Years active 1942–1988 Name Jeff Donnell | Role Film actress | |
Full Name Jean Marie Donnell Died April 11, 1988, Los Angeles, California, United States Spouse Radcliffe Bealey (m. 1974–1975) Children Sarah Jane, Michael Pineas Parents Mildred Donnell, Harold Donnell Movies In a Lonely Place, The Blue Gardenia, Sweet Smell of Success, The Iron Maiden, Spider‑Man Similar People Aldo Ray, Frank Lovejoy, Gloria Grahame, Lew Landers, Janis Carter | ||
Barbara Hale, Jeff Donnell Rare TV Interview
Jeff Donnell (July 10, 1921 – April 11, 1988) was an American film and television actress.
Contents
Early years
Born Jean Marie Donnell, she grew up in South Windham, Maine. As a child, she adopted the nickname "Jeff" after the character in her favorite comic strip, Mutt and Jeff. To avoid gender confusion, she was sometimes billed as "(Miss) Jeff Donnell."
Donnell graduated from Towson High School, Towson, Maryland, in 1938 and attended the Leland Powers School of Drama in Boston, Massachusetts. Later, she studied at the Yale School of Drama.
Career
Donnell was signed to a contract by Columbia Pictures while she was active with the Farragut Playhouse in New Hampshire, and she made her film debut in My Sister Eileen (1942). She later had roles in some RKO films.
She was not a major star, but she did have a lengthy film and television career in various supporting roles, including the role of Gidget's mother, "Dorothy Lawrence", in Gidget Goes Hawaiian and Gidget Goes to Rome. She also played Hannah Marshall in the Gidget television series.:391 She portrayed Mrs. Bennett in Julia,:548 and in 1966 she made five appearances on Dr. Kildare as Evelyn Driscoll.
For three seasons, she portrayed George Gobel's wife, Alice, in The George Gobel Show (1954–1957) on NBC-TV, and she played Ethel on the Matt Helm TV series.:667
Death
Donnell died of a heart attack on April 11, 1988, aged 66. Her sudden absence from General Hospital, on which she had a recurring role as the Quartermaines' housekeeper at the time of her death, was explained away by the writers as her character having won the lottery and quit her job.
Filmography
Actress
1979
General Hospital (TV Series) as
Stella Fields / Stella
1979
Fantasy Island (TV Series) as
Mrs. Hoyt
- The Cheerleaders/Marooned (1979) - Mrs. Hoyt
1979
Portrait of a Stripper (TV Movie) as
Edith Sterling
1979
Rendezvous Hotel (TV Movie) as
Mrs. Williams
1979
Murder by Natural Causes (TV Movie) as
Mrs. Mathews
1978
The Bob Newhart Show (TV Series) as
Clara Hackler
- Freudian Ship (1978) - Clara Hackler
1977
The Amazing Spider-Man (TV Series) as
Aunt May Parker
- Spider-Man (1977) - Aunt May Parker
1977
The Feather and Father Gang (TV Series) as
Annie
- The Apology (1977) - Annie
1977
Chico and the Man (TV Series) as
Peggy Randall
- Matchmaker, Matchmaker (1977) - Peggy Randall
1976
Gibbsville (TV Series)
- Saturday Night (1976)
1976
McNaughton's Daughter (TV Mini Series) as
Juror
- McNaughton's Daughter (1976) - Juror
1975
Matt Helm (TV Series) as
Ethel
- Die Once, Die Twice (1976) - Ethel
- Death Rods (1975) - Ethel
- Deadly Breed (1975) - Ethel
- Murder on Ice (1975) - Ethel
- Scavenger's Paradise (1975) - Ethel
- Now I Lay Me Down to Die (1975) - Ethel
- Dead Men Talk (1975) - Ethel
1974
