Jayne Meadows Biography (1920?-)

Original name, Jayne Cotter; born September 27, 1920 (some sources cite 1926), in Wu-ch'ang (now Wuchang), China; daughter of Francis James Meadows Cotter(an Episcopal priest and missionary) and Ida (a missionary; maiden name, Miller) Cotter; sister of Audrey Meadows (an actress); married Steve Allen (an actor, comedian, composer, and writer), July 31, 1954 (died, October 20, 2000); children: William Christopher Allen. Addresses: Publicist: Kevin Sasaki, Warren Cowan and Associates Public Relations, 8899 Beverly Blvd., Suite919, Los Angeles, CA 90048.

Nationality: American
Gender: Female
Occupation: Actress, writer
Birth Details: September 27, 1920?; Wu-ch'ang, China

Famous Works

CREDITS
Television Appearances
Series
Panelist, I've Got a Secret, CBS, 1952-1959
The Steve Allen Show (also known as The Steve Allen Plymouth Show), NBC, 1956-1961, ABC, 1961
Lynn Allen, a recurring role, Man and the Challenge, NBC, 1959-1960
The Art Linkletter Show, NBC, 1963
The Steve Allen Comedy Hour, CBS, 1967
Nurse Chambers, Medical Center, CBS, 1969-1972
Steve Allen's Laugh-Back, syndicated, 1976
Multiple roles, Meeting of Minds (also known as Steve Allen's Meeting of Minds), PBS, 1977-1981
Ruth Long, It's Not Easy, ABC, 1983
Alice Morgan-DuPont-Sutting-Cushing-Ferruke, High Society, CBS, 1995-1996
Miniseries
Queen of Hearts, Alice in Wonderland (musical; also known as Alice through the Looking Glass), CBS, 1985
Movies
Ida, Now You See It, Now You Don't, NBC, 1968
Reva Randall, James Dean (also known as The Legend), NBC, 1976
Irma Caddish, Sex and the Married Woman, NBC, 1977
Herself, The Gossip Columnist, syndicated, 1979
Gertrude Hunnicutt, Miss All-American Beauty, CBS, 1982
Herself, The Ratings Game (also known as The Mogul), The Movie Channel, 1984
Matilda Hussey, A Masterpiece of Murder (also known as A Nice Deadly Weekend), NBC, 1986
Charlotte Brink, "Parent Trap: Hawaiian Honeymoon" (also known as "ParentTrap IV: Hawaiian Honeymoon"), The Magical World of Disney, NBC, 1989
Specials
Anna Ella Carroll, "Woman with a Sword," Hallmark Hall of Fame, NBC, 1952
Mistress of ceremonies, Miss Universe Pageant, CBS, 1960
Mistress of ceremonies, Miss Universe Pageant, 1961
Rita, "Have I Got a Christmas Present for You," Hallmark Hall of Fame, NBC, 1977
The 38th Annual Emmy Awards, NBC, 1986
Grand marshal, The 54th Annual King Orange Jamboree Parade, NBC, 1987
Lifetime Salutes Mom, Lifetime, 1987
The Hollywood Christmas Parade, syndicated, 1989
Judge, The 1990 Miss Universe Pageant, CBS, 1990
Night of 100 Stars III (also known as Night of One Hundred Stars), NBC, 1990
Tom Arnold: The Naked Truth 2, HBO, 1992
Addicted to Fame, NBC, 1994
James Dean: A Portrait, 1996
Love, Lust, & Marriage: Why We Stray and Why We Stay, ABC, 1997
Steve Allen's 75th Birthday Celebration, PBS, 1997
The 67th Annual Hollywood Christmas Parade, UPN, 1998
Episodic
"Eva? Caroline?," Robert Montgomery Presents (also known as Robert Montgomery Presents Your Lucky Strike Theatre), NBC, 1952
"Indian Summer," Kraft Television Theatre, NBC, 1952
"Love Trap," Danger, CBS, 1952
"Melville Goodwin, U.S.A.," Pulitzer Prize Playhouse, ABC, 1952
"End of the Line," The Web, CBS, 1953
"Five Minutes to Die," Danger, CBS, 1953
"Flamingto," Danger, CBS, 1953
Suspense, CBS, 1953
Guest, The Tonight Show, NBC, between 1953 and 1956
Guest, The Arthur Godfrey Show, CBS, 1954
Guest, The Jackie Gleason Show, CBS, 1954
Guest, Your Show of Shows, NBC, 1954
The Chesterfield Hour, CBS, 1954
"The Old Maid," Kraft Television Theatre, ABC, 1954
Guest panelist, What's My Line?, CBS, multiple appearances, between 1954 and 1967
Alice, "The Sport," Jane Wyman Presents the Fireside Theatre (alsoknown as The Jane Wyman Show), NBC, 1955
Cora, "Red Gulch," The U.S. Steel Hour, ABC, 1955
Guest, The Dorsey Brothers, NBC, 1955
Leslie Abbott, "The Drop of a Hat," Studio One, CBS, 1956
"Steve Allen," This Is Your Life, NBC, 1958
Guest, The Arthur Murray Show, NBC, 1958, 1959
Liza Vincent, "Top Executive," The Ann Sothern Show, CBS, 1959
Jean Fletcher, "The Man Who Thought for Himself," General Electric Theater, CBS, 1960
Guest, The Red Skelton Show, CBS, 1960, 1963
Celebrity guest, I've Got a Secret, CBS, 1961
Myra, "Seven Keys to Baldpate," The DuPont Show of the Week, NBC,1962
Guest, Password, CBS, 1962, 1964, 1965

