Jean Peters
Encyclopedia
Jean Peters was an American actress, known as a star of 20th Century Fox
in the late 1940s and early 1950s and as the second (or possibly third) wife of Howard Hughes
. Although possibly best remembered for her siren role in Pickup on South Street
(1953), Peters was known for her resistance to be turned into a sex symbol
, preferring to play unglamorous, down-to-earth women.
, she was the daughter of Elizabeth and Gerald Peters, a laundry manager. Raised on a small farm in Canton, Peters attended East Canton High School
and the University of Michigan
and later Ohio State University
, where she studied to become a teacher and majored in literature. While studying for a teaching degree at Ohio State, she entered the Miss Ohio State Pageant in the fall of 1945. From the twelve finalists, Peters won. Sponsored by photographer Paul Robinson of the "House of Portraits", her grand prize was a screen test with 20th Century-Fox. As her agent, Robinson accompanied her to Hollywood, and helped her secure a seven-year contract with Fox. She dropped out of college to become an actress, a decision she later regretted. In the late 1940s, she returned to college, in between filming, to obtain a diploma.
It was announced that in her first film I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now
(1947), she would ironically play an "ugly duckling", supported by "artificial freckles and hornrimmed glasses". She eventually withdrew from the film. Furthermore, she was tested in 1946 for a farm girl role in Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay!
(1948), but it was eventually decided she was not suitable.
as the female lead in Captain from Castile
(1947) opposite Tyrone Power
, when Darnell was reassigned to save the production of Forever Amber
. Peters, although she had not made her screen debut by this time, was highly publicized and received a star treatment while filming took place. Captain from Castile was a hit, and Leonard Maltin
wrote that afterwards Peters spent the new decade playing "sexy spitfires, often in period dramas and Westerns
." She was offered a similar role in the western
Yellow Sky
(1948), but she refused the part, explaining it was "too sexy". As a result, the studio, frustrated by her stubbornness, put her on her first suspension.
For her second film, Deep Waters
(1948), which Peters filmed in late 1947, she was reunited with her director from Captain from Castile, Henry King
. On this, she commented: "It's really a break for me, because he knows where he's going and what he wants, and I naturally have great confidence in him." The film was not nearly as successful as Captain from Castile, but Peters was again noticed. She was named among the best five 'finds' of the year, among Barbara Bel Geddes
, Valli
, Richard Widmark
and Wanda Hendrix
. She was next assigned to co-star next to Clifton Webb
in Mr. Belvedere Goes to College
(1949), but Shirley Temple
later replaced her.
Instead, Peters signed on in early 1949 to play Ray Milland
's love interest in It Happens Every Spring
(1949). For the role, she offered to bleach her hair, but this was overruled by the studio. Although the film became a success, most of the publicity went to Milland. Afterwards, she starred alongside Paul Douglas
in the period film Love That Brute
(1950), for which she had to wear a dress in which she was unable to sit. The film was originally titled Turned Up Toes and Peters was cast in the film in June 1949, shortly after the release of It Happens Every Spring. To prepare for a singing and dancing scene, Peters took a few lessons with Betty Grable
's dance instructor.
By 1950, Peters was almost forgotten by the public, even though she was playing several lead roles from 1947. In late 1950, she was even cast in a secondary role as a college girl in Take Care of My Little Girl
(1951), a Jeanne Crain
vehicle. According to a newspaper article, Peters was given the role by Jean Negulesco
by impressing him with her sewing. She once became famous for being a small country girl, but as she grew up, the studio did not find her any more suitable roles.
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In 1951, Peters, on her own insistence, was given the title role in Anne of the Indies
, which, according to the press, was the film that finally brought her stardom. Before its release, she was cast in Viva Zapata!
(1952) opposite Marlon Brando
in a role which once belonged to Julie Harris
, and she was set to play the title role in the drama film Wait Till the Sun Shines, Nellie (1952). It was the first time since the beginning of her career that Peters had received this much publicity. While shooting Wait Till the Sun Shines, Nellie (1952) in late 1951, on location in Hutchinson, Kansas
, Peters was honored the title 'Miss Wheatheart of America'.
Director Samuel Fuller
chose Peters over Marilyn Monroe
for the part of Candy in 1953's Pickup on South Street
. He thought Peters had the right blend of sex appeal and the tough-talking, streetwise quality he was seeking, and that Monroe was too innocent looking for the role. Peters was offered the role in 1952, after Shelley Winters
had already dropped out, and Betty Grable had turned it down. Because of the sex symbol status of her character, Peters was not thrilled at taking on this role. She preferred to choose her own roles, as she had done with Anne of the Indies (1951), Viva Zapata! (1952) and Lure of the Wilderness
(1952), which were all unglamorous roles.
For Pickup on South Street, Peters was advised to bleach her hair for the role, but she refused, trying to avoid comparison with Winters and Grable. However, she did agree to adopt a "sexy shuffle" to do the role. To further understand the role of a siren, she was helped by Marilyn Monroe. Peters eventually admitted that she liked making the film, in which she plays a siren
, but announced in an interview she was not willing to take on other siren roles. She was quoted saying: "[Pickup on South Street] was fine for my career. But that doesn't mean I'm going to put on a tight sweater and skirt and slither around. I'm just not the type. On Marilyn Monroe it looks good. On me it would look silly." In another interview, Peters explained that playing down-to-earth and sometimes unwashed women have the most to offer in the way of drama. She said:
Peters and Marilyn Monroe starred together in another 1953 film noir
, Niagara. It was not their first collaboration. In 1951, they both had secondary roles in As Young as You Feel
. In Niagara, Peters replaced Anne Baxter
, with whom she co-starred in the anthology film
O. Henry's Full House
(1952). Shooting of Niagara took place in the summer of 1952. Peters' character was initially the leading role, but the film eventually became a vehicle for Monroe, who was by the time more successful. Her third film in 1953, A Blueprint for Murder
, reunited her with Joseph Cotten
, with whom she previously starred in Niagara. She was assigned to the film in December 1952 and told the press she liked playing in the film, because it allowed her to sing. Shortly after its premiere in July 1953, Peters' contract was renewed for another two years.