Police Story (TV Series) as
Mrs. Attles / Martha
- Face for a Shadow (1975) - Mrs. Attles
- Fingerprint (1974) - Martha
1975
Kolchak: The Night Stalker (TV Series) as
Maura
- The Knightly Murders (1975) - Maura
1974
Paper Moon (TV Series) as
Mrs. Carson
- Green Goods (1974) - Mrs. Carson
1974
Marcus Welby, M.D. (TV Series) as
Cleaning Woman
- Last Flight to Babylon (1974) - Cleaning Woman
1973
The Girl with Something Extra (TV Series) as
Betsy Burton
- Mind-ing Mama (1973) - Betsy Burton
1971
Love, American Style (TV Series) as
Mrs. Gellar (segment "Love and the Unwedding") / Mrs. Hutton (segment "Love and the Bashful Groom")
- Love and the Big Top/Love and the Locksmith/Love and the Odd Couples/Love and the Unwedding (1973) - Mrs. Gellar (segment "Love and the Unwedding")
- Love and the Awakening/Love and the Bashful Groom/Love and the Four-Sided Triangle/Love and the Naked Stranger (1971) - Mrs. Hutton (segment "Love and the Bashful Groom")
1973
Here We Go Again (TV Series) as
Aunt Patti
- Class of '77 (1973) - Aunt Patti
1973
The ABC Afternoon Playbreak (TV Series) as
Mrs. Cummings
- The Gift of Terror (1973) - Mrs. Cummings
1973
Cannon (TV Series) as
Mrs. Holt
- The Seventh Grave (1973) - Mrs. Holt
1973
Barnaby Jones (TV Series) as
Janet Gossett
- Sunday: Doomsday (1973) - Janet Gossett
1973
Adam-12 (TV Series) as
Mrs. James Nelson
- O'Brien's Stand (1973) - Mrs. James Nelson
1969
The F.B.I. (TV Series) as
Mrs. Kraft / Rooming House Manager
- Holiday with Terror (1972) - Mrs. Kraft
- Blood Tie (1969) - Rooming House Manager
1972
Young Dr. Kildare (TV Series)
- Pilot (1972)
1972
Stand Up and Be Counted as
Ruth
1972
Emergency! (TV Series) as
Katie
- Crash (1972) - Katie
1972
Me and the Chimp (TV Series) as
Grandma
- One Romantic Evening (1972) - Grandma
1971
The Jimmy Stewart Show (TV Series) as
Agatha Dwiggins / Mrs. Dwiggins
- Price Is Right (1972) - Agatha Dwiggins
- As the Escrow Flies (1972) - Mrs. Dwiggins
- Guest of Honor (1971) - Agatha Dwiggins
1972
The Partridge Family (TV Series) as
Mrs. Monahan
- My Heart Belongs to a Two Car Garage (1972) - Mrs. Monahan
1971
The Bold Ones: The New Doctors (TV Series) as
Nurse Klein
- The Convicts (1971) - Nurse Klein
1971
Congratulations, It's a Boy! (TV Movie) as
Rose
1968
Julia (TV Series) as
Mrs. Bennett
- Anyone for Tenants? (1971) - Mrs. Bennett
- Kids Is a Four-Letter Word (1971) - Mrs. Bennett
- You Can't Beat Drums (1969) - Mrs. Bennett
- Paint Your Waggedorn (1968) - Mrs. Bennett
1971
Love Hate Love (TV Movie) as
Mary Blunden
1970
Medical Center (TV Series) as
Mrs. Hersey
- Witch Hunt (1970) - Mrs. Hersey
1970
Bracken's World (TV Series) as
Joan (Film Editor) / Joan Elliot
- The Mary Tree (1970) - Joan (Film Editor)
- Together Again, for the Last Time (1970) - Joan Elliot
1970
Tora! Tora! Tora! as
Cornelia
1970
Nanny and the Professor (TV Series) as
Mrs. Winslow
- Nanny Will Do (1970) - Mrs. Winslow (uncredited)
1969
The Comic as
Nurse
1969
Daniel Boone (TV Series) as
Varna Montgomery
- A Tall Tale of Prater Beaseley (1969) - Varna Montgomery
1968
The Felony Squad (TV Series) as
Mrs. Foster
- The Deadly Innocents (1968) - Mrs. Foster
1968
The Mothers-In-Law (TV Series) as
Elaine
- Herb's Little Helpers (1968) - Elaine
1966
Gidget (TV Series) as
Hannah
