Jean Brooks

Jean Brooks

Known for: Acting
Biography: 1915-12-23
Deathday: 1963-11-25 (47 years old)

Check on Amazon

Biography

Fluent in Spanish, Jean Brooks began professionally by singing with Enric Madriguera and Orchestra in New York. She had a small role in the New York City-filmed The Crime of Doctor Crespi (1935) and the second lead in a Broadway play, "Name Your Poison" (1938), with Lenore Ulric, all under her real name of Jeanne Kelly. She was signed by an independent film production company that had gone under by the time she got to Hollywood. She spent several years at Universal as a leading lady in "B" pictures, including several Johnny Mack Brown westerns, but her option was dropped in late 1941. By this time she had married writer (later director) Richard Brooks and, with a certain Broadway hoofer having just signed at MGM, dropped the Kelly and became Jean Brooks. She signed with RKO, where film buffs know her for her three appearances for cult producer Val Lewton, particularly her stunning performance as a haunted devil worshiper in The Seventh Victim (1943).


Her clipped delivery and intense, forceful acting style made her a promising bet for stardom, but RKO lost interest in her by mid-'44 and her roles got gradually smaller until she was dropped in 1946. She and Brooks divorced (his later studio biographies omitted her name as one of his ex-wives). For many years she was listed as a "Lost Player" championed in several magazine articles by writer Doug McClelland. She was eventually located in San Francisco, where she had moved after her film career petered out, and was employed as a classified ad solicitor on the "San Francisco Examiner" newspaper. She had married a printer called Leddy. Her death at the Kaiser Hospital in Richmond, California, in 1963 was due to nutritional problems caused by alcoholism, a sad ending for a stylish and talented performer who didn't get the breaks she deserved, both personally and professionally.


Date of Death 25 November 1963, Richmond, California  (extreme malnutrition & alcoholism)

Advertisement

Filmography

all 33

Movies 33

Maya
Women in the Night

Women in the Night (1948)

Movie
Marsha
The Bamboo Blonde

The Bamboo Blonde (1946)

Movie
Baroness Lena
The Falcon's Alibi

The Falcon's Alibi (1946)

Movie
3
Barbara Borden
Two O'Clock Courage

Two O'Clock Courage (1945)

Movie
Roxanna Miles
The Falcon in Hollywood

The Falcon in Hollywood (1944)

Movie
3.5
Mary Coates
Youth Runs Wild

Youth Runs Wild (1944)

Movie
Julie Arden
A Night of Adventure

A Night of Adventure (1944)

Movie
Vicky Gaines
The Falcon and the Co-Eds

The Falcon and the Co-Eds (1943)

Movie
3.67
Jacqueline Gibson
The Seventh Victim

The Seventh Victim (1943)

Movie
Iris Fairchild
The Falcon in Danger

The Falcon in Danger (1943)

Movie
3.86
Kiki Walker
The Leopard Man

The Leopard Man (1943)

Movie
Iris Moore
The Boss of Big Town

The Boss of Big Town (1942)

Movie
May Meadows
Boot Hill Bandits

Boot Hill Bandits (1942)

Movie
Rae Langton
Klondike Fury

Klondike Fury (1942)

Movie
Linda Tyler
Fighting Bill Fargo

Fighting Bill Fargo (1941)

Movie
Bella Union Girl
Badlands Of Dakota

Badlands Of Dakota (1941)

Movie
Linda Thompson
Man from Montana

Man from Montana (1941)

Movie
Anne Bennett
A Dangerous Game

A Dangerous Game (1941)

Movie
Mary Morgan (as Jeanne Kelly)
Riders of Death Valley

Riders of Death Valley (1941)

Movie
Madge Reilly
Meet the Chump

Meet the Chump (1941)

Movie
Camp Hostess
Buck Privates

Buck Privates (1941)

Movie
4.33
Gloria Manning
The Green Hornet Strikes Again!