Another 1953 film starring Peters was the film noir
Vicki
. The story of the film, which is a remake of I Wake Up Screaming
, was bought by writer Leo Townsend especially for Peters. Townsend told that he gave the role to Peters in December 1952, because she was "one of the greatest sirens he's ever seen." Next, Peters was assigned to replace Crain in the film Three Coins in the Fountain
(1954), which was shot on location in late 1953 in Italy. Peters was unsatisfied with her role and said in a September 1953 interview: "When I heard Dorothy McGuire
, Clifton Webb
and Maggie McNamara
were going to be in the picture, I thought I would finally have the kind of role that suited me. They sounded like smart, sophisticated company. But when I got to Italy and read the script, I discovered I was going to be an earthy kind of girl again. The script had me nearly being killed in a runaway truck."
Nevertheless, the film became a success and brought Peters again in the limelight. Other 1954 films co-starring Peters were the westerns Apache
and Broken Lance
. Although Broken Lance did not deliver her much attention, she was critically acclaimed for her performance in Apache, with one critic praising her for "giving an excellent account for herself", feeling she was "on her way to becoming one of the finest young actresses around Hollywood today."
Following her marriage to Howard Hughes
, Peters retired from acting, her final film being A Man Called Peter
(1955). After the release of A Man Called Peter, she refused several roles, for which she was put on suspension. Deciding she had had enough, she left Fox to focus on her private life. Producer Jerry Wald
tried to persuade her not to leave Hollywood in early 1957, but had no luck. She was supposedly discouraged to be an actress by Hughes, and instead reported in late 1957 that she was planning on becoming a producer. In March 1959, it was announced that Peters was set to return to the screen for a supporting role in The Best of Everything
. She never produced a film, nor did she appear in The Best of Everything.
Winesburg, Ohio (1973). She was not positive about the film, saying: "I am not pleased with the show or my performance in it. I found it rather dull." The verdict was surprising, because when she took the role, she was enthusiastic on the project, saying: "I'm very fond of this script. It's the right age for me. I won't have to pretend I'm a glamour girl." Furthermore, her co-star William Windom
was openly positive on his collaboration with Peters, saying she was "warm, friendly and charming on the set."
In 1976, Peters had a supporting role in the TV miniseries The Moneychangers. When asked why she took the role, she responded: "I'll be darned if I know. A moment of madness, I think. I ran into my old friend Ross Hunter
, who was producing The Moneychasers for NBC-TV
, and he asked me if I wanted to be in it. It seemed like fun. It's a nice part - not too big - and I greatly admire Christopher Plummer
, whom I play opposite."
Afterwards, Peters appeared in the 1981 television film Peter and Paul
, produced by her husband, and guest starred in Murder, She Wrote
in 1988, which sparked her final acting performance.
said Peters was "anything but a party girl". Despite her clashes with the studio, Peters was well liked by other contract players. One biographer recalled: "In all the research and planning that went into this book, no one ever had an unkind word to say of Miss Peters, and that is unusual." Peters was close friends with Marilyn Monroe
, who also worked for Fox. Other actors she befriended during her career were Joseph Cotten
, David Niven
, Ray Milland
, Marie McDonald
, and especially Jeanne Crain.
Actor and soldier Audie Murphy
claimed that he had a relationship with Peters in 1946, before she met Howard Hughes
. In 1954, Peters married Texas oilman Stuart Cramer. By the time they married, they had known each other for only a few weeks, and they separated a few months later. There was much talk of Peters possibly retiring from the screen, but the actress insisted that after her eight-week leave from Fox, she was to return to Hollywood.
In 1957, after her divorce from Cramer, Peters married Howard Hughes, shortly before he faded from public view and became an eccentric recluse. The couple met in the 1940s, before Peters became a film actress. They had a highly publicized romance in 1947 and even then there was talk of marriage, but she said she could not combine it with her career. It was later claimed that Peters was "the only woman [Hughes] ever loved", and he reportedly had his security officers follow her everywhere even when they were not in a relationship. This was confirmed by actor Max Showalter
, who became a close friend of Peters during shooting of Niagara (1953). Showalter told in a 2004 interview that because he frequently met with Peters, Hughes' men threatened to ruin his career if he did not leave her alone.
Peters retired from acting during the marriage between 1957 and 1971, and did not attend any social events in Hollywood. According to a 1969 article, she went through life unrecognizable, despite being protected by Hughes' security officers all day. Living in anonymity was easy, according to the actress, because she "didn't act like an actress." It was later reported that during the marriage, Peters was frequently involved in numerous activities, such as charitable work, arts and crafts, and university studies including psychology and anthropology at UCLA
.
In 1971, Peters and Hughes divorced. She agreed to a lifetime alimony payment of $70,000 annually, adjusted for inflation, and she waived all claims to Hughes' estate. In the media, she refused to speak about the marriage, claiming she rather focused on the present and future. She furthermore admitted that she hoped avoiding being known as 'Mrs. Howard Hughes' for the rest of her life, although realizing it would be otherwise: "I'm a realist. I know what the score is, and I know who the superstar is." Later in 1971, Peters married Stanley Hough, an executive with Twentieth-Century Fox. She was his wife until Hough's death in 1990.
Peters died of leukemia
in 2000 in Carlsbad, California
, two days before her 74th birthday.
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
in the late 1940s and early 1950s and as the second (or possibly third) wife of Howard Hughes
Howard Hughes
Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. was an American business magnate, investor, aviator, engineer, film producer, director, and philanthropist. He was one of the wealthiest people in the world...
