Kristine Miller

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kristine Miller
Kristine Miller in 1957
Born
Jacqueline Olivia Eskesen

(1925-06-13)June 13, 1925
Buenos Aires, Argentina
DiedLate 2015 (aged 90)[1]
Alma materSan Francisco State College
OccupationFilm actress
Years active1945–1961
Spouse
William Schuyler
(m. 1953; died 2013)
Children2

Kristine Miller (born Jacqueline Olivia Eskesen, June 13, 1925 – 2015) was an American film actress, best-remembered for her appearances in film noir and Westerns. A discovery of Paramount producer Hal Wallis, she appeared in I Walk Alone (1948), Jungle Patrol (1948), Too Late for Tears (1949), Shadow on the Wall (1950), and the TV series Stories of the Century (1954–55).

Early life[edit]

Miller was born Jacqueline Olivia Eskesen, the younger of two daughters of Johannes Bach Eskesen, a Danish oil executive, and US-born Myrtle Bennett Eskesen (née Witham; 1890–1976), an Orpheum Circuit singer[2] from Fresno, California.[3]

Her father was vice-president of Standard Oil of Argentina, headquartered in Buenos Aires,[4] where Miller and her older sister, Dorothea, were born. After a decade in Argentina, the family sailed to New Orleans, landing in July 1931. They temporarily moved to Myrtle's hometown of Fresno for a year, then moved to Copenhagen, Denmark in 1932[5] when Miller was 7 years old. In 1938, before the beginning of the Second World War in Europe, mother and daughters relocated again, this time to Long Island, New York.[6] Later they moved back to Fresno,[7] then on to San Francisco, California,[5] where Jacqueline became a naturalized United States citizen on December 7, 1942.[8]

Having lived in Argentina and Denmark as a child, she spoke English, Spanish and Danish fluently, and had a working knowledge of Portuguese and German.[9] During her formative years, she showed no interest in acting. Miller said of her childhood, "My mother was a professional singer and I think she was eager for me to go into the entertainment field."[7][10] However, after she played a main role in her high school's production of George S. Kaufman's The American Way (1939), her taste for show business began to form. In one version of how she was discovered by Hollywood, in 1944 the 18-year-old Miller saw an opportunity when a Warner Brothers talent scout was to attend one of her school's performances. The scout never showed up, so she sent a letter and photograph to the studio, and garnered a screen test at Warner, where she changed her name to Kristine Miller.[6][11] When Miller set out for Hollywood, she recalled, "People said to my mother, 'Are you letting that girl go to that awful place?'" But her mother replied, "I know that girl, and she'll be all right."[12] Although she failed the screen test, she was noticed by producer Hal Wallis, who was then feuding with the studio head, Jack L. Warner. Under acrimonious circumstances, Wallis left Warner Brothers for Paramount Pictures. Wallis brought with him Miller and another actress that also failed a screen test at Warner, the 21-year-old Lizabeth Scott.[13]

Paramount years[edit]

I Walk Alone[edit]

Kristine Miller in I Walk Alone

At Paramount, Miller made her debut, an uncredited bit part, opposite fellow newcomer Lizabeth Scott in You Came Along (1945).[6] Miller played a showgirl and was billed as "Jacqueleen Eskeson." The pair would appear together in five films, four of them produced by Hal Wallis. Production ran February 6–April 6, 1945.[14]

In 1946, Miller was loaned out to Monogram Pictures. She played a model in the 1946 film noir, Suspense, where she appears as a party guest. Production ran mid-October–early December 1945.[15] Around this time, Miller moved into the old Wallace Reid mansion in Coldwater Canyon, then converted into a boarding house for aspiring actresses known as "The House of the Seven Garbos".[16][17] Among the boarders were Ruth Roman, Suzan Ball and Linda Christian.[18] According to Doris Lilly,[19] a former boarder and later society columnist, "The dignity of the house in general was presided over and encouraged by Kristine Miller, who was blonde haired, high of cheekbone, grey eyed. Kristine had balance, she would check some of our madder impulses, kept us calm when that was necessary. Her manner was quiet and refined, and she had a way of touching a grubby coffeepot as if it were the tiara of the Empress Josephine. In spite of her reserve, we all knew that Kristine had a fine future for her somewhere, and we felt that she was an excellent actress."[20]

In July 1946, it was announced that Hal Wallis planned to star Miller in the film version of the Broadway play, Beggars Are Coming to Town (1945),[9] a noirish story of betrayal and vengeance.[21] Wallis intended this to be Miller's breakout role.[22] Yet Wallis would skip the usual publicity buildup for a budding actress.[5][23] Miller was to play a torch singer, Kay Lawrence, who befriends a convict, Frankie Madison, who returns to New York after 14 years in prison. Kay's boyfriend, Noll "Dink" Turner, is the owner of the Regent Club, which Frankie claims to own half of. Tired of Kay, Noll sends her to sweet-talk Frankie in an effort to stall for time. Meanwhile, Noll intends to dump Kay and marry a socialite. Both men battle for control of the business that Turner built while Frankie was in prison.[24]

In the winter of 1946, Miller appeared briefly in Western noir, Desert Fury (1947). She played the priggish Claire Lindquist, daughter of a corrupt judge. Shooting took place from mid-August to early November, 1946. Unusual for such a small role, Wallis ensured Miller received 6th billing, after Wendall Corey, despite her role being little more than walk-on. The film was released August 15, 1947.[25]

Immediately after Desert Fury, Wallis began work on Deadlock, the original project name for Beggars Are Coming to Town. Again Miller would be cast with Desert Fury's Burt Lancaster and Wendell Corey. After weeks of rehearsals on the Modjeska Canyon location, under the direction of Byron Haskin,[26] Miller suddenly became the second leading lady. Lizabeth Scott, ever competitive with all actresses, grabbed the Kay role for herself. Miller later recalled, "(Wallis) planned to star me in 'I Walk Alone.' He tested me with Burt; it was a wonderful test. But then Lizabeth Scott decided she wanted the role, and Lizabeth got whatever she wanted—from Hal Wallis! [laughs] So, I got the second part instead."[27] The 21-year-old Miller was recast as the slumming socialite divorcée, Alexis Richardson. Miller was afraid that playing a "meanie" role might typecast her.[28] She was also forced to cut her 22-inch hair into a shorter chignon.[29][30] In designing Miller's wardrobe, Edith Head was impressed by Miller's physique, describing it as "the most exciting figure since Betty Grable."[31][32] The resulting film was renamed I Walk Alone (1948). Shooting took place early December 1946–mid-February 1947. The film was released January 16, 1948.[24] She was 5th-billed after Kirk Douglas. Despite Miller's fears of being typecast as a femme fatale, film historians tend to typecast her "as always playing the 'good girl.'"[33] Typecasting reflected real life as Miller's name seldom appeared in gossip columns and when it did, it never involved scandal. Though Miller participated in the Hollywood dating circuit, the one name that invariably appeared in the press was William Haskel Schuyler, a television pioneer and consultant based in San Francisco. In late November 1947, it was announced that Miller and Schuyler would wed.[34] But the marriage was postponed.

