Diane Jergens

Diane Jergens
Peter Brown and Jergens, 1959
Born	Dianne Irgens[1] (1935-03-31)March 31, 1935 Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.[1]
Died	October 9, 2018(2018-10-09) (aged 83) Valley Springs, California, U.S.[2]
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1946–1966
Spouses	Peter Brown ​ ​ (m. 1958; div. 1960)​ Randy Sparks ​ (m. 1962)​
Children	4

Diane Jergens (born Dianne Irgens; March 31, 1935 – October 9, 2018) was an American film and television actress.

Early years

Jergens was the daughter of Norman C. Irgens, an alderman in Minneapolis, and his wife.^[3] In 1944, at age 8, she auditioned for two film studios in Hollywood and was asked to return to make a film.^[4] In 1950, the family moved to Hollywood.^[5] When Jergens was 16, she was a member of the Heidt Steppers dancing troupe, which was part of the Horace Heidt Show.^[6] Soon after Jergens graduated from Hollywood High School, she performed as a singer on tour with composer Jimmy McHugh.^[5]

Career

She made her screen debut in the 1946 film Ginger. She was featured in such 1950s films as The FBI Story with James Stewart and Desk Set starring Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. Her other films included leading roles in High School Confidential and Island of Lost Women.^[7] On television, she portrayed Francine Williams on The Bob Cummings Show in the 1955–1956 season,^[8] and she had a recurring role on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show.^[9] She also appeared on other TV shows such as Dragnet, The Danny Thomas Show, The Addams Family, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, and 77 Sunset Strip.

Personal life

Jergens was married to actor Peter Brown between 1958 and 1960.^[2][10]

In 1962, she wed musician and songwriter Randy Sparks.^[11] They had four children, Kevin Ray Sparks, Melinda Anne Sparks and Cameron Michael Sparks (twins), and Amanda Hamilton Sparks.^[12] She died on October 9, 2018, aged 83, in Valley Springs, California.^{[13] [2]}

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1946	Ginger	Diane
1947	Beat the Band	Minor role	Uncredited
1954	The Bob Mathias Story[14]	Pat Mathias[15]
1955	Daddy Long Legs	College Girl	Uncredited
1956	The Benny Goodman Story	Velma – Benny's Giggly Date	Uncredited
	The Unguarded Moment	Girl in Hall	Uncredited
	Friendly Persuasion	Elizabeth – Quaker girl	Uncredited
	Teenage Rebel	Jane Hewitt
	Three Brave Men	Shirley Goldsmith
1957	Desk Set	Alice
1958	Sing, Boy, Sing	Pat Barry
	High School Confidential	Joan Staples
1959	Island of Lost Women	Urana
	The FBI Story	Jennie Hardesty
1960	Escape to Paradise	Catherine Hughes
1961	Teenage Millionaire	Barbara 'Bambi' Price
	Espionage: Far East

References

1. Benner, Millicent (August 29, 1973). "Her Glamor Formula is Simple—Just Hard Work". The Washington Post. pp. F7. ProQuest 149065726. DIANE (real name Diane Irgens) was born in Minneapolis, Minn., and is of Norwegian and Hungarian extraction.
2. "Diane Jergens profile". Glamour Girls of the Silver Screen. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
3. Carlson, Bill (July 21, 1944). "Divers, Callen Steal Follies Honors". The Minneapolis Star. Minnesota, Minneapolis. p. 15. Retrieved December 18, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
4. Adams, Cedric (October 2, 1944). "In This Corner". The Minneapolis Star. Minnesota, Minneapolis. p. 20. Retrieved December 18, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "TV Blonde Just 'Little Girl' to Proud Father". The Minneapolis Star. Minnesota, Minneapolis. June 14, 1955. p. 15. Retrieved December 18, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "(photo caption)". The Vancouver Sun. Canada. British Columbia, Vancouver. September 13, 1951. p. 21. Retrieved December 18, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Diane Jergens In New Film". The Evening Sun. December 19, 1957. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
8. Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (1999). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present (7th ed.). New York: The Ballentine Publishing Group. p. 114. ISBN 0-345-42923-0.
9. "Minneapolis Blonde Gets Movie Break". Star Tribune. Minnesota, Minneapolis. June 8, 1958. p. Picture section – P 22. Retrieved December 18, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Diane engaged". The Milwaukee Sentinel. May 21, 1958. Retrieved March 19, 2014.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
11. "New christy ministrels carry out multi-harmony, multi-instrumental mission". Boca Raton News. March 19, 2004. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
12. Images, Historic. "1966 Press Photo Actress Diane Jergens with Her New Born Twins". Historic Images. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
13. "Diane Jergens". Television Academy.
14. Gwynn, Edith (June 8, 1954). "Hollywood". The Mercury. Pennsylvania, Pottstown. p. 4. Retrieved December 18, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
15. "Spotlight on Mathias' Tulare". The Bakersfield Californian. California, Bakersfield. Associated Press. June 11, 1954. p. 25. Retrieved December 18, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.

External links

• Diane Jergens at IMDb
• Diane Jergens at the American Film Institute