. Although possibly best remembered for her siren role in Pickup on South Street
Pickup on South Street
Pickup on South Street is writer-director Samuel Fuller's film noir released by the 20th Century Fox studio. The film stars Richard Widmark, Jean Peters and Thelma Ritter....
(1953), Peters was known for her resistance to be turned into a sex symbol
Sex symbol
A sex symbol is a celebrity of either gender, typically an actor, musician, supermodel, teen idol, or sports star, noted for their sex appeal. The term was first used in the mid 1950s in relation to the popularity of certain Hollywood stars, especially Marilyn Monroe and Brigitte...
, preferring to play unglamorous, down-to-earth women.
Early life
Born Elizabeth Jean Peters in Canton, OhioCanton, Ohio
Canton is the county seat of Stark County in northeastern Ohio, approximately south of Akron and south of Cleveland.The City of Caton is the largest incorporated area within the Canton-Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, she was the daughter of Elizabeth and Gerald Peters, a laundry manager. Raised on a small farm in Canton, Peters attended East Canton High School
East Canton High School
East Canton High School is a public high school in East Canton, Ohio. It is the only high school in the Osnaburg Local School District. Although the school's athletic teams have the mascot of the Hornets, the East Canton's girls' basketball team is nicknamed the Wizards.-Ohio High School Athletic...
and the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
and later Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
, where she studied to become a teacher and majored in literature. While studying for a teaching degree at Ohio State, she entered the Miss Ohio State Pageant in the fall of 1945. From the twelve finalists, Peters won. Sponsored by photographer Paul Robinson of the "House of Portraits", her grand prize was a screen test with 20th Century-Fox. As her agent, Robinson accompanied her to Hollywood, and helped her secure a seven-year contract with Fox. She dropped out of college to become an actress, a decision she later regretted. In the late 1940s, she returned to college, in between filming, to obtain a diploma.
It was announced that in her first film I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now
I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now (film)
I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now is a 1947 musical film in Technicolor, directed by Lloyd Bacon, and starring June Haver and Mark Stevens. I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now is a biograpical film about Joseph E. Howard, the writer of the popular song of the same title.-Plot:Set in the turn of the 20th...
(1947), she would ironically play an "ugly duckling", supported by "artificial freckles and hornrimmed glasses". She eventually withdrew from the film. Furthermore, she was tested in 1946 for a farm girl role in Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay!
Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay!
Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay! is a 1948 comedy film which is known for being one of Marilyn Monroe's earliest films ....
(1948), but it was eventually decided she was not suitable.
Breakthrough
Following her rejection for Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay!, Peters was selected to replace Linda DarnellLinda Darnell
Linda Darnell was an American film actress.Darnell was a model as a child, and progressed to theater and film acting as an adolescent. At the encouragement of her mother, she made her first film in 1939, and appeared in supporting roles in big budget films for 20th Century Fox throughout the 1940s...
as the female lead in Captain from Castile
Captain from Castile
Captain from Castile is an action historical drama and swashbuckler film released by 20th Century Fox in 1947. Directed by Henry King, the Technicolor film starred Tyrone Power, Jean Peters, and Cesar Romero. Shot on location in Michoacán, Mexico, the film includes scenes of the Parícutin...
(1947) opposite Tyrone Power
Tyrone Power
Tyrone Edmund Power, Jr. , usually credited as Tyrone Power and known sometimes as Ty Power, was an American film and stage actor who appeared in dozens of films from the 1930s to the 1950s, often in swashbuckler roles or romantic leads such as in The Mark of Zorro, Blood and Sand, The Black Swan,...
, when Darnell was reassigned to save the production of Forever Amber
Forever Amber (film)
Forever Amber is a 1947 film directed by Otto Preminger and starring Linda Darnell and Cornel Wilde. It was based on the book of the same name. It also starred Richard Greene, George Sanders, Glenn Langan, Richard Haydn, Dolores Hart, and Jessica Tandy...
. Peters, although she had not made her screen debut by this time, was highly publicized and received a star treatment while filming took place. Captain from Castile was a hit, and Leonard Maltin
Leonard Maltin
Leonard Maltin is an American film and animated film critic and historian, author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives.-Personal life:...
wrote that afterwards Peters spent the new decade playing "sexy spitfires, often in period dramas and Westerns
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
." She was offered a similar role in the western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
Yellow Sky
Yellow Sky
Yellow Sky is an American western film directed by William A. Wellman. The story is believed to be loosely adapted from William Shakespeare's The Tempest. A band of outlaws flee after a bank robbery and encounter an old man and his granddaughter in a ghost town.-Plot:In 1867, a gang led by James...
(1948), but she refused the part, explaining it was "too sexy". As a result, the studio, frustrated by her stubbornness, put her on her first suspension.
For her second film, Deep Waters
Deep Waters (film)
Deep Waters is a 1948 drama film directed by Henry King. The film is based on the 1946 novel Spoonhandle written by Ruth Moore and was nominated for an Academy Award.-Plot:...
(1948), which Peters filmed in late 1947, she was reunited with her director from Captain from Castile, Henry King
Henry King (director)
Henry King was an American film director.Before coming to film, King worked as an actor in various repertoire theatres, and first started to take small film roles in 1912. He directed for the first time in 1915, and grew to become one of the most commercially successful Hollywood directors of the...
. On this, she commented: "It's really a break for me, because he knows where he's going and what he wants, and I naturally have great confidence in him." The film was not nearly as successful as Captain from Castile, but Peters was again noticed. She was named among the best five 'finds' of the year, among Barbara Bel Geddes
Barbara Bel Geddes
Barbara Bel Geddes was an American actress, artist and children's author. She is best known for her role in the television drama series Dallas as matriarch Eleanor "Miss Ellie" Ewing. Bel Geddes also starred in the original Broadway production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in the role of Maggie...