Jungle Patrol[edit]

Kristine Miller in Jungle Patrol

In early May 1948, Miller was loaned out again, this time to 20th Century Fox for West of Tomorrow—her first leading lady role. The screenplay was based on William Bowers' play of the same name.[35] During WW2 in New Guinea, a US Army Air Force squadron has been assigned to protect Australia and despite having inflicted heavy casualties on the Japanese, they supernaturally had none themselves. Miller played Jean Gillis, a Broadway actress and former anti-war activist, who joined the USO after her husband's death at Dunkirk. By happenstance, she ends up having to entertain the airmen by herself when she finds out the rest of her troupe is stranded. During an improvised "dinner dance," she learns about the pilots' wives and girlfriends and their hopes for the future, but equally learns about herself. Arthur Franz makes his film debut as Miller's love interest. The next morning, all but the squadron leader and Jean are killed after an attack on the airstrip.[36] Similar to Death Takes a Holiday (1934), the airmen reach the epiphany of their lives in the few hours they spend with Jean. The resulting film was released as Jungle Patrol (1948), the sole film that Miller had 1st-place billing. Despite Miller's preference for Bowers' original title, the film is her personal favorite.[37]

After establishing herself as a "discovery" of Hal Wallis, Miller soon found herself left behind. In an interview with Mike Fitzgerald, she was quoted as saying, "Hal called me the 'Viking Girl.' He didn't know what to do with me."[38] The situation was aggravated by the return of veteran actors from overseas, either in uniform or the USO. Compounded by the economic slump after the war, rise of television and the breakup of the studio system,[39] Miller's initial difficulties during the war years would be multiplied many fold. Miller's prospects began to look a little better when she met journalist and film producer Mark Hellinger, who felt sure that she could become a star. But Hellinger died suddenly in 1947, and Miller soon found herself making a living with the usual small roles that she had always been given.[38] Of the nine films she would make under contract to Paramount, three were loan-outs to other studios, two of which were more significant than her Paramount films, with the exception of I Walk Alone. Typical of the Paramount years, in Sorry, Wrong Number (1948), she was cast as the wife of the investigating detective but was recast as the mistress of the physician, dropping from 3rd to 13th place in billing.[40]

Later that year, she moved on to a more substantial part, again opposite Lizabeth Scott, in Too Late for Tears (1949). In her third and last loan-out—this time to United Artists—Miller played Kathy Palmer, the sister-in-law of Jane Palmer (Scott), whom she suspects has murdered her brother. As she is romanced by Don DeFore, the pair quietly investigate the shady dealings of Jane. Though shooting took place mid-September to mid-October 1948 at Republic Pictures, the film was released July 8, 1949. Miller was 5th-billed after Arthur Kennedy.[41]

At the end of 1948, Miller made a brief appearance in the "weepie" Paid in Full (1950). In the last film she would do for Paramount, Miller was to play Nancy Langley, the younger modeling sister of Jane (Lizabeth Scott), a department store illustrator, who allows her younger sister to marry Bill Prentice (Robert Cummings), despite Jane's love for him. A few years later, Jane has an argument with Nancy, who catches Jane and Bill having an affair. Distraught, Jane backs up her car and accidentally kills her young niece. But as with I Walk Alone, Miller's role was given to another actress—Diana Lynn.[42] Miller ended up playing a bridesmaid at Nancy's wedding, dropping from 3rd to 10th place in billing. Production ran mid-October–late November 1948. The film would not be released until March 1950.[43] In February 1949, it was announced that Miller's contact with Paramount was dropped due to the post-war slump in the film industry.[44] That December, Miller's marriage with William Schuyler was again announced, then again postponed.[45]

Freelancer[edit]

Kristine Miller and Brian Donlevy in Dangerous Assignment

Undaunted by career setbacks, Miller tried her hand with smaller studios such as Monogram and Republic Pictures, though she would still work for the occasional big studio. Miller also made further incursions in the then-new medium of television, which she began before her contract with Paramount was dropped. Despite the demands of raising a family, the 1950s would be Miller's most prolific years, seeing her as a television regular.[46] Throughout the '50s, she was able to display a broader acting range than when under Paramount and Hal Wallis. Although she missed out on playing Lizabeth Scott's character's younger sister in Paid in Full, she played a younger sister in the noirish Shadow on the Wall (1950), which also involved two sisters competing over the same man. The elder sister, played by Ann Sothern, discovers that her younger, married sister is having an affair with Sothern's fiancé, which leads to murderous results and short screen-time for Miller.[47] Production ran from April 11th to mid-May, 1949. Though never leaving the noir genre, Miller would begin her reputation for Westerns with Young Daniel Boone (1950), but as the female lead. Production ran from mid-October to late October 1949.[48]

Later that year she would return to the Western genre with High Lonesome (1950). John Drew Barrymore plays a misunderstood teenager, Cooncat, who creates a rift between Miller's rancher father and her fiancé, who believes Cooncat murdered his parents. Shooting took place early January–mid-January 1950 on location in Texas.[49] Miller recalled the weather on the range being cold, not hot as the film depicted.[50] In November 1950, after years of avoiding femme fatale roles, she finally played against type as Lady DeWinter in "The Three Musketeers", the pilot episode of Magnavox Theatre. It was released in the theaters as Sword of D'Artagnan.[51]

