Jean Hatton

{{Short description|Australian actress and singer (born 1922)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Use Australian English|date=May 2014}} '''Jean Hatton''' (born 1922) was an Australian singer and actor who was under contract to Cinesound Productions in the 1930s. She was discovered in a Deanna Durbin talent quest and cast as Cecil Kellaway's daughter in ''Mr. Chedworth Steps Out'' (1939), singing several songs. ''Filmink'' called her performance "very sweet and engaging".<ref name="ched">{{cite magazine|magazine=Filmink|first=Stephen|last=Vagg|url=https://www.filmink.com.au/forgotten-australian-films-mr-chedworth-steps-out/|date=13 August 2025|access-date=13 August 2025|title=Forgotten Australian Films: Mr Chedworth Steps Out}}</ref>

She was subsequently cast in ''Come Up Smiling'' (1939).<ref>'Contract For Jean Hatton', ''The Courier-Mail (Brisbane)'', Thursday 15 June 1939 p 12</ref><ref name="come">{{cite magazine|date=15 August 2025|access-date=15 August 2025|url=https://www.filmink.com.au/forgotten-australian-films-come-up-smiling-ants-in-his-pants/|magazine=Filmink|first=Stephen|last=Vagg|title=Forgotten Australian Films: Come Up Smiling / Ants in His Pants}}</ref> During filming she fell down two flights of stairs and was injured, causing filming to be delayed, but she recovered.<ref>'JEAN HATTON INJURED. Accident in Film Studios', ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' Saturday 1 July 1939 p 10</ref> She later performed in concerts and radio and was generally advertised as "Australia's Deanna Durbin".<ref>'CINESOUND STARLET', ''The Courier-Mail (Brisbane)'', Thursday 9 November 1939 p 16</ref>

She appeared in the 1940 radio serial ''Sweetheart of the Regiment''.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article17658883 |title=BROADCASTING |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |issue=31,858 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=7 February 1940 |accessdate=3 June 2024 |page=8 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

Hatton later married Keith White, and resided in Turramurra, New South Wales. Together they had two sons. In April 1971, it was reported that Hatton was retired from show business and "a happy middle-aged woman".<ref>{{cite news |title=It's a Happening World |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120145903/its-a-happening-world/ |access-date=4 March 2023 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=18 April 1971 |location=Sydney, New South Wales |pages=115}}</ref>

In May 1987, Hatton was interviewed and spoke of her distaste in being dubbed "Australia's Deanna Durbin", stating "It upset me greatly: it always has done and it always will".<ref>{{cite news |title=Limelight for our old-time heroines |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120145986/limelight-for-our-old-time-heroines/ |access-date=4 March 2023 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=4 May 1987 |location=Sydney, New South Wales |pages=61}}</ref>

==Filmography== *''Mr. Chedworth Steps Out'' (1939) *''Come Up Smiling'' (1939)

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *[http://colsearch.nfsa.gov.au/nfsa/search/summary/summary.w3p;adv=;group=;groupequals=;page=0;parentid=;query=Person%3A%22%2FPerson%2Fkey%2F25823-1%22;querytype=;resCount=10 Jean Hatton] at National Film and Sound Archive *{{IMDb name|0369042}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hatton, Jean}} Category:1922 births Category:Possibly living people Category:Australian film actresses Category:20th-century Australian actresses Category:20th-century Australian women singers