Jean Wallace (born Jean Walasek or Wallasek; October 12, 1923 February 14, 1990) was an American television and film actress.

Early life

Wallace was born on October 12, 1923, in Chicago, Illinois, to John T. Walaszek and Mary A. Walaszek (née Sharkey). Her grandfather Karol Walaszek emigrated from Galicia. She was Polish-American.

Wallace graduated from Austin High School in Chicago before the family moved to Hollywood in 1940.

Career

Wallace was a dancer, singer, and showgirl for Earl Carroll. She signed with Paramount Pictures and had her first feature role in Louisiana Purchase.

Personal life

Wallace married her Jigsaw costar Franchot Tone on October 18, 1941 in Yuma, Arizona. They had two sons, Pascal "Pat" Franchot Tone, born July 29, 1943, and Thomas Jefferson Tone, born September 16, 1945. Wallace and Tone divorced in 1948, and Tone was awarded custody of their sons. Wallace challenged that status in 1950 because of Tone's relationship with actress Barbara Payton, but a judge in Santa Monica, California, ruled that Tone would retain custody.

Wallace attempted suicide in 1946 by ingesting sleeping pills. In 1949, she again attempted suicide with a self-inflicted knife wound, causing her to be replaced by Ella Raines as the star of A Dangerous Profession.

In 1950, Wallace married former U.S. Army captain Jim Lloyd Randall, but the marriage was annulled later that year.

Wallace's third marriage was to actor Cornel Wilde, her costar in The Big Combo, Storm Fear, Lancelot and Guinevere, Sword of Lancelot and Beach Red, from 1951 to 1981. She and Wilde had one son, Cornel Wallace Wilde, born on December 19, 1967.

She sang the theme song from the movie Beach Red, which Wilde produced and directed as well as starred in.

Wallace died from a gastrointestinal hemorrhage on February 14, 1990 at the age of 66.

Filmography

References

External links