- Born
- Died
- Birth nameDoris Josephine Davenport
- Doris Davenport was born in Moline, IL, but grew up in Hollywood. Samuel Goldwyn gave her the part of Eddie Cantor's sweetheart in his musical Kid Millions (1934) after seeing her work as a Goldwyn Girl. As Doris Jordan, she tested for the part of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind (1939) and was one of the finalists. That test interested Goldwyn enough to cast her opposite Gary Cooper in The Westerner (1940) where she did good work. But Goldwyn wasn't as impressed and her career ended soon after. She died on June 18, 1980 at age 63.
- IMDb mini biography by: sandlot3
- SpouseGarland Weaver(April 12, 1938 - July 18, 1941) (divorced)
- ParentsGail Jasper DavenportNeva Russell Ellis
- According to David Ragan's "Who's Who In Hollywood", her career ended shortly after she had completed "The Westerner" due to a car crash in which her legs were crushed, so that for the remainder of her life she could not walk without the use of a cane.
- Retired 3 months after filming "The Westerner".
- Director William Wyler was adamant that he did not want Davenport as female lead in The Westerner, thinking, that she was a weak actress at best, but producer Samuel Goldwyn, who owned the studio, signed the paychecks, and wanted to build Davenport into a contract star, had final say.
Wyler's first choice for the part of Jane Ellen Matthews was his actress-wife, Margaret Tallichet. - Was most critical to the plot of Wyler's 'The Westerner' (1940), which pitted the wiles of Gary Cooper against those of Walter Brennan.
- Tested for the role of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind (1939).
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