Guest, The Judy Garland Show, CBS, 1964
Mrs. Bredan, "Does My Mother Have to Know?: Parts 1 & 2," The Eleventh Hour, NBC, 1964
Guest, The Milton Berle Show, ABC, multiple appearances, 1965
Guest, The Hollywood Palace, ABC, 1968, 1969, 1970
Eleanor, "Next Week, East Lynne," Here Come the Brides, ABC, 1969
Lil, "Through a Stained Glass Window," The Outsider, NBC, 1969
Guest, The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour, CBS, 1969
Laura Trenton, "Lucy Stops a Marriage," Here's Lucy, CBS, 1970
"Love and the Many Married Couple," Love, American Style, ABC, 1970
Ida Huntington, "Harbor Division," Adam-12, NBC, 1973
Guest, $10,000 Pyramid, 1974
Guest, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, NBC, 1974
Guest, Vaudeville, syndicated, 1974
Myrna Foster, "The Business of Love/Crash Diet Crisis/I'll Never Fall inLove Again," The Love Boat, ABC, 1978
Jessica Humboldt, "Sign of the Ram," Hawaii Five-0, CBS, 1979
Marlene Baker, "Sighting 4026: The Atlantic Queen Incident," Project U.F.O., NBC, 1979
Nadine Winslow, "Cowboy/The Second Mrs. Winslow," Fantasy Island,ABC, 1979
"The Cheerleaders/Marooned," Fantasy Island, ABC, 1979
Edwina Garth, "Til Life Us Do Part," Trapper John, M.D., CBS, 1980
(As Jayne Meadows Allen) Gertrude Benson, "Dumb Luck/Tres Amigos/Hey, Jealous Lover," The Love Boat, ABC, 1980
Contessa, "Night in the Harem/Druids," Fantasy Island, ABC, 1981
Gwen Finley, "April in Boston/Saving Grace/Breaks of Life," The Love Boat, ABC, 1982
Melissa, "Cause for Concern," Trapper John, M.D., CBS, 1982
Holly Harkins, "The Beverly Hills Social Club," Matt Houston, ABC,1983
"Naughty Marietta/The Winning Ticket," Fantasy Island, ABC, 1983
"What's the Matter with Kids?/Island of Horrors," Fantasy Island,ABC, 1983
Mrs. Tate, "Soap Gets in Your Eyes/A Match Made in Heaven/Tugs of the Heart," The Love Boat, ABC, 1984
(As Allen) Fran Clark, "Detours," Hotel, ABC, 1985
Lila Lee Amberson, "Murder by Appointment Only," Murder, She Wrote, CBS, 1986
Rosie, Crazy Like a Fox, CBS, 1986
Olga Osoranski, "Russian Roulette," St. Elsewhere, NBC, 1987
Olga Osoranski, "Visiting Daze," St. Elsewhere, NBC, 1987
Olga Osoranski, "The Abby Singer Show," St. Elsewhere, NBC, 1988
Uncle Buck, CBS, 1990
Lady Astute, "Despair in Monterey Bay," Mathnet segment, SquareOne TV, PBS, 1991
Herself, "The Triumph of DeVille," Civil Wars, ABC, 1992
(As Allen) Ida Benbow, "A Kick in the Caboose," Sisters, NBC, 1993
Herself, "Steve Allen: Hi-Ho, Steverino!," Biography, Arts and Entertainment, 1994
Marianne, "Daddyshack," Tom, CBS, 1994
Herself, "No Muse Is Good Muse," The Nanny, CBS, 1997
Mrs. Cochran, "Shaggy Dog, City Goat," Homicide: Life on the Street (also known as Homicide and H: LOTS), NBC, 1998
Guest, TVography, Arts and Entertainment, c. 1998
Connie Masters, "The Roast," Diagnosis Murder, CBS, 1999
"The Honeymooners," Inside TV Land, TV Land, 2000
Herself, "Jackie Gleason: The Great One," Biography, Arts and Entertainment, 2001
Herself, "Tribute to Katharine Hepburn," Larry King Live, Cable News Network, 2003
Appeared in Dr. Kildare, NBC; Matlock, NBC and ABC; appeared as a guest in several talk shows and variety programs.
Pilots
Ruth, Tenspeed and Brown Shoe, ABC, 1980
Mrs. Moffett, Rise and Shine, CBS, 1981
Voice of Mrs. St. Fawn, The Jackie Bison Show (animated short pilot), NBC, 1990
Film Appearances
Sylvia Burton, Undercurrent, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1946
