Doreen Denning

  1. Jean Seberg, Saint Joan, 1957.    In Marshalltown, Iowa, Seberg was the baby-sitter for Mary Beth Hurt, who grew up to play Seberg (in voice-over) in the documentary, From the Journals of Jean Seberg, 1995. The script had her revealing that both Jane Fonda and Vanessa Redgrave tested for director-ogre Otto Preminger. Plus such unlikely Joans as Ursula Andress, Julie Andrews, Anne Bancroft, Claire Bloom, Carol Burnett, Joan Collins, Angie Dickinson, Shirley MacLaine, Mary Tyler Moore, Debbie Reynolds, Maggie Smith, Liz Taylor and… Mamie Van Doren! Barbara Streisand auditioned in New York where it came down to Seberg and two others. Denning and Kelli Blaine “were more polished,” noted set photographer Bob Willoughby, “but Jean had the sincerity Otto was after.” And the guts. After tons of takes, Otto asked if she was tired… “Mr Preminger, I’m willing to go on and on with this until you drop dead.”

 Birth year: Death year: Other name: Casting Calls:  1