Jean Brooks

Jean Brooks (December 23, 1915, Houston, Texas - November 25, 1963, Richmond, California) born Ruby M. Kelly was an American film actress who appeared in over 30 films. She was raised in both New York City and Costa Rica, and was fluent in both English and Spanish. She never achieved major stardom in Hollywood, though she landed a number of prominent roles in the early 1940s. She eventually disappeared from Hollywood and died of complications from alcoholism. Brooks began her professional career as a singer at New York City's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. She adopted the name Jeanne Kelly for her entertainment career. (According to Jean's cousin, Gloria White, the name Ruby Kelly was abandoned for being too similar to Ruby Keeler.) With the...