Jeanne Eagels (1894 - 1929) - Find A Grave Memorial

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Jeanne Eagels

Birth:	Jun. 26, 1894 Boston Suffolk County Massachusetts, USA
Death:	Oct. 3, 1929
Actress. Born Jeanne Eagles in Boston, Massachusetts in 1894. Then, at age 2, she moved with her family to Kansas City, Missouri where she often appeared in Kansas City pageants, festivals, etc. Eagles worked at the Emery Bird Thayer department store as a cashier in her early teens, having quit school. By 1911 she was in New York and had bleached her brown hair blond. She also changed the spelling of her name from Eagles to Eagels because she thought it looked better in lights. She got a role on Broadway right away in "Jumping Jupiter" and consistently got better parts in plays until she was a leading lady. In 1922, EagelsÕ role as Sadie Thompson in "Rain" took Broadway by storm. The critics hailed her portrayal as sensational. In August 1925 she appeared in "Rain" in Kansas City and thousands welcomed her back home. In 1929, MGM signed her to a contract to make her film debut in "The Letter", which won her an Academy Award nomination. Eagles died on October 03, 1929, without ever knowing if she won or not. She was portrayed by actress Kim Novak in the movie, "Jeanne Eagels" (1957). (bio by: Bill Walker) Search Amazon for Jeanne Eagels

Burial: Calvary Cemetery Kansas City Jackson County Missouri, USA Plot: Near the Columbus Memorial, and just west of crime boss Tom Pendergast
Maintained by: Find A Grave Record added: Apr 15, 2001 Find A Grave Memorial# 21447