Coleen Gray (born Doris Bernice Jensen; October 23, 1922 – August 3, 2015) was an American actress. She was best known for her roles in the films '' Nightmare Alley'' (1947), '' Red River'' (1948), and

Stanley Kubrick Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and photographer. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, his films, almost all of which are adaptations of nove ...

's '' The Killing'' (1956).

Early years

Born to Danish parents in

Staplehurst, Nebraska Staplehurst is a village in Seward County, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Lincoln, Nebraska Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 242 at the 2010 census. History Staplehurst was established in 1879 when the railroad w ...

, Gray moved with her family to

Hutchinson, Minnesota Hutchinson is the largest city in McLeod County, Minnesota, United States. It lies along the South Fork of the Crow River. The population was 14,599 at the 2020 census. History The Hutchinson Family Singers (John, Asa, and Judson Hutchinson) ...

when she was seven. She grew up on a farm. After graduating from Hutchinson high school in 1943 as Doris Jensen, she studied drama at

Hamline University Hamline University is a private liberal arts college in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Founded in 1854, Hamline is known for its emphasis on experiential learning, service, and social justice. The university is named after Bishop Leonidas Lent Hamline ...

, and graduated cum laude with a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

. She travelled to California, and worked as a waitress in a restaurant in

La Jolla La Jolla ( , ) is a hilly, seaside neighborhood within the city of San Diego, California, United States, occupying of curving coastline along the Pacific Ocean. The population reported in the 2010 census was 46,781. La Jolla is surrounded on ...

. After several weeks there, she moved to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...

and enrolled at

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a Normal school, teachers colle ...

. She also worked in the school's library and at a

YWCA The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) is a nonprofit organization with a focus on empowerment, leadership, and rights of women, young women, and girls in more than 100 countries. The World office is currently based in Geneva, Swi ...

while a student.

Stage

She had leading roles in the Los Angeles stage productions ''Letters to Lucerne'' and ''Brief Music'', which won her a

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film studio, film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm o ...

contract in 1944.Magers, p. 94.

Film appearances

After playing a bit part in ''

State Fair A state fair is an annual competitive and recreational gathering of a U.S. state's population, usually held in late summer or early fall. It is a larger version of a county fair, often including only exhibits or competitors that have won in ...

'' (1945), she became pregnant and briefly stopped working, only to return a year later as the love interest of the character played by John Wayne in '' Red River'' (1948), which was shot in 1946 but held for release until 1948. Gray appeared in two 1947 films noir: in '' Kiss of Death'' as

Victor Mature Victor John Mature (January 29, 1913 – August 4, 1999) was an American stage, film, and television actor who was a leading man in Hollywood during the 1940s and 1950s. His best known film roles include ''One Million B.C.'' (1940), ''My Darling ...

's ex-con character's wife and

Richard Widmark Richard Weedt Widmark (December 26, 1914March 24, 2008) was an American film, stage, and television actor and producer. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as the villainous Tommy Udo in his debut film, ''Kiss of Death'' (1947), ...

's character's target; and in '' Nightmare Alley'' as

Tyrone Power Tyrone Edmund Power III (May 5, 1914 – November 15, 1958) was an American actor. From the 1930s to the 1950s, Power appeared in dozens of films, often in swashbuckler roles or romantic leads. His better-known films include ''Jesse James (193 ...

's character's carnival performer wife, "Electra." In 1947, Gray used her musical abilities as she sang her part live while filming (rather than having her voice dubbed) opposite

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...

in '' Riding High'', directed by

Frank Capra Frank Russell Capra (born Francesco Rosario Capra; May 18, 1897 – September 3, 1991) was an Italian-born American film director, producer and writer who became the creative force behind some of the major award-winning films of the 1930s ...

. ''Riding High'' was not a success and Fox ended her contract in 1950. Gray worked steadily in the 1950s, but mostly in smaller movies. She played a crooked nurse in ''

The Sleeping City ''The Sleeping City'' is a 1950 American film noir crime film in semidocumentary style that was set in and filmed at New York's Bellevue Hospital. Directed by George Sherman, it stars Richard Conte and Coleen Gray. The film is notable for its p ...

'' (1950) and appeared in ''

Kansas City Confidential ''Kansas City Confidential'' is a 1952 American film noir and crime film directed by Phil Karlson starring John Payne (actor), John Payne and Coleen Gray. The film was released in the United Kingdom as ''The Secret Four''. Karlson and Payne teamed ...