In the fall of 1951, Miller was cast as an Eastern European in the Cold War thriller, The Steel Fist (1952), opposite Roddy McDowall.[52] Miller played Marlina, a young woman who hides a student protester (McDowall) from the communists. Production ran late August–September 4, 1951. Similar to the Swedish-American actress, Virginia Christine, Miller's familiarity with non-English languages enabled her to mimic foreign accents,[9] which she used to various effect on television episodes where she played Europeans (Dangerous Assignment) or immigrants to America (The Millionaire). She was careful to avoid caricature. Production ran late August–September 4, 1951.[52]

In 1952, Miller appeared in her second femme fatale role. In "The Iron Banner Story", an episode of Dangerous Assignment, an espionage series starring Brian Donlevy, she played Lilli Terrescu, a woman with a dark secret in post-war Greece. As with The Steel Fist, Miller used her accent skills in two Dangerous Assignment episodes and later in The Millionaire episode, "The Anton Bohrman Story." Later in the year, Miller was the second female lead in her first musical, Tropical Heat Wave (1952). Production ran May 31–mid-June 1952.[53]

In the spring of 1953, Miller traveled to Hawaii and rejoined her I Walk Alone costar, Burt Lancaster. She spent 10 days in the islands. She was cast as Georgette, Donna Reed's roommate in From Here to Eternity.[54] But most of her footage ended up on the cutting room floor: "'I don't even say I made that one; I'm hardly in it. I think you see my arm; that's about it' (laughs)." Miller was more impressed by the performances of Frank Sinatra and Montgomery Clift, whom she watched working before the camera.[37] Production ran March 7–May 5, 1953. On July 27, 1953, Miller finally married William Schuyler in Santa Barbara. That October, it was announced that the Schuylers were expecting their first baby.[46] Their daughter, Linda Elizabeth, was born on February 22, 1954.

In 1954, Miller appeared as the second leading lady in three films. Flight Nurse (1954), starring Joan Leslie, was a drama about US Air Force flight nurses in the Korean War. Miller is a fellow officer of Leslie, involved in a romantic triangle with two pilots. Production ran May 14–mid-June 1953.[55] Geraldine (1954) is a comedy starring Mala Powers. Production ran late June to mid-July 1953.[56] In the noir Western Hell's Outpost, Miller again costarred with Leslie. Production ran July 8–late July 1954.[57] Hell's Outpost introduced Miller to Jim Davis, who would be the male lead for the only television series that Miller had a continuing role in. During the 1950s, both Joan Leslie and Miller, by now friends, were involved with fundraising for St. Anne's maternity hospital in Los Angeles.[37] During that year, Miller made two appearances on the television series The Lone Wolf, starring Louis Hayward. In one episode, Miller played an adulterous wife reminiscent of The Shadow on the Wall, but is shot by her cuckolded husband instead. She made a guest appearance as Mrs. Manning on Republic's first television series, Stories of the Century, starring Mary Castle and Miller's old Hell's Outpost costar, Jim Davis.

Stories of the Century[edit]

Kristine Miller in Stories of the Century
With Jim Davis in Stories of the Century

In 1955, Miller returned to Stories of the Century to star in her most famous role—Margaret "Jonesy" Jones. The series concerned a pair of railroad detectives dealing with cases from the 1850s to the first decade of the 20th century, "wrapping them around previously shot films and serials to save money."[58] This gave the series the illusion of a much bigger budget.[59] Typically, the Jones character would do reconnaissance before Matt Clark (Jim Davis) arrived, misleading everyone into thinking the two were not working together.[60] Originally Miller was to star in the series, but was unable due to her first pregnancy. As a result, Mary Castle, a Rita Hayworth lookalike, took her place for the first 26 episodes. Castle had portrayed Clark's fellow detective Frankie Adams. After Castle quit or was fired, Miller replaced her, much to the disappointment of the then director, William Witney, who left after directing a few episodes with Miller. Despite the change of leading lady and the replacement of Witney, Stories of the Century with Miller went on to be the first Western to win an Emmy Award in 1955.[61] Despite the award and excellent ratings, the series was cancelled. Miller's favorite episode is "Jim Courtright," in which her character poses as a seductive barmaid while infiltrating a protection racket.[62] In Miller's last episode of the series, she and Davis investigate a horse theft by the outlaw L. H. Musgrove.

After the cancellation of Century, Miller changed genres with the first of four appearances on Science Fiction Theater. In "The Strange Dr. Lorenz" (1955), she played the wife of a physician, whose debilitating condition is cured by a miraculous royal jelly. But the jelly has an unexpected side-effect. In "Operation Flypaper" (1956) she and Vincent Price are scientists trying to catch a thief who can suspend time. During this period, Miller would make three Western films in succession: Thunder over Arizona (1956),[63] Domino Kid (1957)[64] and The Persuader (1957), a religious Western starring William Talman.[65] Miller rejoined Jim Davis for the last time in an episode of M Squad — "The Case of the Double Face" (May 23, 1958), starring Lee Marvin. Miller is married to a mild-mannered, bespectacled Davis, who is accused by the Chicago police of being a jewel thief. Miller's last film role was in The Heart Is a Rebel (1958), a religious drama starring Ethel Waters.[66]

Miller appeared in two episodes of CBS's The Texan, starring Rory Calhoun as Bill Longley—"The Gunfighter" (1959) and "The Accuser" (1960). In "The Gunfighter," Miller is a single mother with a rebellious teenage son, who challenges Longley to a gunfight. She rejoined Donna Reed in "Lucky Girl" (1959) and "Character Building" (1961) on the ABC sitcom, The Donna Reed Show. Her last television appearance was as Ruth Hudson in the 1961 episode "Prince Jim" of NBC's Tales of Wells Fargo, starring Dale Robertson. Of the genres and cross-genres spanning her film career, Miller participated in making five traditional noirs, one noir-thriller, four Westerns, two noir Westerns, one religious Western, three military dramas, two comedies, one comedy-drama, one soap opera, one religious drama and one musical. Seven of Miller's roles were walk-ons or deleted from the final film. Her television work involved similar genres. In contradistinction to being only a supporting actress as described by most film historians, she was leading lady in six of 22 films.[citation needed]

Entrepreneur[edit]

Due to demands of family and her husband's business, Miller retired from acting. The Schuylers left Los Angeles for the San Francisco Bay Area in the early 1960s.[67][68] Previous to the move, her husband was setting up television stations throughout Northern California, such as Sacramento's KSCH and KTVU in Oakland.

