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Gloria Jean’s
career as a singer and actress spanned more than 30 years. She
began singing as a toddler. At the age of five, she headlined
her own radio show in Scranton, Pennsylvania. By the age of
12, she was training for a professional career as a coloratura
soprano with a leading New York City operatic coach. In 1939,
at the age of 13, she was Universal Pictures’ brightest new
star, threatening to eclipse her predecessor, Deanna Durbin.
She performed in films with such greats as Bing Crosby, W. C.
Fields, Groucho Marx, Donald O’Connor, Mel Tormé, and the
Andrews Sisters. As the 1940s progressed, she proved herself
as a gifted actress as well as a singer. In the 1950s, she
occasionally appeared on stage and on television in both
acting and singing roles. In the 1960s, Elvis Presley wanted
to make a film with her. She passed away August 31, 2018, at
the age of 92.
Gloria Jean Sings -- Hear Gloria sing songs from her films!
Gloria Jean's Films
-- A comprehensive list of Gloria's films, including
synopses, co-stars, and song excerpts! Also find out where
you can find Gloria's films on DVD.
Gloria Jean's Biography -- Browse through the book, or order a copy!
Gloria Jean on YouTube--Visit NEPenguin's channel on YouTube and see Gloria introduce clips from her films! (To our knowledge, Gloria was the only movie star from the 1940s to host her own clips on YouTube.) Also, search for "Gloria Jean" on YouTube to find more film clips.
- Gloria Jean in Life Magazine--See the feature article from September 18, 1939!
Greenbriar Picture Shows -- Visit John McElwee's website to see a feature about Gloria, plus photos not seen on this website! (Click on Archive and Links, and under Search by People, select "Jean, Gloria," and click the Search button. Go down the list and click on the movie reel next to the entry dated 5/21/06.)
Gloria Jean
remembered what it was like to co-star in a comedy with W. C.
Fields, sing with Bing Crosby, dance with Donald O’Connor, and
watch Jack Pierce make up the famous monsters at Universal
Pictures. She remembered what it was like being a teenage star
in Hollywood, when her studio bosses dictated who she
socialized with, where she ate lunch -- and how much lunch she
could eat. Mel Tormé proposed marriage to her. Groucho Marx
offered her fatherly advice.
Gloria Jean’s fascinating life story, much of it told in her
own words, is recounted in a book-length biography, Gloria Jean: A Little Bit of
Heaven by Scott MacGillivray and Jan
MacGillivray (iUniverse, 2005). Gloria Jean was Universal
Pictures’ brightest new star at the age of 13 in 1939. She had
already had a successful career as a child singer on radio in
her hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania, and was training for a
career in professional opera when she won an audition with
producer Joseph Pasternak to star in the film The Under-Pup.
She went on to make 26 more films over a 20-year period,
appeared on radio, stage, television, and in nightclubs, and
had a successful second career with Redken Laboratories after
leaving show business in the early 1960s.
Although she was a popular star throughout the 1940s, helping
to launch other stars such as Donald O’Connor and Mel Tormé in
her films, Gloria Jean’s promising movie career never fully
blossomed. Studio politics, changes in the film industry, and
poor advice kept her from reaching the pinnacle she might have
achieved, but she refused to be bitter about it. “You’re never
going to learn about anything until you’re confronted with
these situations,” she said. “If you were going to live a life
where nothing happened, you wouldn’t be much of a person… The
way I look at it, I would consider my career a little bit of
heaven.”
Gloria’s recollections in Gloria
Jean:
A Little Bit of Heaven are seasoned by
comments from her sister Bonnie and supplemented by dozens of
exclusive photos and an in-depth examination of her career,
including three previously “lost” films that were rediscovered
by the authors. The book is available directly from the
publisher (iUniverse) and online through Amazon.com and
BarnesandNoble.com. In its review of the book, Kirkus
Discoveries says: “Gloria Jean not only had star-quality
beauty and a dramatic flair, but also a pleasing coloratura
singing voice… The authors, an experienced husband-and-wife
film-historian team, bring great sensitivity and authority to
their subject, and Gloria Jean herself provides fascinating
anecdotes of her career… A must-read for film buffs that will
hopefully stimulate further discussion of Gloria Jean’s work.”
The book has also received enthusiastic reader reviews on
Amazon.com.
About the authors:
Scott MacGillivray is the author of Laurel & Hardy:
From the Forties Forward, Castle Films: A
Hobbyist’s Guide, and The Soundies
Distributing Corporation of America (with Ted
Okuda). Jan MacGillivray is a film columnist who has
contributed video reviews of vintage films to Filmfax
and Outré magazines.
This website is maintained by Jan and Scott
MacGillivray. Questions or comments? E-mail us at webmaster@gloriajeansings.com.
All text is copyright ©
2006
–2018
by Scott MacGillivray and Jan MacGillivray.