Jill St. John
Jill St. John | |
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 St. John in 1958 | |
| Born | Jill Arlyn Oppenheim (1940-08-19) August 19, 1940 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Education | Hollywood Professional School |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1949–2002, 2014–present |
| Spouse(s) | Neil Dubin (m. 1957; div. 1958) Lance Reventlow (m. 1960; div. 1963) Jack Jones (m. 1967; div. 1969) Robert Wagner (m. 1990) |
Jill St. John (born Jill Arlyn Oppenheim; August 19, 1940) is an American actress. She is best known for playing Bond girl Tiffany Case in Diamonds Are Forever (1971).[1]
Contents
1 Biography
1.1 Early life
1.2 Child actor
1.3 Universal
1.4 20th Century Fox
1.5 Comedy
1.6 Universal
1.7 James Bond
1.8 Television
1.9 Later career
2 Other activities
3 Personal life
4 Filmography
5 References
6 External links
Biography
Early life
St. John was born Jill Arlyn Oppenheim in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of Edward (1912–1986), a prosperous restaurant owner.,[2] and Betty Oppenheim (née Goldberg, 1912–1998),[3] who became her stage mother. St John is of the Jewish faith.[1]
As a young girl, St. John was a member of the Children's Ballet Company with Natalie Wood and Stefanie Powers. Her mother Betty changed Jill's last name to the more 'Hollywood-sounding' St. John during her adolescence.[2]
Child actor
St. John began acting on radio at age six, and she made her screen debut in December 1949, at age 9, in the first full-length made-for-TV movie, a production of A Christmas Carol. She was in the TV show Sandy Dreams in 1949.
At age 11, she appeared in two episodes of The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. She had a small role in the film Thunder in the East (1951) and was in episodes of Sky King, Fireside Theatre, and Cavalcade of America.
She attended Powers Professional School and received her high school diploma from Hollywood Professional School in the spring of 1955 at age 14.[2] At age 15, St. John enrolled at UCLA's Extension School.
During this time she appeared on a large number of radio shows, notably One Man's Family.[4]
Universal
In May 1957, St. John was 16 when Universal Pictures signed her to a contract for seven years starting at $200 a week.[5] Her major studio film debut was in Summer Love (1958) starring John Saxon. She also appeared on TV in episodes of The Christophers, Schlitz Playhouse, and The DuPont Show of the Month (an adaptation of Junior Miss). She said her idol was Kay Kendall.[6]
20th Century Fox
St John then 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 (1959) and Holiday for Lovers (1959), then was put in an adventure movie, The Lost World (1960).
"Nothing but starlet parts," she later said. "You know, the daughter, the niece, the girlfriend."[4]
Fox picked up their option on her. Warner Bros borrowed her for The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (1961), then she had a support part in Tender Is the Night (1962).[7]
Comedy
St John had a key role in Come Blow Your Horn (1963), where she starred opposite Frank Sinatra. She received a Golden Globe Award nomination as Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for her performance in the film.
"I'm a comedienne," she said in 1963. "I've never pretended to be a dramatic actress. But I'm very funny."[8]
She followed this with a series of comedies: Who's Minding the Store? (1963) with Jerry Lewis, Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed? (1963) with Dean Martin and Honeymoon Hotel (1964) with Robert Morse.
"Now I play the sexy comedienne, which is my forte" she said in 1964. ""Comedy is what I've always wanted to do."[4]
She guest starred on shows like Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Burke's Law, The Rogues, and Theatre of Stars. In 1964, she guest-starred with Lauren Bacall and Jason Robards, Jr., in the episode "Take a Walk Through the Cemetery" of Craig Stevens's CBS drama series Mr. Broadway. She also appeared in some comedies with Bob Hope.
MGM gave her the female lead in a spy spoof, The Liquidator (1965) with Rod Taylor and she was in The Oscar (1966) with Stephen Boyd.
St. John appeared in the first and second episodes of the television series Batman (1966) as the Riddler's moll Molly. She was also in The Big Valley.
Universal
St John signed a contract at Universal. She was in a TV movie Fame Is the Name of the Game (1966), and had a support role in How I Spent My Summer Vacation (1967) with Robert Wagner.[9]
She did a Bob Hope comedy, Eight on the Run (1967) then made Banning (1967) with Wagner and The King's Pirate (1967) with Doug McClure.