Janet Thayar Brant, Song of the Thin Man, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1947
Mildred Haveland, Lady in the Lake, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1947
Mrs. Selkirk, Dark Delusion (also known as Cynthia's Secret), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1947
Frances Augur, The Luck of the Irish, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1948
Selina Dane, Enchantment, RKO Radio Pictures, 1948
Michal, David and Bathsheba, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1951
Nurse Jane Adams, The Fat Man, Universal, 1951
Panelist, It Happened to Jane (also known as Jane from Maine and Twinkle and Shine), Sony Pictures Releasing, 1959
Betty Duquesne, College Confidential (also known as Campus Confidential), MCA/Universal, 1960
Adele Hobart, Norman ... Is That You?, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1976
Mrs. Thomas, Da Capo, Adams Filmi, 1985
Pamela, Murder by Numbers (also known as Murder 1, Murder 2), Video Ban, 1990
Voice of Mitch's mother, City Slickers, Columbia, 1991
Herself, The Player, Fine Line, 1992
It's Not My Fault, 1992
Mitch's mother, City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold (alsoknown as City Slickers: The Legend of Curly's Gold and City Slickers II), Columbia, 1994
Herself, Casino, Universal, 1995
Dot, The Story of Us, PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, 1999
Stage Appearances
Millicent Cornish, Spring Again, Henry Miller's Theatre, New YorkCity, 1941-1942, then Playhouse Theatre, New York City, 1942
Another Love Story, Fulton Theatre, New York City, 1943-1944
The Odds on Mrs. Oakley, 1944
Gwynneth, Kiss Them for Me, Belasco Theatre, New York City, then Fulton Theatre, both 1945
Many Happy Returns, Playhouse Theatre, 1945
Nell Nash, The Gazebo, Playwrights' Company, Lyceum Theatre, New York City, 1958-1959
The Four Poster, Chicago, IL, 1960
Helen Hobart, Once in a Lifetime, Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, 1977, then Circle in the Square, New York City, 1978
Lost in Yonkers, 1990
Night of 100 Stars III (also known as Night of One Hundred Stars), Radio City Music Hall, New York City, 1990
Also appeared in Hello from Bertha, Los Angeles production.
Major Tours
Over 21, U.S. army camps in the United States and Bermuda, 1944
Tonight at 8:30, U.S. cities, 1970-1971
Melissa Gardner, Love Letters, U.S. cities, 1989-2000
Toured in the solo show Powerful Women in History.
RECORDINGS
Albums
Everything You Wanted to Know about Computers, c. 1984
Other albums include Alice in Wonderland, For Children Only, and Shakin' Loose with Mother Goose. Also recorded with sister Audrey Meadows as the Meadows Sisters, RCA Victor.
Singles
(With Steve Allen) "What Is a Husband?"/"What Is a Wife," Dot, 1956
WRITINGS
Teleplays
(With others) Meeting of Minds (series; also known as Steve Allen's Meeting of Minds), PBS, 1977-1981
(Story) "What's the Matter with Kids?/Island of Horrors," Fantasy Island (episodic), ABC, 1983
Stage Plays
Author of The Eternal Bed, Stop-Gap Theatre, Los Angeles.
Columns for Periodicals
Author of a column for Carte Blanche.

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

Books

Kennedy, Harold K., No Pickle, No Performance: An Irreverent Theatrical Excursion from Tallulah to Travolta, Doubleday, 1978

Periodicals

Reader's Digest, July, 1988, p. 129

Electronic

Jayne Meadows Official Site, http://www.jaynemeadows.com, September 5, 2004

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