'' (1952) and in the

film noir '' The Killing'' (1956), in which she plays the loyal girlfriend of criminal

Sterling Hayden Sterling Walter Hayden (born Sterling Relyea Walter; March 26, 1916 – May 23, 1986) was an American actor, author, sailor and decorated Marine Corps officer and an Office of Strategic Services' agent during World War II. A leading man for mo ...

. In the 1953 Western '' The Vanquished'', she played a woman who attacks

Jan Sterling Jan Sterling (born Jane Sterling Adriance; April 3, 1921 – March 26, 2004) was an American film, television and stage actress. At her most active in films during the 1950s (immediately prior to which she had joined the Actors Studio), Sterling ...

's character with a pair of scissors in a crazed attempt to exonerate the man she loves ( John Payne). Other films included '' Father Is a Bachelor'' (1950), '' The Leech Woman'' (1960), '' The Phantom Planet'' (1961), and '' P.J.'' (1968). Gray appeared in ''The Late Liz'' (1971), and acted in the films ''Forgotten Lady'' (1977), and ''Mother'' (1978) with

Patsy Ruth Miller Patsy Ruth Miller (born Patricia Ruth Miller; January 17, 1904 – July 16, 1995) was an American film actress who played Esméralda in '' The Hunchback of Notre Dame'' (1923) opposite Lon Chaney. Early years Miller was born and raised in St ...

. ''Mother'' had a premiere at the

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Street between Fifth Avenue, Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, ...

in New York City. Both ''Mother'' and ''Forgotten Lady'' were written for Gray by Brian Pinette, who also served as director and producer. She appeared in the religious film ''Cry From the Mountain'' (1986, in the USA), directed by

James F. Collier James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambigua ...

Television

From the 1950s, Gray guest-starred in episodes of television series such as ''

Four Star Playhouse ''Four Star Playhouse'' is an American anthology series that ran from 1952 to 1956. Four Star Playhouse was owned by Four Star International. Its episodes ranged anywhere from surreal mysteries, such as "The Man on the Train", to light comedie ...

'', '' Maverick'', ''

Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was r ...

'', ''

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a cli ...

'', '' Mr. Ed'', ''

Tales of Wells Fargo ''Tales of Wells Fargo'' is an American Western television series starring Dale Robertson that ran from 1957 to 1962 on NBC. Produced by Revue Productions, the series aired in a half-hour format until its final season, when it expanded to a ...

'' in 1960 in the episode "The Journey" as Sandra Morton, '' Rawhide'' in 1962 in the episode "The Devil and the Deep Blue" as Helen Wade, ''

77 Sunset Strip ''77 Sunset Strip'' is an American television private detective drama series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Roger Smith, Richard Long (from 1960 to 1961) and Edd Byrnes (billed as Edward Byrnes). Each episode was on ...

'', ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on ...

'', ''

The Deputy ''The Deputy, a Christian tragedy'' (German: ''Der Stellvertreter. Ein christliches Trauerspiel''), also published in English as ''The Representative '', is a controversial 1963 play by Rolf Hochhuth which portrayed Pope Pius XII as having fail ...

'', '' Have Gun Will Travel'', ''

The Dakotas The Dakotas is a collective term for the U.S. states of North Dakota and South Dakota. It has been used historically to describe the Dakota Territory, and is still used for the collective heritage, culture, geography, fauna, sociology, econo ...

'', ''

Family Affair ''Family Affair'' is an American sitcom starring Brian Keith and Sebastian Cabot that aired on CBS from September 12, 1966, to March 4, 1971. The series explored the trials of well-to-do engineer and bachelor Bill Davis (Keith) as he attempt ...

'', '' Ironside'', '' Lawman'', ''

The Name of the Game Name of the Game may refer to: Television * ''The Name of the Game'' (TV series), a 1968–1971 American drama ** ''Fame Is the Name of the Game'', a 1966 American television film and pilot for the series * "The Name of the Game" (''Grey's Anato ...

'', '' Branded'', and ''

Tales from the Darkside ''Tales from the Darkside'' is an American anthology horror TV series created by George A. Romero. Debuting in October 1983 with a pilot episode and then being picked up for syndication in September 1984, the show ran for 4 seasons through Ju ...

''. On May 23, 1962, she was cast as Miss Wycliffe in the series finale, "A Job for Summer", of the CBS comedy/drama series, ''

Window on Main Street ''Window on Main Street'' is an American comedy-drama television series starring Robert Young about an author who returns to his home town after an absence of many years to write about the people and events there. Original episodes aired from Oct ...

