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Jean Hagen

Jean Hagen

Actor · Died August 29, 1977, aged 54 · Chicago, Illinois, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jean Hagen (born Jean Shirley Verhagen, August 3, 1923 – August 29, 1977) was an American actress best known for her role as Lina Lamont in Singin' in the Rain (1952), for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Hagen was also nominated three times for an Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Margaret Williams (1953–56) on the television series Make Room For Daddy. Her film debut was as a comical femme fatale in the Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn 1949 classic Adam's Rib, directed by George Cukor. The Asphalt Jungle (1950) provided Hagen with her first starring role alongside Sterling Hayden. Hagen received excellent reviews playing "Doll" Conover, a woman who sticks by criminal Dix's side until the bitter end. She appeared too in the film noir Side Street (1950) playing a gangster's sincere but none-too-bright nightclub-singer girlfriend. Hagen is best remembered for her comic performance in Singin' in the Rain as the vain and talentless silent movie star Lina Lamont. She received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for this memorable performance. By 1953, she had joined the cast of the television sitcom Make Room for Daddy. For her portrayal as the first wife of Danny Thomas, Hagen received three Emmy Award nominations, but after three seasons, she grew dissatisfied with the role and left the series. Thomas, who also produced the show, reportedly did not appreciate Hagen's departing the successful series, and her character was killed off rather than recast. 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 and played opposite Thomas successfully for the remainder of the series. In 1957 Hagen co-starred in an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents titled "Enough Rope for Two", portraying a woman who accompanies two thieves trying to retrieve stolen money from a desert mine shaft. She then appeared as Elizabeth in the 1960 episode "Once Upon a Knight" on CBS's anthology series The DuPont Show with June Allyson; and the following year she guest-starred on The Andy Griffith Show in the episode "Andy and the Woman Speeder". Although she made frequent guest appearances in various television series, Hagen was unable to successfully resume her film career in starring roles. After appearing with Fred MacMurray in the Disney comedy The Shaggy Dog (1959), Hagen 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 health began to decline and she spent many years hospitalized or under medical care. Much later, in 1976, she made a comeback of sorts playing character roles in episodes of the television series Starsky and Hutch and The Streets of San Francisco. She, however, made her final acting appearance the next year in the television movie Alexander: The Other Side of Dawn.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 3, 1923
Died
August 29, 1977 (aged 54)
From
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
22 on MovieCove · 39 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Up 5% in 30 days

What are Jean Hagen's films like?

Across their 17 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Drama6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 52nd percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 73rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 81st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 75th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
30%
Self
27%
Morality
22%
Power
11%
Survival
10%
Romantic love4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds6 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition5 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeMarriage3 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose3 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice3 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 17 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 6 · Serious 4 · Dark 7

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 13 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 6 · Charged 8 · Intense 3

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 9 · Shifting 8 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 12 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 4

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 7 · Even-paced 10 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

A split, not a type: Casual 8 · Engaged 9 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 16 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

8 analyzed roles

Usually the Ally: 6 of 8 analyzed roles.

Ally
6 of 8
Shapeshifter
1 of 8
Shadow
1 of 8
Show the 8 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
12
Melancholic
8
Contemplative
6
Joyful
4
Hopeful
5
Other
12

How their films linger

Bittersweet9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy7
  • Bittersweet9
  • Tragic1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Jean Hagen's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 12 of their 22 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (8).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Jean Hagen's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

39 credits, 22 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Becoming Marilyn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    as (archive footage)

  • Alexander: The Other Side of Dawn(1977)

    as Landlady

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Starsky and Hutch(1975)

    Show 1 episode · as Belle Kates

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • The Streets of San Francisco (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 1 episode · as Ms. Unger

  • Make Room for Granddaddy(1970)

    Show Actor

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all shows

  • Dead Ringer(1963)

    as Dede Marshall

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Panic in Year Zero!(1962)

    as Ann Baldwin

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Ben Casey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Dr. Kildare (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 1 episode · as Nurse Mary Ogilvy

  • Stagecoach West (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 1 episode · as Lilly de Milo

  • The Andy Griffith Show(1960)

    Show 1 episode · as Elizabeth Crowley

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Sunrise at Campobello(1960)

    as Missy Le Hand

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • The Snows of Kilimanjaro (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as Rhoda

  • The Detectives (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Alice Streger

  • The DuPont Show with June Allyson (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Elizabeth

  • The Shaggy Dog(1959)

    as Freeda Daniels

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Show 3 episodes · Actor

  • Wagon Train(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Maidie Brant · as Sarah Proctor

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows

  • Spring Reunion(1956)

    as Barna Forrest

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Show 1 episode · as Anne Madden

  • The Big Knife(1955)

    as Connie Bliss

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents(1955)

    Show 1 episode · as Madge Griffin

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Climax! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Show 1 episode · as Eleanor Gehrig

  • The Danny Thomas Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Show 90 episodes · as Margaret Williams

  • Latin Lovers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Anne Kellwood

  • Arena(1953)

    as Meg Hutchins

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Half a Hero(1953)

    as Martha Dobson

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • General Electric Theater (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Show 1 episode · as Paula Farrel

  • The Ford Television Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Show 1 episode · as Nona Carson

  • Shadow in the Sky(1952)

    as Stella Murphy

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Carbine Williams(1952)

    as Maggie Williams

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Singin' in the Rain(1952)

    as Lina Lamont

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • No Questions Asked(1951)

    as Joan Brenson

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Night Into Morning (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Girl Next Door

  • A Life of Her Own(1950)

    as Maggie Collins

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • The Asphalt Jungle(1950)

    as Doll Conovan

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Side Street (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Harriette Sinton

  • Ambush(1950)

    as Martha Conovan

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Adam's Rib(1949)

    as Beryl Caighn

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

Career shape

Star power in the 93rd percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 39 titles from 1949 to 2022.

Biggest box office

Singin' in the Rain (1952)

$2.1M worldwide

Highest rated

Singin' in the Rain (1952)

Midcredits 99th

Film career

Top draw in 2 MovieCove titles.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting39 of 39: 39 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score64th

By decade

1940s1 · acting1950s25 · acting1960s8 · acting1970s4 · acting2020s1 · acting

Billing

usually 4th · top billed in 0% of 8 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Jean Hagen's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 64th percentile, the median of all 17; across their 17 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 60th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

60thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Approval · how many liked their films

66thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Reach · how many have seen their films

54thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Midcredits score across 22 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up7
  • 50th to 74th11
  • 25th to 49th2
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

11 of their 22 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Crowd Pleaser11
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · actor

Alexander: The Other Side of Dawn (1977)

64th percentile spread · 18% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Singin' in the Rain (1952)

Midcredits 99th · 88% liked

Reviewers score the acting 71/100 in their films, across 17 reviewed titles; fans 79, detractors 50. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Jean Hagen's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore4 titlesmedian 27 · mildMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity4 titlesmedian 13 · minimalMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 2 · minimalMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 33 · mildMedian of all films: 33

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Jean Hagen work with?

People who share at least 2 of Jean Hagen's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; George Boemler shares the most, 3.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers