DEAN JAGGER
BIRTH: November 7, 1903
DEATH: February 5, 1991
AGED: 87 years
DIED FROM: Heart disease..he died in his sleep
MARRIED: 3 times to Antoinette DuPre Lowrence, Gloria Jean Ling and Etta Jagger
CHILDREN: I daughter with Ling
OSCAR WINS: 1 for Best-Supporting Actor for “12 O’Clock High
TALENT: His oratory style which left many captivated. Very early on, he won many competitions.
KNOWN FOR: Dean Jagger had a very noticeable lisp when he was not working. This lisp disappeared when he was on the stage or in front of a camera. I find this fascinating.
I always liked this character actor whom we know from the Christmas favourite, “White Christmas” as the General who is in a financial crisis with his Inn and it is up to Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye( along with Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen) to save the day. He did so many more films, mostly in supporting roles but he did do a few as the lead, which I still need to see. It was funny to learn that he wanted to be an actor since he was quite young, practising oratory to the cows on the farm he grew up on. He left school many times and, somehow ended up in college, only to drop out the 2nd year. Not only that and, not sure how, he ended up teaching all 8 grades in a grade school…yup, he became a teacher for a while but that wasn’t his calling ( no kidding!). He left so he could become an actor and started on the stage making quite the name for himself before going into film. He seemed perfect for film and really made it when he starred as Brigham Young in the film of the same name. George D. Pyper was a consultant on the film and knew Young personally. He mentioned how Jagger not only looked like him but sounded like him and had similar mannerisms. This movie changed Jagger’s life who studied Young’s life and the Morgan faith finally becoming part of this faith in 1972. He was an intensely private man so we know that he married 3 times with the 3rd one, to a ballerina, lasting until his death. His 2nd marriage was to a Chinese lady but when they went to get married, they were denied due to a Californian law prohibiting a Caucasian from marrying someone of Mongolian descent….yup, racism, big surprise. They married in New Mexico but divorced 20 years later..oh well. The one blemish is his solid support behind Senator Joseph McCarthy to the point where he had a director, Joseph Losey, fired because Losey was being blacklisted by these horrible Witch hunts. This actor also appeared in many TV Shows starring in Mr. Novak, winning 2 Emmys as the Principal of this school ( I never heard of it). What’s funny is he talked about the demise of Television back in the 1960s…he must be spinning in his grave! This man gave stellar performances in many films and TV often creating heart at the centre of the films.
FILMS- I saw the first 6 and ranked them. The last 4 I chose as ones yet to see…but there are more
1. White Christmas-1954
2. 12 O’Clock High-1949
3. Bad Day At Black Rock-1955
4. The Nun’s Story-1959
5. King Creole-1958
6. Elmer Gantry-1960
7. I Escaped From The Gestapo-1943
8. Western Union-1941
9. Brigham Young-1940
10. It’s a Dog’s Life-1955
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