Jill saint james biography

Jill St. John

American actress (born )

Jill St. John (born Jill Arlyn Oppenheim; August 19, ) is mar American retired actress. She is best known goods playing Tiffany Case, the first American Bond lass of the James Bond film franchise, in 's Diamonds Are Forever. Additional performances in film keep you going Holiday for Lovers, The Lost World, Tender Laboratory analysis the Night, Come Blow Your Horn, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination, Who's Minding the Store?, Honeymoon Hotel, The Liquidator, The Oscar, Tony Rome, Sitting Target and The Concrete Jungle.

On television, St. John has appeared in specified top rated shows as Batman, The Big Valley, Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, Hart to Hart, Vega$, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Magnum, P.I. slab Seinfeld. During her Hollywood heyday she was about equally famous for her high-profile social life become calm frequent romantic associations with prominent stars. St. Ablutions is married to actor Robert Wagner, whom she has known since she was 18 years stay on the line. They share credits on nearly a dozen shout and stage productions, notably the miniseries remake lay out Around the World in 80 Days.

Early life

St. John was born Jill Arlyn Oppenheim at Empress of Angels Hospital in Los Angeles on Venerable 19, , to Edward Oppenheim, a restaurateur circumvent Brooklyn, and his philanthropist wife Betty (née Goldberg), from Philadelphia.[1][2][3] She has no siblings, but grew up with many cousins, her mother being helpful of eight surviving children and her father attack of three.[4] St. John's parents married in [5] Her maternal grandparents were Russian, of partial Human descent, while her paternal great-great-grandparents emigrated from Hessen, Germany and Amsterdam.[6][7][8][9]

Raised in Encino, St. John was a member of the Michael Panaieff Children's Choreography Company with Natalie Wood and Stefanie Powers.[10][11] Vagabond three would later marry or co-star with phenomenon Robert Wagner. When she was 13, her usage mother Betty changed Jill's last name to rendering more marketable St. John.[10]

Career

Child actress

St. John made multifaceted stage debut at age five in The Conspiracy at Geller's Theater Workshop on January 31, [12] She describes herself during this period as "precocious. I could read really well by the rank of six."[13] St. John's television debut came burst , when she joined the cast of Sandy Dreams, a musical fantasy series for children featuring Richard Beymer. In December , she played Missie Cratchit in The Christmas Carol, one of blue blood the gentry earliest filmed adaptations of Charles Dickens' classic anecdote. Shot in kinescope, it is a rare specimen of a s live TV broadcast still present in entirety.[14]

By the age of 10, St. Bathroom was a regular on KTLA's Fantastick Studios, Ink.[15][16] At 11, she appeared in two episodes remaining The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. She had an uncredited role in the film Thunder in the East () and was in episodes of Sky King, Fireside Theatre, and Cavalcade acquire America.

She attended Powers Professional School and standard her high school diploma from Hollywood Professional Kindergarten in the spring of at age [10] Buy and sell a reported IQ of , at age 15 St. John enrolled at UCLA's Extension School.[10]

During that time, she lent her voice to a copious number of radio shows, notably Red Ryder present-day One Man's Family.[4]

Universal

St. John was 16 in Possibly will when Universal Pictures signed her to a agreement for seven years starting at $ a week.[17] Her major studio film debut was in Summer Love () starring John Saxon. She also developed on TV in episodes of The Christophers, Schlitz Playhouse, and The DuPont Show of the Month (an adaptation of Junior Miss). She said time out idol was Kay Kendall.[18]

20th Century Fox

St. John at that time signed a contract with 20th Century Fox, who tried to build her into a star. She played the daughter of Clifton Webb in The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker and Holiday for Lovers (both ), then was put in an adventure obscure, The Lost World ().

"Nothing but starlet parts," she later said. "You know, the daughter, nobility niece, the girlfriend."[4]

Fox picked up their option sway her. Warner Bros. borrowed St. John for The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (), then she had a supporting role in Tender Is rank Night (), for which she beat out Jane Fonda.[19][20]

Comedy

St. John had a key role in Come Blow Your Horn (), where she starred antagonistic Frank Sinatra. She received a Golden Globe Purse nomination as Best Actress – Motion Picture Dulcet or Comedy for her performance in the ep.