Together with William they founded two television stations in Monterey, KMST and the Spanish-language KSMS, the latter being of special interest to Miller.[3] The Schuylers eventually settled on the Monterey peninsula in 1969, where William became president of the Schuyler Broadcasting Corporation.

Later years[edit]

The Schuylers later lived in Idaho during the 1990s, where they started two television stations. They returned to Monterey in June 2001. Miller lectured on her experience in film and television in Monterey as well as participating in local charitable activities.[42][69]

On February 4, 2016, a family spokesperson announced that Miller had died at the age of 90 in late 2015 at a hospital in Monterey, California.[1] A memorial service for Miller was held at St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church in Carmel Valley, CA, on February 13, 2016.[70] Her remains were cremated and her ashes scattered over the Pacific Ocean.

Performances[edit]

Filmography[edit]

No. Year Title,
US release
year
Studio,
producer
Director,
screen-
writer
Miller's
role
Leading
man
Costars Notes
1 1945 You Came Along*[71] Paramount,
Hal Wallis
John Farrow,
Ayn Rand
Showgirl Robert Cummings Lizabeth Scott,
Don DeFore,
Charles Drake,
Helen Forrest,
Kim Hunter
Uncredited
2 1946 Suspense*[72] Monogram,
Maurice King
Frank Tuttle,
Philip Yordan
Model Barry Sullivan Belita Uncredited
3 1947 The Trouble with Women*[73] Paramount,
Harry Tugend
Sidney Lanfield,
Arthur Sheekman
Coquette Ray Milland Teresa Wright,
Brian Donlevy
Uncredited
4 1947 Desert Fury[74][75] Paramount,
Hal Wallis
Lewis Allen, Robert Rossen Claire Lindquist John Hodiak Lizabeth Scott,
Burt Lancaster,
Mary Astor,
Wendell Corey
5 1948 I Walk Alone[76][77] Paramount,
Hal Wallis
Byron Haskin,
Charles Schnee
Alexis Richardson Burt Lancaster Lizabeth Scott,
Kirk Douglas,
Wendell Corey
6 1948 Sorry, Wrong Number[78] Paramount,
Hal Wallis
Anatole Litvak,
Lucille Fletcher
Dolly Burt Lancaster Barbara Stanwyck,
Ann Richards,
Wendell Corey
Uncredited
7 1948 Jungle Patrol*[36] 20th Century Fox,
Frank N. Seltzer
Joe Newman,
Francis Swann
Jean Gillis** Arthur Franz Ross Ford,
Mickey Knox,
Richard Jaeckel,
Harry Lauter
8 1949 Too Late for Tears[41] United Artists,
Hunt Stromberg
Byron Haskin,
Roy Huggins
Kathy Palmer Don DeFore Lizabeth Scott,
Dan Duryea,
Arthur Kennedy
9 1950 Paid in Full[79] Paramount,
Hal Wallis
William Dieterle,
Robert Blees
Miss Williams Robert Cummings Lizabeth Scott,
Diana Lynn,
Eve Arden,
Ray Collins
10 1950 Young Daniel Boone[48] Monogram,
James S. Burkett
Reginald Le Borg,
Clint Johnston
Rebecca Bryan** David Bruce Damian O'Flynn
11 1950 Shadow on the Wall[80] MGM,
Robert Sisk
Patrick Jackson,
William Ludwig
Celia Starrling Zachary Scott Ann Sothern,
Gigi Perreau
Nancy Davis
12 1950 High Lonesome[49] Arfran Productions,
George Templeton
Alan Le May,
(director and screenwriter)
Abby Davis John Drew Barrymore Chill Wills,
John Archer
13 1952 The Steel Fist[52] Monogram,
Wesley Barry
Wesley Barry,
C. K. Kivari
Marlina** Roddy McDowall Harry Lauter
14 1952 Tropical Heat Wave[53] Republic,
Herbert J. Yates
R. G. Springsteen,
Arthur T. Horman
Sylvia Enwright Robert Hutton Estelita
15 1953 From Here to Eternity[54] Columbia,
Buddy Adler
Fred Zinnemann,
Daniel Taradash
Georgette Burt Lancaster Montgomery Clift,
Deborah Kerr,
Donna Reed
Uncredited
16 1953 Flight Nurse[55] Republic,
Herbert J. Yates
Allan Dwan,
Alan Le May
Lt. Kit Ramsey Forrest Tucker Joan Leslie,
Arthur Franz
17 1953 Geraldine[56] Republic,
Herbert J. Yates
R. G. Springsteen,
Peter Milne
Ellen Blake John Carroll Mala Powers
18 1954 Hell's Outpost[57] Republic,
Herbert J. Yates
Joe Kane,
Kenneth Gamet
Beth Hodes Rod Cameron Joan Leslie,
Chill Wills
19 1956 Thunder Over Arizona[63] Republic,
Joe Kane
Joe Kane,
Sloan Nibley
Fay Warren** Skip Homeier George Macready,
Wallace Ford
20 1957 The Persuader[65] Allied Artists,
Dick Ross
Dick Ross,
Curtis Kenyon
Kathryn Bonham** William Talman James Craig
21 1957 Domino Kid[64] Columbia,
Rory Calhoun
Ray Nazarro,
Kenneth Gamet
Barbara Ellison** Rory Calhoun Andrew Duggan,
Yvette Dugay
22 1958 The Heart is a Rebel[66] World Wide Pictures,
Dick Ross
Dick Ross,
Richard James
Mrs. Johnson John Milford Ethel Waters,
Georgia Lee,
Scotty Morrow

Titles in the public domain.* See cites for copyright renewal dates. Leading lady roles**

Television[edit]