, Valli
Alida Valli
Alida Valli , sometimes simply credited as Valli, was an Italian actress who appeared in more than 100 films, including Mario Soldati's Piccolo mondo antico, Alfred Hitchcock's The Paradine Case, Carol Reed's The Third Man, Michelangelo Antonioni's Il Grido, Luchino Visconti's Senso, Bernardo...
, Richard Widmark
Richard Widmark
Richard Weedt Widmark was an American film, stage and television actor.He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as the villainous Tommy Udo in his debut film, Kiss of Death...
and Wanda Hendrix
Wanda Hendrix
Wanda Hendrix was an American film and television actress.Born Dixie Wanda Hendrix in Jacksonville, Florida, Hendrix was performing in her local amateur theater when she was seen by a talent agent who signed her to a Hollywood contract...
. She was next assigned to co-star next to Clifton Webb
Clifton Webb
Clifton Webb was an American actor, dancer, and singer known for his Oscar-nominated roles in such films as Laura, The Razor's Edge, and Sitting Pretty...
in Mr. Belvedere Goes to College
Mr. Belvedere Goes to College
Mr. Belvedere Goes to College is a 1949 American comedy film directed by Elliott Nugent. The screenplay written by Mary Loos, Mary C. McCall, Jr., and Richard Sale was based on characters created by Gwen Davenport...
(1949), but Shirley Temple
Shirley Temple
Shirley Temple Black , born Shirley Jane Temple, is an American film and television actress, singer, dancer, autobiographer, and former U.S. Ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia...
later replaced her.
Instead, Peters signed on in early 1949 to play Ray Milland
Ray Milland
Ray Milland was a Welsh actor and director. His screen career ran from 1929 to 1985, and he is best remembered for his Academy Award–winning portrayal of an alcoholic writer in The Lost Weekend , a sophisticated leading man opposite a corrupt John Wayne in Reap the Wild Wind , the murder-plotting...
's love interest in It Happens Every Spring
It Happens Every Spring
It Happens Every Spring is a 1949 comedy film starring Ray Milland directed by Lloyd Bacon. The story of a baseball pitcher is completely fictitious, and the main character King Kelly is not based on or related to the actual player....
(1949). For the role, she offered to bleach her hair, but this was overruled by the studio. Although the film became a success, most of the publicity went to Milland. Afterwards, she starred alongside Paul Douglas
Paul Douglas (actor)
Paul Douglas was an American actor, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as Paul Douglas Fleischer.-Career:...
in the period film Love That Brute
Love That Brute
Love That Brute is a 1950 comedy-crime film directed by Alexander Hall. The film is a remake of Tall, Dark and Handsome, a 1941 film also distributed by 20th Century Fox.-Plot:...
(1950), for which she had to wear a dress in which she was unable to sit. The film was originally titled Turned Up Toes and Peters was cast in the film in June 1949, shortly after the release of It Happens Every Spring. To prepare for a singing and dancing scene, Peters took a few lessons with Betty Grable
Betty Grable
Elizabeth Ruth "Betty" Grable was an American actress, dancer and singer.Her iconic bathing suit photo made her the number-one pin-up girl of the World War II era. It was later included in the LIFE magazine project "100 Photos that Changed the World"...
's dance instructor.
By 1950, Peters was almost forgotten by the public, even though she was playing several lead roles from 1947. In late 1950, she was even cast in a secondary role as a college girl in Take Care of My Little Girl
Take Care of My Little Girl
Take Care of My Little Girl is a 1951 drama film directed by Jean Negulesco. The film, shot in Technicolor, is based on the 1950 novel of the same name written by Peggy Goodin.-Plot:...
(1951), a Jeanne Crain
Jeanne Crain
Jeanne Elizabeth Crain was an American actress.-Early life:Crain was born in Barstow, California, to George A. Crain, a school teacher, and Loretta Carr; she was of Irish heritage on her mother's side, and of English and distant French descent on her father's...
vehicle. According to a newspaper article, Peters was given the role by Jean Negulesco
Jean Negulesco
Jean Negulesco was a Romanian-born American film director and screenwriter....
by impressing him with her sewing. She once became famous for being a small country girl, but as she grew up, the studio did not find her any more suitable roles.
Stardom
Anne of the Indies
Anne of the Indies is a 1951 adventure film made by 20th Century Fox. It was directed by Jacques Tourneur and produced by George Jessel.The film stars Jean Peters and Louis Jourdan, with Debra Paget, Herbert Marshall, Thomas Gomez and James Robertson Justice.-Story Development:The story was...
, which, according to the press, was the film that finally brought her stardom. Before its release, she was cast in Viva Zapata!
Viva Zapata!
Viva Zapata! is a 1952 fictional-biographical film directed by Elia Kazan. The screenplay was written by John Steinbeck, using as a guide Edgcomb Pinchon's book, 'Zapata the Unconquerable', a fact that is not credited in the titles of the film...
(1952) opposite Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando, Jr. was an American movie star and political activist. "Unchallenged as the most important actor in modern American Cinema" according to the St...
in a role which once belonged to Julie Harris
Julie Harris
Julia Ann "Julie" Harris is an American stage, screen, and television actress. She has won five Tony Awards, three Emmy Awards and a Grammy Award, and was nominated for an Academy Award. In 1994, she was awarded the National Medal of Arts. She is a member of the American Theatre Hall of Fame...
, and she was set to play the title role in the drama film Wait Till the Sun Shines, Nellie (1952). It was the first time since the beginning of her career that Peters had received this much publicity. While shooting Wait Till the Sun Shines, Nellie (1952) in late 1951, on location in Hutchinson, Kansas
Hutchinson, Kansas
Hutchinson is the largest city in and the county seat of Reno County, Kansas, United States, northwest of Wichita, on the Arkansas River. It has been home to salt mines since 1887, thus its nickname of "Salt City", but locals call it "Hutch"...