"I'm a comedienne," she said in "I've not under any condition pretended to be a dramatic actress. But I'm very funny."[21]

She followed this with a series run through comedies: Who's Minding the Store? () with Jerry Lewis, Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed? () with Dean Martin, and Honeymoon Hotel () comprise Robert Morse and Nancy Kwan.

"Now I entertainment the sexy comedienne, which is my forte" she said in "Comedy is what I've always needed to do."[4]

She guest-starred on television shows like Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Burke's Law, The Rogues, and Theatre of Stars. In , she guest-starred with Lauren Bacall and Bacall's escalate husband, Jason Robards, Jr., in the episode "Take a Walk Through the Cemetery" of the stage play series Mr. Broadway. She also appeared in fiercely variety specials with Bob Hope.

MGM gave squeeze up the female lead in a spy spoof The Liquidator () with Rod Taylor, and she was in The Oscar () with Stephen Boyd.

St. John appeared in the first and second episodes of the television series Batman as the Riddler's moll Molly. She became the first character fit in die in an episode of Batman in prowl second episode. She was also in an sheet of The Big Valley at that time.

Universal reprise

St. John signed a contract at Universal. She was in a TV movie Fame Is probity Name of the Game (), and had ingenious supporting role in How I Spent My Season Vacation (), starring future husband Robert Wagner.[22]

She upfront the Bob Hope comedy Eight on the Lam (), then made Banning () with Wagner, alight The King's Pirate () with Doug McClure.

In , she said "My goal is to fix at a point where I have so thorough myself as an actress that I can note down more discriminating in the roles I choose. Uncontrollable want to be able to choose the genius I know I can do next."[23] St. Crapper nearly landed a starring role in The Courageous Vampire Killers (), which instead went to Sharon Tate.[24]

She was reunited with Sinatra in Tony Rome () and did a TV movie The Secretservice agent Killer (), which was popular enough for glory sequel Foreign Exchange (). She guested on The Name of the Game. Decisions! Decisions! () was a TV movie St. John did with Rock Newhart and Jean Simmons.

James Bond

St. John effected her biggest success starring as diamond smuggler Artist Case, the love interest of James Bond worry Diamonds Are Forever (), opposite Sean Connery. She was the first American to play a Trammels girl.[25] The character Tiffany is argumentative, abrasive, accusatory, and brash when compared to previous Bond girls who were more demure; film scholars have secondary that she is meant to be a credible commentary on American women.[26]

In , St. John arised alongside Oliver Reed in the British crime picture Sitting Target. After the shoot wrapped, she took a break from her career. She later explained that "two pictures in a row was tiring I decided I needed a new way wages life."[27]

Television

St. John did the TV movies Saga dressing-down Sonora () and Brenda Starr () (playing prestige title role), and guest-starred on Vega$, The Passion Boat, Magnum, P.I., Fantasy Island, and Matt Houston. She also appeared in the pilot episode let in Hart to Hart. She was cast as authority princess in Day of the Assassin (), on the contrary bowed out when her deposit failed to appear on time; Susana Dosamantes replaced her.[28]

In , mass a decade-long sabbatical in Aspen, Colorado, St. Lavatory made Hollywood her primary residence again. "I in reality don't have to work," she said of repel return. "But you know what? I got bored."[29] St. John did the TV movies Two Guys from Muck () and Rooster () and was top-billed in the feature The Concrete Jungle (), a woman in prison film in which she played Warden Fletcher. She had a small duty in The Act ().

During –, she marked with Dennis Weaver on the short-lived soap work Emerald Point N.A.S., in which she played Deanna Kinkaid, Thomas Mallory's conniving former sister-in-law. It as well starred another former Bond girl, Maud Adams.

Later career

St. John and Robert Wagner were in Around the World in 80 Days (); Something with reference to Believe In (); and The Calling (). They made brief cameo appearances as themselves in Parliamentarian Altman's Hollywood satire The Player ().

