Darlyne Danielle Swanson, a stunning individual with piercing green eyes and a husky voice, was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. At the tender age of five, her family relocated to California, where she spent her formative years. As she grew, she attended school in California and later pursued higher education at the University of California in Berkeley.
Prior to embarking on her professional journey, Swanson, who would later become known as Dani Crayne, married a Frenchman named Donalde Crayne at the tender age of sixteen. Unfortunately, this union did not last, and the couple divorced four years later. Undeterred, Dani set her sights on breaking into the entertainment industry, enrolling in dance, voice, and acting classes. Her hard work paid off, as she eventually became a mambo teacher at a renowned Hollywood dance academy.
While teaching, Dani was discovered by a Universal studios talent scout, who signed her to a one-year contract. Despite a flurry of publicity, Dani's film career was marked by a series of underwhelming performances, and her contract was not renewed in 1956. She went on to appear in a handful of films at Warner Brothers, including the B-grade western Shoot-Out at Medicine Bend (1957) and the critically panned The Story of Mankind (1957).
Dani Crayne's acting career slowed to a crawl, and she did not appear on screen again until the late 1970s, when she made a brief comeback as a character actress. During this period, she was billed as Dani Janssen.
In the early 1960s, Dani married singer Buddy Greco after being captivated by his stage performance at a Chicago club. The couple divorced in 1974, and Dani went on to wed TV star David Janssen, who gifted her a luxurious 1979 Rolls-Royce Corniche. Tragically, Janssen passed away in 1980, leaving Dani a widow for a brief period.
In 1981, Dani married actor-director-stuntman Hal Needham, with whom she remained until their divorce in 1987. Despite her tumultuous personal life, Dani built a reputation as a celebrated Beverly Hills hostess, known for throwing lavish Oscar night parties. She made savvy investments and lived an opulent lifestyle, earning the admiration of those who knew her. In fact, one writer likened her to a "typical Jackie Collins character," a testament to her glamorous and extravagant persona.