- Take a Lesson (1966) - Hannah
1966
The Addams Family (TV Series) as
Eleanor Digby
- Morticia, the Decorator (1966) - Eleanor Digby
1966
Dr. Kildare (TV Series) as
Evelyn Driscoll / Nurse Evelyn Driscoll
- Some Tales for Halloween (1966) - Evelyn Driscoll (uncredited)
- A Few Hearts, a Few Flowers (1966) - Evelyn Driscoll
- Never So Happy (1966) - Nurse Evelyn Driscoll
- The Last to Believe in Miracles (1966) - Nurse Evelyn Driscoll
- The Atheist and the True Believer (1966) - Evelyn Driscoll
1962
Perry Mason (TV Series) as
Rose Carol / Sylvia Dykes
- The Case of the Bullied Bowler (1964) - Rose Carol
- The Case of the Melancholy Marksman (1962) - Sylvia Dykes
1964
The Magical World of Disney (TV Series) as
Mrs. Jarkey
- Bristle Face: Part 2 (1964) - Mrs. Jarkey
- Bristle Face: Part 1 (1964) - Mrs. Jarkey
1963
Gidget Goes to Rome as
Mrs. Lawrence
1962
The Swingin' Maiden as
Miriam Fisher
1954
The United States Steel Hour (TV Series) as
Eva Dulaney / Sadie Merrick / Virginia Purdy
- Farewell to Innocence (1962)
- Tangle of Truth (1961) - Eva Dulaney
- Game of Hearts (1960)
- Little Tin God (1959) - Sadie Merrick
- Goodbye- But It Doesn't Go Away (1958)
- One for the Road (1954) - Virginia Purdy
- Goodbye- But It Doesn't Go Away (1954)
1962
Mister Ed (TV Series) as
Martha Harper
- Ed, the Matchmaker (1962) - Martha Harper
1961
Force of Impulse as
Louise Reese
1961
Gidget Goes Hawaiian as
Dorothy Lawrence
1960
Play of the Week (TV Series) as
Lucy
- Uncle Harry (1960) - Lucy
1960
The DuPont Show with June Allyson (TV Series) as
Millie Moon
- A Thief or Two (1960) - Millie Moon
1960
The Ann Sothern Show (TV Series) as
Helen
- The Girls (1960) - Helen
1960
Overland Trail (TV Series) as
Jennifer Dean
- Most Dangerous Gentleman (1960) - Jennifer Dean
1959
The Further Adventures of Ellery Queen (TV Series)
- The Chemistry Set (1959)
1956
Matinee Theatre (TV Series)
- Almost Any Man Will Do (1957)
- The Old Payola (1956)
1957
My Man Godfrey as
Molly
1957
Sweet Smell of Success as
Sally
1957
Destination 60, 000 as
Ruth Buckley
1957
The Guns of Fort Petticoat as
Mary Wheller
1957
Mr. Adams and Eve (TV Series) as
Adele
- You Can't Go Home Again (1957) - Adele
1956
Playhouse 90 (TV Series) as
Sylvia
- Sincerely, Willis Wade (1956) - Sylvia
1956
Studio 57 (TV Series)
- Swing Your Partner, Hector (1956)
1956
Ethel Barrymore Theater (TV Series)
- Mimsel's Man (1956)
- The Peabody's (1956)
1956
Magnificent Roughnecks as
Julie
1956
The George Gobel Show (TV Series) as
Alice
- Howard McNear (1956) - Alice
1955
Climax! (TV Series) as
Kay Matheson
- No Stone Unturned (1955) - Kay Matheson
1955
Crown Theatre with Gloria Swanson (TV Series)
- The Antique Shop (1955)
1954
Meet the O'Briens (TV Movie)
1954
Waterfront (TV Series) as
Marilyn Carr
- Troubled Waters (1954) - Marilyn Carr
1953
Schlitz Playhouse (TV Series) as
Marlene / Pug
- Captain in Command (1954) - Marlene
- Girl of My Dreams (1953) - Pug
1954
Massacre Canyon as
Cora
1954
The Ford Television Theatre (TV Series) as
Doris
- The Taming of the Shrewd (1954) - Doris
1953
Omnibus (TV Series) as
Helen (segment "The Horn Blows at Midnight")
- The Horn Blows at Midnight (1953) - Helen (segment "The Horn Blows at Midnight")
1953
The Courtship of Miles Standish (TV Movie)
1953
