2/27/2024 0 Comments Sande socialite tvWyatt also essayed a supporting assignment as the sister of Dorothy McGuire in Kazan's "Gentleman's Agreement" (1947), a groundbreaking look at anti-Semitism. Most notable was Clifford Odets' "None but the Lonely Heart" (1944), which offered a detour into drama for male lead Cary Grant, and Elia Kazan's excellent film noir "Boomerang!" (1947). Focusing on movie work, Wyatt appeared in such minor, but enjoyable projects as "Kisses for Breakfast" (1941), "Hurricane Smith" (1941), and "The Kansan" (1943). Wyatt also made periodic returns to the stage, but, as before, the shows failed to generate the sort of response that led to a lengthy run. She accidentally cracked a rib during shooting, but any pain Wyatt endured for art was more than worth it for her career, as "Lost Horizon" really established her in Hollywood. As the paramour of male lead Ronald Colman, Wyatt had a nude swimming scene that revealed little, but was quite eye-opening by the standards of the era. Wyatt's Universal pictures were fairly modest endeavors, but that changed when she was loaned to Columbia for Frank Capra's beloved fantasy "Lost Horizon" (1937). It was the actress' only marriage, lasting an incredible 65 years. The following year, she wed investment broker Edgar Ward, a union that produced three children (one of whom died at a young age) and restored her social register status. Put under a unique contract by Universal that allowed her to do stage work for part of the year, she made her film debut with a supporting role in James Whale's drama "One More Time" (1934) and moved on to play Estella in the studio's adaptation of Charles Dickens' "Great Expectations" (1934). Further Great White Way assignments came her way, but all were gone after fairly short runs, which encouraged Wyatt to give movies a go. Milne's "Give Me Yesterday" (1931), but had her first real success in that milieu with the popular farce "Dinner at Eight" (1932-33), where she replaced Margaret Sullavan and stayed with the show when it played in Chicago. She first stepped on to the Broadway stage in A.A. Ironically, the gains she made in pursuit of that goal resulted in Wyatt being removed from the social register. ![]() The success she enjoyed with this latest round of acting convinced Wyatt to abandon college and concentrate solely on establishing a career. She continued her education at Barnard College and apprenticed at the Berkshire Playhouse, appearing in a number of its productions. After attending Miss Chapin's School for Girls, the young socialite spent much time honing her acting skills with the institution's dramatic club. She spent her childhood in the Gramercy Park area and adored putting on plays at home, which was instrumental in making performing her vocational goal. ![]() Jane Waddington Wyatt was born on Augin Campgaw, NJ, an area where her well-off, New York City-based parents vacationed in the summer. While she displayed sufficient diversity, Wyatt was never a major Broadway or motion picture star, but her place in show business legend was secured by "Father Knows Best" and the conviviality she displayed as the matriarch of an idealized 1950s middle-class household. ![]() Ironically, the New Jersey native's blacklisting in the early 1950s for liberal sentiments led her to concentrate on television assignments and that was likely instrumental in Wyatt joining the cast of "Father Knows Best." As one of the model TV mothers of the 1950s, she was able to embue the character with a disarming combination of cordiality and charm, and the program became a cultural touchstone of its time. The efforts that followed included titles like "None but the Lonely Heart" (1944), "Boomerang!" (1947), and "Gentleman's Agreement" (1947), and Wyatt was usually up for the demands of her parts. After earning a measure of success on Broadway in the classic farce "Dinner at Eight" (1932-33), the pretty brunette was offered a movie contract and made a splash in Frank Capra's revered fantasy "Lost Horizon" (1937). Best known for her work on the enduring television sitcom "Father Knows Best" (CBS/NBC, 1954-1960), Jane Wyatt had displayed her talents in numerous stage and film productions before landing the role that brought her into millions of American living rooms each week.
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