Jean Rogers (1916-1991)

biography

Born Eleanor Lovegren in Belmont, Massachusetts, on March 25, 1916, actress Jean Rogers modeled as a teenager before entering films at the age of 17. Her first film role was as a chorus girl in the Warner Bros. musical Footlight Parade (1933; with James Cagney and Joan Blondell). In 1935, Rogers landed a contract with Universal, and she made her first credited appearance in Manhattan Moon (1935; with Ricardo Cortez). Soon, she became the queen of serials at Universal, starring in The Adventures of Frank Merriwell (1936; with Donald Briggs), the 13-chapter adventure Ace Drummond (1936; with John 'Dusty' King and Lon Chaney Jr.), and the 12-chapter actioner Secret Agent X-9 (1937; with Scott Kolk). But she's best known for portraying Dale Arden in Universal's sci-fi serials Flash Gordon (1936; with Buster Crabbe) and Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars (1938; with Buster Crabbe). Unhappy with the roles offered to her and tired of the grueling serial production schedule, in 1938 Rogers left Universal for 20th Century-Fox. Her first film at the studio was the second bill mystery Time Out for Murder (1938; with Michael Whalen and Gloria Stuart). While the roles at Fox were an improvement, and she had broken free of serials, in 1941 she left Fox for MGM, then the top studio.
Rogers married agent/talent scout Dan Winkler on January 7, 1939, but the couple parted ways in April 1941. She and Winkler remarried in 1943 and remained together until his death in 1970. Unfortunately, she was fired from MGM for marrying, so for the remainder of her career, Rogers began a family and freelanced at other studios.

the films of jean rogers

Flash Gordon (1936)

Mysterious Crossing (1936)

Reported Missing (1937)

Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars (1938)

Inside Story (1939)

The Man Who Wouldn't Talk (1940)

Yesterday's Heroes (1940)

Design for Scandal (1941)

Dr. Kildare's Victory (1942)

Sunday Punch (1942)

The War Against Mrs. Hadley (1942)

A Stranger in Town (1943)

The Strange Mr. Gregory (1945)

Gay Blades (1946)

Backlash (1947)

later years

Marriage and motherhood slowed Jean Rogers' film output, and after being fired from MGM, her career suffered. Of her post-war films, probably the best is the film noir thriller Backlash (1947; with Richard Travis). In her final film, The Second Woman (1950; with Robert Young and Betsy Drake), Rogers was relegated to supporting status. She ended her career and raised her children. Her husband, Dan Winkler, passed away in 1970. In her later years, she was in poor health. After suffering a series of strokes, Jean Rogers passed away on February 24, 1991, at the age of 74.

