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Coleen Gray
1922-
Updated 3/24/2008 with more films available on DVD.
biography
Born Doris Jensen in Staplehurst, Nebraska, in October 1922, gorgeous Coleen Gray majored in theatre while attending college in Minnesota. Soon after graduation, Gray headed to Hollywood and was signed to a seven-year contract by 20th Century Fox. Her early film appearances were uncredited, beginning with the Betty Grable vehicle Pin-Up Girl (1944). Always bringing an overwhelming intensity to dramatic roles, she quickly worked her way up to starring roles in the film noir thrillers Nightmare Alley (1947; with Tyrone Power) and Kiss of Death (1947; with Victor Mature). Gray left Fox in 1950 and freelanced in a number of film noir, westerns, and horror/sci-fi flicks. Some of her more memorable films from this period include the noir classics Kansas City Confidential (1952; with John Payne) and The Killing (1956; with Sterling Hayden); the westerns The Vanquished (1953; with John Payne) and Arrow in the Dust (1954; with Sterling Hayden); and the cult horror favorites The Leech Woman (1960; with Grant Williams) and Phantom Planet (1961; with Dean Fredericks).
the films of coleen gray
Kiss of Death (1947)
With Victor Mature in Fox's noir Kiss of Death, Gray's first starring vehicle
Nightmare Alley (1947)
From the Fox release Nightmare Alley, an excellent film noir thriller. LEFT: With Tyrone Power. RIGHT: With Joan Blondell, Tyrone Power, and Mike Mazurki
Father is a Bachelor (1950)
From the Columbia musical Father is a Bachelor with William Holden
The Sleeping City (1950)
With Richard Conte in Universal's The Sleeping City, one of Gray's best film noir dramas
The Vanquished (1953)
From the Paramount western The Vanquished. LEFT: With John Payne on the cover of Movie Love from August 1953. RIGHT: With John Payne and Jan Sterling
Hell's Five Hours (1958)
With Vic Morrow in the Allied Artists noir thriller Hell's Five Hours
Johnny Rocco (1958)
With Stephen McNally in the Allied Artists noir thriller Johnny Rocco
The Leech Woman (1960)
Stills from the campy 1960 Universal horror flick The Leech Woman. LEFT: As June Talbot, Gray has discovered the secret of eternal youth. CENTER A: With John Van Dreelen as David, the jungle guide. CENTER B: The now youthful Mrs. Talbot takes a shine to her lawyer Neil Foster (Grant Williams), but Neil's girlfriend Sally Howard (Gloria Talbott) is wise to what's going on. CENTER C: Sally (Gloria Talbott) confronts June about her intentions with Neil. RIGHT: June ages badly without her elixir
coleen gray today
With the deaths of film noir and the studio system, Coleen Gray's film career slacked off after the release of the low-budget science fiction effort Phantom Planet (1961; with Dean Fredericks), but she stayed busy making guest appearances on such popular television programs as Perry Mason, The Virginian, and The Name of the Game. Following a career that spanned more than forty years, she retired from the screen in the 1980s. Married three times, Coleen Gray is the mother of two.
Perry Mason: 50th Anniversary Edition [DVD] DVD
Twelve of the series's best episodes--including "The Case of the Wary Wildcatter," "The Case of the Treacherous Toupee," "The Case of the Counterfeit Crank," "The Case of the Shoplifter's Shoe," and "The Case of the Final Fade-Out"--have been collected in this four-disc set. Also included is "Perry Mason Returns" (1985), the TV movie that finds the legal eagle (Raymond Burr), now a judge, stepping down from the bench to defend former secretary Della Street (Barbara Hale) when she's accused of murder. 12 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; featurette; interviews; photo gallery; TV spots; screen tests; more.