, Peters was honored the title 'Miss Wheatheart of America'.
Director Samuel Fuller
Samuel Fuller
Samuel Michael Fuller was an American screenwriter, novelist, and film director known for low-budget genre movies with controversial themes.-Personal life:...
chose Peters over 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....
for the part of Candy in 1953's Pickup on South Street
Pickup on South Street
Pickup on South Street is writer-director Samuel Fuller's film noir released by the 20th Century Fox studio. The film stars Richard Widmark, Jean Peters and Thelma Ritter....
. He thought Peters had the right blend of sex appeal and the tough-talking, streetwise quality he was seeking, and that Monroe was too innocent looking for the role. Peters was offered the role in 1952, after Shelley Winters
Shelley Winters
Shelley Winters was an American actress who appeared in dozens of films, as well as on stage and television; her career spanned over 50 years until her death in 2006...
had already dropped out, and Betty Grable had turned it down. Because of the sex symbol status of her character, Peters was not thrilled at taking on this role. She preferred to choose her own roles, as she had done with Anne of the Indies (1951), Viva Zapata! (1952) and Lure of the Wilderness
Lure of the Wilderness
Lure of the Wilderness is a 1952 romantic adventure film directed by Jean Negulesco. The film, which was shot in Technicolor, is based on the 1941 novel Swamp Water by Vereen Bell, and is a remake of the Jean Renoir's 1941 adaption of the novel featuring Walter Brennan in a smaller version of his...
(1952), which were all unglamorous roles.
For Pickup on South Street, Peters was advised to bleach her hair for the role, but she refused, trying to avoid comparison with Winters and Grable. However, she did agree to adopt a "sexy shuffle" to do the role. To further understand the role of a siren, she was helped by Marilyn Monroe. Peters eventually admitted that she liked making the film, in which she plays a siren
Siren
In Greek mythology, the Sirens were three dangerous mermaid like creatures, portrayed as seductresses who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island. Roman poets placed them on an island called Sirenum scopuli...
, but announced in an interview she was not willing to take on other siren roles. She was quoted saying: "[Pickup on South Street] was fine for my career. But that doesn't mean I'm going to put on a tight sweater and skirt and slither around. I'm just not the type. On Marilyn Monroe it looks good. On me it would look silly." In another interview, Peters explained that playing down-to-earth and sometimes unwashed women have the most to offer in the way of drama. She said:
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
, Niagara. It was not their first collaboration. In 1951, they both had secondary roles in As Young as You Feel
As Young as You Feel
As Young as You Feel is a comedy film starring Monty Woolley, Thelma Ritter, and David Wayne, with Marilyn Monroe in a small role.-Plot:...
. In Niagara, Peters replaced Anne Baxter
Anne Baxter
Anne Baxter was an American actress known for her performances in films such as The Magnificent Ambersons , The Razor's Edge , All About Eve and The Ten Commandments .-Early life:...
, with whom she co-starred in the anthology film
Anthology film
An anthology film is a feature film consisting of several different short films, often tied together by only a single theme, premise, or brief interlocking event . Sometimes each one is directed by a different director...
O. Henry's Full House
O. Henry's Full House
O. Henry's Full House is an anthology film made by 20th Century Fox, consisting of five separate stories by O. Henry. The film was produced by André Hakim and directed by five separate directors from five separate screenplays. The music score was composed by Alfred Newman...
(1952). Shooting of Niagara took place in the summer of 1952. Peters' character was initially the leading role, but the film eventually became a vehicle for Monroe, who was by the time more successful. Her third film in 1953, A Blueprint for Murder
A Blueprint for Murder
A Blueprint for Murder is a thriller film starring Joseph Cotten, Jean Peters, and Gary Merrill, and directed and written by Andrew L. Stone.-Plot:...
, reunited her with Joseph Cotten
Joseph Cotten
Joseph Cheshire Cotten was an American actor of stage and film. Cotten achieved prominence on Broadway, starring in the original productions of The Philadelphia Story and Sabrina Fair...
, with whom she previously starred in Niagara. She was assigned to the film in December 1952 and told the press she liked playing in the film, because it allowed her to sing. Shortly after its premiere in July 1953, Peters' contract was renewed for another two years.
Another 1953 film starring Peters was the film noir
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
Vicki
Vicki (film)
Vicki is a film noir directed by Harry Horner and based on the novel I Wake Up Screaming, written by Steve Fisher. The picture is a remake of the 1941 film I Wake Up Screaming also released by 20th Century Fox.-Plot:...
. The story of the film, which is a remake of I Wake Up Screaming
I Wake Up Screaming
I Wake Up Screaming is a 1941 film noir. It is based on the novel of the same name by Steve Fisher, who co-wrote the screenplay with Dwight Taylor...
, was bought by writer Leo Townsend especially for Peters. Townsend told that he gave the role to Peters in December 1952, because she was "one of the greatest sirens he's ever seen." Next, Peters was assigned to replace Crain in the film Three Coins in the Fountain
Three Coins in the Fountain (1954 film)
Three Coins in the Fountain is the 1954 film that introduced the song of the same name, which became an enduring standard. It tells the story of three American girls looking for romance in Rome while employed at the American Embassy...
(1954), which was shot on location in late 1953 in Italy. Peters was unsatisfied with her role and said in a September 1953 interview: "When I heard Dorothy McGuire
Dorothy McGuire
Dorothy Hackett McGuire was an American actress.-Career:Born in Omaha, Nebraska, she began her acting career on the stage at the Omaha Community Playhouse...
