Jean Carmen

Jean Carmen (born Jean Carmean; April 7, 1913 – August 26, 1993) was an American film, stage, and radio actress. She sometimes went by the stage name Julia Thayer. In addition to her appearances in various films throughout the 1930s, Carmen starred on Broadway in the original production of The Man Who Came to Dinner, appearing as a replacement for the role of June Stanley. In her later career, Carmen wrote, directed, and produced the film The Pawn in 1966.

Born in Portland, Oregon on April 7, 1913 to John and Agnes Carmean, she had two siblings. Jean Carmen (she altered her surname) was selected as one of the WAMPAS Baby Stars in 1934, the last year they were named. She had a supporting role as The Rider in the 1937 Republic Pictures western serial The Painted Stallion. She also worked in radio and on Broadway, in Stage Door and the original 1939 production of The Man Who Came to Dinner (as a replacement for the role of June Stanley). She was one of three gold diggers in the 1938 Three Stooges comedy, Healthy, Wealthy and Dumb.

Her first marriage was in 1932 at age 19 to insurance broker Walter Lohman, who was more than two decades her senior. Newspapers and the August 14, 1932 marriage license indicate their wedding ceremony was at the beach home of Constance Talmadge in Santa Monica, California. She filed for divorce in 1937. She married, secondly, to Barrett Collyfer Dillow, around 1949, whose family headed the B.F. Goodrich Company. They had a son, Guy (1951-1985), before divorcing around 1959 or 1960. Guy H. Dillow, nicknamed "Buz" or "Buzzie", was born in 1951 and died in 1985. Guy was featured in Jean's movie The Pawn, an early 1960s film shot in the U.S. and Italy. Guy died in 1985, after which his mother sold her Greenwich, Connecticut home and re-located to Charleston, South Carolina.

In 1945, Jean and Irish Owen authored the comedy Last House on the Left and there was a pre-Broadway tryout in Hartford, Connecticut. The leads were Jean and Gene Barry. The play was not successful and never made it to New York. In 1966, Carmen wrote, directed, and produced the film The Pawn, credited as Jean Carmen Dillow. During this time, she resided in Greenwich, Connecticut. Her son starred in the film.

Carmen died on August 26, 1993, in Charleston, South Carolina, aged 80.[citation needed ]