'', starring

Robert Young Robert, Rob, Robbie, Bob, or Bobby Young may refer to: Academics * R. A. Young (Robert Arthur Young, 1871–1959), British physician * Robert J. C. Young (born 1950), British cultural critic and historian * Robert J. Young (born 1942), Canadian h ...

as a widowed author in his hometown. She made four guest appearances on ''

'', including the title role of defendant Lorraine Kendall in the 1960 episode, "The Case of the Wandering Widow." Gray was a regular on the daytime dramas ''

Bright Promise ''Bright Promise'' is an American daytime soap opera that ran on NBC from September 29, 1969 to March 31, 1972. Synopsis The show revolved around students and faculty at the fictional Bancroft College, located in the community of Bancroft, somew ...

'' and ''

Days of Our Lives ''Days of Our Lives'' (also stylized as ''Days of our Lives''; simply referred to as ''Days'' or ''DOOL'') is an American television soap opera that streams on the streaming service Peacock (streaming service), Peacock. The soap, which aired on ...

''.

Personal life

Gray married

Rod Amateau Rodney Amateau (December 20, 1923 – June 29, 2003) was an American film and television screenwriter, director, and producer. Career Among the programs that he directed were '' The Dennis Day Show'', ''The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show'', ...

, a screenwriter, on August 10, 1945; they divorced on February 11, 1949, and had one daughter, Susan. Gray's second husband was William Clymer Bidlack, an aviation executive. They were married from July 14, 1953, until his death in 1978. The union produced a son, Bruce Robin Bidlack. In 1979, Gray married widowed Biblical scholar

Joseph Fritz Zeiser Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the mo ...

; they remained together until his death in March 2012. They worked together in Presbyterian causes and the

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

, Prison Fellowship, founded in 1976 by

Chuck Colson Chuck is a masculine given name or a nickname for Charles or Charlie. It may refer to: People Arts and entertainment * Chuck Alaimo, American saxophonist, leader of the Chuck Alaimo Quartet * Chuck Barris (1929–2017), American TV producer * ...

. Gray was a Republican and supported

Barry Goldwater Barry Morris Goldwater (January 2, 1909 – May 29, 1998) was an American politician and United States Air Force officer who was a five-term U.S. Senator from Arizona (1953–1965, 1969–1987) and the United States Republican Party, Republ ...

in the 1964 United States presidential election. That same year, along with actors

Victor Jory Victor Jory (November 23, 1902 – February 12, 1982) was a Canadian-American actor of stage, film, and television. He initially played romantic leads, but later was mostly cast in villainous or sinister roles, such as Oberon in ''A Midsummer N ...

and Susan Seaforth, she testified before the United States Congress as part of "Project Prayer", arguing in favor of a

constitutional amendment A constitutional amendment is a modification of the constitution of a polity, organization or other type of entity. Amendments are often interwoven into the relevant sections of an existing constitution, directly altering the text. Conversely, t ...

allowing

school prayer School prayer, in the context of religious liberty, is state-sanctioned or mandatory prayer by students in public schools. Depending on the country and the type of school, state-sponsored prayer may be required, permitted, or prohibited. Countries ...

. Gray, at age 92, died of natural causes in her Bel Air home in Los Angeles on August 3, 2015. She was

cremated Cremation is a method of final disposition of a dead body through burning. Cremation may serve as a funeral or post-funeral rite and as an alternative to burial. In some countries, including India and Nepal, cremation on an open-air pyre i ...

at Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery and her ashes given to her stepson, Rick Zeiser. Her memorial service was held at the

Bel Air Presbyterian Church Bel Air Church (also known as Bel Air Presbyterian Church) is a Presbyterian church located in Los Angeles, California. Its campus is located on Mulholland Drive in the Encino neighborhood. History The Bel Air Church was founded in 1956 in Los ...

where she, and her third husband, Joseph Fritz Zeiser, had been active members.

Public service

Gray was a member of the board of directors at her alma mater,

. She was also active within the following organizations: WAIF, the child adoption organization as President, The March of Dimes, American Cancer Society, American Red Cross, American Mental Health Association, Los Angeles Epilepsy Society, Junior Blind, The Bel-Air Republican Women's Group, and the

Boy Scouts of America The Boy Scouts of America (BSA, colloquially the Boy Scouts) is one of the largest scouting organizations and one of the largest List of youth organizations, youth organizations in the United States, with about 1.2 million youth partici ...

and the

Girl Scouts of the United States of America Girl Scouts of the United States of America (GSUSA), commonly referred to as simply Girl Scouts, is a youth organization for girls in the United States and American girls living abroad. Founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912, it was organized a ...