, Clifton Webb
Clifton Webb
Clifton Webb was an American actor, dancer, and singer known for his Oscar-nominated roles in such films as Laura, The Razor's Edge, and Sitting Pretty...
and Maggie McNamara
Maggie McNamara
Marguerite "Maggie" McNamara was an American stage, film, and television actress.-Early life:Born in New York City, McNamara was one of four children born to Irish American parents. Her mother was born in England to Irish parents. She attended Textile High School in New York and worked as a teen...
were going to be in the picture, I thought I would finally have the kind of role that suited me. They sounded like smart, sophisticated company. But when I got to Italy and read the script, I discovered I was going to be an earthy kind of girl again. The script had me nearly being killed in a runaway truck."
Nevertheless, the film became a success and brought Peters again in the limelight. Other 1954 films co-starring Peters were the westerns Apache
Apache (film)
-Plot:Following the surrender of Geronimo, Massai, the last Apache warrior is captured and scheduled for transportation to a Florida reservation. On the way he manages to escape and heads for his homeland to win back his girl and settle down to grow crops...
and Broken Lance
Broken Lance
Broken Lance is a 1954 Western film made by Twentieth Century-Fox, directed by Edward Dmytryk and produced by Sol C. Siegel. The movie stars Spencer Tracy and features Katy Jurado, Richard Widmark, Robert Wagner, Jean Peters, Eduard Franz, Hugh O'Brian and Earl Holliman.Shot in color and...
. Although Broken Lance did not deliver her much attention, she was critically acclaimed for her performance in Apache, with one critic praising her for "giving an excellent account for herself", feeling she was "on her way to becoming one of the finest young actresses around Hollywood today."
Following her marriage to Howard Hughes
Howard Hughes
Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. was an American business magnate, investor, aviator, engineer, film producer, director, and philanthropist. He was one of the wealthiest people in the world...
, Peters retired from acting, her final film being A Man Called Peter
A Man Called Peter
A Man Called Peter is a 1955 American drama film directed by Henry Koster and starring Richard Todd. The film is based on the life of preacher Peter Marshall, who served as chaplain of the U.S. Senate late in his life, in an account written by his wife Catherine Marshall...
(1955). After the release of A Man Called Peter, she refused several roles, for which she was put on suspension. Deciding she had had enough, she left Fox to focus on her private life. Producer Jerry Wald
Jerry Wald
Jerry Wald was an American producer and screenwriter for motion pictures and radio shows.Born Jerome Irving Wald in Brooklyn, New York, he had a brother and sons who were active in show business. Jerry began writing a radio column for the New York Evening Graphic while a student at New York...
tried to persuade her not to leave Hollywood in early 1957, but had no luck. She was supposedly discouraged to be an actress by Hughes, and instead reported in late 1957 that she was planning on becoming a producer. In March 1959, it was announced that Peters was set to return to the screen for a supporting role in The Best of Everything
The Best of Everything (1959 film)
The Best of Everything is a 20th Century-Fox film starring Hope Lange, Diane Baker, Suzy Parker, Stephen Boyd, Louis Jourdan, Robert Evans, and Joan Crawford...
. She never produced a film, nor did she appear in The Best of Everything.
Later career
In 1970, there was again talks of a comeback, when it was reported that Peters was considering three film offers and a weekly TV series for the 1970-1971 season. Instead, she made her comeback in the television movieTelevision movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
Winesburg, Ohio (1973). She was not positive about the film, saying: "I am not pleased with the show or my performance in it. I found it rather dull." The verdict was surprising, because when she took the role, she was enthusiastic on the project, saying: "I'm very fond of this script. It's the right age for me. I won't have to pretend I'm a glamour girl." Furthermore, her co-star William Windom
William Windom (actor)
William Windom is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his work on television, including several episodes of The Twilight Zone; playing the character of Glen Morley, a congressman from Minnesota like his own great-grandfather and namesake in The Farmer's Daughter; the character of John...
was openly positive on his collaboration with Peters, saying she was "warm, friendly and charming on the set."
In 1976, Peters had a supporting role in the TV miniseries The Moneychangers. When asked why she took the role, she responded: "I'll be darned if I know. A moment of madness, I think. I ran into my old friend Ross Hunter
Ross Hunter
Ross Hunter was a Hollywood film producer.-Biography:Hunter was born in Cleveland, Ohio as Martin Fuss. After serving in Army intelligence during World War II, he signed a movie contract with Columbia Pictures and acted in a number of B-movie musicals...
, who was producing The Moneychasers for NBC-TV
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, and he asked me if I wanted to be in it. It seemed like fun. It's a nice part - not too big - and I greatly admire Christopher Plummer
Christopher Plummer
Arthur Christopher Orne Plummer, CC is a Canadian theatre, film and television actor. He made his film debut in 1957's Stage Struck, and notable early film performances include Night of the Generals, The Return of the Pink Panther and The Man Who Would Be King.In a career that spans over five...
, whom I play opposite."
Afterwards, Peters appeared in the 1981 television film Peter and Paul
Peter and Paul
Peter and Paul is a 1981 film starring Anthony Hopkins as Paul of Tarsus and Robert Foxworth as Peter the Fisherman, David Gwillim as Mark and Jon Finch as Luke. It was directed by Robert Day. The film mostly shows the works of Paul, beginning with his being struck down and converted by the Lord...
, produced by her husband, and guest starred in Murder, She Wrote
Murder, She Wrote
Murder, She Wrote is an American television mystery series starring Angela Lansbury as mystery writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher. The series aired for 12 seasons from 1984 to 1996 on the CBS network, with 264 episodes transmitted. It was followed by four TV films and a spin-off series,...
in 1988, which sparked her final acting performance.