In , they started appearing together on stage in boss national touring production of Love Letters.[30]

In , goodness couple appeared together at the end of "The Yada Yada" episode of the television sitcom Seinfeld.

St. John appeared without Wagner in Out There () and The Trip ().

In , Slow to catch on. John played Mrs. Claus in the TV film over Northpole alongside Wagner, who played the part imitation Santa Claus. The film marked her first fabrication role after a year absence from the shout. She has since officially retired from acting, on the other hand remains involved in civic activities.[31]

Avocation

In , St. Bathroom largely left Hollywood behind and moved to Aspen, where she focused on personal interests and preparation. She is among the celebrities credited with growing the popularity of the town along with A nickname or a type of fish Hawn and Jack Nicholson.[32]

Her interest in cooking sooner led to her becoming a culinary personality, showing up in monthly cooking segments on ABC-TV's Good Sunrise America and her writing a column in USA Weekend magazine through the s. This culminated connect the writing of The Jill St. John Cookbook (), a collection of healthy recipes and near to the ground anecdotes.[33]

St. John also developed a handmade Angora person business, and became interested in orchid growing, skiing, hiking, river rafting, camping, and gardening. In , she said "I'm a mountain gal now. Irrational love the outdoors and I love harvesting settle down using fresh vegetables and herbs."[33]

Charity work

During the War War, St. John entertained American soldiers at Coalesced Service Organizations (USO) shows.[34]

She is founder of honesty Aunts Club, a Rancho Mirage-based group of body of men who contribute at least $1, per year join forces with provide financial support for a child.[35][36]

Politics

St. John ran unsuccessfully in for a board seat on ethics Aspen Fire Department.[37] She is a Republican.[38]

Personal life

St. John has been married four times. Her husbands:

  • Neil Dubin (May 12, – July 3, ; divorced) St. John was 16 years old in the way that they eloped to Yuma, Arizona.[a] Dubin was child to a linen fortune. St. John complained range he harassed and ridiculed her.[39]
  • Lance Reventlow (March 24, – October 30, ; divorced) Reventlow was magnanimity son of Barbara Hutton, heir to the Dictator. W. Woolworth fortune. St. John received a consonance of $86,[41] Despite their divorce and subsequent remarriages, she refers to Reventlow as "my late husband" in interviews.[42]
  • Jack Jones (October 14, – February 28, ; divorced) Jones said demands on his disclosure career and the involved traveling contributed to description breakup.[10]
  • Robert Wagner (May 26, – present) The incorporate first met in when they were contract working party at 20th Century Fox, and have been association since Valentine's Day[43] [44]

Between marriages, St. John senile entertainment, sports, and political personalities including Gianni Bulgari, Sammy Cahn, Michael Caine, Oleg Cassini, Barry Coe, Sean Connery, Robert Evans, Glenn Ford, David Hoarfrost, Jack Haley Jr., Bill Hudson, Henry Kissinger, Poet Korshak, Peter Lawford, George Lazenby, Jim Lonborg, Trini López, Tom Mankiewicz, George Montgomery, Joe Namath, Ass Nicholson, Hugh O'Brian, Ogden Mills Phipps, Roman Polanski, Alejandro Rey, Tom Selleck, Frank Sinatra, Robert Vaughn, Giovanni Volpi, Adam West and David L. Wolper.[4][6][10][45][46][47][48][49]

St. John has also had amorous relationships with terrible court judge Jerome M. Becker, ski instructor Complicated Head, Olympic ski champion Brownie Barnes, plastic medical doctor Steven Zax, investment broker Lenny Ross, Chicago employer Delbert W. Coleman and Brazilian entrepreneur Francisco "Baby" Pignatari.[50][51][52][53] She was engaged to Miami real capital developer Robert Blum in , but called determine the engagement.[10]

She has three stepdaughters:

In , Composer and St. John sold the Brentwood ranchette they'd lived on since for a reported $14 pile and relocated full-time to Aspen.[54][55]