Walt Disney Treasures: Elfego Baca/The Swamp Fox: Legendary Heroes [DVD] DVD
Two-disc set features episodes of two popular "Walt Disney Presents" miniseries: "The Nine Lives of Elfego Baca," which aired in 1958 and starred Robert Loggia as a grizzled gunfighter who became a New Mexico lawman. With Robert F. Simon, Skip Homeier. And "Swamp Fox," which ran from 1959-61, followed the exploits of General Francis Marion (Leslie Nielsen), a Revolutionary War hero who battled the Brits in the Carolinas' woodlands. John Sutton, Joy Page co-starred. Standard; Soundtrack: English; featurettes; photo gallery; more.
State Fair (1945)/State Fair (1962) DVD
The only Rodgers and Hammerstein score written expressly for the screen is available in two different film versions. The 1945 adaptation is a lavish musical rendering of the beloved tale of the Frake family's adventures during their annual trip to the Iowa fair. Stars Jeanne Crain, Dana Andrews, Vivian Blaine, Dick Haymes, and Charles Winninger. Songs include "Isn't It Kinda Fun!," "All I Owe Iowa" and the Oscar-winning "It Might as Well Be Spring." The 1962 version is a classic slice of Americana that moves the fair to Dallas, Texas, and includes five extra songs written by composer Richard Rodgers. Pat Boone, Ann-Margret, Bobby Darin, Tom Ewell, and Alice Faye (after a 16-year screen absence) star. 3 2/3 hrs. total. Standard/Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital Surround, Dolby Digital stereo, Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish; featurette; TV pilot; audio commentary; theatrical trailers; photo gallery. Two-disc set.
Nightmare Alley [DVD](1947) DVD
A Movies Unlimited favorite, this noir-flavored drama tracks the rise and fall of con man/carnival worker Tyrone Power. Seducing sideshow performer Joan Blondell to learn the secret to a mind-reading act she performed with alcoholic husband Ian Keith, Power leaves with fellow carnie Coleen Gray and sets himself up as a spiritualist in Chicago. The act brings them acclaim and wealth, but Power's greed leads to his ruination and a harrowingly ironic comedown. Helen Walker, Taylor Holmes also star. 111 min. Standard; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital stereo, Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish; audio commentary; theatrical trailer.
Kiss Of Death [DVD](1947) DVD
Superior "noir" crime thriller stars Victor Mature as a crook who turns state's evidence when his gang betrays him and leaves him to rot in jail. Richard Widmark, in his screen debut, is unforgettable as a sadistically giggling killer with an affinity for wheelchair-bound ladies and staircases. With Coleen Gray, Brian Donlevy, Karl Malden. 99 min. Standard; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital stereo, Dolby Digital mono, Spanish Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish; audio commentary; photo gallery; theatrical trailer.
Fury At Furnace Creek [DVD](1948) DVD
There's silver in them thar hills...the problem is, those hills belong to the Indians! When it appears that a U.S. general (Robert Warwick) might be behind a scheme to steal the land, his sons (Victor Mature, Glenn Langan) must step in and clear their father's name by figuring out who is really behind the nefarious plot. Coleen Gray, Reginald Gardiner also star. 88 min. Standard and Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish; photo gallery; theatrical trailers.
Red River [DVD](1948) DVD
Psychologically complex and visually stunning western from Howard Hawks showcases John Wayne as a ruthless rancher moving a huge herd of cattle down the Chisholm Trail to Abilene, Texas. Causing friction is Montgomery Clift, Wayne's adopted son, who, rebelling against Wayne, wants to lead the drive his own way. Joanne Dru, Walter Brennan, John Ireland also star. Standard; Soundtrack: English; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French; scene access.
Riding High [DVD](1950) DVD
Music has been added to Frank Capra's winning reworking of his 1934 "Broadway Bill," with Bing Crosby as a former businessman who leads a racehorse to victory in a large purse race against insurmountable odds. Coleen Gray, Charles Bickford, William Demarest and Oliver Hardy also star. Songs include "Someplace on Anywhere Road" and "We've Got a Sure Thing." 111 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English.
Kansas City Confidential [DVD](1953) DVD
A bitter ex-cop becomes the criminal mastermind behind a huge armored car heist, and a former con must turn investigator when he's falsely accused of the crime. Intriguing underworld saga stars John Payne, Neville Brand, Coleen Gray, Lee Van Cleef. 98 min.