Personal life and death
After landing a contract in Hollywood, Peters moved there, where she initially lived with her aunt, Melba Diesel. From the beginning of her career, Peters openly admitted she did not like the fame, explaining her sheltered life had made her develop antipathy to crowds. Co-actors at Fox recalled that she was very serious about her career. Jeanne CrainJeanne Crain
Jeanne Elizabeth Crain was an American actress.-Early life:Crain was born in Barstow, California, to George A. Crain, a school teacher, and Loretta Carr; she was of Irish heritage on her mother's side, and of English and distant French descent on her father's...
said Peters was "anything but a party girl". Despite her clashes with the studio, Peters was well liked by other contract players. One biographer recalled: "In all the research and planning that went into this book, no one ever had an unkind word to say of Miss Peters, and that is unusual." Peters was close friends 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....
, who also worked for Fox. Other actors she befriended during her career were Joseph Cotten
Joseph Cotten
Joseph Cheshire Cotten was an American actor of stage and film. Cotten achieved prominence on Broadway, starring in the original productions of The Philadelphia Story and Sabrina Fair...
, David Niven
David Niven
James David Graham Niven , known as David Niven, was a British actor and novelist, best known for his roles as Phileas Fogg in Around the World in 80 Days and Sir Charles Lytton, a.k.a. "the Phantom", in The Pink Panther...
, Ray Milland
Ray Milland
Ray Milland was a Welsh actor and director. His screen career ran from 1929 to 1985, and he is best remembered for his Academy Award–winning portrayal of an alcoholic writer in The Lost Weekend , a sophisticated leading man opposite a corrupt John Wayne in Reap the Wild Wind , the murder-plotting...
, Marie McDonald
Marie McDonald
Marie McDonald was an American singer and actress known as "The Body Beautiful" and later nicknamed "The Body".- Early life :...
, and especially Jeanne Crain.
Actor and soldier Audie Murphy
Audie Murphy
Audie Leon Murphy was a highly decorated and famous soldier. Through LIFE magazine's July 16, 1945 issue , he became one the most famous soldiers of World War II and widely regarded as the most decorated American soldier of the war...
claimed that he had a relationship with Peters in 1946, before she met Howard Hughes
Howard Hughes
Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. was an American business magnate, investor, aviator, engineer, film producer, director, and philanthropist. He was one of the wealthiest people in the world...
. In 1954, Peters married Texas oilman Stuart Cramer. By the time they married, they had known each other for only a few weeks, and they separated a few months later. There was much talk of Peters possibly retiring from the screen, but the actress insisted that after her eight-week leave from Fox, she was to return to Hollywood.
In 1957, after her divorce from Cramer, Peters married Howard Hughes, shortly before he faded from public view and became an eccentric recluse. The couple met in the 1940s, before Peters became a film actress. They had a highly publicized romance in 1947 and even then there was talk of marriage, but she said she could not combine it with her career. It was later claimed that Peters was "the only woman [Hughes] ever loved", and he reportedly had his security officers follow her everywhere even when they were not in a relationship. This was confirmed by actor Max Showalter
Max Showalter
Max Showalter was an American film, television, and stage actor, as well as a composer, pianist, and singer. One of Showalter's most memorable roles was as Jean Peters' character's husband in the 1953 film Niagara...
, who became a close friend of Peters during shooting of Niagara (1953). Showalter told in a 2004 interview that because he frequently met with Peters, Hughes' men threatened to ruin his career if he did not leave her alone.
Peters retired from acting during the marriage between 1957 and 1971, and did not attend any social events in Hollywood. According to a 1969 article, she went through life unrecognizable, despite being protected by Hughes' security officers all day. Living in anonymity was easy, according to the actress, because she "didn't act like an actress." It was later reported that during the marriage, Peters was frequently involved in numerous activities, such as charitable work, arts and crafts, and university studies including psychology and anthropology at UCLA
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
.
In 1971, Peters and Hughes divorced. She agreed to a lifetime alimony payment of $70,000 annually, adjusted for inflation, and she waived all claims to Hughes' estate. In the media, she refused to speak about the marriage, claiming she rather focused on the present and future. She furthermore admitted that she hoped avoiding being known as 'Mrs. Howard Hughes' for the rest of her life, although realizing it would be otherwise: "I'm a realist. I know what the score is, and I know who the superstar is." Later in 1971, Peters married Stanley Hough, an executive with Twentieth-Century Fox. She was his wife until Hough's death in 1990.
Peters died of leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
in 2000 in Carlsbad, California
Carlsbad, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Carlsbad had a population of 105,328. The population density was 2,693.1 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Carlsbad was 87,205 White, 1,379 African American, 514 Native American, 7,460 Asian, 198 Pacific Islander, 4,189 from other...
, two days before her 74th birthday.
