Tess Of The D'Urbervilles - Comparing The Three Adaptations

              The Life And Tragic Death Of A Forgotten Starlet   

Mention the name Jenny Maxwell and many people - including classic film and TV buffs, probably won't know who you're talking about, but the moment you mention the girl Elvis Presley spanked in Blue Hawaii (1961), they may have a hint of recognition. Other than that, she's not particularly well-remembered today, but she had a fairly prolific career in television and appeared in four feature films. The only other reason people may know her name is because of the mystery surrounding her untimely death at age 39. It was not just a tragically early death, but a brutal one - she died of a gunshot wound to the head, in the lobby of her Beverly Hills condominium on June 10, 1981. Her estranged husband, attorney and former sheriff's deputy Ervin "Tip" Roeder (pronounced Raider) had also been shot and had been taken to the hospital, where he too, would die of his wound a few hours later. Because Jenny had retired from acting in 1969 in order to devote more time to her young son, when the police were first called to the scene, they were not aware that she had been an actress, they knew her only as Jennifer Roeder; at first, no one connected the dots. To add to the confusion surrounding the crime, a reporter who came on the scene jumped to the conclusion that it was a robbery gone wrong (although nothing was stolen from the victims) and for years, that was the only information publicly available.  It was something that frustrated me for several years when I first heard of this case. How could there not be more to it? Until recently, I had been led to believe that Tip Roeder died at the scene as Jenny did, but that turned out not to be the case (more about this later).

Jennifer Helene Maxwell was the only child of Norweigan immigrants, Jonas "Johnny" Myksvoll, and Annie Breivik. Johnny Americanized his surname to Maxwell, and the proud parents named their daughter (who was born in Brooklyn, New York, on September 3, 1941) after her grandmothers. Johnny Maxwell was a construction worker in Manhattan and Annie was a stay-at-home mother. Jenny was the center of her parents' lives and they doted on her; her father called her "Jenny Penny". While she had her mother and father's undivided attention, as an only child, she enjoyed it whenever her cousins came to visit. From an early age, Jenny loved to put on plays and after seeing Roman Holiday (1953) at Radio City Music Hall, the 12-year-old became enthralled with the magic of the movies and adopted Audrey Hepburn as her idol. After expressing her desire to be an actress to her parents, she was soon after enrolled in the Violet Hill School of Drama. While taking drama and dance classes, she also did some professional modeling.

In her second TV guest spot, "Father Knows Best" (1959)

In 1958, director Vincente Minnelli stopped by the Violet Hill School to visit an old friend, Gubie Mann, who just happened to be Jenny's instructor. Minnelli noticed the pretty 16-year-old and asked her if she would like to do a screen test. Jenny was thrilled, but her parents, especially Johnny, were hesitant to allow their precious daughter to go to Hollywood. However, Jenny and her mother managed to convince Johnny, and off she and Annie went to California. Although Jenny ultimately did not get the part in the film, her newly acquired agent, Lillian Small, secured a guest spot on the television series, Bachelor Father in the episode, Bentley And The Teenage Siren (1958). The part got her noticed, and soon more offers came in. Lillian Small decided to play up Jenny's Scandinavian heritage and told the press that Jenny was from Norway, and enhanced a distant connection to Marilyn Monroe - the man who was often claimed to be her father, Martin Mortenson, was of Norweigan descent and his parents came from Haugesund, which was the hometown of Jenny's mother Annie. This became part of the publicity to build up Jenny - that she was distantly related to Marilyn, although there is no documentation to back this up. Still, it worked very well, and soon after Jenny was cast in an episode of Father Knows Best, playing a love interest of Bud Anderson (Billy Gray) in Two Loves Has Bud (1959). Her competition for Bud's affection was portrayed by Roberta Shore. It was on the set that Jenny met her first husband, assistant director Paul Rapp, the son of comedy writer Phillip Rapp. The two hit it off immediately, and the 17-year-old girl was soon madly in love with the 21-year-old up-and-coming A.D.  Perhaps Jenny sensed that her parents would not approve of her marrying so young, and outside of her Lutheran faith, so she and Paul eloped to Yuma, Arizona on April 17, 1959. Johnny and Annie were outraged, as was Lillian Small. 

Jenny and Paul Rapp

A contract with CBS was all set, and Jenny had been given a small role in her first feature film, the then-controversial Blue Denim (1959). Lillian was furious that Jenny had compromised her career by getting married, and was afraid that if the news got out, it would ruin Jenny's career, something that she had worked so hard to put in motion. Lillian wanted Jenny and Paul to annul their marriage, but a compromise was ultimately reached - they would keep the news of the nuptials quiet as long as possible. While she loved Paul, Jenny also loved her career and wanted very much to be a star, so she was willing to keep her marriage under the radar. It took several months before Johnny and Annie came around, as they resented Paul for marrying their only child, making her a teenage bride. 

Posing at home, circa 1962

Jenny with Carol Lynley, Warren Berlinger, and Roberta Shore in "Blue Denim" (1959)

Blue Denim (1959) was about teen pregnancy, a daring subject for a feature film at that time. The movie reunited Jenny with Roberta Shore, and the lead teenage stars were Carol Lynley, Brandon de Wilde, and Warren Berlinger. Although her part was small and she was uncredited, Jenny's screen time was substantial and the film was a success.

A typical publicity photo, circa 1961

Jenny and Elvis Presley in "Blue Hawaii" (1961)

Soon after, Jenny appeared on episodes of Bonanza and Pony Express. As her career progressed, her marriage to Paul Rapp was becoming increasingly strained and volatile. He was jealous of other men working with his wife, or even looking at her. A truce was called, and Jenny discovered she was pregnant in late 1959. It was a time of crisis for the young couple, and Jenny knew that her career would have to be put on hold. However, Jenny's parents assured her that everything would be all right. Jenny and Paul's son Brian was born in late July 1960. She loved her baby boy dearly and for a time, she hoped that she and Paul could salvage their marriage. Lillian Small did what she could to help Jenny resume her career after giving birth and got her a guest role on an episode of The Twilight Zone, Long Distance Call (1960), which is considered one of the best episodes of that iconic series. She was also named one of the Hollywood Deb Stars of 1960 that fall. Then Jenny was cast in the film for which she would become best known - Blue Hawaii (1961). She got along famously with Elvis Presley and enjoyed the location work in Hawaii, but Paul was less than thrilled with the thought of Jenny working so closely with the King Of Rock 'N Roll and insisted upon accompanying her to the shoot. Brian actually took his first steps on the beach, encouraged by Elvis. 

Jenny at home in Los Angeles, circa 1961

With Fabian in the "Bus Stop" episode, "A Lion Walks Among Us" (1961)

Back at home in Los Angeles, her TV career continued to gain momentum. She appeared in several popular TV shows, such as Dr. Kildare, Pete And Gladys, Wagon Train, Room For One More, Hawaiian Eye, 77 Sunset Strip, and two appearances on Route 66, the second of which, Journey To Nineveh, teamed her with comedy legends Buster Keaton and Joe E. Brown. She also appeared alongside the teen idol Fabian Forte in the controversial Bus Stop episode, A Lion Walks Among Us (1961). Fabian's portrayal of a psychopathic drifter was considered too disturbing for the time and the series was ultimately canceled because of it. Jenny portrayed a local girl who becomes infatuated with Fabian's character. Although the episode caused a furor at the time, it got Fabian noticed for serious dramatic roles and Dick Powell gave him a guest spot on his TV series, The Dick Powell Show as a result. 

