{{Short description|American actress (1927–1996)}} {{Use American English|date=April 2024}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}} {{Infobox person | name = Jean Howell | image = Jean Howell actress circa 1960.jpg | image_size = | caption = Howell {{circa}}1960 | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date|1927|11|21}} | birth_place = | death_date = {{death date and age|1996|7|23|1927|11|21}} | death_place = Santa Monica, California, U.S. | occupation = Actress | years_active = 1954–1996 | spouse = Larry Thor | alma_mater = University of Washington }}
'''Jean Howell''' (November 21, 1927 – July 23, 1996) was an American television actress. She also appeared occasionally in films.
== Biography == [[File:Jean Howell in Four Star Playhouse (Fair Trial).jpg|thumb|Howell in the TV series ''Four Star Playhouse'' (1955)]] Howell was the daughter of Burl Howell and Esther<ref>{{Cite web|author=Staff|url=https://www.orgenweb.org/coos/99index.htm|title = The 'World' newspaper, 1999 Obituary Index}}</ref> Hyde ‘’Buddy’’ Howell, along with her sister Dixon.<ref name=dixon>Staff (July 31, 2010) [https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/pressdemocrat/obituary.aspx?n=dixon-anne-sheldon&pid=144369703S "Obituary of Dixon Anne Sheldon"] ''The Press Democrat'', (Sebastopol, California)</ref> The family moved to the Sebastopol, California area in 1935.<ref name=dixon /> She graduated in 1944 from Analy High School in Sebastopol,<ref name="swtn">{{cite news|author=Staff |title=Occidental News |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/73822784/jean-howell/ |access-date=March 19, 2021 |work=Sonoma West Times & News |date=March 3, 1955 |location=Sebastopol, California |page=10|via = Newspapers.com}}</ref> and later from the University of Washington.<ref name="vt">{{cite news|author=Staff |title=Jean Howell in 'Bombers B-52' |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/73821249/jean-howell/ |access-date=March 19, 2021 |work=Valley Times |date=January 21, 1957 |location=North Hollywood, California |page=12|via = Newspapers.com}}</ref>
On stage, Howell acted in New York in summer stock theater and at the Horseshoe Theater in Los Angeles. Television programs on which she appeared included ''Perry Mason'', ''Dragnet'', ''Space Patrol'', ''Armstrong Circle Theatre'', ''Four Star Playhouse'', ''Lux Video Theatre'', and ''Telephone Time''.<ref name="vt" /> Her films included the 1957 western ''Hell's Crossroads''.<ref name="wm">{{cite book |last1=Pitts |first1=Michael R. |title=Western Movies: A Guide to 5,105 Feature Films|edition = 2nd |date=December 21, 2012 |publisher=McFarland|location=New York |isbn=978-0-7864-6372-5 |page=149 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aTX2mv0uX7UC&q=%22Jean+Howell%22 |access-date=March 19, 2021 |language=en}}</ref>
Howell was married to actor Larry Thor for four months in 1956.<ref>{{cite news|author=Staff|title=Actress Jean Howell Divorces Larry Thor|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/6516340/the_times/|work=The Times|agency=Associated Press|date=July 6, 1956|location=San Mateo, California|via = Newspapers.com|accessdate = September 5, 2016}} {{Open access}}</ref>
In her later years, Howell was an advocate for environmental efforts to clean up Santa Monica Bay. She gave talks about ecology and also trained speakers for similar activities.<ref name=lat/>
==Death== Howell died of cancer on July 23, 1996, in Santa Monica, California. She was 68.<ref name="lat">{{cite news|author=Staff|title=Jean Howell Thor; Environmental Activist With Heal the Bay|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-08-01-mn-30098-story.html|access-date=September 5, 2016|work=Los Angeles Times|date=August 1, 1996}}</ref>
==Selected filmography== * ''Four Star Playhouse'' TV series, 1953 episode, "Trails End" with Dick Powell * ''Four Star Playhouse'' 1954 episode, "Fair Trial" with Dick Powell * ''Four Star Playhouse'' 1955 episode, "A Spray Of Bullets" with Dick Powell * ''The Fast and the Furious'' (film, 1955) * ''Dragnet'' (TV series, 1955, 4 episodes) * ''Apache Woman'' (film, 1955) * ''Hell's Crossroads'' (film, 1957) * ''Tales of Wells Fargo'' (TV series, 1957, episode "The Bounty") * ''Tombstone Territory'' (TV series, 1957, episode "Revenge Town") * ''The Restless Gun'' (TV series, 1958, episode "Friend in Need") * ''Wanted: Dead or Alive'' (TV series, 1958, episode “Bounty”) * ''Perry Mason'' (TV series, 1961, episode "The Case of the Wintry Wife") * ''Who'll Stop the Rain'' (film, 1978)
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category}} * {{IMDb name|0397987}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Howell, Jean}} Category:1927 births Category:1996 deaths Category:American film actresses Category:American television actresses Category:20th-century American actresses Category:American stage actresses Category:University of Washington alumni Category:Actresses from California Category:Analy High School alumni