My Friend, Gloria Jean

In 2015, I began my search for Old Hollywood star’s relatives, such as their kids and relatives. In April of 2015, my friend Madison and I were going to write a book together and she suggested we write about Gloria Jean.

Gloria Jean was a star in the 1940’s, but her name seems to be out of reach nowadays. She’s not your Elizabeth Taylor or Audrey Hepburn, but when she was first discovered in 1939, by Joe Pasternak, she was an overnight success. Gloria’s first film The Under Pup was a film that was suppose to rival Deanna Durbin’s film First Love. Gloria’s film made money, but not as much as Deanna Durbin’s. Gloria Jean was brought into Universal to “rival” Deanna Durbin or “be another Deanna Durbin”. Of course, that never happened, but that’s what she was meant to do.

Gloria Jean walked away from films in the mid 50’s and to be honest, she said later, “It was a curse and a blessing.”

We found Gloria’s official website and there was an email Gloria option. She immediately wrote us back and I began emailing her on my own and asking her questions about Hollywood. On April 15, 2015, she made a surprise call to me and this was really a surprise, but I did put my phone number in one of our emails. But, I had never planned for her to call. But, call she did.

We talked for almost an hour, and she just unpacked so much about Deanna Durbin, Bonita Granville and Helen Parrish, all women I admired.

I asked when she could call again and then she called again a few weeks later. We exchanged pleasantries and she wanted to know more about me. I told her I wanted to be a film editor. She told me this:

“Don’t! Don’t go into the Hollywood business, because you never know where your next meal is coming from and plus!! You’ll be.. Anyways, dont!”

Needless to say, I never did, I became a museum worker instead.

Gloria Jean’s career spanned from 1940- 1960’s. She told me that Hollywood was hard and I believed her, especially for women in Hollywood. There were men trying to abuse her, and she would always manage to get out of those situations.

With Gloria Jean being a singer, first and foremost, she was put into mainly musicals. Many of the musicals she was put in were with Peggy Ryan and Donald O’Connor.

As Gloria put it, “I was not a dancer, but they kept trying to make me one.” Gloria Jean established a long life relationship with Donald O’Connor. Though they never married, he really loved her, but he couldn’t feel like he would ever work out with her. But, friends, they remained, until his death in 2003. Gloria would precede him later.

Gloria Jean had a wonderful personality and believe me, she was gracious with her words, though sometimes, through that kindness she could be stern. A good example was when I was about to drop out of college. She said, “You’re doing what, now?” I told her I couldn’t take the pressure anymore. She said, “Now listen, I know that college is a challenge, but believe me, if you just hold on, it’ll be worth it.”

I remember this advice well and with that, I completed college.

Gloria Jean is such an interesting person and with her, she was such a talented star. It’s a shame she wasn’t better promoted, but she said her career was so mishandled that she had to eventually walk away from it. But her film Copacabana, is one of the most iconic films she ever did. Though she was not the star, she made a big impression.

With me, I was just lucky enough to call her FRIEND.

In 2016, I celebrated my one year friend-aversary with her. She was excited and we exchanged pleasantries as well as talked for hours. She was always so good to talk to, it’s like she had all the answers to everything. She helped get through a break up, saved my life countless times, while all being glamorous and fabulous and at age 89 (when I met her in 2015, she was still living large. She lived in Hawaii, with her son and his family. She has four grandchildren, one, who I know pretty well. But, she told me about her sisters, Sally, Bonnie and Lois. Sally, the oldest, then Lois, then her, and then Bonnie, the youngest. I didn’t know the other sisters, sadly. The thing about talking to Gloria Jean, is that she was very open, but with me, it seemed that she opened the “vault” on certain people, andI had no idea why she did that? I never understood why, but I was told later that it was because she thought I was a good person to hold onto those things.

I had been a long time fan of Gloria Jean and I loved her more than life, and I think she knew that. After her death, I had been given some of her jewelry, and I hold onto those things dearly.

Gloria Jean prepared me for so many things. One thing she did not prepare me for, was to live without her. She was not my grandmother, but she sure acted like it. I know she was one, but she gave all the love and support I needed, whether that was talking me out of a toxic relationship or saving my life.

Gloria Jean’s most famous role was that in If I had My Way with Bing Crosby. She always had something nice to say about everything, with the exception of a few people, but she was always kind. I know there’s not a lot of good things said about Bing, but she always had nice things to say about him. She also had nice things to say about W.C. Fields, which was very easy for her to say. Though Fields was difficult, she adored him.

Gloria Jean passed away in August of 2018 and I never thought I’d be in a world without her, but here we are. She meant the world to me and I was extremely lucky and I do mean lucky I got to know her for as long as I did. I knew her up until her death in 2018. Her last email was in April of that year. She told me, “I will never stop loving you. I will always cherish our friendship and how much we have been through together. I love you and I will miss you. Love, Gloria Jean”. I saved that email and I still have it.

I wish more people knew Gloria Jean, but to me, she’ll be always a star!