CA CA - Jean Spangler, 27, Los Angeles, Oct 1949

[STANDREID]

The 1949 film Chicken Every Sunday was apparently bad luck for dancers. Not only was Jean in the movie but so was William Callahan who was murdered (along with his mistress) in 1981. His killing is also unsolved. Natalie Wood was in the film as well.

 

[Richard]

Jean Spangler ...

Date of Birth 2 September 1923, Seattle, Washington, USA ...

Mini Bio

... Jean was born in Seattle, Washington, in 1923. She graduated from Franklin High School in Los Angeles in 1941. Soon, Jean was working as a model for a local clothing firm. Later, she was a dancer with the Earl Carroll Theatre.

Jean got married to Dexter Benner, and they had a daughter, Christine, in 1944. Two years later, in 1946, she had a bitter court battle with her ex-husband regarding the custody of their young daughter.

In 1948, ruling a daughter's place is with her mother, a judge awarded full custody to Jean. Sultry and statuesque, Jean, a divorced mother and nightclub dancer, struggled to make it as an actress; she was a bit player and uncredited extra in movies and early television. In 1949, she met Kirk Douglas on the set of Young Man with a Horn (1950), which was released February 9, 1950.

On October 7, 1949, when she was 3 months pregnant, she disappeared. A note was found in her purse that read: "Kirk, Can't wait any longer. Going to see Dr. Scott. It will work best this way while mother is away." All the police found was her purse and this cryptic note -- Jean had vanished without a trace.

Her disappearance is still an unsolved mystery. ...

... IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous
Spouse (1)Dexter Benner (1942 - 1946) (divorced) (1 child)
Trivia (3)Disappeared without a trace on October 7, 1949; was the subject of a recent "Mysteries & Scandals".

The subject of an excellent recent "historical noir" novel, "The Song is You," by Megan Abbott.

Daughter, Christine, born April 22, 1944 in Los Angeles. Child's father was her ex-husband, Dexter Benner.

Source:

Jean Spangler - Biography - IMDb

LINK:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0816805/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm

 

[Noirdame79]

I added the information to Jean Spangler's IMDB bio regarding the date of her marriage to Dexter Benner and the birth date of her daughter Christine.

I found it odd that no one else had contributed that information, so I took it upon myself to do so.

 

[AliceInPain]

I found this
http://www.mariamusikka.com/JeanSpangler.htm

I think maybe her daughter may maybe look at this one day...I hope...

 

[scriptgirl]

Is her daughter even alive?

 

[Noirdame79]

I haven't found any obits for Christine (she was born in 1944) so as far as I know, she is still living. Her father kept her away from her mother's side of the family.

 

[scriptgirl]

Her maternal family couldn't try to see her? Wasn't it unusual for a man to get full custody of a child back then? I wonder if he abused her?

 

[Noirdame79]

Her maternal family couldn't try to see her? Wasn't it unusual for a man to get full custody of a child back then? I wonder if he abused her?

Jean had been granted custody of Christine before she disappeared, and after she vanished, her mother Florence was granted visitation rights but Dexter Benner and his new wife did everything in their power to control her visits with her grandchild, going so far as to stand over her and not even allow her to speak. They then decided to ban her from their home and that's when the battle for custody began again, but Benner missed so many appearances that he was held in contempt of court and a bench warrant was issues for his arrest. He took Christine and fled the state with his second wife and never returned to California; the police never located them while the warrant was in effect and Florence never saw or heard from her granddaughter again.

 

[scriptgirl]

That child was kidnapped-didn't the cops try to hunt him down? When the child came of age, did she try to contact her aunt or grandmother? Why was Benner so against the maternal family?

 

[EmmaliLucia]

Things were a lot different back then, unfortunately.

It's how Franklin Delano Floyd was able to abduct Suzanne Almost thirty years after Jean went missing.

 

[scriptgirl]

Is the daughter still alive? Has she ever talked about her mom?

 

[Noirdame79]

That child was kidnapped-didn't the cops try to hunt him down? When the child came of age, did she try to contact her aunt or grandmother? Why was Benner so against the maternal family?

He had a strong hatred for Jean and did not want his daughter to remember her at all. He wanted his second wife to adopt her legally but a judge wouldn't allow that, as there was no proof as to whether Jean was alive or dead. Dexter Benner seems to have been a very selfish man who wanted Jean and her family out of the picture.

 

[Noirdame79]

Is the daughter still alive? Has she ever talked about her mom?

I've never heard or read anything about Christine after her father skipped town with her, except for the mention of her in his obituary. Dexter Benner declined to be interviewed for the "Mysteries And Scandals" episode about Jean and told the producers that Christine was not interested in participating either. I find it highly suspicious that he spoke for her but I wouldn't be surprised if she has been turned against her mother. I can only imagine what she was told over the years (if anything). As of this writing, I think she is still living.

 

[scriptgirl]

Dexter was an *advertiser censored*. I wonder if he had something to do with Jean's death. Is Jean's case still open?

 

[Noirdame79]

Dexter was an *advertiser censored*. I wonder if he had something to do with Jean's death. Is Jean's case still open?

Yes, her case remains open and she has never been declared legally dead.

 

[scriptgirl]

Why hasn't Jean ever been declared legally dead? Doesn't the state have to do so after a certain period of time? Why didn't Christine ever have her mom declared dead? Why didn't Jean's mom do it? Why didn't Dexter?

 

[scriptgirl]

Noirdame how do you know that Dexter told the producers Christine didn't want to do the scandals and mysteries show?

 

[Noirdame79]

The host of "Mysteries And Scandals", AJ Benza, mentioned near the end of the episode "Dexter Benner declined our invitation for an interview. He told us that his daughter Christine was also not interested."

Here is a clip of the last five minutes of the episode:

[video=youtube;nSoPinVftBM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSoPinVftBM[/video]

On a side note, Jean's sister-in-law Sophie, who has since passed away, also declined to be interviewed, but for a different reason. Historian Kyle Wood stated on his blog that Sophie was terrified of Dexter Benner. She did, however grant a telephone interview with Wood where she revealed that the police later informed her that Benner had scratches on his face when they interviewed him regarding Jean's disappearance.

 

[Noirdame79]

Why hasn't Jean ever been declared legally dead? Doesn't the state have to do so after a certain period of time? Why didn't Christine ever have her mom declared dead? Why didn't Jean's mom do it? Why didn't Dexter?

Christine probably doesn't care enough to have her mother declared dead, if she thinks about her at all. Florence may have wanted to hold out hope that Jean was still alive, as there was no proof that she was dead and as for Dexter Benner, that has me stumped too. Maybe he thought if he had her declared legally dead that would cast more suspicion on him.

 

[jpo74]

i just seen the M&S episode and is is pretty good. i already knew the info since i had already read this post for her. i am conflicted on what happened to her. either she had a fight with her ex and something happened (according to SIL, dexter had scratches on him) or she had an illegal abortion by a dr scott ,the clue would be in the note that was found. in her purse. the name kirk is interesting since kirk douglas called into the police before the called him (hmmmm) :thinking: