropic and hard-drinking egotist who remained a sympathet ...

interpolated ''The Drunkard'' into his 1934 film comedy ''

The Old Fashioned Way The Old Fashioned Way may refer to: * The Old Fashioned Way (film), a 1934 film starring W. C. Fields * The Old Fashioned Way (song) "The Old Fashioned Way" is the English version of Charles Aznavour's ''Les plaisirs démodés'' song. The song was ...

''. Fields worked well with Duggan, and she became one of the comedian's favorites; he cast her in several of his films. Some of her other films of the 1930s include ''

Wagon Wheels Wagon Wheels are a sweet snack food sold in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, other Commonwealth countries like New Zealand and India, and Ireland. They consist of two biscuits that form a sandwich with a marshmallow filling with jam, an ...

'', '' The County Chairman'', ''

A Damsel in Distress The damsel in distress is a recurring narrative device in which one or more men must rescue a woman who has either been kidnapped or placed in general peril. Kinship, love, or lust (or a combination of those) gives the male protagonist the motiv ...

'', and '' Mountain Music'' during the 1930s. During the 1940s she appeared in '' Manhattan Heartbeat'', ''

The Big Store ''The Big Store'' is a 1941 American comedy film starring the Marx Brothers ( Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx and Chico Marx) that takes place in a large department store. Groucho appears as private detective Wolf J. Flywheel (a character name originati ...

'', and '' Dudes Are Pretty People'', among others. For 20 of the 24 years from 1933 through 1957, Duggan sang between the second and third acts of ''The Drunkard'' at the Theater Mart in Los Angeles. She estimated that the number of performances exceeded 7,300.

Personal life

Duggan died on March 10, 1977, in Anaheim, California, aged 95. She was buried in Grove Hill Memorial Park in Dallas, Texas.Wilson, Scott. ''Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons'', 3d ed.: 2 (Kindle Locations 25047-25048). McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Filmography

Film

* ''

'' (1934) - Cleopatra Pepperday * ''

'' (1934) - Abby Masters * ''

Forsaking All Others ''Forsaking All Others'' is a 1934 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by W.S. Van Dyke, and starring Robert Montgomery, Joan Crawford and Clark Gable. The screenplay was written by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, which was based upon a 1933 p ...

'' (1934) - Mrs. Cobal - Costumer (uncredited) * '' The County Chairman'' (1935) - Abigail * ''

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Mis ...

'' (1935) - Thrilled Passenger in Pilot House * ''

Reckless Reckless may refer to: Film and television Film * ''Reckless'' (1935 film), an American musical directed by Victor Fleming * ''Reckless'' (1951 film), a Spanish drama film directed by José Antonio Nieves Conde * '' The Reckless'', a 1965 Itali ...

'' (1935) - Chairwoman (uncredited) * ''

Alimony Aches Alimony, also called aliment (Scotland), maintenance (England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Wales, Canada, New Zealand), spousal support (U.S., Canada) and spouse maintenance (Australia), is a legal obligation on a person to provide financial supp ...

'' (1935) - (

Andy Clyde Andrew Allan Clyde (March 25, 1892 – May 18, 1967) was a Scottish-born American film and television actor whose career spanned more than four decades. In 1921 he broke into silent films as a Mack Sennett comic, debuting in ''On a Summer ...

short subject) -- Mary Clyde * ''

I Live My Life ''I Live My Life'' is a 1935 American comedy-drama film starring Joan Crawford, Brian Aherne, and Frank Morgan, and is based on the story "Claustrophobia" by A. Carter Goodloe. Plot summary Kay Bentley (Joan Crawford), a bored socialite se ...

'' (1935) - Aunt Mathilde, Loud Singer * ''

The Prisoner of Shark Island ''The Prisoner of Shark Island'' is a 1936 American drama film loosely based on the life of Maryland physician Samuel Mudd, who treated the injured presidential assassin John Wilkes Booth and later spent time in prison after his controversial co ...

'' (1936) - Actress at Ford's Theatre (uncredited) * '' Drift Fence'' (1936) - Carrie Bingham * '' Small Town Girl'' (1936) - Florence (uncredited) * '' Easy to Take'' (1936) - Miss Higie * '' Mountain Music'' (1937) - Ma Burnside * ''

New Faces of 1937 ''New Faces of 1937'' is a 1937 American musical film directed by Leigh Jason and starring Joe Penner, Milton Berle and Harriet Hilliard. Its plot is similar to '' The Producers'' (1968). Intended as the first film of an annual RKO Pictures revu ...