No. Title,
US release year
Studio,
producer
Director,
screen-
writer
Miller's
role
Leading
man
Costars
1 Variety
(1948)
NBC Herself Cesar Romero
2 Your Show Time
"The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County"
(June 17, 1949)
National Telefilm Associates,
Marshall Grant
Sobey Martin,
Walter Doniger
Kirby Grant
3 The Magnavox Theatre
"The Three Musketeers"
(November 24, 1950)
Hal Roach Studios,
Hal Roach Jr.
Budd Boetticher,
Roy Hamilton
Lady DeWinter Robert Clarke John Hubbard
4 Stars Over Hollywood
"A Letter from Home"
(July 23, 1951)
NBC,
Sherman A. Harris
Axel Gruenberg,
Jack Preston
William Andrews Jeanne Bates
5 The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok
"Outlaw Flats"
(November 4, 1951)
William F. Broidy Productions,
William F. Broidy
Frank McDonald,
William Raynor
Cindy** Guy Madison Andy Devine
6 Kraft Television Theatre
"Never Be the Same"
(November 14, 1951)
J. Walter Thompson Agency Howard Freeman Jean Adair
7 Gruen Playhouse
"The Case of the Cavorting Statue"
(November 29, 1951)
ABC Richard Irving,
Howard J. Green
Caesar Romero Ann Rutherford
8 Gruen Playhouse
"The Driven Snow"
(October 4, 1951)
ABC Axel Gruenberg
(director)
Bruce Cabot
9 China Smith
"My Ship Has a Golden Keel"
Bernard Tabakin
(producer)
Robert C. Dennis
(screenwriter)
Leora Dan Duryea
10 Dangerous Assignment
"The Iron Banner Story"
(1952)
Donlevy Development Company,
Harold E. Knox
Bill Karn,
Al C. Ward
Lilli Terrescu** Brian Donlevy Lyle Talbot
11 Dangerous Assignment
"The Parachute Story"
(1952)
Donlevy Development Company,
Harold E. Knox
Bill Karn,
Robert Ryf
Ilana Draska** Brian Donlevy John Dehner
12 Big Town
"Pot O' Gold"
(March 26, 1953)
Gross-Krasne Productions,
Mark Stevens
Charles F. Haas,
Al C. Ward
Jill Long Richard Tyler
13 Fireside Theater
"To Stand Alone"
(May 20, 1952)
General Television Enterprises,
Frank Wisbar
Frank Wisbar,
John Larkin
Stanley Andrews Scott Elliott
14 Fireside Theater
"The People's Choice"
(October 14, 1952)
General Television Enterprises,
Frank Wisbar
Frank Wisbar,
John Larkin
Paul E. Burns Barbara Brown
15 Fireside Theater
"Mission to Algiers"
(April 21, 1953)
General Television Enterprises,
Frank Wisbar
Frank Wisbar,
Fred Freiberger
William Bishop Peter Brocco
16 Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
"Storm Warnings"
(July 10, 1953)
Meridian Productions,
William Self
Bill Karn,
Paul Ludwig
Wanda Robert Stack Stanley Blystone,
Arthur Franz
17 Campbell Playhouse
"Innocent Till Proven Guilty"
(July 10, 1953)
NBC,
Martin Horrell
Garry Simpson,
Frank De Felitta
Paul McGrath Leora Dana
18 Lux Video Theatre
"Some Call It Love"
(August 27, 1953)
J. Walter Thompson Agency,
Jack J. Gross
Peter Godfrey,
Erna Lazarus
Charles McGraw Barbara Knudson,
Carole Mathews
19 My Little Margie
"A Day at the Beach"
(September 16, 1953)
Roland Reed Productions,
Hal Roach Jr.
Hal Yates (director) Charles Farrell Gale Storm
20 Ramar of the Jungle
"Jungle Terror"
(1954)
Arrow Productions,
Rudolph C. Flothow
Wallace Fox,
Charles R. Condon
Mary** Jon Hall Ray Montgomery,
Harry Lauter
21 The Lone Wolf
"The Wife Story"
(1954)
Gross-Krasne Productions,
Donald Hyde
Christian Nyby,
Antony Ellis
Kay Richman** Louis Hayward John Doucette,
Dabbs Greer
22 The Lone Wolf
"The Karachi Story"
(1954)
Gross-Krasne Productions,
Donald Hyde
Alfred E. Green,
Bernard Girard
Lynn** Louis Hayward Lowell Gilmore
23 Stories of the Century
"Henry Plummer"
(1954)*
Studio City Television Productions,
Edward J. White
William Witney,
Dwight Cummins
Mrs. Manning Jim Davis Mary Castle,
John Dehner,
Lane Bradford
24 Stories of the Century
"Burt Alvord"
(January 2, 1955)*
Studio City Television Productions,
Edward J. White
William Witney,
Maurice Tombragel
Margaret "Jonesy" Jones** Jim Davis Chris Drake,
Paul Sorensen,
Fran Bennett
25 Stories of the Century
"Apache Kid"
(January 9, 1955)*
Studio City Television Productions,
Edward J. White
William Witney,
Maurice Tombragel
Margaret "Jonesy" Jones** Jim Davis Kenneth Alton
26 Stories of the Century
"Tom Bell"
(January 16, 1955)*
Studio City Television Productions,
Edward J. White
William Witney,
Budd Lesser
Margaret "Jonesy" Jones** Jim Davis Glen Gordon,
Jean Dean
27 Stories of the Century
"Kate Bender"
(January 23, 1955)*
Studio City Television Productions,
Edward J. White
William Witney,
Maurice Tombragel
Margaret "Jonesy" Jones** Jim Davis Veda Ann Borg
28 Stories of the Century
"Augustine Chacon"
(January 30, 1955)*
Studio City Television Productions,
Edward J. White
Franklin Adreon,
Milton Raison
Margaret "Jonesy" Jones** Jim Davis Rodolfo Hoyos, Jr.
