Jane Greer American actress Date of Birth: 09.09.1924 Country: USA

1. American Actress Jane Greer
2. Early Life and Career
3. Hollywood Career and Personal Life
4. Later Career and Legacy

American Actress Jane Greer

Jane Greer, an American actress who forever made her mark on the history of cinema as the performer of the iconic femme fatale role of Kathie Moffat in the classic 1947 film noir 'Out of the Past'. Born Bettejane Greer on September 9, 1924, in Washington, D.C, she entered the world not alone but with her twin brother Don. The Greer family traced their lineage back to the kings of Scotland. From a young age, the beautiful girl participated in beauty pageants.

Early Life and Career

In 1940, when Jane was 15 years old, she contracted Bell's palsy, a condition that paralyzed the left side of her face. Although she recovered, her trademark gaze, calm, mocking, and enigmatic, was attributed to the residual effects of the paralysis when she became a public figure. The film company 'RKO', for which Greer appeared in many popular films, positioned her as the "woman with the Mona Lisa smile". Greer later mentioned that facial exercises she used to combat the paralysis greatly helped her when she needed to master the art of portraying human emotions.

As a winner of beauty pageants in her teens, Greer began her career as a professional model. Additionally, she possessed a beautiful contralto voice, sang well, and used her talent to break into show business, performing with famous orchestras of the time. It was during a radio recording that she met her first husband, actor Rudy Vallee, who was 22 years her senior. Their marriage lasted only a year and a half, from December 1943 to July 1944.

Hollywood Career and Personal Life

In June 1942, Jane's photograph appeared on the cover of 'Life magazine', catching the eye of the eccentric yet powerful Howard Hughes. Hughes, a director and producer, tracked down Greer and sent her to Hollywood. She made her first film appearance in 1945, playing a tiny role in the film 'Pan-Americana' that didn't even make it into the credits. By her fourth film, 'Dick Tracy', her role was much more noticeable, and it was then that Greer shortened her name.

The film noir 'Out of the Past', starring Robert Mitchum and Kirk Douglas, became one of the highlights of Jane Greer's career. Her portrayal of the seductive femme fatale Kathie Moffat, who takes off with $40,000 and escapes from her gangster boyfriend, brought Greer fame and fortune. In 1947, Greer married lawyer, producer, and businessman Edward Lasker, and perhaps this influenced Howard Hughes' long-standing refusal to cast her. From 1948 to 1949, only one film featuring Greer was released, followed by a break until 1951.

Grier divorced Lasker years later, in 1963. They had three children, and their sons Alex and Lawrence tried their hand in the film industry as screenwriters. From 1963 onwards, the actress shared her life with actor Frank London, but they never married. Not all of Greer's films were high-budget productions, but even her B-movies sometimes outperformed their star-studded counterparts in ratings, box office success, and class.

Later Career and Legacy

Greer returned to the screen after a forced hiatus, playing one of the lead roles in the war film 'You're in the Navy Now' alongside Gary Cooper. This was followed by 'The Prisoner of Zenda', 'Run for the Sun', and 'The Man of a Thousand Faces'. In the mid-1950s, Jane Greer became interested in television, and for the rest of her career, she appeared in television series such as 'Bonanza', 'Columbo', and 'Murder, She Wrote'.

In 1984, Greer played the mother of her own character in the 1947 film 'Against All Odds', a remake of 'Out of the Past'. In 1990, she participated in the filming of three episodes of the cult series 'Twin Peaks', and her final work was the comedy 'Perfect Mate' in 1996. Greer outlived Frank by only six months. She passed away on August 24, 2001, at the age of 76 from cancer and was buried among other celebrities at the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.