Kansas City Confidential(1953) VHS
A bitter ex-cop becomes the criminal mastermind behind a huge armored car heist, and a former con must turn investigator when he's falsely accused of the crime. Intriguing underworld saga stars John Payne, Neville Brand, Coleen Gray, Lee Van Cleef. 98 min.
Tennessee's Partner [DVD](1955) DVD
Ronald Reagan's the fast-triggered gunslinger, John Payne's the quick-witted cardsharp, and Rhonda Fleming's the high-living dancehall owner who comes between them, in this frontier drama based on a Bret Harte story. With Colleen Gray, Chubby Johnson; look for a young Angie Dickinson. 87 min. Standard; Soundtracks: English Dolby mono; theatrical trailer.
The Return Of Dracula (1958)/The Vampire [DVD](1957) DVD
First, "The Return of Dracula" is an effective low-budget horror film that follows the infamous vampire from Transylvania to contemporary Southern California, where he impersonates a visiting artist and moves in with a small-town family. Francis Lederer, Norma Eberhardt star. AKA: "The Curse of Dracula," "The Fantastic Disappearing Man." Then, a doctor is transformed into a deranged killer who drains the plasma from his victims when he accidentally ingests a mysterious pill derived from the blood of bats in lieu of his migraine medication, in "The Vampire." John Beal, Coleen Gray, Kenneth Tobey star. AKA: "Mark of the Vampire." 153 min. total. Widescreen; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital stereo, Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French.
The Classic Sci-Fi Ultimate Collection, Vols. 1 & 2 [DVD] DVD
"Dr. Cyclops" (1940) stars Albert Dekker as a mad scientist who shrinks five people to miniature size and holds them prisoner. A group of American G.I.s stumbles on the secret rituals of the snake-worshipping "Cult of the Cobra" (1955). Faith Domergue, David Janssen star. A lab experiment unleashes a rapidly growing "Tarantula" (1955). John Agar, Leo G. Carroll star. Archeologists Agar and Hugh Beaumont discover a clawed, bug-eyed race called "The Mole People" (1956). Grant Williams is "The Incredible Shrinking Man" (1957) who begins to diminish in size after exposure to radiation. Meteorite fragments absorb water from everything around them (including people), creating "The Monolith Monsters" (1957). An expedition to Antarctica finds a prehistoric world, in "The Land Unknown" (1957). Earthquakes release a giant prehistoric insect from suspended animation, in "The Deadly Mantis" (1957). A college biology instructor is transformed into a Neanderthal man, in "Monster on the Campus" (1958). A native African ritual turn s a scientist's wife into "The Leech Woman" (1960). 13 hrs. total on six discs. Standard/Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo; Subtitles: English (SDH), French; theatrical trailers.
The Phantom Planet [DVD](1961) DVD
Astronaut Dean Fredericks encounters a race of tiny people when strange gasses on a rogue asteroid shrink him to six-inch size. Not the kind to "get small" and drive, Dean waits out his predicament by helping the little guys battle invading monsters. Dolores Faith, Francis X. Bushman also star. 82 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; scene access. Plays All Regions.
The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Vol. 8 [DVD] DVD
Four-disc set includes "The Dead Talk Back," "Hobgoblins," "Monster a-Go Go," and "The Phantom Planet." 6 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English.