29 Stories of the Century
"Cherokee Bill"
(February 1, 1955)*
Studio City Television Productions,
Edward J. White
Franklin Adreon,
Milton Raison
Margaret "Jonesy" Jones** Jim Davis Pat Hogan,
Robert Burton,
Frank Sully
30 Stories of the Century
"Nate Champion"
(February 6, 1955)*
Studio City Television Productions,
Edward J. White
Franklin Adreon,
Budd Lesser
Margaret "Jonesy" Jones** Jim Davis Henry Brandon
31 Stories of the Century
"Sontag and Evans"
(February 8, 1955)*
Studio City Television Productions,
Edward J. White
Franklin Adreon,
Maurice Tombragel
Margaret "Jonesy" Jones** Jim Davis John Smith,
Morris Ankrum
32 Stories of the Century
"Rube Burrows"
(February 15, 1955)*
Studio City Television Productions,
Edward J. White
Franklin Adreon,
Maurice Tombragel
Margaret "Jonesy" Jones** Jim Davis Paul Picerni
33 Stories of the Century
"Jim Courtright"
(February 22, 1955)*
Studio City Television Productions,
Edward J. White
Franklin Adreon,
Joe Richardson
Margaret "Jonesy" Jones** Jim Davis Robert Knapp
34 Stories of the Century
"Milt Sharp"
(February 28, 1955)*
Studio City Television Productions,
Edward J. White
Franklin Adreon,
Maurice Tombragel
Margaret "Jonesy" Jones** Jim Davis Don "Red" Barry
35 Stories of the Century
"Jack Slade"
(March 4, 1955)*
Studio City Television Productions,
Edward J. White
Franklin Adreon,
Milton Raison
Margaret "Jonesy" Jones** Jim Davis Gregg Palmer
36 Stories of the Century
"L.H. Musgrove"
(March 11, 1955)*
Studio City Television Productions,
Edward J. White
Franklin Adreon,
Maurice Tombragel
Margaret "Jonesy" Jones** Jim Davis John Archer
37 Soldiers of Fortune
"Jungle Search"
(April 14, 1955)
Revue Productions John English,
Lawrence Kimble
Dr. Steiner** John Russell Chick Chandler
38 Stage 7
"The Magic Hat"
(April 24, 1955)
Sharpe-Lewis,
Warren Lewis
Lewis R. Foster,
Irving Gaynor Neiman
Ann Coker** George Brent Lydia Reed
39 Crossroads
"Mightier Than the Sword"
(December 2, 1955)
Federal Telefilms,
Harry Joe Brown
Paul Landres,
George Bruce
Miss Smith Richard Curtis Edit Angold
40 Cavalcade of America
"Call Home the Heart"
(February 21, 1956)
Flying 'A' Productions,
Warren Lewis
László Benedek,
Jo Pagano
Donald Curtis Don C. Harvey
41 Science Fiction Theatre
"The Strange Dr. Lorenz"
(July 15, 1955)
ZIV Television Programs,
Ivan Tors
Leigh Jason,
Norman Jolley
Helen Tuttle** Edmund Gwenn Donald Curtis
42 Science Fiction Theatre
"Operation Flypaper"
(July 15, 1956)
ZIV Television Programs,
Ivan Tors
Eddie Davis,
Doris Gilbert
Alma Ford** Vincent Price George Eldredge,
John Eldredge
43 Science Fiction Theatre
The Voice
(October 26, 1956)
ZIV Television Programs,
Ivan Tors
Paul Guilfoyle,
Doris Gilbert
Anna Brown** Donald Curtis William Phipps
44 Science Fiction Theatre
"Bolt of Lightning"
(February 1, 1957)
ZIV Television Programs,
Ivan Tors
Eddie Davis,
Meyer Dolinsky
Cynthia Blake Bruce Bennett Sydney Smith,
Lyle Talbot
45 The Millionaire
"The Anton Bohrman Story"
(January 23, 1957)
CBS,
Don Fedderson
Alfred E. Green,
Barry Trivers
Anya Bohrman** Charles Korvin Marvin Miller
46 The Millionaire
"The Larry Parker Story"
(October 27, 1957)
CBS,
Don Fedderson
Alfred E. Green,
Jo Pagano
Cecille Joseph Waring Marvin Miller
47 The Restless Gun
"The Torn Flag"
(May 15, 1958)
Window Glen Productions,
David Dortort
Frank Burt
(screenwriter)
Mrs. Wheeler John Payne Alan Baxter
48 M Squad
"The Case of the Double Face"
(May 23, 1958)
Latimer Productions,
John Larkin
Sidney Lanfield,
Seeleg Lester
Mrs. Jane Evans** Lee Marvin Jim Davis
49 Wagon Train
"The Rex Montana Story"
(1958)
Revue Productions,
Howard Christie
Jesse Hibbs,
Warren Wilson
Loetha Ward Bond Forrest Tucker
50 Father Knows Best
"It's a Small World"
(March 9, 1959)
Rodney-Young Productions,
Eugene B. Rodney
Peter Tewksbury,
Dorothy Cooper
Marta Evans Robert Young Jane Wyatt
51 The Texan
"The Gunfighter"
(June 8, 1959)
Desilu Productions,
Rory Calhoun
Erle C. Kenton,
Donald S. Sanford
Ruth Fenton** Rory Calhoun Dick Kallman
52 The Texan
"The Accuser"
(June 6, 1960)
Desilu Productions,
Rory Calhoun
Erle C. Kenton
(director and
screenwriter)
Mattie Benton** Rory Calhoun Don Haggerty
53 The Donna Reed Show
"Lucky Girl"
(December 31, 1959)
Todon,
Tony Owen
Oscar Rudolph,
Nate Monaster
Betty Murdoch Carl Betz Donna Reed
54 The Donna Reed Show
"Character Building"
(January 5, 1961)
Todon,
Tony Owen
Jeffrey Hayden,
Clifford Goldsmith
Edna Carl Betz Donna Reed,
Shelley Fabares,
Paul Petersen
55 Tales of Wells Fargo
"Prince Jim"
(March 27, 1961)
Overland Productions Ruth Hudson Norman Leavitt Gina Gillespie