Flight Nurse as
Lt. Ann Phillips
1953
So This Is Love as
Henrietta Van Dyke
1953
The Blue Gardenia as
Sally Ellis
1953
Cavalcade of America (TV Series) as
Ann Rutledge
- New Salem Story (1953) - Ann Rutledge
1952
Racket Squad (TV Series)
- The Label Switchers (1952)
1952
Because You're Mine as
Patty Ware
1952
Skirts Ahoy! as
Lt. Giff
1952
Thief of Damascus as
Sheherazade
1952
Rebound (TV Series) as
Annie
- It Wouldn't Be Fair - Annie
1952
The First Time as
Donna Gilbert
1951
The Bigelow Theatre (TV Series)
- Make Your Bed (1951)
1951
Three Guys Named Mike as
Alice Raymend
1950
Walk Softly, Stranger as
Gwen
1950
Redwood Forest Trail as
Julie Westcott
1950
The Fuller Brush Girl as
Jane Bixby
1950
Big Timber as
Sally
1950
Hoedown as
Vera Wright
1950
In a Lonely Place as
Sylvia Nicolai
1949
Post Office Investigator as
April Shaughnessy
1949
Easy Living as
Penny McCarr
1949
Outcasts of the Trail as
Vinnie White
1949
Stagecoach Kid as
Jessie Arnold
1949
Roughshod as
Elaine
1947
Screen Snapshots: My Pal, Ringeye (Short) as
Jeff Donnell
1947
Mr. District Attorney as
Miss Miller
1946
It's Great to Be Young as
Georgia Johnson
1946
Singing on the Trail as
Cindy Brown
1946
Cowboy Blues as
Susan Nelson
1946
The Unknown as
Nina Arnold
1946
That Texas Jamboree as
Jean Warren
1946
The Phantom Thief as
Anne Parks Duncan
1946
Night Editor as
Martha Cochrane
1946
Throw a Saddle on a Star as
Judy Lane
1946
Tars and Spars as
Penny McDougal
1945
Song of the Prairie as
Penelope 'Penny' Stevens
1945
Over 21 as
Jan Lupton
1945
A Thousand and One Nights as
Harem Girl (uncredited)
1945
The Power of the Whistler as
Francie
1945
Eadie Was a Lady as
Pamela 'Pepper' Parker
1944
Carolina Blues as
Charlotte Barton
1944
Dancing in Manhattan as
Julie Connors
1944
Three Is a Family as
Hazel Whittaker
1944
Mr. Winkle Goes to War as
USO Hostess (uncredited)
1944
Sensations of 1945 as
Young Girl (uncredited)
1944
She's a Soldier Too as
Mary Fleming (uncredited)
1944
Stars on Parade as
Mary Brooks
1944
Once Upon a Time as
Girl from Brooklyn (uncredited)
1944
Nine Girls as
'Butch' Hendricks
1943
There's Something About a Soldier as
Jean Burton
1943
Doughboys in Ireland as
Molly Callahan
1943
What's Buzzin', Cousin? as
Billie
1942
A Night to Remember as
Anne Stafford Carstairs
1942
The Boogie Man Will Get You as
Winnie Slade (as Miss Jeff Donnell)
1942
My Sister Eileen as
Helen Loomis (as Miss Jeff Donnell)
Soundtrack
1946
Throw a Saddle on a Star ("The Strawberry Blonde on the Strawberry Roan") / (performer: "Bonnie Bonnie Braes of Wyoming")
Self
1985
All-Star Party for 'Dutch' Reagan (TV Special) as
Self (uncredited)
1965
Girl Talk (TV Series) as
Self
- Episode dated 26 August 1965 (1965) - Self
1964
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (TV Series) as
Self - Guest
- Henny Youngman, Kaye Ballard, Jeff Donnell (1965) - Self - Guest
- Lorne Greene, Alan King, Marya Mannes, Jeff Donnell (1964) - Self - Guest
1963
Your First Impression (TV Series) as
Self
- Episode dated 31 July 1963 (1963) - Self
1961
Here's Hollywood (TV Series) as
Self
- Episode #1.115 (1961) - Self
1960
It Happened in Hollywood (TV Series documentary)
- The Western (1960)
1954
The George Gobel Show (TV Series) as
Self / Self - Alice / Self - Mrs. Hunter