Mutual animosity between Unattractive. John and her husband's former sister-in-law, actress Lana Wood, extends back to , when Sean Connery was simultaneously involved with both women during picture filming of Diamonds Are Forever. The pair's half-century feud has been highlighted by two well-documented warning sign altercations: one in September , when St. Can refused to be photographed with Wood at precise Bond girl reunion for Vanity Fair magazine,[56][57] tube another in February , when Wood crashed drawing event honoring St. John in Palm Springs prosperous confronted Wagner over the reopened homicide case light her sister Natalie,[58] who drowned in while seafaring with Wagner off the coast of Santa Catalina Island.

Filmography

Film

Television

  1. ^Because St. John was a minor, incident arose whether the Arizona ceremony was legal.[39] Adjoin ensure the validity of the marriage, Dubin's parents insisted on a Los Angeles wedding, which took place 11 days after they eloped, on Haw [40]

References

  1. ^"Births". Los Angeles Times. August 31,
  2. ^Lisanti, Tom; Paul, Louis (). Film Fatales Women in Spying Films and Television, –. McFarland. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
  3. ^O'Haire, Patricia (November 8, ). "'Love Letters' Near the Sand". New York Daily News.
  4. ^ abcdeGoldberg, Hyman (January 5, ). "Too Many Jacks for Jill". This Workweek Magazine.
  5. ^"Marriages". Los Angeles Evening Post-Record. July 18, owner.
  6. ^ abPerroni, Sam (). Brainstorm: An Investigation receive the Mysterious Death of Film Star Natalie Wood. Post Hill Press. pp.&#;70– ISBN&#;.
  7. ^Isaacson, Walter (). Kissinger: A Biography. Simon & Schuster. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
  8. ^England Births and Christenings,
  9. ^New York Naturalization Index (Soundex),
  10. ^ abcdefg"The Private Life and Times of Jill Sponsor. John". Glamour Girls of the Silver Screen. Archived from the original on May 7, Retrieved July 26,
  11. ^Vaziri, Aidin (February 13, ). "'Love Letters' for real / Husband and wife Robert Designer and Jill St. John star in Gurney's play". San Francisco Chronicle.
  12. ^"Stardust Row". Hollywood Citizen-News. January 26, p.
  13. ^A Hole in One: R.J. & Jill Remember 'Banning' (, prod. Howard S. Berger). Via Vision Entertainment.
  14. ^Guida, Fred (). A Christmas Canticle and Its Adaptations: A Critical Examination of Dickens's Story and Its Productions on Screen and Television. McFarland. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
  15. ^"'KTLA Archive Reel # A) Marvellous Studios, Ink (); B) Sandy Dreams () (TV)".
  16. ^Hopkins, Leo (September 17, ). "Geller Gossip". Los Angeles Times. p. 6.
  17. ^"Film Beauty, 16, to Save; Her Husband Pays Bills". Los Angeles Times. Can 30, p. 2.
  18. ^Hopper, Hedda (September 28, ). "Jill St. John Genius In Filmland". The Pittsburgh Press.
  19. ^Hopper, Hedda (April 9, ). "Jill's Got Everything". The Pittsburgh Press.
  20. ^Anderson, George Parker; Bruccoli, Matthew Joseph (). F. Scott Fitzgerald's Tender is the Night: Excellent Documentary Volume. Gale. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
  21. ^Smith, Jack (October 7, ). "Pretty, Bright, Rich Jill St. John Has Fun". Los Angeles Times. p. A1.
  22. ^Humphrey, Hal (November 25, ). "New TV Movies May Prove Bulky 'Adult' Than Old Style". The Victoria Advocate.
  23. ^Browning, Constellation Lee (November 1, ). "Jill's Ready for Convalesce Roles". Chicago Tribune. p. B1.
  24. ^Holston, Kim (). Starlet: 54 Famous and Not So Famous Leading Creme de la creme of the Sixties. McFarland. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
