,
Katherine Emery, and Dean Jagger in the Broadway production of
Everywhere I Roam (1938)
Early stage appearances Jagger studied acting at Chicago's Lyceum Arts Conservatory.
Early films Jagger visited Los Angeles on a vaudeville show with
Irene Rich. While there, he made his film debut in
The Woman from Hell (1929) with
Mary Astor. "My good notices", he later recalled, "had a reverse effect on the industry, which was suddenly revolutionized by sound pictures. With the one film to my credit, I was considered part of that group of untouchables – silent film stars."
Tobacco Road Jagger's big career break came when cast in a lead role in the play
Tobacco Road in 1933. The play was a huge hit and ran until 1941, though Jagger left the show in 1934 to appear in
They Shall Not Die, which only ran 62 performances.
Hollywood In April 1934, Jagger signed a contract with Paramount, for which he made
You Belong to Me (1934) with
Lee Tracy, then
College Rhythm (1934) with
Jack Oakie,
Behold My Wife! (1934) with
Sylvia Sidney,
Wings in the Dark (1935) with
Myrna Loy and
Cary Grant,
Home on the Range (1935) with
Jackie Coogan,
Randolph Scott and
Evelyn Brent,
Car 99 (1935) with
Fred MacMurray and
Ann Sheridan,
People Will Talk (1935) with
Charlie Ruggles, and
Men Without Names (1935) with Fred MacMurray. for
Dangerous Number (1937) Jagger did
Woman in Distress (1937) at Columbia, and
Dangerous Number (1937) and
Song of the City (1937) at MGM. Jagger appeared in
Republic Pictures'
Escape by Night (1937) and
Exiled to Shanghai (1937). Jagger played
Michael Drops In in summer stock and returned to Broadway to star in
Missouri Legend (1938), which ran 48 performances. He was also in short runs for
Everywhere I Roam (1938–39),
Brown Danube (1939),
Farm of Three Echoes (1939–40) with
Ethel Barrymore, and
Unconquered (1940) by
Ayn Rand.
Brigham Young Jagger made his breakthrough with his portrayal of
Mormon leader
Brigham Young in
Brigham Young (1940) at 20th Century Fox, alongside
Tyrone Power for director
Henry Hathaway. He was cast on the basis of his performance in
Missouri Legend. According to
George D. Pyper, a technical consultant on the film who had personally known Brigham Young, Jagger not only resembled Young, but he also spoke like him and shared some of his mannerisms. Thirty-two years later, in 1972 he was baptized a member of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Fox signed him to a long-term contract and put him in
Western Union (1941) for
Fritz Lang. He was announced for the Biblical film
The Great Commandment and a biopic of
Lewis and Clark with
Randolph Scott, but neither was made. Instead, Jagger appeared in
The Men in Her Life (1941) for Columbia,
Valley of the Sun (1942) at RKO, and
The Omaha Trail (1942) at MGM.
King Brothers Jagger had a rare lead role in
I Escaped from the Gestapo (1943) for the
King Brothers, then went back to supporting roles for
The North Star (1943) for
Sam Goldwyn. The King Brothers gave him top billing again with
When Strangers Marry (1944). Jagger acted in
Alaska (1944) at Monogram, which was distributed to King films. Jagger went to England to appear in
I Live in Grosvenor Square (1945) with
Anna Neagle and
Rex Harrison. He had good roles in
Sister Kenny (1946) with
Rosalind Russell and
Pursued (1947) with
Robert Mitchum. He did
Driftwood (1947) for Republic and started appearing on TV shows such as
The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse,
Studio One, and
The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre. Jagger returned to Broadway for
Dr. Social (1948), but it had a short run. He had the lead role in ''
'C'-Man'' (1949).