- Johnny Mathis, Gertrude Berg (1958) - Self
- Phil Harris, Eddie Fisher, Peggy King, Trudy Wood, the Baird Puppets (1957) - Self - Alice
- Vincent Price, Marguerite Piazza (1956) - Self
- Phil Harris, Joanne Gilbert (1956) - Self
- Fred MacMurray (1956) - Self
- Fred MacMurray (1956) - Self
- John McGiver (1956) - Self
- Arthur Treacher (1956) - Self
- Spring Byington, Margaret Truman (1956) - Self
- Howard McNear (1956) - Self
- Tony Curtis, George Winslow, Donald Keeler, the Mitchell Boys Choir (1956) - Self
- Cast concert (1956) - Self
- Pat Buttram (1956) - Self
- Shirley MacLaine (1956) - Self
- Nat Pendleton (1956) - Self - Alice
- Eddie Mayehoff (1956) - Self
- Richard Greene (1956) - Self
- Charlton Heston (1956) - Self - Alice
- Gilbert & Peggy Wright, Harry Anderson (1956) - Self
- Ernest Borgnine (1956) - Self
- Alan Mowbray (1956) - Self
- Bennett Cerf (1956) - Self
- Henry Fonda, Paul Anderson (1956) - Self
- Elsa Lanchester (1956) - Self
- Jan Sterling, Wally Brown (1955) - Self
- Ed Wynn (1955) - Self
- David Burns (1955) - Self
- Evelyn Russell (1955) - Self
- Tennessee Ernie Ford (1955) - Self
- Leo Duroucher (1955) - Self
- Tennessee Ernie Ford (1955) - Self
- Hans Conried (1955) - Self
- George Brent (1955) - Self
- Fred MacMurray (1955) - Self
- Fred MacMurray, "Spanky" MacFarland (1955) - Self
- Peter Lorre, Nat Pendleton (1955) - Self
- Ludwig Stossel, Julius Tannen (1955) - Self - Alice
- Garry Moore (1955) - Self - Alice
- Adolphe Menjou (1955) - Self
- Jack Benny (1955) - Self
- James Stewart (1955) - Self
- The Jack Shafton Puppets (1955) - Self
- Walter Brennan (1955) - Self
- Vampira (1955) - Self
- Leigh Snowden, Mara Corday, Dani Crayne (1955) - Self
- Bob Feller (1955) - Self
- Kirk Douglas (1955) - Self
- Buddy Baer (1955) - Self
- Claude Stroud (1955) - Self
- Jeffrey Hunter (1955) - Self - Mrs. Hunter
- Jackie Cooper (1955) - Self
- George Liberace, Barbara Britton (1955) - Self
- Tennessee Ernie Ford (1955) - Self
- New Year's Day (1955) - Self
- William Gargan (1954) - Self
- Edward Everett Horton (1954) - Self
- Faye Emerson, Julius Tannen (1954) - Self
- Charles Coburn (1954) - Self
- Vera Vague (1954) - Self
- Boris Karloff (1954) - Self
- Marilyn Maxwell, Pat Carroll, El Brendell (1954) - Self
- Jack Carson (1954) - Self
- Angela Lansbury (1954) - Self
1957
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show (TV Series) as
Self
- Guest hosts: Pat Boone & Shirley MacLaine; guest stars: George Gobel, Gisele MacKenzie, Jeff Donnell (1957) - Self
1955
Place the Face (TV Series) as
Self - Guest
- Episode #3.1 (1955) - Self - Guest
1955
Shower of Stars (TV Series) as
Self - Actress
- High Pitch (1955) - Self - Actress
1953
Stump the Stars (TV Series) as
Self
- Dick Erdman, Jeff Donnell, Lynn Bari, Jimmy Lydon, John Drew Barrymore, Angela Lansbury, Dave Willock, Jackie Coogan (1953) - Self
1951
The Alan Young Show (TV Series) as
Self
- Episode dated 13 April 1951 (1951) - Self
1946
Screen Snapshots: The Skolsky Party (Documentary short) as
Self
Archive Footage
2001
History vs. Hollywood (TV Series documentary) as
Cornelia Clark Fort
- Tora! Tora! Tora! A Giant Awakes (2001) - Cornelia Clark Fort
References
Jeff Donnell Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA