Biography

With the film "Private Worlds" was the first actress to depict schizophrenia onscreen.

She and husband Hugo Butler were blacklisted in the 1950s and went to Mexico. They did not return to the United States on a permanent basis for thirteen years.

The author of several books, in 2001 she published "Refugees from Hollwood: A Journal of the Blacklist Years."

Daughter of playwright Aurania Rouverol.

Jean Rouverol (Butler) died on March 24, 2017 in Wingate, NY, at the age of 100. She was the daughter of playwright Aurarinia Ellerbeck and Joseph Rouverol. Her mother Aurania Rouverol, authored and originated the - "Andy Hardy" series, featuring a young Mickey Rooney for MGM films, guided her daughter into an acting performance career at a very early age. As a film actress, Jean appeared, at age 18, as W.C. Fields' daughter in "It's A Gift" (1934); in 1935, at age 19, Jean appeared in "Private Worlds" with Claudette Colbert, and "Stage Door" (1937) with Katharine Hepburn. Jean played opposite Gene Autry and Hopalong Cassidy in, respectively, "Western Jamboree" (1938) and "Bar 20 Rides Again (1935). She also played the role of Betty Carter on "One Man's Family," the long running radio broadcast soap opera. In 1940 Jean married film screenwriter Hugo Butler, with whom she had six children; son Michael, daughters Susan, Mary, Emily Butler McCoy, Deborah Butler Spiegelman and Becky Butler; survived by eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. In addition to developing her own writing career, Jean collaborated frequently with Hugo until his untimely death in 1968. Jean and Hugo co-wrote the screenplays for, among others, Paul Henreid's "So Young So Bad" (1950), Irvin Kershner's "Face in the Rain," and two films for director Robert Aldrich, "Autumn Leaves (1956) and cult favorite "The Legend of Lyle Clare" (1968).