With George Maharis and Joe E. Brown in the "Route 66" episode, "Journey To Nineveh" (1962)

"Take Her, She's Mine" (1963) with Sandra Dee and Cynthia Pepper

Jenny suffered a devastating personal loss in December of 1961, when Lillian Small, her agent, and second mother, died of cancer at the age of 61. She soon got a new agent, Jacob Ellis, but no one could replace Lillian and he wasn't able to guide her career as Jenny's previous agent had. Perhaps the loss of Lillian brought out a rebellious streak in Jenny, as she found herself caught up in the Hollywood nightlife, often leaving Brian unattended. Paul was understandably angry, and Jenny, too immature and irresponsible for motherhood, didn't seem to grasp the potential danger of leaving her toddler home alone. Jenny and Paul separated in late 1962 and Jenny filed for divorce which became final in January of 1963. She was initially given custody of Brian, but her careless and wild lifestyle led to her parents supporting their former son-in-law, and Paul was given full custody of Brian and Jenny was only allowed to have limited visitation. It was a bitter pill and Jenny banished her parents from her life. She had landed a small supporting role in Take Her, She's Mine (1963) as one of Sandra Dee's college roommates. She and Sandra got along well and Jenny became friendly with her co-star Cynthia Pepper, as well as Phillipe Forquet, the young French actor who played Sandra's love interest. Forquet's girlfriend and soon-to-be fiancee was none other than the ill-fated Sharon Tate, whom Jenny befriended. 

Jenny and French actor Tod Windsor enjoy a night on the town

Jenny in her last feature film, "Shotgun Wedding" (1963)

Jenny's final feature film was the eerily titled Shotgun Wedding (1963), a low-budget comedy. While she continued her lifestyle of partying, drinking, smoking weed, and wild affairs, her television career began to dry up, and she started reflecting on the poor choices she had made. She missed her parents and she was only allowed to see her little boy for a few hours a week. As much as she loved acting, she wanted something more fulfilling. After returning to Brooklyn to reconcile with her mother and father, she decided she wanted to be a mother to Brian on a regular basis.

A brunette Jenny in "The Eleventh Hour" episode, "87 Different Kinds Of Love" (1964)

"The F.B.I." episode, "Pound Of Flesh" (1965)

In 1967, the same judge who had awarded Jenny's ex-husband Paul Rapp full custody of their son three years prior gave her regular visitation. He was touched by the change in Jenny and felt she deserved a second chance to be a mother. She knew that Paul would be skeptical and that he disliked her intensely (and the feeling was mutual), but she did her best to convince him and the judge that she had changed, and her parents stood behind her. Jenny came to the realization that she couldn't be the kind of mother she wanted to be and that Brian needed if she was an actress, so she decided to give up her career after she completed her guest appearance on The Wild, Wild West. Brian continued to live with his father but spent weekends and every other holiday with his mother. With her career behind her, Jenny knew she needed to have a life of financial stability for herself and Brian, and she felt that her new boyfriend, Ervin "Tip" Roeder, would be a good provider. Although Tip was charismatic and entertaining enough to draw people to him, he seemed to have trouble maintaining long-lasting relationships, romantic or otherwise. If this bothered Jenny, she didn't show it. There were, however, some strange and sinister coincidences that connected Jenny, Tip, Paul, Nick Adams, his estranged wife Carol Nugent and Elvis Presley.

Jenny and Nick Adams in "The Joey Bishop Show" episode, "The Big Date" (1962)

 

In 1962, Jenny had co-starred alongside Nick Adams in The Joey Bishop Show episode, The Big Date. Nick had been friends with Elvis Presley and was one of Tip Roeder's few close friends. Interestingly, Jenny would not meet Tip for a few years, but it's a very eerie coincidence. At the time of Nick Adams' tragic passing in 1968 (whether it was a suicide, an accidental overdose, or murder is still debated today), his estranged wife, actress Carol Nugent, was dating and would later marry Jenny's ex-husband, Paul Rapp. Tip claimed to have discovered Nick's body, but the suspicious circumstances surrounding his death, Tip's unsavory reputation, and the fact that some of Nick's personal belongings disappeared from his home have led many to believe that Tip Roeder was responsible for his death, either directly or indirectly (the actor's children, who have long believed that their father's death was suspicious, subscribe to this theory).

