Jeanne Eagels

Jeanne Eagels (born Eugenia Eagles; June 26, 1890 – October 3, 1929) was an American stage and film actress. Eagels appeared in many Broadway productions, and in the emerging medium of sound films. She was posthumously nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her 1929 role in The Letter after dying suddenly that year at the age of 39.

Early life Eugenia Eagles was the second of six children born to Edward and Julia Eagles. Her father was of German and French Huguenot descent, and her mother (née Sullivan) was of Irish descent. Her birth year – depending on the source – is given as 1888, 1890 (official bio year), 1891, 1893 (death certificate), or 1894. Jeanne, who later changed the spelling of her surname to "Eagels", would later claim that her father was a Spanish architect and she was born in Boston. In reality, she was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and her father was a carpenter. Actress Mary Shipp was Eagels's niece.

Eagels attended St. Joseph's Catholic School and Morris Public School. She quit school shortly after her First Communion to work as a cash girl in a department store. The ban did not stop Eagels from working in film, and she made two sound films for Paramount Pictures, The Letter and Jealousy, both released in 1929.

Personal life Eagels was married twice. Her first marriage was to actor Maurice Dubinsky whom she married when she was a teenager. The couple reportedly had a son who either died (causing Eagels to have a nervous breakdown) or who was placed for adoption after the couple separated. Eagels and Dubinsky eventually divorced. In August 1925, Eagels married Edward Harris "Ted" Coy, a former football star at Yale University who became a stockbroker. They had no children and divorced in July 1928.

Death and legacy During the peak of her success, Eagels began abusing drugs and alcohol and eventually developed an addiction. She went to several sanatoriums in an effort to kick her dependency. By the mid-1920s, she had begun using heroin. When she entered her 30s, Eagels began suffering from bouts of ill health that were exacerbated by her excessive substance abuse.

In September 1929, Eagels underwent eye surgery at St. Luke's Hospital in New York City. At the time, she was also suffering from breathing problems and neuritis. After a ten-day stay, Eagels returned to her apartment on Park Avenue. On October 3, 1929, Eagels and her secretary walked to the Park Avenue Hospital where Eagels had an appointment. While talking to the doctor, she began having convulsions and died shortly thereafter. The assistant chief medical examiner who performed Eagels' autopsy concluded that she died of "alcoholic psychosis". The medical examiner stated that while Eagels had not consumed alcohol in the two days preceding her death, she had been "acting strangely" and suffering from hallucinations three or four days before she died. Her death was attributed to an overdose of the chloral hydrate.

After services in New York at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel, Eagels received a second funeral service when her body was returned to Kansas City on October 7, where she was buried in Calvary Cemetery. She was survived by her mother Julia Eagles and several brothers and sisters.

In 1957, a mostly fictionalized film biography entitled Jeanne Eagels was made by Columbia Pictures, with Eagels portrayed by Kim Novak. Eagels' family sued Columbia over the way Eagels had been depicted in the movie. Jeanne Eagels: A Life Revealed by Eric Woodard and Tara Banks (Bearmanor Media) appeared in 2015.

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes The Ace of Hearts The Bride of the Sea A Lesson in Bridge Mrs. Willis The House of Fear Grace Cramp Lost film The World and the Woman A Woman of the Streets Extant The Fires of Youth Billy's Sister Credited as Jeanne Eagles; Extant Under False Colors Countess Olga Lost film The Cross Bearer Liane de Merode The Madonna of the Slums Man, Woman and Sin Vera Worth Extant The Letter Leslie Crosbie Nominated - Academy Award for Best Actress Extant Jealousy Yvonne Lost film

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref 1930 Academy Awards Best Actress The Letter (posthumous)