Titles in the public domain.* See cites for copyright renewal dates. Leading lady roles**

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Barnes, Mike (February 4, 2016). "Kristine Miller, Hollywood Starlet of the 1940s, Dies at 90". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  2. ^ "Press Club Develops Latent Talent, Minstrels Will Spring Surprises: 'Twelve Years after' Show at Orpheum Opens at Midnight Tonight", San Francisco Chronicle (San Francisco, California), p. 10 (Saturday, April 20, 1918)
  3. ^ a b "William Schuyler obituary". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2017-06-06.
  4. ^ "J.B. Eskesens To Live In Denmark", The Fresno Bee-The Republican (Fresno, California), p. 10. (Sunday, November 20, 1932). He was listed as a Standard Oil vice-president as early as April 1926. In Argentina he used the first name "Juan". After leaving Argentina, he went into the fruit import business in Europe, which later failed. He was later employed in Argentina as of May 22, 1938.
  5. ^ a b c John Todd (Friday, December 13, 1946), In Hollywood, The Courier-Gazette (McKinney, Texas), pg. 2
  6. ^ a b c Bernard F. Dick (The University Press of Kentucky, May 21, 2004), Hal Wallis: Producer to the Stars, p. 111
  7. ^ a b Anonymous (Sunday, May 22, 1938), "Mrs. Eskesen Is Back From Denmark", The Fresno Bee-The Republican (Fresno, California), p. 9
  8. ^ U.S. Naturalization Record Indexes, 1791-1992 (Indexed in World Archives Project), ancestry.com; accessed December 15, 2016.
  9. ^ a b c Dorothy Manners (Tuesday, July 9, 1946), "Kristine Miller Will Star In First Hollywood Production", The Modesto Bee And News-Herald (Modesto, California), pg. 9
  10. ^ Lyndia Lane (Thursday, November 12, 1953), "Tensions Cause Trouble Says Starlet Kristine Miller", Hollywood Beauty, Abilene Reporter-News (Abilene, Texas), p. 20
  11. ^ Everett Aaker (McFarland & Company, May 7, 2007), Television Western Players of the Fifties: A Biographical Encyclopedia of All Regular Cast Members in Western Series, 1949-1959, p. 375. In an alternative account of Miller being discovered: "(Miller) eventually made her way to San Francisco, where she commenced her acting career in little theaters. While appearing in a production of The Doll House, she was spotted by producer Hal B. Wallis, who placed her under personal contract and developed her potential as an actress before she made her screen debut in 1946."
  12. ^ Elaine Hesser (May 2, 2014), "The Choraleers—bringing great lives into harmony for half a century," Great Lives, The Carmel Pine Cone (Pacific Grove, California), p. 29A
  13. ^ Bernard F. Dick (The University Press of Kentucky, May 21, 2004), Hal Wallis: Producer to the Stars, pp. 64–84, 111
  14. ^ "Detail view of Movies Page : You Came Along". Afi.com. Retrieved 2017-06-06.
  15. ^ "Detail view of Movies Page : Suspense". Afi.com. Retrieved 2017-06-06.
  16. ^ Harrison Carroll (Friday, September 6, 1946), Hollywood, The Evening Independent (Massillon, Ohio), p. 4
  17. ^ Doris Lilly (February 1950), "House of the Seven Garbos", Screenland, p. 42. "It was a big, rambling structure, built by the famous silent screen star, Wallace Reid, and situated in the very center of Hollywood, right off the famous Sunset Strip. We had christened it The House of the Seven Garbos, because, of course, there were seven of us who had come from all parts of the world to settle in it, and because we all wanted to be actresses, wanted to be Garbos."
  18. ^ Anonymous (April 11, 1949), "Movie of the Week: Champion", Life (New York City, New York), p. 73
  19. ^ Bruce Lambert (October 11, 1991). "Doris Lilly, 69, Gossip Columnist Who Wrote of Millionaires, Dies". The New York Times. Retrieved June 2, 2014.
  20. ^ Doris Lilly (February 1950), "House of the Seven Garbos", Screenland, p. 65.
  21. ^ John Reid (Lulu.com, June 28, 2004), Hollywood Classic Movies 1: New Light on Movie Bests, p. 71
  22. ^ Todd Johnson (Friday, December 13, 1946), In Hollywood, The Courier-Gazette (McKinney, Texas), p. 2
  23. ^ Anonymous (Sunday, February 2, 1947), "Wallis Discovery Gets Broadway Role," Denton Record-Chronicle (Denton, Texas), p. 11
  24. ^ a b "Detail view of Movies Page : I Walk Alone". Afi.com. Retrieved 2017-06-06.
  25. ^ "AFI, Desert Fury". Afi.com. Retrieved 2017-06-06.
  26. ^ Anonymous (Friday, December 13, 1946), "Joan Blondell Cast With Brent," The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (Brooklyn, New York), p. 13
  27. ^ Boyd Magers, Michael G. Fitzgerald (Mcfarland & Company, June 2004), Westerns Women: Interviews With 50 Leading Ladies Of Movie And Television Westerns From The 1930s To The 1960s, p. 161
  28. ^ John Todd (Wednesday, January 22, 1947), In Hollywood, Tipton Tribune (Tipton, Indiana), p. 2
  29. ^ Anonymous (Friday, January 3, 1947), "Won't Be Clipped," The Indiana Gazette (Indiana, Pennsylvania), p. 3. Publicity photos of Miller when she still had the Kay Lawrence role show her wearing a standard black evening gown, but a crown braid atypical of torch singers.
  30. ^ Virginia MacPherson (Thursday, January 2, 1947), Hollywood Gossip, The Daily News (Huntingdon, Pennsylvania), p. 2. Miller claimed if she cut her hair, her father would disown her. "'He's Danish,' she explained. 'And back home nice girls just don't cut their hair, I mean. That's a sure sign of a loose woman in Denmark.'"
  31. ^ UP (Thursday, April 24, 1947), "Stair Climbing Recommended," The Ogden Standard-Examiner (Ogden, Utah), p. 6. Miller's statistics are given as "five feet six, weighs 118 pounds. Her measurements: Bust 36, waist 26, hips 35½, calf 12, ankle 8." But see next cite.
  32. ^ Everett Aaker (McFarland & Company, Aug 31, 2006), Encyclopedia of early television crime fighters: all regular cast members in American crime and mystery series, 1948-1959, p. 191. Brian Donlevy was 5'8" and never hid his wearing of elevator shoes. In the two episodes of Dangerous Assignment he appears the same height as Miller, who wore flats in both episodes, which is typical of most of her Hollywood performances, except in cases where she costarred with leading men over six feet like Jim Davis.
