Jennifer Holt

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Jennifer Holt
Holt in Private Buckaroo (1942)
Born
Elizabeth Marshall Holt

(1920-11-10)November 10, 1920
Hollywood, California, U.S.
DiedSeptember 21, 1997(1997-09-21) (aged 76)
Dorset, England, UK
Other namesJacqueline Holt
OccupationActress
Years active1941–1958
Spouses
William M. Ritchey
(m. 1943; div. 1944)
(m. 1946; div. 1948)
J. Hugh Davis
(m. 1951)
  • Aylmer Hughes Chamberlain
Parent
RelativesTim Holt (brother)

Jennifer Holt (born Elizabeth Marshall Holt;[1] November 10, 1920 – September 21, 1997) was an American actress.

Early years[edit]

She was born in Hollywood, California, to actor Jack Holt[2] and his wife, Margaret Woods. She was the sister of western actor Tim Holt.[3]

Her education included schooling at convents in Belgium, Santiago College in Chile, and The Bishop's School in La Jolla, California.[4]

Film[edit]

Holt made her film debut using the stage name Jacqueline Holt in a 1941 western starring Hopalong Cassidy. A 1942 newspaper article reported, "Jennifer Holt ... has been signed to a long term contract with Universal."[2] Her film singing debut came in Tenting Tonight on the Old Camp Ground in 1943. She sang Cielito Lindo while portraying an entertainer.[5]

She went on to make 47 films during the 1940s. All but eight of her roles were in western films in which she appeared opposite cowboy stars such as Lash LaRue, Tex Ritter and Johnny Mack Brown.

Although the popularity of western films had faded by the mid-1950s, during the 1970s western film festivals became popular with fans of the genre and she occasionally participated as a guest.[citation needed]

Television[edit]

After making her final film in 1949, in 1950 Holt co-hosted a television show called Panhandle Pete and Jennifer which ran for one season. During the remainder of the 1950s she made occasional guest appearances on television western series such as The Gabby Hayes Show and Tales of Wells Fargo starring Dale Robertson.

Recognition[edit]

In 1984, she received the Golden Boot Award for her contributions to western cinema.[6]

Personal life[edit]

Holt was married numerous times, living for a while in Mexico. She had no children.

The marriages that can be confirmed were:

  • November 19, 1943, to Marine Major William M. Ritchey in Yuma, Arizona.[7] She sought a divorce after four months,[8] and the divorce was granted on August 4, 1944.[9]
  • September 29, 1946, to William Bakewell.[10] She filed suit for divorce from Bakewell on April 23, 1948.[11] The divorce was granted June 10, 1948.[12]
  • March 2, 1951, to advertising executive J. Hugh Davis.[13]
  • Aylmer Hughes Chamberlain, her last husband, with whom she was living in England at the time of her death in 1997.[14][15]

Death[edit]

Holt was living in Dorset, England in the United Kingdom with her husband, Aylmer Hughes Chamberlain, at the time of her death from cancer at age 76 in 1997. [14][15]

Partial filmography[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Jack Holt Dies". Tyrone Daily Herald. Tyrone Daily Herald. January 19, 1951. p. 4. Retrieved October 24, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  2. ^ a b "Holt's Daughter in Films". The Ottawa Journal. The Ottawa Journal. March 21, 1942. p. 24. Retrieved October 24, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  3. ^ Varner, Paul (September 28, 2009). The A to Z of Westerns in Cinema. Scarecrow Press. p. 117. ISBN 9780810870512.
  4. ^ "Holt's Daughter Now in Pictures". The Times. Indiana, Munster. March 1, 1942. p. 6. Retrieved December 24, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  5. ^ "Film Thriller at the Liberty". The Times Recorder. April 18, 1943. p. 23. Retrieved October 24, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  6. ^ "The Golden Boot Awards". b-westerns.com. Archived from the original on December 25, 2017. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  7. ^ "Marriages". Billboard. December 4, 1943. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  8. ^ "Marine Ace Faces Divorce". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. April 19, 1944. p. 1. Retrieved October 24, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  9. ^ "Marine Flier Divorced By Jennifer Holt". The San Bernardino County Sun. The San Bernardino County Sun. August 5, 1944. p. 5. Retrieved October 24, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  10. ^ "Jennifer Holt to Wed Wm. Bakewell". The Times. The Times. September 24, 1946. p. 9. Retrieved October 24, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  11. ^ "Jennifer Holt Seeks Divorce". The Indiana Gazette. The Indiana Gazette. April 24, 1948. p. 23. Retrieved October 24, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  12. ^ "Actress Says Husband Too Stingy With Her Money". Alton Evening Telegraph. Alton Evening Telegraph. June 11, 1948. p. 1. Retrieved October 24, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  13. ^ "Jennifer Holt, Video Star, Marries Adman". Arizona Daily Star. March 4, 1951. p. 13. Retrieved May 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ a b "Jennifer Holt - Western Movie Heroine". www.b-westerns.com.
  15. ^ a b Variety Staff (November 5, 1997). "Jennifer Holt Chamberlain".

External links[edit]