The Green Hornet Strikes Again! (1940)

Movie
Waitress
Junior G-Men

Junior G-Men (1940)

Movie
Laura Larson
The Devil's Pipeline

The Devil's Pipeline (1940)

Movie
Eris Brooke
Son of Roaring Dan

Son of Roaring Dan (1940)

Movie
Olga (uncredited)
Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe

Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940)

Movie
9
Minor Role (uncredited)
The Invisible Man Returns

The Invisible Man Returns (1940)

Movie
5.36
Nina
Miracle on Main Street

Miracle on Main Street (1939)

Movie
Gloria Cunningham
The Invisible Killer

The Invisible Killer (1939)

Movie
Cabaret Girl
Frankie and Johnnie

Frankie and Johnnie (1936)

Movie
Nurse Gordon (as Jeanne Kelly)
The Crime of Doctor Crespi

The Crime of Doctor Crespi (1935)

Movie
Young Ship's Passenger on Lower Deck (uncredited)
Tango Bar

Tango Bar (1935)

Movie
Actress
Obeah

Obeah (1935)

Movie

Ratings

Average 5.15
Based on 34 Thousand movie and tv ratings over time
1935
1940
1941
1941
1948
Advertisement
Jean BrooksJean BrooksJean Brooks

Information

Known For
Acting

Gender
Female

Birthday
1915-12-23

Deathday
1963-11-25 (47 years old)

Birth Name
Ruby Matilda Kelly

Birth Place
Houston, United States of America

Relationships
William Douglas Lansford (1946-01-01 - 1956-01-01), Richard Brooks (1941-01-01 - 1944-09-13)

Citizenships
United States of America

Also Known As
Ruby M. Kelly, Jeanne Kelly, Ruby Matilda Kelly


This article uses material from Wikipedia.
Advertisement
Albert S. D'Agostino
Jean Brooks
Albert S. D'Agostino worked together with Jean Brooks in:
10 Movies
Darrell Silvera
Jean Brooks
Darrell Silvera worked together with Jean Brooks in:
9 Movies
Renié
Jean Brooks
Renié worked together with Jean Brooks in:
7 Movies
Tom Conway
Jean Brooks
Tom Conway worked together with Jean Brooks in:
7 Movies
C. Bakaleinikoff
Jean Brooks
C. Bakaleinikoff worked together with Jean Brooks in:
7 Movies
Ford Beebe
Jean Brooks
Ford Beebe worked together with Jean Brooks in:
5 Movies
Vernon L. Walker
Jean Brooks
Vernon L. Walker worked together with Jean Brooks in:
5 Movies
Emory Parnell
Jean Brooks
Emory Parnell worked together with Jean Brooks in:
5 Movies
Ethan Laidlaw
Jean Brooks
Ethan Laidlaw worked together with Jean Brooks in:
5 Movies
Richard Alexander
Jean Brooks
Richard Alexander worked together with Jean Brooks in:
4 Movies
James Blaine
Jean Brooks
James Blaine worked together with Jean Brooks in:
4 Movies
Al Bridge
Jean Brooks
Al Bridge worked together with Jean Brooks in:
4 Movies
Fuzzy Knight
Jean Brooks
Fuzzy Knight worked together with Jean Brooks in:
4 Movies
Nell O'Day
Jean Brooks
Nell O'Day worked together with Jean Brooks in:
4 Movies
William Hall
Jean Brooks
William Hall worked together with Jean Brooks in:
4 Movies
George H. Plympton
Jean Brooks
George H. Plympton worked together with Jean Brooks in:
4 Movies
Basil Dickey
Jean Brooks
Basil Dickey worked together with Jean Brooks in:
4 Movies
Jack Otterson
Jean Brooks
Jack Otterson worked together with Jean Brooks in:
4 Movies
Roy Webb
Jean Brooks
Roy Webb worked together with Jean Brooks in:
4 Movies
Michael Arlen
Jean Brooks
Michael Arlen worked together with Jean Brooks in:
4 Movies
  • Jean Brooks
    Jean Brooks
  • Filmography
  • Information
  • Related Persons
Social Media
X
Facebook
Pinterest
Telegram
Download
iOS Application
Made in Ukraine 🇺🇦
Copyright © MovieFit 2018 – 2024
All external content remains the property of its respective owner.