  33. ^ Ronald Schwartz (McFarland & Company, November 6, 2013), Houses of Noir: Dark Visions from Thirteen Film Studios, p. 137
  34. ^ Jimmie Fidler (Sunday, November 23, 1947), Jimmie Fidler In Hollywood, Joplin Globe (Joplin, Missouri), p. 33
  35. ^ Anonymous (Tuesday, May 11, 1948), "Cameras to Start On 'West of Tomorrow'", The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (Brooklyn, New York), p. 6. Production began May 12, 1948.
  36. ^ a b [1] AFI (accessed May 29, 2014), Jungle Patrol, Catalog of Feature Films
  37. ^ a b c Boyd Magers, Michael G. Fitzgerald (Mcfarland & Company, June 2004), Westerns Women: Interviews With 50 Leading Ladies Of Movie And Television Westerns From The 1930s To The 1960s, p. 163
  38. ^ a b Boyd Magers, Michael G. Fitzgerald (Mcfarland & Company, June 2004), Westerns Women: Interviews With 50 Leading Ladies Of Movie And Television Westerns From The 1930s To The 1960s, p. 162
  39. ^ Erskine Johnson (Monday, October 27, 1952), In Hollywood, The Portsmouth Herald (Portsmouth, New Hampshire), p. 7
  40. ^ [2] AFI (accessed May 30, 2014), Sorry, Wrong Number, Catalog of Feature Films
  41. ^ a b "Detail view of Movies Page". Afi.com. Retrieved 2017-06-06.
  42. ^ a b Bernard F. Dick (The University Press of Kentucky, May 21, 2004), Hal Wallis: Producer to the Stars, p. 112
  43. ^ "Detail view of Movies Page : Paid In Full". Afi.com. Retrieved 2017-06-06.
  44. ^ UP (Wednesday, February 16, 1949), "Filmland Moves To Break Record Slump," The Times (San Mateo, California), p. 20. The industry had reportedly a 50% layoff rate.
  45. ^ Jimmie Fidler (Thursday, December 15, 1949), "There's No Dearth Of Good News In Hollywood," The Evening Standard (Uniontown, Pennsylvania), p. 12
  46. ^ a b Erskine Johnson (Wednesday, October 28, 1953), Man About Hollywood, The San Bernardino County Sun (San Bernardino, California), p. 13
  47. ^ [3] AFI (accessed May 29, 2014), "Shadow on the Wall, Catalog of Feature Films
  48. ^ a b [4] AFI (accessed May 29, 2014), Young Daniel Boone, Catalog of Feature Films
  49. ^ a b [5] AFI (accessed May 29, 2014), High Lonesome, Catalog of Feature Films
  50. ^ Boyd Magers, Michael G. Fitzgerald (Mcfarland & Company, June 2004), Westerns Women: Interviews With 50 Leading Ladies Of Movie And Television Westerns From The 1930s To The 1960s, pp. 162–63
  51. ^ Jeffrey Richards (Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1977), Swordsmen of the Screen: From Douglas Fairbanks to Michael York, p. 56
  52. ^ a b c [6] AFI (accessed May 29, 2014), The Steel Fist, Catalog of Feature Films
  53. ^ a b [7] AFI (accessed May 29, 2014), Tropical Heat Wave, Catalog of Feature Films
  54. ^ a b [8] AFI (accessed May 29, 2014), From Here to Eternity, Catalog of Feature Films
  55. ^ a b "Detail view of Movies Page : Paid In Full". Afi.com. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
  56. ^ a b "Detail view of Movies Page : Flight Nurse". Afi.com. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
  57. ^ a b "Detail view of Movies Page : Hell's Outpost". AFI.com. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
  58. ^ Wesley Hyatt (McFarland & Company, February 21, 2006), Emmy Award Winning Nighttime Television Shows 1948-2004, p. 86. Republic used footage going back to 1940.
  59. ^ Douglas Brode (University of Texas Press, October 15, 2009), Shooting Stars of the Small Screen: Encyclopedia of TV Western Actors, 1946-Present, p. 108.
  60. ^ Everett Aaker (McFarland & Company, May 7, 2007), Television Western Players of the Fifties: A Biographical Encyclopedia of All Regular Cast Members in Western Series, 1949-1959, p. 375.
  61. ^ Douglas Brode (McFarland & Company, February 21, 2006), Emmy Award Winning Nighttime Television Shows 1948-2004, p. 89. Witney said of Miller, "I don't think Kristine Miller was in Mary Castle's league."
  62. ^ Boyd Magers, Michael G. Fitzgerald (Mcfarland & Company, June 2004), Westerns Women: Interviews With 50 Leading Ladies Of Movie And Television Westerns From The 1930s To The 1960s, p. 164.
  63. ^ a b "Detail view of Movies Page : Paid In Full". Afi.com. Retrieved 2017-06-06.
  64. ^ a b "Detail view of Movies Page : Thunder Over Arizona". Afi.com. Retrieved 2017-06-06.
  65. ^ a b "Detail view of Movies Page : The Persuader". Afi.com. Retrieved 2017-06-06.
  66. ^ a b "Detail view of Movies Page : The Heart is a Rebel". Afi.com. Retrieved 2017-06-06.
  67. ^ Mike Fitzgerald. ""Kristine Miller," Different version of Westerns Women interview of Miller. The interview says that her family moved north in 1964". Westernclippings.com. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
  68. ^ "Linda Elizabeth Schuyler". Battcave.net. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved 2017-06-06. The Schuylers first daughter, Linda, died in Oakland on December 25, 1962, at the age of eight. The Schuylers later adopted Lisa
  69. ^ Anonymous (Sunday, February 18, 1990), "Beta Sigma names valentine queens," Agenda, Santa Cruz Sentinel (Santa Cruz, California), pg. 74
  70. ^ "Kristine Miller Schuyler". Legacy.com (Obituary). Retrieved February 7, 2016.
  71. ^ "Detail view of Movies Page : You Came Along". Afi.com. Retrieved 2017-06-06.
  72. ^ "Abbreviated View of Movie Page : Suspense". Afi.com. 1946-06-15. Retrieved 2017-06-06.
  73. ^ "Abbreviated View of Movie Page". Afi.com. 1947-06-27. Retrieved 2017-06-06.
  74. ^ "WebVoyage Record View 1". Cocatalog.loc.gov. Retrieved 2017-06-06.
  75. ^ "Detail view of Movies Page". Afi.com. Retrieved 2017-06-06.
  76. ^ US Copyright Office (accessed May 26, 2014), Copyright Catalog. Copyright renewed October 22, 1980.
  77. ^ "Detail view of Movies Page". Afi.com. Retrieved 2017-06-06.
  78. ^ "Abrreviated View of Movie Page". Afi.com. 1948-09-24. Retrieved 2017-06-06.
  79. ^ "Detail view of Movies Page". Afi.com. Retrieved 2017-06-06.
  80. ^ "Abbreviated View of Movie Page". Afi.com. 1950-05-19. Retrieved 2017-06-06.

External links[edit]