Jane Wyman was born Sarah Jane Mayfield on January 5, 1917 in St. Joseph, Missouri. Her parents were Manning J. Mayfield and Gladys Hope Christian, a doctor's stenographer and office assistant. They divorced in 1921 and Manning died the following year. After her ex-husband's death, Gladys moved to Cleveland, Ohio to work. Five-year-old Sarah Jane was unoffically adopted by Richard and Emma Fulks, and the child eventually assumed the name Sarah Jane Fulks.
She has had a long, distinguished and varied career in Hollywood. In the 1930s, she began her career as a radio singer using the name Jane Durrell. In 1932 she began appearing in films in bit parts as Sarah Jane Fulks. She signed a long-term contract with Warner Brothers in 1936 under the name Jane Wyman and acted in both A and B pictures. Miss Wyman appeared opposite her future husband, Ronald Reagan, in 1938's Brother Rat and its 1940 sequel Brother Rat and a Baby.
During the early 40s she toiled in comedies and melodramas and was finally noticed for her role as Ray Milland's long-suffering girlfriend in The Lost Weekend. She was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for her role as Ma Baxter in The Yearling and won the coveted prize in 1949 for her role as deaf-mute rape victim Belinda MacDonald in Johnny Belinda. Miss Wyman's expressive eyes told the audience Belinda's story.
Her work after Johnny Belinda was varied. She starred in Hitchcock's Stage Fright, Capra's Here Comes the Groom, Curtiz's The Story of Will Rogers and the first movie version of The Glass Menagerie. She appeared opposite Bing Crosby in the musical Just For You.
1950s audiences preferred her in soap operas and she was Oscar-nominated for her performances in 1951's The Blue Veil and 1954's Magnificent Obsession. She also starred in the very popular So Big, Lucy Gallant, All That Heaven Allows and Miracle in the Rain.
Miss Wyman hosted television's "Fireside Theatre" also known as "Jane Wyman Presents" and "Jane Wyman Theater". She starred in many of the episodes and co-produced the series which ran from 1955-1958.
She returned to the big screen in Holiday for Lovers [1959], Pollyanna [1960] and her last feature film How to Commit Marriage [1969].
Miss Wyman starred as Angela Channing on the TV series "Falcon Crest" from 1981-1990 and has appeared in various made-for-television movies.
On a personal note, Miss Wyman was married several times: Myron Futterman - married June 29, 1937; divorced November 1, 1938, Ronald Reagan - married January 26, 1940; divorced June 28, 1948, and Fred Karger twice - married November 1, 1952; divorced December 7, 1954 - remarried March 11, 1961; divorced March 9, 1965. She had a daughter, Maureen Reagan, born January 4, 1941; died of malignant melanoma August 8, 2001. She had a son, Michael Reagan, born March 18, 1945; adopted by Jane Wyman and Ronald Reagan on March 21, 1945. A daughter, Christine Reagan, was born prematurely on June 26, 1947 and passed away nine hours later. Her Best Actress Oscar for Johnny Belinda made her the only wife of a future U.S. president ever to win such an award. She presented the Jane Wyman Humanitarian Award from the Arthritis Foundation annually in Rancho Mirage, CA, USA.
On June 11, 2004, Jane Wyman broke decades of silence regarding her former husband, President Ronald Reagan, saying, "America has lost a great president and a great, kind and gentle man."
CLICK HERE to read the mini-article on Jane Wyman in the June 2003 issue of Biography Magazine.
CLICK HERE to read Maureen Reagan's obituary.
Miss Wyman died September 10, 2007. CLICK HERE to read her obituaries.
An exclusive interview with Jane Wyman is featured on the following DVD and DVD set. Click on DVD titles to order.
Stage Fright [DVD](1950) DVD
After he's accused of murdering his mistress' husband, Richard Todd turns to the only person who believes he's innocent, drama student and ex-girlfriend Jane Wyman. As Wyman plays detective to find the real killer, her search leads to the victim's wife, famed actress Marlene Dietrich. Michael Wilding, Kay Walsh and Alastair Sim also star in Hitchcock's thriller. 110 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French.Alfred Hitchcock: The Signature Collection [DVD] DVD
Ten-disc set includes "Foreign Correspondent," "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," "Suspicion," "Stage Fright," "Strangers on a Train" (two-disc special edition), "I Confess," "Dial M for Murder," "The Wrong Man," and "North by Northwest."
MAJOR AWARDS BY YEAR
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RealAudio and Video
CLICK HERE to listen to the full Falcon Crest Theme by © Bill Conti
CLICK HERE to listen to the 1983 Falcon Crest Theme by © Bill Conti
CLICK HERE to view Angela's Soliloquy from the final Falcon Crest episode
Filmography
Wild Bill: Hollywood Maverick (1996)
aka "Jane Wyman Presents" (1955)
aka "Jane Wyman Theater" (1955)Notable TV Guest Appearances
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