coleen gray dvds available from amazon.com
filmography
FILM
The Best Place to Be (1979) with Donna Reed, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., John Phillip Law, and Betty White
The Late Liz (1971) with Anne Baxter, Steve Forrest, and William Katt
Ellery Queen: Don't Look Behind You (1971) with Peter Lawford and Stefanie Powers
P.J. (1968) with George Peppard, Raymond Burr, Jason Evers, and Gayle Hunnicutt
Town Tamer (1965) with Dana Andrews, Terry Moore, Lon Chaney Jr., Lyle Bettger, Richard Arlen, Philip Carey, and Sonny Tufts
The Phantom Planet (1961) with Dean Fredericks, Anthony Dexter, Dolores Faith, Francis X. Bushman, and Richard Kiel; once aired on Mystery Science Theater 3000
The Leech Woman (1960) with Grant Williams, Gloria Talbott, Phillip Terry, and John Van Dreelen; once aired on Mystery Science Theater 3000
Johnny Rocco (1958) with Richard Eyer, Stephen McNally, and Russ Conway
Hell's Five Hours (1958) with Stephen McNally and Vic Morrow
Copper Sky (1957) with Jeff Morrow and Strother Martin
Mark of the Vampire (1957) with Kenneth Tobey, John Beal, and Dabbs Greer
Destination 60,000 (1957) with Preston Foster, Jeff Donnell, Pat Conway, and Denver Pyle
The Black Whip (1956) with Hugh Marlowe, Angie Dickinson, and Adele Mara
Death of a Scoundrel (1956) with Yvonne De Carlo, George Sanders, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Tom Conway, and Werner Klemperer
Star in the Dust (1956) with John Agar, Mamie Van Doren, Richard Boone, and Leif Erickson
The Killing (1956) with Sterling Hayden, Vince Edwards, Marie Windsor, and Elisha Cook Jr.
Frontier Gambler (1956) with John Bromfield, Kent Taylor, Veda Ann Borg, and Jim Davis
The Wild Dakotas (1956) with Bill Williams, Jim Davis, and Dickie Jones
The Twinkle in God's Eye (1955) with Hugh O'Brian, Mike Connors, and Mickey Rooney
Tennessee's Partner (1955) with John Payne, Rhonda Fleming, Ronald Reagan, and Myron Healey
Las Vegas Shakedown (1955) with Dennis O'Keefe and Mary Beth Hughes
Arrow In the Dust (1954) with Sterling Hayden, Lee Van Cleef, and Keith Larsen
The Fake (1953) with Dennis O'Keefe and Guy Middleton
Sabre Jet (1953) with Robert Stack, Richard Arlen, and Amanda Blake
The Vanquished (1953) with John Payne and Jan Sterling
Models, Inc. (1952) with Howard Duff and John Howard
Kansas City Confidential (1952) with John Payne, Lee Van Cleef, Preston Foster, and Neville Brand
Apache Drums (1951) with Stephen McNally and James Best
I'll Get You for This (1950) with George Raft
The Sleeping City (1950) with Richard Conte, Peggy Dow, and Alex Nicol
Riding High (1950) with Bing Crosby, Frances Gifford, Percy Kilbride, and William Demarest
Father Is a Bachelor (1950) with William Holden, Stuart Erwin, and Peggy Converse
Sand (1949) with Rory Calhoun and Mark Stevens
Fury at Furnace Creek (1948) with Victor Mature, Glenn Langan, and Albert Dekker
Red River (1948) with John Wayne, Montgomery Clift, Joanne Dru, John Ireland, and Walter Brennan
Nightmare Alley (1947) with Tyrone Power and Joan Blondell
Kiss of Death (1947) with Victor Mature, Brian Donlevy, and Richard Widmark
Three Little Girls in Blue (1946) with George Montgomery, June Haver, Vivian Blaine, Celeste Holm, and Vera-Ellen
State Fair (1945) with Dana Andrews, Jeanne Crain, Vivian Blaine, Dick Haymes, Percy Kilbride, and Fay Bainter
TELEVISION SERIES
Bright Promise, 1969-1972 NBC daytime drama TV series. Gray portrayed Ann Boyd Jones during the 1969-1970 season
Days of Our Lives, 1965-present NBC daytime drama TV series. Gray portrayed Diane Hunter during the 1967-1968 season
Window on Main Street, 1961-1962 TV series. Gray portrayed Miss Wycliffe
The Nine Lives of Elfego Baca, 1958 miniseries. Gray portrayed Peggy Minters
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This page premiered June 13, 2003.
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