Jeanne Crain was born in Barstow, California, on May 25, 1925, to a high school English teacher and his wife. Shortly after her birth, her family relocated to Los Angeles, where her father took a teaching position.
Jeanne's early interest in acting was sparked by her lead role in a school production during junior high school. She was subsequently asked to take a screen test for a film by Orson Welles, although she didn't secure the part.
After completing high school, Jeanne enrolled at UCLA to study drama. At the age of 18, she won a bit part in Fox Studio's film The Gang's All Here (1943) and a small contract. She went on to appear in Home in Indiana (1944) and In the Meantime, Darling (1944),the latter of which received negative reviews.
Jeanne rebounded with her performance in Winged Victory (1944),which was a critical and commercial success. In 1945, she starred in State Fair (1945) as Margie Frake, a role that earned her a bigger contract and more recognition.
Jeanne married Paul Brooks on New Year's Eve in 1945, and the couple went on to have seven children together. The following year, she took time off to bear their first child.
In 1949, Jeanne appeared in three films, including A Letter to Three Wives (1949),The Fan (1949),and Pinky (1949),the latter of which earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress.
Jeanne left Fox after filming Vicki (1953) and went on to appear in Duel in the Jungle (1954) before signing a contract with Universal Studios. She appeared in a number of films throughout the 1950s and 1960s, including Man Without a Star (1955),The Joker Is Wild (1957),and Guns of the Timberland (1960).
Jeanne took time off from acting in the late 1960s and early 1970s to focus on her family and appeared in a few television programs. Her final film was Skyjacked (1972).
Jeanne Crain died of a heart attack in Santa Barbara, California, on December 14, 2003, two months after the death of her husband Paul Brooks.