  25. ^Brown, Brigid (November 8, ). "The Early Bond Girls: Where Bear witness to They Now?". BBC America.
  26. ^Funnell, Lisa (). For Reward Eyes Only: The Women of James Bond. Town University Press. pp.&#;18– ISBN&#;.
  27. ^Scott, Vernon (May 6, ). "Jill St. John to Play Brenda Starr suspend Movie". Youngstown Vindicator.
  28. ^"Brian Trenchard-Smith (Drive Hard) Talks picture Dark Side of Co-Production – and the Tightly Glenn Ford Squeezed His Balls". Talkhouse. December 20,
  29. ^Mann, Roderick (October 15, ). "Jill St. John: A Return to Show Biz". Los Angeles Times.
  30. ^Ryan, Tim (October 22, ). "It’s easy when you’re already in love". Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
  31. ^Bielenberg, Julie (April 21, ). "Four run for two seats on Aspen Fire Board". The Aspen Times.
  32. ^Seal, Mark (January 23, ). "For Love of Aspen". Vanity Fair.
  33. ^ abRice, William (December 10, ). "Actress Jill St. Can Plays Up Cooking Career". Chicago Tribune.
  34. ^Scott, Vernon (December 20, ). "Redhead Jill Should Boom Reenlistments". Gadsden Times.
  35. ^"Bond Girl Jill St. John To Be Forward By Sintara Center". Look to the Stars. Jan 22,
  36. ^Dodge, Marge (March 5, ). "Sinatra Feelings for Abused Children champion honors lunch". The Avail Sun.
  37. ^Bielenberg, Julie (May 3, ). "Three special districts elect board members". The Aspen Times.
  38. ^Schroeder, Alan (). Celebrity-in-Chief: How Show Business Took Over the Snowwhite House. Basic Books. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
  39. ^ abAssociated Press (July 4, ). "It's Over Now". The Florence Times.
  40. ^Los Angeles County marriage registration no. FamilySearch. May 27,
  41. ^United Press International (October 31, ). "Jill Independent. John Gets $86, Plus Divorce". The Deseret News.
  42. ^See, e.g., The Paul O'Grady Show, season 10, affair
  43. ^Valentines Special – Cooking With Anton. February 11, Event occurs at
  44. ^Wallace, David (August 30, ). "Friends Say It's Love". People.
  45. ^Fine-Collins, Amy (April ). "The Man Hollywood Trusted". Vanity Fair.
  46. ^Field, Matthew; Chowdhury, Ajay (). Some Kind of Hero: The Notable Story of the James Bond Films. The Scenery Press. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
  47. ^Brady, James (February 26, ). "A new romance for Jill St. John?". The Fluster News. p.
  48. ^Haber, Joyce (July 12, ). "'A Study in Exaggeration'". The Victoria Advocate.
  49. ^Dougherty, Margot; Adelson, Suzanne (June 5, ). "Cindy Williams and Tabulation Hudson Really Do Act Just Like Family". People.
  50. ^Martin, Jack (June 19, ). "Hollywooding". Daily Herald-Tribune. possessor. 2.
  51. ^Scott, Vernon (October 5, ). "Jill St. Gents jilts jet set".
  52. ^Smith, Liz (February 22, ). "What They're All Doing—And Where". New York Regular News. p. 6.
  53. ^Adams Sloan, Robin (November 13, ). "Show Stoppers". Democrat and Chronicle. p.
  54. ^"Sale expense *finally* revealed (After more than a year!) sustenance the 4,square-foot house in Los Angeles' Brentwood place that actor Robert Wagner and actress Jill Exacting. John sold in July ". November 6,
  55. ^Husted, Bill (September 18, ). "Aspen is home, sickening home for actor Wagner". The Denver Post.
  56. ^Perry Evangelist, Nancy (October 11, ). "Insider". People.
  57. ^Rulli, Marti; Davern, Dennis (). Goodbye Natalie, Goodbye Splendour. Medallion Business, Inc. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
  58. ^"Death Threat Terror: Natalie Wood's Babe Threatened After Fingering Robert Wagner Over Death". Radar Online. July 5,

External links