jean rogers films available from movies unlimited

Tailspin Tommy In The Great Air Mystery [DVD](1935) DVD
Clark Williams takes over the title role, as Tommy and his grease monkey pal Skeeter use their flying skills to stop greedy rebels from taking over a Latin American nation's oil supplies. With Noah Beery, Jr., Jean Rogers. 12 chapters; 3 2/3 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English.
Ace Drummond [DVD](1936) DVD
When a murderous villain known as the Dragon disrupts the Mongolian link in a worldwide airline service, top aviator Ace Drummond joins with a missing archeologist's daughter to foil the scheme. High-flying serial fun, based on a character created by real-life WWI ace Eddie Rickenbacker, stars John King, Jean Rogers, Noah Beery, Jr.; look for Lon Chaney, Jr. as Ivan. 13 chapters; 4 hrs. Standard; Soundtrack: English mono. Plays All Regions.
Rocketship (Flash Gordon: Rocketship) [DVD](1936) DVD
A mysterious planet is on a collision course with Earth, and only Flash and his allies can save the day, in this feature-length compilation from the 1936 serial "Flash Gordon." Buster Crabbe, Jean Rogers star. AKA: "Atomic Rocketship." 73 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English.
Secret Agent X-9 [DVD](1937) DVD
When the crown jewels of Belgravia are stolen, it's up to intrepid government lawman Scott Kolk to track down the international jewel thief responsible-a crafty guy named Brenda (!?)-and break up his gang. Jean Rogers, Henry Brandon and Lon Chaney, Jr. also star. 12 chapters; 4 hrs. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo; biographies; theatrical trailers.
The Boris Karloff Collection [DVD] DVD
Boris Karloff is an ailing scientist who gets abducted by a gang of thieves who want to get their hands on his latest invention: a device that neutralizes burglar alarms, in "Night Key" (1937). Jean Rogers co-stars. The bloody reign of King Richard III is chronicled in "Tower of London" (1939), with Basil Rathbone as the crippled monarch who eliminates all rivals with the help of bald, clubfooted executioner Karloff. A young Vincent Price also stars. "The Climax" (1944) has Karloff as a Paris Opera House physician obsessed with a beautiful singer he believes to be the reincarnation of the star he murdered years earlier. Based on a Robert Louis Stevenson story, "The Strange Door" (1951) stars Charles Laughton as a 17th-century nobleman who imprisons his brother in a dungeon after he marries Laughton's true love. Karloff co-stars as Laughton's reluctant henchman. And, "The Black Castle" (1952) follows an English aristocrat who vows revenge against the 18th-century Austrian count who murdered two of his friends. Karloff and Lon Chaney, Jr. star. 7 hrs. total on three discs. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English (SDH), French.
Mars Attacks The World [DVD](1938) DVD
In this feature-length adventure culled from episodes of the "Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars" serial, Flash and his allies are the only ones who can thwart Ming the Merciless' evil plot to blow the Earth to smithereens. Buster Crabbe, Jean Rogers, Charles Middleton star. 68 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English.
Always In Trouble [DVD](1938) DVD
Stylish comic yarn starring Jane Withers as a gal whose father strikes it rich in oil, then finds her mother forcing her and the whole family into acting snobby and flaunting their leap up the social ladder. Mom eventually learns a lesson after a yachting trip goes bad and smugglers cause trouble. Jean Rogers, Arthur Treacher, and Eddie Collins co-star. 69 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English.
Brigham Young [DVD](1940) DVD
A fascinating mix of historical and inspirational drama, depicting the hardships faced by Mormon settlers as they left their Illinois home in the 1840s and set out across the prairie to Utah's Great Salt Lake Basin. Dean Jagger stars as Church leader Young, with Mary Astor as his wife, Vincent Price as Mormon founder Joseph Smith, and Tyrone Power and Linda Darnell as a pioneer couple. AKA: "Brigham Young-Frontiersman." 112 min. Standard; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital stereo, Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish; audio commentary; newsreel footage; photo gallery; more.
Charlie Chan, Vol. 5 [DVD] DVD
First, in "Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum" (1940), a surgeon provides Charlie (Sidney Toler) and #2 son Jimmy (Victor Sen Yung) with a tantalizing mystery. With Henry Gordon. Chan uncovers a sabotage ring within the airline industry in "Murder Over New York" (1940). Stars Toler, Sen Yung. "Charlie Chan in Panama" (1940) finds our hero frantically attempting to stop an evil plot while posing as a government employee. Toler, Jean Rogers star. Then, in "Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise" (1940), the gumshoe solves killings while on a boat voyage from Honolulu to San Francisco. Stars Toler, Sen Yung, Robert Lowery. Next, in "Dead Men Tell" (1941), Chan races to figure out who caused an elderly woman's death. With Toler, Sheila Ryan. "Charlie Chan in Rio" (1941) has the detective helping the Brazilian police solve two baffling slayings. With Toler, Mary Beth Hughes. Lastly, Chan is summoned to a "Castle in the Desert" (1942) when a killing occurs. Toler, Sen Yung star. 7 1/2 hrs. total on four discs. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, French, Spanish; featurette; photo gallery; theatrical trailers.
Design For Scandal [DVD](1941) DVD
A reporter (Walter Pidgeon) agrees to romance a judge (Rosalind Russell) in an attempt to get her in a compromising position that will allow his boss (Edward Arnold) to blackmail her into going easy on him in his divorce case. Everything is going smoothly until Pidgeon realizes he's fallen for Russell-after he's already gotten the goods on her. Lee Bowman, Jean Rogers, Mary Beth Hughes also star in this romantic comedy. 85 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono.
A Stranger In Town [DVD](1943) DVD
Frank Morgan is a Supreme Court justice who decides to take a hunting vacation, only to discover the small town he stops at is riddled with political corruption. Morgan befriends the town's mayoral candidate and attempts to help him by offering advice. Richard Carlson, Jean Rogers, Chill Wills and John Hodiak also star in this lively mix of comedy and drama. 66 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English. Plays All Regions.
Red Skelton: Whistling Collection [DVD] DVD
Red Skelton stars as radio detective Wally "The Fox" Benton in a trio of comedic mysteries. First, the Fox has to do some real sleuthing when he's kidnapped by a phony religious cult leader and his followers as part of a scheme to make off with a million-dollar inheritance, in "Whistling in the Dark" (1941). Conrad Veidt, Ann Rutherford, and Virginia Grey also star. Next, Benton heads South to join his girlfriend in helping a former college friend in trouble and finds himself stuck in the middle of a search for hidden Civil War treasure, in "Whistling in Dixie" (1942). Rutherford and Guy Kibbee co-star. Finally, "Whistling in Brooklyn" (1943) finds the Fox going undercover with the Dodgers in order to find a killer posing as a baseball player. With Rutherford, Jean Rogers, William Frawley. 4 hrs. total on three discs. Standard; Soundtrack: English.
Speed To Spare [DVD](1948) DVD
Richard Arlen is a daredevil race car driver who leaves his dangerous profession to start a trucking business with partner Richard Travis. The enterprise turns out to be as dangerous as racing when Arlen goes up against rival truckers. Ian McDonald, Roscoe Karns and Jean Rogers star. 57 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English. Plays All Regions.
The Second Woman [DVD](1951) DVD
Architect Robert Young, haunted by the accident that claimed his fiancee's life, begins to wonder if he was responsible and fears he may be losing his mind in this intriguing thriller. Betsy Drake, Henry O'Neill co-star. 90 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English mono.
Hollywood Hoodlums Collection [DVD] DVD
Four-disc set of vintage crime classics includes "They Made Me a Criminal," "The Great Flamarion," "The Chase" (1946), "Shock" (1946), "Trapped" (1949), "Borderline," "The Man Who Cheated Himself," "Quicksand," "The Second Woman," "Beat the Devil," "Kansas City Confidential," and "The Big Combo."

