Actress Jayne Meadows dies at 95

The actress was best known for her Broadway performance in “The Gazebo” and television program “I’ve Got a Secret”

TV, film and stage actress Jayne Meadows died on Sunday in her home in Encino at the age of 95. Her death was confirmed by her son, Bill Allen on Monday.

The glamorous actress Jayne Meadows had a long, successful career in the entertainment industry, spanning over more than 60 years. She appeared in Broadway, film and stage and was known to be a versatile and accomplished actress.

Jayne Meadows was born in September 27, 1919 in Wuchang, China to missionary parents. She made her Broadway debut in 1941 in the comedy “Spring Again”.  Her other noticeable appearances included “Another Love Story” (1943), “Many Happy Returns”, (1945) “Kiss Them for Me” (1945) with Richard Widmark and “Once in a Lifetime” (1980)  with John Lithgow and Treat Williams. Her most famous Broadway performance was in “The Gazebo” (1958) opposite to Walter Slezak.

Her first movie was “Undercurrent” (1946), opposite Katherine Hepburn, Robert Taylor and Robert Mitchum. She appeared in three movies next year “Lady in the Lake”, “Dark Delusion” and “Song of the Thin Man”. She also acted in “The Luck of the Irish” (1948) with Tyrone Power, “Enchantment” (1948) with David Niven and “David and Bathsheba” (1951) alongside Gregory Peck and Susan Hayward. Her last movie was “The Story of Us” (1999), as the mother of Michelle Pfeiffer. Jayne was also among the regular panelist of CBS program “I’ve Got a Secret. She was the second highest paid actress on CBS during the run of the show, behind only Lucille Ball, according to Fox News.

Jayne was frequently teamed up with her husband Steve Allen on various TV shows and movies. They married in 1954 and spent 46 years together until Steve Allen died in 2000. Her younger sister Audrey Meadows was also an accomplished actress,

Jayne Meadows was nominated for three Emmy Awards for her television acting and received Susan B. Anthony Award for her contributions to portraying women in positive roles.