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1947 | Captain from Castile Captain from Castile Captain from Castile is an action historical drama and swashbuckler film released by 20th Century Fox in 1947. Directed by Henry King, the Technicolor film starred Tyrone Power, Jean Peters, and Cesar Romero. Shot on location in Michoacán, Mexico, the film includes scenes of the Parícutin... |
Catana Perez | |
| 1948 | Deep Waters Deep Waters (film) Deep Waters is a 1948 drama film directed by Henry King. The film is based on the 1946 novel Spoonhandle written by Ruth Moore and was nominated for an Academy Award.-Plot:... |
Ann Freeman | |
| 1949 | It Happens Every Spring It Happens Every Spring It Happens Every Spring is a 1949 comedy film starring Ray Milland directed by Lloyd Bacon. The story of a baseball pitcher is completely fictitious, and the main character King Kelly is not based on or related to the actual player.... |
Deborah Greenleaf | |
| 1950 | Love That Brute Love That Brute Love That Brute is a 1950 comedy-crime film directed by Alexander Hall. The film is a remake of Tall, Dark and Handsome, a 1941 film also distributed by 20th Century Fox.-Plot:... |
Ruth Manning | |
| 1951 | As Young as You Feel As Young as You Feel As Young as You Feel is a comedy film starring Monty Woolley, Thelma Ritter, and David Wayne, with Marilyn Monroe in a small role.-Plot:... |
Alice Hodges | |
| Take Care of My Little Girl Take Care of My Little Girl Take Care of My Little Girl is a 1951 drama film directed by Jean Negulesco. The film, shot in Technicolor, is based on the 1950 novel of the same name written by Peggy Goodin.-Plot:... |
Dallas Prewitt | ||
| Anne of the Indies Anne of the Indies Anne of the Indies is a 1951 adventure film made by 20th Century Fox. It was directed by Jacques Tourneur and produced by George Jessel.The film stars Jean Peters and Louis Jourdan, with Debra Paget, Herbert Marshall, Thomas Gomez and James Robertson Justice.-Story Development:The story was... |
Captain Anne Providence | ||
| 1952 | Viva Zapata! Viva Zapata! Viva Zapata! is a 1952 fictional-biographical film directed by Elia Kazan. The screenplay was written by John Steinbeck, using as a guide Edgcomb Pinchon's book, 'Zapata the Unconquerable', a fact that is not credited in the titles of the film... |
Josefa Zapata | |
| Wait Till the Sun Shines, Nellie | Nellie Halper | ||
| Lure of the Wilderness Lure of the Wilderness Lure of the Wilderness is a 1952 romantic adventure film directed by Jean Negulesco. The film, which was shot in Technicolor, is based on the 1941 novel Swamp Water by Vereen Bell, and is a remake of the Jean Renoir's 1941 adaption of the novel featuring Walter Brennan in a smaller version of his... |
Laurie Harper | ||
| O. Henry's Full House O. Henry's Full House O. Henry's Full House is an anthology film made by 20th Century Fox, consisting of five separate stories by O. Henry. The film was produced by André Hakim and directed by five separate directors from five separate screenplays. The music score was composed by Alfred Newman... |
Susan Goodwin (The Last Leaf) | ||
| 1953 | Niagara Niagara (1953 film) Niagara is a 1953 thriller-film noir directed by Henry Hathaway and starring Joseph Cotten, Jean Peters, and introducing Marilyn Monroe. Unlike other film noirs of the time, Niagara was shot in Technicolor on location and was one of 20th Century Fox's biggest box-office hits of the year.-Plot:Ray... |
Polly Cutler | |
| Pickup on South Street Pickup on South Street Pickup on South Street is writer-director Samuel Fuller's film noir released by the 20th Century Fox studio. The film stars Richard Widmark, Jean Peters and Thelma Ritter.... |
Candy | ||
| Vicki Vicki (film) Vicki is a film noir directed by Harry Horner and based on the novel I Wake Up Screaming, written by Steve Fisher. The picture is a remake of the 1941 film I Wake Up Screaming also released by 20th Century Fox.-Plot:... |
Vicki Lynn | ||
| A Blueprint for Murder A Blueprint for Murder A Blueprint for Murder is a thriller film starring Joseph Cotten, Jean Peters, and Gary Merrill, and directed and written by Andrew L. Stone.-Plot:... |
Lynne Cameron | ||
| 1954 | Three Coins in the Fountain Three Coins in the Fountain (1954 film) Three Coins in the Fountain is the 1954 film that introduced the song of the same name, which became an enduring standard. It tells the story of three American girls looking for romance in Rome while employed at the American Embassy... |
Anita Hutchins | |
| Apache Apache (film) -Plot:Following the surrender of Geronimo, Massai, the last Apache warrior is captured and scheduled for transportation to a Florida reservation. On the way he manages to escape and heads for his homeland to win back his girl and settle down to grow crops... |
Nalinle | ||
| Broken Lance Broken Lance Broken Lance is a 1954 Western film made by Twentieth Century-Fox, directed by Edward Dmytryk and produced by Sol C. Siegel. The movie stars Spencer Tracy and features Katy Jurado, Richard Widmark, Robert Wagner, Jean Peters, Eduard Franz, Hugh O'Brian and Earl Holliman.Shot in color and... |
Barbara | ||
| 1955 | A Man Called Peter A Man Called Peter A Man Called Peter is a 1955 American drama film directed by Henry Koster and starring Richard Todd. The film is based on the life of preacher Peter Marshall, who served as chaplain of the U.S. Senate late in his life, in an account written by his wife Catherine Marshall... |
Catherine Wood Marshall | |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1973 | Winesburg, Ohio | Elizabeth Willard | Television movie |
| 1976 | The Moneychangers | Beatrice Heyward | Miniseries |
| 1981 | Peter and Paul Peter and Paul Peter and Paul is a 1981 film starring Anthony Hopkins as Paul of Tarsus and Robert Foxworth as Peter the Fisherman, David Gwillim as Mark and Jon Finch as Luke. It was directed by Robert Day. The film mostly shows the works of Paul, beginning with his being struck down and converted by the Lord... |
Priscilla | Television movie |
| 1988 | Murder, She Wrote Murder, She Wrote Murder, She Wrote is an American television mystery series starring Angela Lansbury as mystery writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher. The series aired for 12 seasons from 1984 to 1996 on the CBS network, with 264 episodes transmitted. It was followed by four TV films and a spin-off series,... |
Siobhan O'Dea | 1 episode |
External links
- Jean Peters: Biography of a forgotten leading lady at Jackal’s film corner, October 16, 2007
- Jean Peters biography at Guardian UnlimitedGuardian Unlimitedguardian.co.uk, formerly known as Guardian Unlimited, is a British website owned by the Guardian Media Group. Georgina Henry is the editor...
Film - Reviews of Jean Peters movies at Channel 4Channel 4Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
Film - Jean Peters at Allmovie