1. Dean Jagger was an American film, stage, and television actor who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Henry King's Twelve O'Clock High.
48 Facts About Dean Jagger
1. 2.
Dean Jeffries Jagger was born in Columbus Grove or Lima, Ohio.
3.
Dean Jagger dropped out of school several times before finally attending Wabash College.
4.
Dean Jagger dropped out in his second year, realizing he was not suited to an academic life.
5.
Dean Jagger studied at the Conservatory of Drama with Elias Day, and through him got a job on the Chautauqua circuit.
6.
Dean Jagger eventually played Young Matt in a production of Shepherd of the Hills on stage in Chicago.
7.
Dean Jagger joined a stock company as Spencer Tracy's replacement.
8.
Dean Jagger performed in vaudeville, on the radio and on stage, making his Broadway debut in 1925 in a bit part in a George M Cohan production.
9.
Dean Jagger decided to move into film production, helping raise money to make a feature that ultimately never was released.
10.
The play was a huge hit and ran until 1941, though Dean Jagger left the show in 1934 to appear in They Shall Not Die, which only ran 62 performances.
11.
Dean Jagger was back in supporting parts in It's a Great Life, Woman Trap, and 13 Hours by Air.
12.
Dean Jagger went to 20th Century Fox for Pepper and Star for a Night, then to MGM for Under Cover of Night.
13.
Dean Jagger did Woman in Distress at Columbia, and Dangerous Number and Song of the City at MGM.
14.
Dean Jagger appeared in Republic Pictures' Escape by Night and Exiled to Shanghai.
15.
Dean Jagger played Michael Drops In in summer stock and returned to Broadway to star in Missouri Legend, which ran 48 performances.
16.
Dean Jagger was in short runs for Everywhere I Roam, Brown Danube, Farm of Three Echoes with Ethel Barrymore, and Unconquered by Ayn Rand.
17.
Dean Jagger made his breakthrough with his portrayal of Mormon leader Brigham Young in Brigham Young at 20th Century Fox, alongside Tyrone Power for director Henry Hathaway.
18.
Dean Jagger was cast on the basis of his performance in Missouri Legend.
19.
Dean Jagger was announced for the Biblical film The Great Commandment and a biopic of Lewis and Clark with Randolph Scott, but neither was made.
20.
Dean Jagger had a rare lead role in I Escaped from the Gestapo for the King Brothers, then went back to supporting roles for The North Star for Sam Goldwyn.
21.
Dean Jagger acted in Alaska at Monogram, which was distributed to King films.
22.
Dean Jagger went to England to appear in I Live in Grosvenor Square with Anna Neagle and Rex Harrison.
23.
Dean Jagger had good roles in Sister Kenny with Rosalind Russell and Pursued with Robert Mitchum.
24.
Dean Jagger did Driftwood for Republic and started appearing on TV shows such as The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse, Studio One, and The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre.
25.
Dean Jagger returned to Broadway for Dr Social, but it had a short run.
26.
Dean Jagger received an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Twelve O'Clock High, made at Fox and directed by Henry King.
27.
Dean Jagger stayed a supporting actor, though, appearing in Sierra with Audie Murphy at Universal, Dark City for Hal Wallis, Rawhide with Hathaway and Power at Fox, and Warpath at Paramount with Edmond O'Brien and directed by Byron Haskin.
28.
Dean Jagger had a lead role in the strongly anti-communist film My Son John at Paramount.
29.
Dean Jagger was in Denver and Rio Grande, again with Haskin and O'Brien, and episodes of Gulf Playhouse, Lux Video Theatre, Cavalcade of America, Schlitz Playhouse, and Studio 57.
30.
Dean Jagger appeared in the biblical epic The Robe as the weaver Justus of Cana, and was in Private Hell 36.
31.
Dean Jagger played retired Army Major General Tom Waverly honored by Bob Wallace and Phil Davis in the musical White Christmas, and an impotent local sheriff in the modern Western Bad Day at Black Rock, starring Spencer Tracy for MGM.
32.
Dean Jagger was in The Eternal Sea at Republic, It's a Dog's Life at MGM, On the Threshold of Space at Fox, and Red Sundown at Universal.
33.
Dean Jagger was in The 20th Century Fox Hour, Three Brave Men, The Great Man, Zane Grey Theatre, "Bernadine" with Pat Boone, an episode of Playhouse 90, Forty Guns for Sam Fuller, and The Proud Rebel with Alan Ladd and directed by Michael Curtiz.
34.
Dean Jagger portrayed the father of Elvis Presley's character in 1958's King Creole, directed by Curtiz.
35.
Dean Jagger was in The Nun's Story, playing the father of Audrey Hepburn's character, and Cash McCall, and played the traveling manager for an evangelist played by Jean Simmons in the acclaimed 1960 drama Elmer Gantry.
36.
Dean Jagger was in two failed pilots, including The House on K Street.
37.
Dean Jagger appeared in the films Parrish, The Honeymoon Machine and Billy Rose's Jumbo.
38.
Dean Jagger achieved success with the television series Mr Novak, receiving Emmy Award nominations for his role in 1964 and 1965, as well as the California Teachers Association's Communications Award, along with star James Franciscus, in 1963 for his portrayal of high-school principal Albert Vane.
39.
Dean Jagger officially left the show in December 1964 because of an ulcer.
40.
Dean Jagger had a semiregular role on the series Matt Lincoln as the father of the title character, and parts in Vanishing Point, Bonanza, and Incident in San Francisco.
41.
Dean Jagger played a prospector named Charlie in the Christmas episode "Don't Bring Your Guns to Town, Santa".
42.
Dean Jagger played the syndicate boss in Game of Death as the nemesis of Bruce Lee.
43.
Dean Jagger won a Daytime Emmy award for a guest appearance in the religious series This Is the Life.
44.
Dean Jagger has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1523 Vine Street for his contribution to motion pictures.
45.
When Dean Jagger tried to marry his second wife, Gloria Ling, in 1947, they were denied a marriage license in California due to a state law "forbidding unions between Caucasians and Mongolians [sic]"; Ling's father had been born in China.
46.
Dean Jagger died in his sleep in Santa Monica, California.
47.
Dean Jagger was survived by his third wife, Etta, a daughter and two stepsons.
48.
Dean Jagger joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints later in his life.