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filmography

FILM
The Second Woman (1950) with Robert Young, Betsy Drake, John Sutton, and Florence Bates
Fighting Back (1948) with Paul Langton, Gary Gray, Morris Ankrum, and Tommy Ivo
Speed to Spare (1948) with Richard Arlen, Richard Travis, and Roscoe Karns
Backlash (1947) with Richard Travis and Robert Shayne
Hot Cargo (1946) with William Gargan
Gay Blades (1946) with Allan Lane, Frank Albertson, and Robert Armstrong
The Strange Mr. Gregory (1945) with Edmund Lowe
Rough, Tough and Ready (1945) with Chester Morris, Victor McLaglen, and Veda Ann Borg
Whistling in Brooklyn (1943) with Red Skelton, Ann Rutherford, Ray Collins, and William Frawley
Swing Shift Maisie (1943) with Ann Sothern, James Craig, and Kay Medford
A Stranger in Town (1943) with Frank Morgan, Richard Carlson, Chill Wills, Gladys Blake, and John Hodiak
The War Against Mrs. Hadley (1942) with Edward Arnold, Fay Bainter, Spring Byington, and Van Johnson
Pacific Rendezvous (1942) with Lee Bowman
Sunday Punch (1942) with William Lundigan, Dan Dailey, Guy Kibbee, and J. Carrol Naish
Dr. Kildare's Victory (1942) with Lew Ayres, Lionel Barrymore, and Robert Sterling
Design for Scandal (1941) with Rosalind Russell, Walter Pidgeon, Lee Bowman, Mary Beth Hughes, and Guy Kibbee
Let's Make Music (1941) with Bob Crosby, Joyce Compton, and Benny Rubin
Yesterday's Heroes (1940) with Robert Sterling and Ted North
Brigham Young (1940) with Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell, Dean Jagger, Brian Donlevy, Jane Darwell, John Carradine, Mary Astor, and Vincent Price
Viva Cisco Kid (1940) with Cesar Romero
Charlie Chan in Panama (1940) with Sidney Toler, Lionel Atwill, Mary Nash, Kane Richmond, and Jack La Rue
The Man Who Wouldn't Talk (1940) with Lloyd Nolan and Mae Marsh
Heaven with a Barbed Wire Fence (1939) with Marjorie Rambeau, Glenn Ford, Richard Conte, and Ward Bond
Stop, Look and Love (1939) with William Frawley
Hotel for Women (1939) with Ann Sothern, Linda Darnell, Lynn Bari, Joyce Compton, Elsa Maxwell, and Ruth Terry
Inside Story (1939) with Michael Whalen, Chick Chandler, and Jane Darwell
While New York Sleeps (1938) with Michael Whalen, Chick Chandler, Joan Woodbury, and William Demarest
Always in Trouble (1938) with Jane Withers and Arthur Treacher
Time Out for Murder (1938) with Michael Whalen, Gloria Stuart, Chick Chandler, Jane Darwell, and Ruth Hussey
Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars (1938) with Buster Crabbe and Charles Middleton
Reported Missing (1937) with William Gargan and Dick Purcell
The Wildcatter (1937) with Scott Kolk and Ward Bond
Night Key (1937) with Boris Karloff and Ward Bond
Secret Agent X-9 (1937) with Scott Kolk, Monte Blue, and Lon Chaney Jr.
When Love Is Young (1937) with Virginia Bruce, Kent Taylor, and Walter Brennan
Mysterious Crossing (1936) with James Dunn, Andy Devine, and Herbert Rawlinson
Conflict (1936) with John Wayne and Ward Bond
Ace Drummond (1936) with John 'Dusty' King, Noah Beery Jr., and Lon Chaney Jr.
Flash Gordon (1936) with Buster Crabbe and Charles Middleton
Don't Get Personal (1936) with James Dunn and Sally Eilers
The Adventures of Frank Merriwell (1936) with Donald Briggs and John 'Dusty' King
Fighting Youth (1935) with Charles Farrell, June Martel, Andy Devine, Ann Sheridan, and Phyllis Cerf
Tailspin Tommy in The Great Air Mystery (1935) with Clark Williams and Noah Beery Jr.
Stormy (1935) with Noah Beery Jr. and Raymond Hatton
Manhattan Moon (1935) with Ricardo Cortez

jean rogers film now showing

Watch Jean Rogers in the 1950 film noir thriller The Second Woman