Jean Lacy

Jeanne Gray McDonald's multi-faceted career was a true Hollywood story. Born Jeanne Murphy on Sept. 10, 1913, the eldest of five children, she grew up in Old Hollywood during the 1920s. The legendary bygone era of Hollywood glamor and silent movies formed a lasting impression on her childhood memories. Jeanne's father worked as a lighting technician at the Charls Chaplin Studios, so she would bring him lunch and hang around just to catch a glimpse of Charles Chaplin preparing for a scene. Money was tight during the Depression and her parents couldn't afford to take all five children to the movies (25 cents a ticket), so only one child could go. Jeanne, the lucky one, was it, but then she had to perform and re-enact all the actors' roles so her family could also enjoy the one great escape that movies offered.