Biography
Jacqueleen Loughery, a lively and glamorous redhead, gained fame as the first-ever Miss USA winner in 1952, at the pageant held in Long Beach, California.
Born in Brooklyn, she was the only child of Joseph Clark Loughery, a U.S. Navy captain, and Ellen (Avery) Loughery. Two years before her Miss USA victory, she had been crowned Miss New York State. Although initially reluctant to pursue more titles, she later said she was encouraged by "Uncle Miltie" (Milton Berle). She placed ninth in the Miss Universe competition. This success led to her signing with the Ward Kent modeling agency, and later that year, she secured a contract with Universal-International, expressing her desire to become a dramatic actress.
For the first five years, her acting ambitions remained unrealized, with roles limited to small parts and cameos. Her career improved when she landed the female lead in the 1956 Dean Martin-Jerry Lewis comedy Pardners. She then starred as Letty, the niece of Judge Roy Bean, in a 1955 western TV series. In 1957, she appeared in The D.I., a wartime drama starring Jack Webb, playing his love interest.
Romance blossomed during filming, and Jackie married Webb in June 1958 in Studio City, after divorcing her previous husband, actor and singer Guy Mitchell, citing mental cruelty and abuse. However, her second marriage was also troubled, ending in 1964 with similar reasons—Webb's dedication to his work strained the relationship, as it had with his previous wives.
After being dropped by Universal, she briefly signed with Howard Hughes’ RKO, but no film roles followed. As a freelancer, she appeared in a few B-movies, including a lead role in the obscure drama The Hot Angel (1958), and five episodes of The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (1950). Her remaining screen work consisted of occasional guest spots on prime time TV shows such as Bat Masterson (1958), Burke's Law (1963), and Perry Mason (1957).
By 1969, approaching forty and facing diminishing opportunities, she retired, remarking, "you don't quit acting, acting quits you." That same year, she married Jack William Schwietzer. This third marriage lasted four decades until his death in 2009, proving the saying "third time lucky.