In 1966 she said her goal "was to be at a point where I have so proved myself as an actress that I can be more discriminating in the roles I choose. I want to be able to choose the parts I know I can do next."[10]
She was reunited with Sinatra in Tony Rome (1967) and did a TV movie The Spy Killer (1968) which was popular enough for a sequel, Foreign Exchange (1970). She guested on The Name of the Game. Decisions! Decisions! (1971) was a TV movie St John did with Bob Newhart and Jean Simmons.
James Bond
St. John's most famous role was as Tiffany Case, the Bond girl in the James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever (1971), where she starred opposite Sean Connery. She was the first American to play a Bond girl.[11]
Television
She did some TV movies – Saga of Sonora (1973) and Brenda Starr (1976) (playing the title role) – and guest starred on The Love Boat, Magnum, P.I., Fantasy Island and Matt Houston.
St John did the TV movies Two Guys from Muck (1982) and Rooster (1982) and was top billed in the feature The Concrete Jungle (1982), a woman in prison film. She had a small role in The Act (1983).
During 1983–1984, she starred with Dennis Weaver on the short-lived CBS soap opera Emerald Point N.A.S., in which she played Deanna Kinkaid, Thomas Mallory's conniving former sister-in-law.
Later career
St. John and Wagner were in Around the World in 80 Days (1989); Something to Believe In (1998); and The Calling (2002). They made brief cameo appearances as themselves in Robert Altman's Hollywood satire The Player (1992).
In 1996 they started appearing together on stage in Love Letters.[12]
In 1997, the couple appeared together at the end of "The Yada Yada" episode of the television sitcom Seinfeld.
St John appeared without Wagner in Out There (1995) and The Trip (2002).
In 2014, St. John played Mrs. Claus in the made-for-TV movie Northpole alongside Wagner, who played the part of Santa Claus. The film marked her first acting role after a twelve-year absence from the screen.
Other activities
In 1972, St. John largely left Hollywood behind and moved to Aspen, Colorado, where she focused on personal interests and cooking.
She eventually developed her interest in cooking into becoming a culinary personality, appearing in monthly cooking segments on ABC-TV's Good Morning America and with a column in USA Weekend magazine through the 1980s. This culminated in authoring The Jill St. John Cookbook (1987), a healthy, but not health food, collection of recipes and some anecdotes.[13]
St. John also developed a handmade Angora sweater business, and became interested in orchid growing, skiing, hiking, river rafting, camping, and gardening. In 1987, she said "I'm a mountain gal now. I love the outdoors and I love harvesting and using fresh vegetables and herbs."[13]
Personal life
St. John has been married four times:
- Neil Dubin (May 12, 1957 – July 3, 1958) (divorced) St. John was 16 years old when they eloped in Yuma, Arizona. Dubin was heir to a linen fortune. St. John complained that he harassed and ridiculed her.[2][14]
Lance Reventlow (March 24, 1960 – October 30, 1963) (divorced) Reventlow was the son of Barbara Hutton, heir to the F. W. Woolworth fortune. She received a settlement of $86,000.[15] He died in a plane crash in 1972, and despite their divorce and subsequent remarriages, St. John refers to Reventlow as "my late husband" in interviews.
Jack Jones (October 14, 1967 – March 1, 1969) (divorced) Jones said demands on his singing career and the traveling involved contributed to the breakup.[2]
Robert Wagner (May 26, 1990 – present)
In between marriages, St. John briefly dated Henry Kissinger and George Lazenby.[16]
She has three stepdaughters:
Katie Wagner: Born in 1964, she is Wagner's oldest child, from his marriage to Marion Marshall.
Natasha Gregson: Born in 1970, she is the daughter of Richard Gregson and Natalie Wood, Wagner's first wife, who died in 1981.- Courtney Wagner: Born in 1974, she is Wagner's only child with Wood.
