Jennifer Gan Explained

Jennifer Gan
Birthname:Virginia Gan
Birth Date:2 March 1938
Birth Place:Detroit, Michigan, US
Death Place:Los Angeles, California, US
Yearsactive:1958–1972
Occupation:Actress
Other Names:Ginny Gan

Jennifer Gan (March 2, 1938 – September 15, 2000) was an American stage, film and television actress. She appeared in sixteen film and TV titles in the 1960s and early 1970s.

Career as Ginny Gan

A life member of The Actors Studio,[1] she first began her career as Ginny Gan on the stage in musicals such as Li'l Abner in 1958, The Pink Jungle in 1959 starring Ginger Rogers and Agnes Moorehead,[2] and No Strings in 1962. She made her first TV appearance in a popular Alfred Hitchcock Hour episode in late 1964. She then appeared on stage in the musical Guys and Dolls, in 1965 with actress Sheila MacRae.[3]

She was seen again in the spring of 1967 when making four more film and TV appearances. She appeared in the James Coburn spy spoof sequel In Like Flint and his tongue in cheek western Waterhole No. 3. She then appeared in an episode in the last season of the hit TV show The Monkees. She also had an uncredited role in the hit film Valley of the Dolls. She also appeared in the stage play The Two Gentlemen of Verona.[4]

In 1968, she appeared in an episode in the last season of the hit TV show Batman. She then was cast in the hit family comedy film Yours, Mine and Ours. She had a speaking role with Henry Fonda in the coffee house scenes when he was on his big first date with Lucille Ball in the popular film.

Career as Jennifer Gan

In 1969, she changed her name to Jennifer Gan and continued performing until late 1972. She made appearances in episodes of The Virginian and Ironside. She then began a professional association with Roger Corman that lasted through two B movies. The first was Naked Angels where she starred as a biker chick, clad in leather and lace.[5] The film featured a soundtrack co-written by fuzz guitarist Jeff Simmons. She also appeared as a dancer in the feature film Hello, Dolly!. In 1970, she appeared in a first-season episode of the popular TV shows Love, American Style and Marcus Welby, M.D.. In 1971, she starred in her second Roger Corman film, Women in Cages.[6] In 1972, she appeared in an episode of Nichols and made an appearance in the film The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid. She made her final onscreen appearance in a fourth-season episode of Marcus Welby, M.D., in 1972.

Gan died on September 15, 2000. Her cause of death remains unknown.

Stage credits

DateProductionRole
1958Li'l AbnerStupefyin' Jones
1959The Pink JungleDancer
1962No StringsDancer
1965Guys and DollsDancer
1967The Two Gentlemen of VeronaDancer

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotesWorked With
1964Alfred Hitchcock HourFirst WorkerEpisode: "Consider Her Ways"
1967In Like FlintAmazon #2 Feature film credited as Ginny GanJames Coburn, Jean Hale, Lee J. Cobb, Anna Lee
1967Waterhole No. 3Dove Feature film uncreditedJames Coburn, Carroll O'Connor, Claude Akins, James Whitmore, Bruce Dern
1967The MonkeesAnnS2:E10, "The Wild Monkees"Michael Nesmith, Davey Jones, Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork, Henry Corden, Norman Grabowski
1967Valley of the DollsShow Girl Actress Feature film uncreditedBarbara Parkins
1968BatmanFirst PolicewomanEpisode: "Nora Clavicle and the Ladies' Crime Club"Larry Gelman, Jean Byron
1968Yours, Mine and OursFirst Young LadyFeature film credited as Ginny GanHenry Fonda, Lucille Ball, Van Johnson
1969The VirginianMinnieEpisode: "The Ordeal"Doug McClure, Robert Pine
1969IronsideChickieEpisode: "Puzzlelock"Don Galloway
1969Naked AngelsMarleneFeature film star billingMichael Greene, Richard Rust, Corey Fischer, Penelope Spheeris
1969Hello, Dolly!Miss BoliviaFeature film uncreditedDance troupe
1970Love, American StyleGorgeous RedheadSegment: "Love and the King"Herb Edelman, Kathie Browne
1970 Marcus Welby, M.D.Raylene KohlEpisode: "Nobody Wants a Fat Jockey"
1971Women in CagesCarol “Jeff” JeffriesFeature film star billingPam Grier, Roberta Collins
1972NicholsGloriaEpisode: "The Unholy Alliance"James Garner, Margot Kidder, Noam Pitlik, Neva Patterson, Stuart Margolin, John Beck, Liam Dunn
1972The Great Northfield Minnesota RaidAbbie Feature film uncreditedCliff Robertson, Dana Elcar
1972Marcus Welby, M.D.Marcia DennyEpisode: "We'll Walk Out of Here Together"Robert Young, Dana Elcar, Ann Doran

Notes and References

  1. Book: Garfield, David . A Player's Place: The Story of The Actors Studio. registration. 1980. MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc.. New York. 0-02-542650-8. 278. Appendix: Life Members of The Actors Studio as of January 1980.
  2. Google Books https://books.google.com/books?id=BouxUlFDgc4C&dq=ginny+gan&pg=PA25 Ginger Rogers The Pink Jungle
  3. Google Books https://books.google.com/books?id=bOgZAQAAIAAJ&q=ginny+gan Sheila MacRae Guys & Dolls
  4. Google Books https://books.google.com/books?id=U-lkAAAAMAAJ&q=ginny+gan Two Gentlemen of Verona
  5. DVD Talk http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/58183/naked-angels/ Naked Angels
  6. Google Books Women in Cages