Carole Mathews

Carole Mathews, born Jean Deifel on September 13, 1920, in Montgomery, Illinois, was an American actress whose career spanned film, television, and Broadway. She is also credited in some early work under the name Jeanne Francis. Mathews died on November 6, 2014, at the age of 94.

Raised in the Chicago area after her parents divorced, Mathews lived with her grandmother and attended elementary schools in Aurora, Illinois, before completing her secondary education at Calumet High School in Chicago. Following graduation, she entered a nunnery in Milwaukee, but her grandmother persuaded her to leave, advising her to wait until she turned 21. Mathews went on to study ballet, voice, and drama at the Chicago Conservatory of Music and Drama. During this period she also hosted a radio program on WGN called Breakfast Time with Carole Mathews and pursued modeling work.

In 1938, Mathews was named Miss Chicago, an honor that brought with it a trip to California and a screen test. While there, she auditioned for the Earl Carroll Follies and secured a role in the 1939 production. That same year she began appearing in film bit parts under the name Jeanne Francis.

Mathews made her Broadway appearance in 1950, playing the role of Karen Jackson in With a Silk Thread. Her television work included appearances on ABC Stage 67 in 1967, Police Woman in 1977, and four episodes of General Hospital in 1983. She also appeared in the Hallmark Hall of Fame television film Fame in 1978.