'' (1937) - Opera singer at audition (uncredited) * ''

Wife, Doctor and Nurse ''Wife, Doctor and Nurse'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Walter Lang and starring Loretta Young. Plot Cast * Loretta Young as Ina Heath Lewis * Warner Baxter as Dr. Judd Lewis * Virginia Bruce as Miss Stephens aka Steve * Jane Da ...

'' (1937) - Supt. of Nurses * '' Life Begins in College'' (1937) - Telephone Operator (uncredited) * ''

'' (1937) - Miss Ruggles * '' Midnight Intruder'' (1938) - Mrs. Randolph * '' Scandal Street'' (1938) - Vera Veazy * ''

Kentucky Moonshine ''Kentucky Moonshine'' is a 1938 American comedy musical film directed by David Butler and released by 20th Century Fox. Plot Radio star Jerry Wade's program ratings are falling and he suggests to his sponsors a show that is different and he ...

'' (1938) - Nurse * '' One Wild Night'' (1938) - Mrs. Halliday * '' The Wages of Sin'' (1938) - uncredited * ''

Thanks for Everything Thanks for Everything may refer to: * ''Thanks for Everything'' (1938 film), a 1938 film by William A. Seiter, * ''Thanks for Everything'' (2019 film), a 2019 film by Louise Archambault, * ''Thanks for Everything'' (EP), a 2018 EP by Third Eye ...

'' (1938) - Miss Twitchell * ''

You Can't Cheat an Honest Man ''You Can't Cheat an Honest Man'' is a 1939 American comedy film directed by George Marshall and Edward F. Cline and starring W. C. Fields. Fields also wrote the story on which the film is based under the name Charles Bogle. Plot Circus propr ...

'' (1939) - Mrs. Sludge (uncredited) * '' Inside Story'' (1939) - Flora * ''

The Story of Alexander Graham Bell ''The Story of Alexander Graham Bell'' is a somewhat fictionalized 1939 biographical film of the famous inventor. It was filmed in black-and-white and released by Twentieth Century-Fox. The film stars Don Ameche as Bell and Loretta Young as Mab ...

'' (1939) - Mrs. Winthrop * '' The House of Fear'' (1939) - Sarah Henderson * '' Here I Am a Stranger'' (1939) - Landlady (uncredited) * ''

My Little Chickadee ''My Little Chickadee'' is a 1940 American comedy-western film starring Mae West and W. C. Fields, featuring Joseph Calleia, Ruth Donnelly, Margaret Hamilton, Donald Meek, Willard Robertson, Dick Foran, William B. Davidson, and Addison ...

'' (1940) - Uppity Little Bend Woman (uncredited) * '' Manhattan Heartbeat'' (1940) - Wife * ''

The Bank Dick ''The Bank Dick'', released as ''The Bank Detective'' in the United Kingdom, is a 1940 American comedy film starring W. C. Fields. Set in Lompoc, California, Fields plays Egbert Sousé, a drunk who accidentally thwarts a bank robbery and ends up ...

'' (1940) - Mrs. Muckle - Mother in Bank (uncredited) * ''

Las Vegas Nights ''Las Vegas Nights'' is a 1941 American comedy film directed by Ralph Murphy and written by Ernest Pagano, Harry Clork and Eddie Welch. The film stars Phil Regan, Bert Wheeler, Constance Moore, Virginia Dale, Lillian Cornell, Betty Brewer ...

'' (1941) - Flirtatious Dowager (uncredited) * ''

'' (1941) - Henry's Wife (uncredited) * ''

The Richest Man in Town ''The Richest Man in Town'' is a 1941 comedy film directed by Charles Barton, which stars Frank Craven, Edgar Buchanan, and Eileen O'Hearn. Cast list * Frank Craven as Abb Crothers * Edgar Buchanan as Pete Martin * Eileen O'Hearn as Mary Ma ...

'' (1941) - Penelope Kidwell * '' Dudes Are Pretty People'' (1942) - Dude Ranch Guest * '' Calaboose'' (1943) - Radio Girl (voice, uncredited) * ''

The Meanest Man in the World Not to be confused with the 1920 George M. Cohan play or The Meanest Man in the World (1923 film) ''The Meanest Man in the World'' is a 1943 American comedy film directed by Sidney Lanfield, starring Jack Benny and Priscilla Lane, based upon a ...

'' (1943) - Mrs. Throckmorton (uncredited)

Select Stage Credits

* ''

The Drunkard ''The Drunkard; or, The Fallen Saved'' is an American temperance play first performed on February 12, 1844.

'' (1933-57)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Duggan, Nan 1881 births 1977 deaths American film actresses American stage actresses 19th-century American actresses People from St. Louis