''Twelve O'Clock High'' and 1950s Jagger received an
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in ''
Twelve O'Clock High'' (1949), made at Fox and directed by Henry King. In the film, he played the World War II veteran, middle-aged adjutant Major/Lt. Col. Harvey Stovall, who acts as an advisor to the commander, General Savage (
Gregory Peck). Jagger stayed a supporting actor, though, appearing in
Sierra (1950) with
Audie Murphy at Universal,
Dark City (1950) for Hal Wallis,
Rawhide (1951) with Hathaway and Power at Fox, and
Warpath (1951) at Paramount with
Edmond O'Brien and directed by
Byron Haskin. Jagger had a lead role in the strongly anti-communist film
My Son John (1952) at Paramount. He was in
Denver and Rio Grande (1952), again with Haskin and O'Brien, and episodes of
Gulf Playhouse,
Lux Video Theatre,
Cavalcade of America,
Schlitz Playhouse, and
Studio 57. He appeared in the biblical epic
The Robe (1953) as the weaver Justus of Cana, and was in
Private Hell 36 (1954). He played retired Army Major General Tom Waverly honored by Bob Wallace (
Bing Crosby) and Phil Davis (
Danny Kaye) in the musical
White Christmas (1954), and an impotent local sheriff in the modern Western
Bad Day at Black Rock (1955), starring
Spencer Tracy for MGM. He was also in
The Eternal Sea (1955) at Republic, ''
It's a Dog's Life (1955) at MGM, On the Threshold of Space (1956) at Fox, and Red Sundown'' (1956) at Universal. For the 1956 British science-fiction film
X the Unknown, Jagger refused to work with director
Joseph Losey because Losey was on the
Hollywood blacklist. Losey came off the project after a few days of shooting and was replaced by
Leslie Norman. An alternative version is that Losey was replaced due to illness. Half the budget, $30,000, went to Jagger's fee. Jagger was in
The 20th Century Fox Hour,
Three Brave Men (1956),
The Great Man (1956) (second-billed to
José Ferrer),
Zane Grey Theatre, "Bernadine" (1957) with
Pat Boone, an episode of
Playhouse 90,
Forty Guns (1957) for
Sam Fuller, and
The Proud Rebel (1958) with
Alan Ladd and directed by
Michael Curtiz. Jagger also portrayed the father of
Elvis Presley's character in 1958's
King Creole, directed by Curtiz. Jagger was in ''
The Nun's Story'' (1959), playing the father of
Audrey Hepburn's character, and
Cash McCall (1960), and played the traveling manager for an evangelist played by
Jean Simmons in the acclaimed 1960 drama
Elmer Gantry. He was in two failed pilots, including
The House on K Street. In the 1960s, Jagger increasingly worked on television appearing in
The Twilight Zone ("
Static"),
NBC Sunday Showcase,
Our American Heritage,
General Electric Theater,
Dr. Kildare,
The Christophers,
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, and
The Partridge Family. He also appeared in the films
Parrish (1961),
The Honeymoon Machine (1961) and ''
Billy Rose's Jumbo'' (1962).
Mr. Novak and Jagger from the television series
Mr. Novak Jagger achieved success with the television series
Mr. Novak (1963–1965), receiving
Emmy Award nominations for his role in 1964 and 1965, as well as the California Teachers Association's Communications Award, along with star
James Franciscus, in 1963 for his portrayal of high-school principal Albert Vane. Before he left the show to have a major medical operation, though, he was less than happy with the series, clashing repeatedly with the writers and directors "It is unforgivable how bad TV is today", he said in 1965. "The people doing it have succumbed to the cliché that there is no time to be good in TV, or that we doing it are lucky to get one good episode out of three. Why?" Jagger officially left the show in December 1964 because of an ulcer. Jagger's appearances in the 1960s included episodes of
The F.B.I. and
The Fugitive, as well as films
First to Fight (1967),
Firecreek (1968),
Day of the Evil Gun (1968),
Smith! (1968) with
Glenn Ford,
The Lonely Profession (1969),
Tiger by the Tail (1970),
The Kremlin Letter (1970),
Men at Law,
The Brotherhood of the Bell (1970), again with Ford, and an episode of
The Name of the Game. He had a semiregular role on the series
Matt Lincoln (1970) as the father of the title character, and parts in
Vanishing Point (1971),
Bonanza, and
Incident in San Francisco (1971). In 1971, Jagger appeared on
The Partridge Family. He played a prospector named Charlie in the Christmas episode "Don't Bring Your Guns to Town, Santa".
Later career Jagger was in
The Glass House (1972),
Columbo,
Kung Fu (Jagger appeared as Caine's grandfather, who wants little to do with him, but starts Caine on his series-long search for his half-brother Danny),
Alias Smith and Jones,
Medical Center,
The Stranger (1973),
The Delphi Bureau, The Lie (1973),
Shaft,
I Heard the Owl Call My Name (1973),
Love Story,
The Hanged Man (1974), The Great Lester Boggs (1974),
So Sad About Gloria (1975),
The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case (1976),
Harry O,
Hunter,
End of the World (1977), and
Evil Town (1977). He played the syndicate boss in
Game of Death (1978) as the nemesis of
Bruce Lee. Jagger's later appearances included
The Waltons, ''
Gideon's Trumpet (1980) and Alligator'' (1980). He won a
Daytime Emmy award for a guest appearance in the religious series
This Is the Life. His last role was as Dr. David Domedion in the
St. Elsewhere season-three finale "Cheers" in 1985. Dean Jagger has a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1523 Vine Street for his contribution to motion pictures. ==Personal life and death==