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Jenny Maxwell was an American actress of Norwegian descent. She had a relatively brief career during the late 1950s and the 1960s. Her most substantial role was that of Ellie Corbett in the musical comedy Blue Hawaii (1961), depicted as a flirtatious teenage girl who has suicidal thoughts.
Maxwell was born in New York City. Her father was reportedly a construction worker. The original family name was "Moksvold", but was Americanized to "Maxwell". In news reports of the 1950s, it was claimed that Maxwell was a cousin of fellow actress Marilyn Monroe. This connection was used for publicity reasons, but it is unclear whether it was an actual relation or a mere fabrication.
In 1958, Maxwell was "discovered" by film director Vincente Minnelli. He had brought her to Hollywood, where she auditioned for a substantial role in the drama Some Came Running (1958). Maxwell did not get this part, but was offered guest star roles in television. She appeared in then-popular television series, such as Bachelor Father (1957), Father Knows Best (1954), and Bonanza (1959).
In 1959, Maxwell made her film debut in the dramaBlue Denim (1959). The film concerned teenage pregnancy and teenagers raising the funds needed for an abortion. It was based on a theatrical play by James Leo Herlihy. Maxwell's role was uncredited, though her character did receive a name.
In 1961, Maxwell received a substantial role in Blue Hawaii (1961). Though she was not the film's female lead, Maxwell appeared in several of its key scenes, and her character was depicted as a 17-year-old girl trying to seduce the film's protagonist Chadwick "Chad" Gates (played by Elvis Presley), while feeling that nobody loves her and considering suicide. Her character received plenty of screen-time, and had its own subplots within the film. The film was a box office hit, the 10th highest-grossing film of 1961. This was probably the height of Maxwell's career.
In 1963, Maxwell had a small role in the comedy Take Her, She's Mine (1963). The film concerned a father and daughter relationship, with a middle-aged father worried because his college-aged daughter is hanging out with beatniks. The film was a box office flop, grossing less than its own production costs.
In 1963, Maxwell had another role as a teenage girl in the comedy Shotgun Wedding (1963), whose character, Honey Bee Heller, wants to marry her boyfriend, who happens to be the son of her father's worst enemy. The film was a B-movie, mainly remembered because one of its screenwriters was the famous director A Kiss in the Tunnel (1899) (aka Ed Wood). This was Maxwell's last film's role.
Maxwell continued appearing in television roles throughout the 1960s, mostly in guest star roles. Her career was not particularly lucrative, and she reportedly faced financial problems. In 1970, she married her second husband, the affluent lawyer Ervin "Tip" Roeder. Roeder was 21 years older than she, but could provide for her. At that point, Maxwell retired from acting.
In the early 1970s, Maxwell and her husband settled in a large home, located on Cherokee Lane in Beverly Hills. She decorated it in safari-style, and started inviting friends and associates for parties in her home. Roeder rarely attended these parties. Their marriage was reportedly turbulent, with the couple repeatedly trying to live separately and then reuniting. By 1980, Maxwell had started a divorce process. She was entitled to a "hefty" divorce settlement.
On June 9, 1981, Maxwell had a minor surgery at a hospital. While they lived separately at the time, Roeder offered to drive her home once she exited the hospital. She took the offer, though her friends distrusted Roeder. On June 10, Maxwell and Roeder visited a restaurant together. Afterwards, they drove to Roeder's residence in Beverly Hills.
Shortly afterwards, someone shot both Maxwell and Roeder. When Roeder called for help, Maxwell was already dead with "half her head blown away". Roeder died shortly afterwards, without identifying their assailant. Maxwell was 39 years old at the time of her death. The police attributed the deaths to a botched robbery, though nothing was stolen from Roeder's residence. The case remains officially unsolved.
In 2018, veteran journalist Buddy Moorehouse (a cousin of Maxwell) started researching the murder. He found out that the police had further theories on the murder, though with no known suspects. He used his research to publish the novel "Murder of an Elvis Girl: Solving the Jenny Maxwell Case" (2021), a fictionalized depiction of the murder case.
Maxwell is long gone, though she is still remembered for her relatively few notable roles. Her unsolved murder has attracted the interest of true-crime writers, and still attracts some publicity. She is probably more famous than many struggling actresses of her era.
