Dead Ringer (1964)

Dead Ringer, also known as Who is Buried in my Grave? (1964). Thriller directed by Paul Henreid from a screenplay by Oscar Millard and Albert Beich from the story La Otra by Rian James. The music score was by Andre Previn and the cinematography by Ernest Haller. Cast: Bette Davis, Karl Malden and Peter Lawford with Philip Carey, Jean Hagen, George Macready, Estelle Winwood, George Chandler and Cyril Delevanti. The jazz combo in Edie's Bar was composed of electronic organist Perry Lee Blackwell and drummer Kenny Dennis, both noted musicians, but uncredited in the film.

The film is the second time Davis played twin sisters, the first, A Stolen Life(1946). For this reason, Dead Ringer is sometimes mistakenly listed as a remake of A Stolen Life.

Lana Turner turned the film down because she didn't want to play twins.

After a separation of 18 years, Edith Philips meets her twin, Margaret de Lorca, at the funeral of  her husband. When Edith learns that Margaret had tricked the man she loved into marriage, she lures Margaret to her apartment, signs her own name to a suicide note and then shoots her sister.

After changing clothes with her dead sister, she moves into the de Lorca mansion and begins living her sister's life. Things are going well until she meets Margaret's secret lover, Tony Collins.

He quickly learns the truth and threatens to blackmail her, Edith realizes that he and Margaret murderd de Lorca.

They begin to struggle and Tony is killed by the family's Great Dane. The police become suspicious and exhume the body of the dead husband. Arsenic is found and Edith is arrested for murder.

She tries to convince her former boyfriend, Sgt. Jim Hobbson, that she is really Edith, but... will he ever believe her story?



If you enjoy thrillers with lots of twist and turns, this movie is for you. Even though Bette's character is a murderess, you may hope for a minute that she gets away with it. The poker scene will keep you sitting at the edge of your seat. The supporting cast is also good, especially Karl Malden.

Jean Hagen (August 3, 1923 – August 29, 1977). She studied drama at Northwestern University and worked as a theater usherette before making her Broadway theatre debut in Another Part of the Forest in 1946.

On Broadway, she was understudy for Judy Holliday in Born Yesterday.

 Her film debut was as a femme fatale in Adam's Rib in 1949. The Asphalt Jungle (1950) provided Hagen with her first starring role.

She appeared in the film noir Side Street (1950) playing a gangster's sincere, but none-too-bright, gun moll.

She is best remembered for her comic performance in Singin' in the Rain as the vain and talentless silent movie star Lina Lamont; Hagen received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

By 1953, she was in the television sitcom Make Room for Daddy. As the first wife of Danny Thomas, Hagen received three Emmy Award nominations, but after three seasons she left the series. Thomas, who also produced the show, reportedly didn't appreciate Jean leaving the series and her character was killed off. This was the first TV character to be killed off in a family sitcom. Marjorie Lord was cast a year later as Danny's second wife.

Hagen starred in the 1957 Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Season 3, Episode 7, entitled "Enough Rope for Two".

She performed as Frida Daniels in The Shaggy Dog with Fred MacMurray.

In 1960, she appeared as "Elizabeth" in the episode "Once Upon a Knight" of CBS's series The DuPont Show with June Allyson. Although she made frequent guest appearances in various television series, she was unable to successfully resume her film career and for the remainder of her career she played supporting roles: Marguerite LeHand, personal secretary to Franklin Delano Roosevelt in Sunrise at Campobello (1960), as the title character in season 2, episode 3 of The Andy Griffith Show titled "Andy and the Woman Speeder" (1961).

She performed as the friend of Bette Davis in, Dead Ringer (1964).

In the 1960's, Hagen's health began to decline and she spent many years hospitalized or under medical care.

In 1976, she made a comeback playing character roles in episodes of the television series: Starsky and Hutch and The Streets of San Francisco and made her final film appearance in the 1977 television movie Alexander: The Other Side of Dawn.

Jean Hagen married Tom Seidel on June 12, 1947. They had 2 children, Aric Phillip (born August 1950) and Christine (born May 16, 1952). She divorced Seidel on November 1, 1965.

Hagen died of esophageal cancer on August 29, 1977.

Happy Birthday Jean Hagen (1923-1977)

Best remembered as Lina Lamont, the silent-film star in Singin' in the Rain (1952), who could not manage the transition to talkies. That is, not without Debbie Reynolds's help.In Singin' in the Rain (1952), Debbie Reynolds character lip-synced to Jean's spoken voice for film-within-the-film, The Dancing Cavalier. Ironically, for the speaking part, it was Debbie Reynolds lip-syncing to Jean Hagen. For the singing, it was Reynolds lip-syncing to Betty Noyes in the dubbing scene, in which Noyes had earlier dubbed Hagen.

A prolonged illness necessitated her early retirement in the mid-60s with her entering a convalescent home for the rest of her life. A desire to act one more time happened in 1977 when she appeared briefly as a landlady in the TV-movie Alexander: The Other Side of Dawn (1977) (TV). She died shortly after of throat cancer.

Jean seemed a shoo-in to win the best supporting actress Academy Award for her hilarious performance as Lina Lamont in Singin' in the Rain (1952), but was beaten out for the award by Gloria Grahame for The Bad and the Beautiful (1952). Other notable films include The Asphalt Jungle (1950), Adam's Rib (1949) and Carbine Williams (1952). Though nominated twice for an Emmy Award as Danny Thomas' first TV wife on his popular comedy series, "The Danny Thomas Show" (1953), Jean became disenchanted with the rather colorless wife-and-mother role and left the series after four seasons. Marjorie Lord replaced her as Danny's perky second wife.

Profiled in "Killer Tomatoes: Fifteen Tough Film Dames" by Ray Hagen and Laura Wagner (McFarland, 2004).

Friend of Robert Osborne.

Had two children with Tom Seidel, a daughter named Christine and a son named Aric.

Jean Hagen

June Hagan's, first film was as a femme fatale in Adam's Rib(1949). The Asphalt Jungle (1950), was Jean Hagen's first starring performance which she received excellent reviews. She is best known for her wonderful performance in Singin' in the Rain. As the talent-less silent movie star Lina Lamont, Hagen received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. (pictured above)

By 1953, she was performing in the television sitcom Make Room for Daddy. As the first wife of Danny Thomas, for three seasons. Hagen received three Emmy Award nominations. Thomas, who also produced the show, was not happy with Jean leaving the show and her character was killed off rather than recast. This was the first TV character to be killed off on a family sitcom.

Hagen performed as Frida Daniels in The Shaggy Dog starring with Fred MacMurray.

In 1960, she performed as "Elizabeth" in the episode "Once Upon a Knight" with June Allyson.

She made guest appearances in many television series and for the remainder of her career played supporting roles, such as Marguerite LeHand, personal secretary to Franklin Delano Roosevelt in Sunrise at Campobello (1960), and the friend of Bette Davis in Dead Ringer (1964).

In the 1960s, Hagen's started having trouble with her health and she spent many years hospitalized.

In 1976, she performed in episodes of the television series Starsky and Hutch and The Streets of San Francisco, and made her final film performance in the 1977 television movie Alexander. The Other Side of Dawn.