Jeanne Carmen
Encyclopedia
Jeanne Carmen was an American
model
, pin-up girl
, trick-shot golfer, and B movie
actress.
. As a child she picked cotton before running away from home at age 13. As a teen, she moved to New York City
and landed a job as a dancer in Burlesque, with Bert Lahr
. Later she became a model
, appearing in several men's magazines. She also became a trick golfer, appearing with Jack Redmond.
While in her 20s, she came to Hollywood and appeared in B movies such as Guns Don't Argue
and The Monster of Piedras Blancas
. Carmen's sultry good looks, naturally dark hair, hourglass figure, and striking green eyes quickly landed her on the big screen in 1956 playing a feisty Spanish senorita named "Serelda" in The Three Outlaws, a Western based on the same events as the later Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
, and co-starring Neville Brand
and Alan Hale, Jr as Butch and Sundance. She was then cast by producer/director Howard W. Koch
as an Indian girl in War Drums alongside Lex Barker
of Tarzan fame. Koch took a liking to Carmen and cast her in his next flick for Warner Bros, the teenage rock n roll juvenile delinquent themed Untamed Youth in 1957 co-starring Rockabilly
legend Eddie Cochran
, which inspired Cochran to cover the song "Jeannie, Jeannie, Jeannie" for her.
Carmen also appeared as a femme fatale in Portland Exposé alongside Frank Gorshin
who later gained fame as the "Riddler" on the Batman series. She also appeared in the Three Stooges
short subject
A Merry Mix Up
playing Joe Besser
's girlfriend "Mary." The short is notable for the Stooges playing three sets of identical triplets.
. The show stated that Carmen maintained a "dangerously close friendship with Marilyn Monroe
and The Kennedys
" and that after the death of Monroe, Carmen was told to leave town by Chicago mobster Johnny Rosselli who was working for Chicago Mob Boss Sam Giancana
. Carmen, believing her life was in danger, fled to Scottsdale, Arizona
, where she lived incognito for over a decade. Carmen abandoned her platinum blonde locks, had three children and lived a quiet life, never mentioning her prior life in Hollywood.
Carmen's last published interview was on November 21, 2007, by SX News
, an Australian weekly gay and lesbian newspaper.
at her home in Orange County, California
, where she had resided since 1978.
She was survived by three children, Melinda, Kellee Jade and Brandon, and three grandchildren.
At the time of Carmen's death, a biographical film
of her life was in early stages of development, with Christina Aguilera
, Scarlett Johansson
, and Kate Bosworth
under consideration to play Carmen.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
model
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
, pin-up girl
Pin-up girl
A pin-up girl, also known as a pin-up model, is a model whose mass-produced pictures see wide appeal as popular culture. Pin-ups are intended for informal display, e.g. meant to be "pinned-up" on a wall...
, trick-shot golfer, and B movie
B movie
A B movie is a low-budget commercial motion picture that is not definitively an arthouse or pornographic film. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified a film intended for distribution as the less-publicized, bottom half of a double feature....
actress.
Early life and career
Jeanne Laverne Carmen was born in Paragould, ArkansasParagould, Arkansas
-Health & Education:Paragould is home to Arkansas State University Paragould, Arkansas Northeastern College, Black River Technical College, and Crowley's Ridge College. Paragould has two public school districts, the Greene County Technical School District and the Paragould School District, as well...
. As a child she picked cotton before running away from home at age 13. As a teen, she moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and landed a job as a dancer in Burlesque, with Bert Lahr
Bert Lahr
Bert Lahr was an American actor and comedian. Lahr is remembered today for his roles as the Cowardly Lion and Kansas farmworker Zeke in The Wizard of Oz, but was also well-known for work in burlesque, vaudeville, and on Broadway.-Early life:Lahr was born in New York City, of German-Jewish heritage...
. Later she became a model
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
, appearing in several men's magazines. She also became a trick golfer, appearing with Jack Redmond.
While in her 20s, she came to Hollywood and appeared in B movies such as Guns Don't Argue
Guns Don't Argue
Guns Don't Argue is a composite of three re-edited episodes from the 1952 TV series Gangbusters. The film was released to theatres in 1957 as a feature film which was produced by William Faris, directed by Bill Karn & Richard Kahn....
and The Monster of Piedras Blancas
The Monster of Piedras Blancas
The Monster of Piedras Blancas is a 1959 science fiction/horror film written and directed by Irvin Berwick and starring Jeanne Carmen, Les Tremayne, John Harmon, Don Sullivan, Forrest Lewis, and Pete Dunn...