She has an IQ of 162.[17]
Filmography
Thunder in the East (1951) – English Girl (uncredited)
Summer Love (1957) – Erica Landis
The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker (1959) – Kate Pennypacker
Holiday for Lovers (1959) – Meg Dean
The Lost World (1960) – Jennifer Holmes
The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (1961) – Barbara Bingham
Tender Is the Night (1962) – Rosemary Hoyt
Come Blow Your Horn (1963) – Peggy John
Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed? (1963) – Toby Tobler
Who's Minding the Store? (1963) – Barbara Tuttle
Honeymoon Hotel (1964) – Sherry Nugent
The Liquidator (1965) – Iris
Batman TV series episodes 1–2 (1966) – Molly
The Oscar (1966) – Laurel Scott
Fame Is the Name of the Game (1966) – Leona Purdy
Eight on the Lam (1967) – Monica
Banning (1967) – Angela Barr
The King's Pirate (1967) – Mistress Jessica Stephens
Tony Rome (1967) – Ann Archer
The Spy Killer (1969) – Mary Harper
Foreign Exchange (1970) – Mary Harper
Decisions! Decisions! (1971) – Andrea Winters
Diamonds Are Forever (1971) – Tiffany Case
Sitting Target (1972) – Pat Lomart
Brenda Starr (1976) – Brenda Starr
Hart to Hart. Pilot (1979) – Sylvia Maxwell
Rooster (1982) – Joanna Van Eegan
The Concrete Jungle (1982) – Warden Fletcher
The Act (1984) – Elise
Around the World in 80 Days (1989) – Woman Mistaken for Princess Aouda
The Player (1992) – Jill St. John
Out There (1995) – Bunny Wells
Something to Believe In (1998) – Dr. Joanne Anderson
The Trip (2002) – Mary Oakley
The Calling (2002) – Elegant lady
Northpole (2014) – Mrs. Claus
References
^ Canby, Vincent. "Diamonds Are Forever (1971) A Benign Bond:007 Stars in 'Diamonds Are Forever'". The New York Times..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
^ abcde "The Private Life and Times of Jill St. John".
^ "Betty Lou Oppenheim, dead at 85".
^ abc Too Many Jacks for Jill: Hollywood's most irrepressible redhead says she likes the idea of marriage, but...
Goldberg, Hyman. Los Angeles Times 5 Jan 1964: B12.
^ Film Beauty, 16, to Save; Her Husband Pays Bills: Jill St. John Explains How She Can Put Away Salary; Court Approves Contract Los Angeles Times 30 May 1957: 2.
^ Lovely Jill Goes Up the Hill to Stardom: JILL ST. JOHN 'High-Q' No Problem
Hopper, Hedda. Los Angeles Times 28 Sep 1958: E1.
^ Just Call Her Joyous Fill: And Why Shouldn't She Be Joyous? She Has Beauty, Charm, a Burgeoning Career, and Lance Reventlow for a Husband Hopper, Hedda. Chicago Daily Tribune 9 Apr 1961: b17.
^ Prefty, Bright, Rich Jill St. John Has Fun Smith, Jack. Los Angeles Times 7 Oct 1963: A1.
^ Delicate Balance of TV Censorship Los Angeles Times 23 Nov 1966: C12.
^ Jill's Ready for Better Roles
NORMA LEE BROWNING. Chicago Tribune 1 Nov 1966: b1.
^ Brown, Brigid (2012). "The Early Bond Girls: Where Are They Now?". BBC America. Retrieved 2018-08-02.
^ Lucky in life and in love: Robert wagner and Jill St. John star together in Love letters: The Record24 Oct 1996: C10.
^ ab William Rice (December 10, 1987). "Actress Jill St. John Plays Up Cooking Career". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 30, 2015.
^ ACTRESS BLAMES HIVES ON NAGGING: Jill St. John, 17, Wins Divorce After Telling How Mate Impeded Her Career Los Angeles Times 4 July 1958: 2.
^ Jill St. John Is Divorced New York Times 31 Oct 1963: 27.
^ Field, Matthew; Chowdhury, Ajay (2015). Some Kind of Hero: The Remarkable Story of the James Bond Films. The History Press. p. 254. Retrieved 2018-08-02.
^ Reventlow: Do Riches Affect Romantic Life?: Do Reventlow's Riches Affect Romantic Life? Callan, Mary Ann. Los Angeles Times 15 July 1958: A1.
External links
Jill St. John on IMDb
Jill St. John at the TCM Movie Database
Jill St. John at AllMovie
Jill St. John at Yahoo! Movies
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