Complete filmography

*''

'' (1945) - Girl with Pappy (uncredited) *'' Three Little Girls in Blue'' (1946) - Girl at the Beach (uncredited) *''

The Shocking Miss Pilgrim ''The Shocking Miss Pilgrim'' is a 1947 American musical comedy film in Technicolor written and directed by George Seaton and starring Betty Grable and Dick Haymes. The screenplay, based on a story by Ernest Maas and Frederica Maas, focuses o ...

'' (1947) (scenes cut) *'' Kiss of Death'' (1947) - Nettie *'' Nightmare Alley'' (1947) - Molly *'' Fury at Furnace Creek'' (1948) - Molly Baxter *'' Red River'' (1948) - Fen *''

Sand Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a soil texture, textur ...

'' (1949) - Joan Hartley *'' Father Is a Bachelor'' (1950) - Prudence Millett *'' Riding High'' (1950) - Alice Higgins *''

'' (1950) - Ann Sebastian *'' I'll Get You for This'' (1951) - Kay Wonderly *'' Apache Drums'' (1951) - Sally *'' Models Inc.'' (1952) - Rusty Faraday *''

'' (1952) - Helen Foster *'' The Vanquished'' (1953) - Jane Colfax *'' Sabre Jet'' (1953) - Mrs. Gil Manton, aka Jane Carter *'' The Fake'' (1953) - Mary Mason *'' Arrow In the Dust'' (1954) - Christella Burke *''

Las Vegas Shakedown ''Las Vegas Shakedown'' is a 1955 American crime film directed by Sidney Salkow from an original screenplay by Steve Fisher. The film stars Dennis O'Keefe, Coleen Gray, and Charles Winninger, and was released on May 15, 1955. Plot Cast * ...

'' (1955) - Julie Rae *'' Tennessee's Partner'' (1955) - Goldie Slater, w/Ronald Reagan *'' The Twinkle in God's Eye'' (1955) - Laura *'' The Wild Dakotas'' (1956) - Sue "Lucky" Duneen *'' Star in the Dust'' (1956) - Nellie Mason *'' The Killing'' (1956) - Fay *'' Frontier Gambler'' (1956) - Sylvia "The Princess" Melbourne *'' Death of a Scoundrel'' (1956) - Mrs. Edith Van Renasslear *''

The Black Whip ''The Black Whip'' is a 1957 American Civil War Western film directed by Charles Marquis Warren and starring Hugh Marlowe and Coleen Gray. The film brief describes the film as "two brothers rescue four dance-hall girls, and encounter trouble f ...

'' (1956) - Jeannie *''

Destination 60,000 ''Destination 60,000'' (aka ''Jet'') is a 65-minute 1957 drama film, directed by George Waggner and produced by the Allied Artists Pictures . The film stars Preston Foster, Pat Conway and Jeff Donnell. ''Destination 60,000'' depicts the life o ...

'' (1957) - Mary Ellen *'' The Vampire'' (1957) - Carol Butler *'' Copper Sky'' (1957) - Nora Hayes *'' Hell's Five Hours'' (1958) - Nancy Brand *'' Johnny Rocco'' (1958) - Lois Mayfield *'' The Leech Woman'' (1960) - June Talbot *'' The Phantom Planet'' (1961) - Liara *'' Town Tamer'' (1965) - Carol Rosser *'' P.J.'' (1968) - Betty Orbison *'' The Late Liz'' (1971) - Sue Webb *'' Ellery Queen: Don't Look Behind You'' (1971, TV Movie) - Mrs. Cazalis *''Mother'' (1978) - Angela Harding *'' The Best Place to Be'' (1979, TV Movie) - Dottie Parker *''Cry From the Mountain'' (1985) - Marian Rissman

Radio appearances

References

External links

* * * *
Yahoo biography

Photograph of Coleen Gray

Coleen Gray
(Aveleyman) {{DEFAULTSORT:Gray, Coleen American film actresses American television actresses 1922 births 2015 deaths Actresses from Nebraska Hamline University alumni People from Seward County, Nebraska 20th-century American actresses 20th Century Studios contract players Actresses from Los Angeles American people of Danish descent California Republicans American Presbyterians New Right (United States) University of California, Los Angeles alumni