. Carmen's sultry good looks, naturally dark hair, hourglass figure, and striking green eyes quickly landed her on the big screen in 1956 playing a feisty Spanish senorita named "Serelda" in The Three Outlaws, a Western based on the same events as the later Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is a 1969 American Western film directed by George Roy Hill and written by William Goldman...
, and co-starring Neville Brand
Neville Brand
Neville Brand was an American television and movie actor.-Early life:Neville Brand was born in Illinois. He was born to Leo and Helen Brand as one of seven children. Leo, was an electrician and bridge building steel worker in Detroit, where Neville was raised...
and Alan Hale, Jr as Butch and Sundance. She was then cast by producer/director Howard W. Koch
Howard W. Koch
Howard Winchel Koch was an American director and producer of motion pictures and television.Born in New York City, he attended DeWitt Clinton High School and the Peddie School in Hightstown, New Jersey...
as an Indian girl in War Drums alongside Lex Barker
Lex Barker
Lex Barker was an American actor best known for playing Tarzan of the Apes and leading characters from Karl May's novels.-Early life:...
of Tarzan fame. Koch took a liking to Carmen and cast her in his next flick for Warner Bros, the teenage rock n roll juvenile delinquent themed Untamed Youth in 1957 co-starring Rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
legend Eddie Cochran
Eddie Cochran
Eddie Cochran , was an American rock and roll pioneer who in his brief career had a small but lasting influence on rock music through his guitar playing. Cochran's rockabilly songs, such as "C'mon Everybody", "Somethin' Else", and "Summertime Blues", captured teenage frustration and desire in the...
, which inspired Cochran to cover the song "Jeannie, Jeannie, Jeannie" for her.
Carmen also appeared as a femme fatale in Portland Exposé alongside Frank Gorshin
Frank Gorshin
Frank John Gorshin, Jr. was an American actor and comedian. He was perhaps best known as an impressionist, with many guest appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show...
who later gained fame as the "Riddler" on the Batman series. She also appeared in the Three Stooges
Three Stooges
The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy act of the early to mid–20th century best known for their numerous short subject films. Their hallmark was physical farce and extreme slapstick. In films, the Stooges were commonly known by their first names: "Moe, Larry, and Curly" and "Moe,...
short subject
Short subject
A short film is any film not long enough to be considered a feature film. No consensus exists as to where that boundary is drawn: the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all...
A Merry Mix Up
A Merry Mix Up
A Merry Mix-Up is the 177th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
playing Joe Besser
Joe Besser
Joe Besser was an American comedian, known for his impish humor and wimpy characters, and is now best remembered for his brief stint as a member of the Three Stooges in movie short subjects of 1957-59...
's girlfriend "Mary." The short is notable for the Stooges playing three sets of identical triplets.
Later years
In 1998, Carmen was the subject of a TV biography titled "Jeanne Carmen: Queen of the B-Movies", on the series E! True Hollywood StoryE! True Hollywood Story
E! True Hollywood Story is an American documentary series on E! that deals with famous Hollywood celebrities, movies, TV shows and well-known public figures...
. The show stated that Carmen maintained a "dangerously close friendship with Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, singer, model and showgirl who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s....
and The Kennedys
Kennedy family
In the United States, the phrase Kennedy family commonly refers to the family descending from the marriage of the Irish-Americans Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. and Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald that was prominent in American politics and government. Their political involvement has revolved around the...
" and that after the death of Monroe, Carmen was told to leave town by Chicago mobster Johnny Rosselli who was working for Chicago Mob Boss Sam Giancana
Sam Giancana
Salvatore Giancana , better known as Sam Giancana, was a Sicilian-American mobster and boss of the Chicago Outfit from 1957-1966...
. Carmen, believing her life was in danger, fled to Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, adjacent to Phoenix. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2010 the population of the city was 217,385...
, where she lived incognito for over a decade. Carmen abandoned her platinum blonde locks, had three children and lived a quiet life, never mentioning her prior life in Hollywood.
Carmen's last published interview was on November 21, 2007, by SX News
SX News
SX News is a weekly gay and lesbian newspaper based in Sydney, Australia.One of several titles published by Evolution Publishing under the Gay News Network banner...
, an Australian weekly gay and lesbian newspaper.
Death
On December 20, 2007, aged 77, Jeanne Carmen died from lymphomaLymphoma
Lymphoma is a cancer in the lymphatic cells of the immune system. Typically, lymphomas present as a solid tumor of lymphoid cells. Treatment might involve chemotherapy and in some cases radiotherapy and/or bone marrow transplantation, and can be curable depending on the histology, type, and stage...
at her home in Orange County, California
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
, where she had resided since 1978.
She was survived by three children, Melinda, Kellee Jade and Brandon, and three grandchildren.
