Jayne Meadows dies

Actress Jayne Meadows Cotter, who took turns lighting up the stage as well as the small and silver screens during her five-decade career, died Sunday at her home in Encino, California. She was 95.

Jayne Meadows

Meadows was married to legendary TV personality (and frequent collaborator) Steve Allen for 46 years until his death in 2000. She was also the sister of actress Audrey Meadows, who starred in the Jackie Gleason sitcom “The Honeymooners.”

Born in 1919 in Wuchang, China, where her parents were serving as Episcopal missionaries, Jayne came to the U.S. as a child.

Among her many Broadway performances, Meadows starred in “Many Happy Returns” (1945) with Mary Astor, “Kiss Them for Me” (1945) with Richard Widmark and “The Gazebo” (1958) with Walter Slezak.

Meadows' first movie role was in the 1946 film noir “Undercurrent,” with Katharine Hepburn and Robert Taylor. She also appeared in “Lady in the Lake” (1947) with Robert Montgomery and “Enchantment” (1948) with David Niven.

She was married to screenwriter Milton Krims before Allen.

Meadows was a regular panel member on the game show “I’ve Got a Secret” from 1952 to 1959. She got Emmy nominations for her roles in “Meeting Of Minds,” “St. Elsewhere” and “High Society” series.

Meadows is survived by her son Bill, three stepsons, three grandchildren, eight step-grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.