Adele Jergens was a renowned actress and model of the 1940s and 1950s. Born on November 26, 1917, in Brooklyn, New York, to Norwegian parents, Adele was the youngest of four children. She grew up as a sports-minded tomboy and later developed a passion for dance.
After studying at a Manhattan dance studio and graduating from Grover Cleveland High School, Adele joined the Broadway chorus line in the musical "Jubilee!" (1938). She was discovered by the John Robert Powers Agency and became a top runway model, earning the nicknames "Miss World's Fairest" and "The Champagne Blonde".
Adele's modeling career led to film roles, and she signed with Twentieth Century-Fox in 1942. She started with minor parts in musicals like "Hello Frisco, Hello" (1943) and "Sweet Rosie O'Grady" (1943). After being dropped by Fox, Adele was signed by Columbia Pictures in 1944.
She went on to star in films like "A Thousand and One Nights" (1945),"She Wouldn't Say Yes" (1945),and "When a Girl's Beautiful" (1947). Adele's breakthrough role came in the fantasy film "Down to Earth" (1947),where she played a heavenly muse.
In the 1950s, Adele transitioned to crime dramas and film noir, starring in films like "The Corpse Came C.O.D." (1947),"I Love Trouble" (1948),and "Edge of Doom" (1950). She also appeared in serials like "Radar Secret Service" (1950).
Adele married actor Glenn Langan in 1951 and stayed married until his death in 1991. She had one son, Tracy, in 1953, and took a brief break from her career to raise him. Adele resumed her career in the 1950s, working in television and film, including co-starring with her husband in "The Big Chase" (1954).
Adele's final film roles were in the 1950s, and she eventually left the business. She passed away on November 22, 2002, at the age of 85, just days before her 85th birthday.