At the time of Carmen's death, a biographical film
Biographical film
A biographical film, or biopic , is a film that dramatizes the life of an actual person or people. They differ from films “based on a true story” or “historical films” in that they attempt to comprehensively tell a person’s life story or at least the most historically important years of their...
of her life was in early stages of development, with Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
, Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Johansson is an American actress, model and singer.Johansson made her film debut in North and was later nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead for her performance in Manny & Lo . She rose to further prominence with her roles in The Horse Whisperer and Ghost World...
, and Kate Bosworth
Kate Bosworth
Catherine Ann "Kate" Bosworth is an American actress. Bosworth starred in the television series Young Americans, in which she played Bella Banks. She became known with a leading role in 2002's Blue Crush. The following year, Bosworth played the teenage girlfriend of porn star John Holmes in...
under consideration to play Carmen.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | Mike and Buff | Princess Jeanne | Episode: "Princess Jeanne" |
| 1953 | Striporama Striporama Striporama is a 1953 comedy film directed by Jerald Intrator. The film starred a number of burlesque comedy, dance and striptease acts that were popular during the early 1950s. Today, it is best known as one of the few feature films starring pin-up model Bettie Page.-Plot:A meeting of the “Council... |
Venus Beauty | Uncredited |
| 1956 | The Three Outlaws | Serelda | |
| 1957 | War Drums | Yellow Moon | |
| 1957 | A Merry Mix Up A Merry Mix Up A Merry Mix-Up is the 177th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:... |
Mary | |
| 1957 | Untamed Youth | Lillibet | |
| 1957 | Portland Exposé | Iris | |
| 1958 | I Married a Woman I Married a Woman I Married a Woman is a 1958 film made in 1956, starring Diana Dors and George Gobel. It also features John Wayne in a cameo role as himself. It was filmed in RKO-Scope and black and white except for one of Wayne's two scenes, which was shot in Technicolor... |
Camera Girl | Uncredited |
| 1958 | Too Much, Too Soon Too Much, Too Soon Too Much, Too Soon is a 1958 biographical film made by Warner Bros.. It was directed by Art Napoleon and produced by Henry Blanke from a screenplay by Art Napoleon and Jo Napoleon, based on the autobiography by Diana Barrymore and Gerold Frank. The music score was by Ernest Gold and the... |
Tassles | Uncredited |
| 1958 | The Millionaire | Mary Evans | Episode: "The Wally Bannister Story" |
| 1958 | 26 Men 26 Men 26 Men is a syndicated American western television series about the Arizona Rangers, an elite group commissioned in 1901 by the legislature of the Arizona Territory and limited, for financial reasons, to twenty-six active members. Russell Hayden was the producer of the series and the co-composer of... |
Lili Mae Turner | Episode: "The Last Rebellion" |
| 1958 | Born Reckless | Rodeo Girl | |
| 1959 | The Monster of Piedras Blancas The Monster of Piedras Blancas The Monster of Piedras Blancas is a 1959 science fiction/horror film written and directed by Irvin Berwick and starring Jeanne Carmen, Les Tremayne, John Harmon, Don Sullivan, Forrest Lewis, and Pete Dunn... |
Lucy | |
| 1959 | Riverboat Riverboat (TV series) Riverboat is a western television series starring Darren McGavin and Burt Reynolds that was broadcast on the NBC television network from September 13, 1959 until January 2, 1961.... |
Janine - Blonde Girl in Stagecoach | Episode: "A Night at Trapper's Landing" Uncredited |
| 1959 | Have Gun – Will Travel | Blonde Glamour Girl | Episode: "Tiger" Uncredited |
| 1960 | Tightrope Tightrope (TV series) Tightrope is an American crime drama series that aired on CBS from September 1959 to September 1960. Produced by Russell Rouse and Clarence Greene in association with Screen Gems, the series stars Mike Connors as an undercover agent named "Nick" who was assigned to infiltrate criminal gangs... |
Francie | Episode: "The Chinese Pendant" |
| 1961 | The Dick Powell Show The Dick Powell Show The Dick Powell Show is an American anthology series that ran on NBC from 1961- 1963, primarily sponsored by the Reynolds Metals Company. It was hosted by longtime film star Dick Powell until his death from lymphatic cancer on January 2, 1963, then by a series of guest hosts until the series ended... |
Nikki | Episode: "Three Soldiers" |
| 1962 | The Devil's Hand | The Blonde Cultist | Credited as Jeannie Carman |
| 2005 | The Naked Monster The Naked Monster The Naked Monster is a 2005 American ultra low-budget science fiction and horror comedy film written by Ted Newsom and directed by Newsom and Wayne Berwick as an homage to and spoof of the "giant monster-on-the-loose" films of the 1950s... |
Mrs. Lipschitz | |