Jenny strikes a Marilyn Monroe-like pose at a Hollywood event, circa 1963

 

 Jenny and Tip Roeder, 1977 (photo courtesy of Buddy Moorehouse) 

Tip Roeder was twenty years older than Jenny and three times divorced. He had five daughters but wasn't much of a parent. His bad temper, penchant for collecting firearms, and rumored mafia connections didn't make him seem like good husband material, but he was also wealthy and could give Jenny and Brian a secure and comfortable lifestyle. It was very likely a marriage of convenience for Tip as well, who enjoyed the perks of having a beautiful young wife who was a former actress. Jenny's friends and family felt that the marriage was a mistake and merely tolerated Tip. The couple wed in February of 1970 but the union was in trouble early on. 

Jenny with her father Johnny and son Brian, 1977

Annie Maxwell died of cancer in August of that same year. The loss of her mother made Jenny even more conscious of the importance of family and she did her best to arrange for her father to visit her and Brian as often as possible. Johnny, like many others, disliked Tip but enjoyed spending time with Jenny and his grandson. Although in the beginning, Jenny did her best to make the marriage work, she discovered that Tip was having affairs and she retaliated by forming her own dalliances, albeit mostly one-night stands. She enjoyed being with Brian and her friends and giving parties, but life with Tip was becoming intolerable. Jenny wanted out of the marriage after a few years in, but she was persuaded by an attorney to wait 10 years so that she would get more in a divorce settlement. After Jenny filed for divorce, she moved into a condo in Beverly Hills. Tip was furious, knowing that she would ask for and likely get a large settlement, and he was adamant that she would get nothing. 

On June 9, 1981, Jenny underwent minor surgery at Cedars-Sinai hospital, and Tip offered to pick her up the following day, take her out to lunch and drop her off at her condo. Jenny's friends were wary of this, but Jenny may have thought that Tip was trying to make peace, so she agreed. When they arrived at the condo, Jenny was shot near the elevator and died instantly, while Tip was shot in the stomach and managed to stagger out onto the sidewalk, and called out for help. He died on the operating table a few hours later, never uttering a single word about what happened. The detectives who investigated the case came to the conclusion, after questioning Tip's business associates, that he had hired someone to kill Jenny and injure him so that no one would suspect him of being involved in her death. However, his injury ended up being more fatal than he intended. 

While this is a very strong and plausible theory, the case remains open because there is no suspect. It also can't be denied that Tip Roeder had many enemies. Paul Rapp had the heartbreaking task of informing Brian that his mother had been murdered. To add insult to injury, because Jenny had no will and was still legally married to Tip, that made him her closest next of kin, and because he had briefly survived her, that meant that by law, all of her money and possessions automatically went to Tip's next of kin - his children from his prior marriages. Brian asked Tip's daughters for his mother's belongings but they refused to give him anything. Johnny Maxwell never recovered from the death of his only daughter. He couldn't bring himself to attend Jenny's funeral, and he refused to speak about her for the rest of his life. He followed Jenny to the grave two years later. Jenny never met her grandsons, but Brian made sure that they knew who their grandmother was and saw much of her work. 

Jenny Maxwell's story is one with many ups and downs, and can easily be seen as a cautionary tale of a young girl who was exposed to stardom before she was ready to handle it, and who didn't always make the best choices. Ultimately, however, she did her best to turn her life around, achieved a loving reconciliation with her son, and was looking forward to starting a new chapter in her life - and possibly restarting her acting career. It's a tragedy that she never had the chance to do that and that her family and friends lost someone so dear to them.  With more classic TV series being released on DVD and Blu-ray, more of her work has become available. 

For more information about Jenny Maxwell, please check out the book, Murder Of An Elvis Girl: Solving The Jenny Maxwell Case by Buddy Moorehouse (the son of Jenny's first cousin), which is available to purchase from Amazon.