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Jena Engstrom
Jena Engstrom
Jena Engstrom
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Jena Engstrom is an American former television actress. She appeared in more than three dozen episodes of various television series from 1960 to 1964.

Key Information

Career

[edit]

Jena Engstrom began acting after graduating from high school[1] and first appeared on television in the 1960 episode "Adopted" of the ABC crime drama, The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor. She appeared in 37 television programs[citation needed] before making her final appearance opposite guest star Robert Culp in the 1964 episode, "The Stallion," of NBC's The Virginian.[2] She played a girl who had a crush on Steve Douglas in an October 19, 1961 episode of My Three Sons.

Mother and daughter

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Jena Engstrom is the daughter of actress Jean Engstrom[citation needed] whose television career (1955–1966)[3] overlapped her daughter's and whose career also included movie and regional stage appearances.[3][4] Most online databases and this article have listed only two of the three TV shows in which they appeared together.

The first of the two shows listed is the April 1961 episode of the CBS program Rawhide titled "Incident of the Lost Idol" in which they appeared as mother and daughter. They had only one brief scene together as the story was not about their relationship.

The second show listed is the January 1962 episode "To Sell Another Human Being" of ABC's The New Breed, starring Leslie Nielsen,[3] in which mother Jean played a wealthy woman who with her husband (played by Richard Arlen) adopt a baby through an adoption mill. The police get involved when the baby's natural mother, played by daughter Jena, tries to get her baby back.

The third television show in which they appeared together is an unidentified 30-minute religious program presented in 1961 in which they played mother and daughter. In this story a girl (Jena) has trouble relating to her parents until a session with teenagers at a church is recorded and the recording made available to the parents to listen to. Appearing in this show with Jean and Jena Engstrom are Robert Stevenson as Jena's father and Richard Evans as her boyfriend. This film, minus the opening and closing credits, has been posted on-line.[5]

Western series

[edit]

Twenty-one of Engstrom's thirty-seven roles were in television westerns. She appeared three times each on Have Gun, Will Travel, and Wagon Train, as well as Rawhide, twice each on Bonanza, Gunsmoke, and Laramie, and once each on The Tall Man, Death Valley Days, Frontier Circus, and Outlaws, as well as her final performance as an actress in The Virginian.

In "The Education of Sarah Jane" episode of Have Gun, Will Travel, Engstrom appeared as Sarah Jane. In the "Milly" episode of Gunsmoke, she played Milly Glover. In the episode "Chester’s Indian", Engstrom plays Callie Dill. In 1962, in one of her three appearances on Rawhide, she had the title role of "The Child-Woman" in an episode. In 1961, she portrayed Laurie Manson in "The Incident of the Lost Idol". She retired from acting in 1964, not long after appearing on Wagon Train and in an episode of Perry Mason in which she plays Vera Janel in "The Case of the Illicit Illusion". Her final television appearance was on The Virginian in an episode broadcast in September 1964, "The Black Stallion".

Illness

[edit]

Engstrom left acting in 1964, possibly because of health considerations. In 1963, she was cast in what was to have been a recurring role of Jennie in the series The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters, starring Kurt Russell,[6] but had to give up the role because of illness and was replaced by Donna Anderson.[7][8]

In June 1964, she was replaced again because of ill health by Davey Davison in the episode "Children of Calamity" of Richard Crenna's CBS drama series, Slattery's People.[9]

Confused credits

[edit]

The acting credits of mother Jean and daughter Jena were confused at the time they were active in the business resulting in mixed credits in newspapers and problems with pay checks.[1] For a long time the credits were confused on many Internet databases, and while some errors still exist, many have been corrected.[citation needed]

DVDs

[edit]

Several of the television series listed below have been released by their studios on DVDs that are available for sale or for rent.

Television Roles

[edit]

Note: "Episode" column: 2.9 indicates Season 2, Episode 9, etc.

AIR DATE[10] SHOW EPISODE EPISODE TITLE CHARACTER NOTES DVD
Nov. 25, 1960 The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor 2.9 "Adopted"[11] Ann Martin 1st of 2 appearances on this show.
Feb. 5, 1961 Shirley Temple Theatre 2.19 "The Fawn"[12] Kathy
Feb. 25, 1961 Have Gun, Will Travel 4.23 "Fatal Flaw" [13] Cassandra Langford 1st of 3 appearances on this show. Yes
Mar. 14, 1961 The Red Skelton Hour 10.17 "Freddy and the Baby"[14] Young Woman (Baby's Mother) Yes
Apr. 19, 1961 The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet 9.30 "Selling Rick's Drums"[15] Betty Hamilton Yes
Apr. 28, 1961 Rawhide 3.24 "Incident of the Lost Idol"[16] Laurie Manson 1st of 3 appearances on this show. Mother Jean Engstrom also appears in this episode. Yes
Jun. 11, 1961 The Asphalt Jungle 1.11 "The Kidnapping" Karen Meriden
Sep. 23, 1961 Have Gun, Will Travel 5.2 "The Education of Sarah Jane"[17] Sarah Jane Darrow 2nd of 3 appearances on this show. Yes
Oct. 1, 1961 Bonanza 3.2 "Springtime"[18] Ann 1st of 2 appearances on this show. Yes
Oct. 12, 1961 My Three Sons 2.3 "The Crush"[19] Mary Beth Jackson Yes
Oct. 14, 1961 The Tall Man 2.6 "An Item for Auction"[20] Mary Susan Naylack Yes
Oct. 23, 1961 Death Valley Days 10.7 "Storm Over Truckee"[21] Maggie Woolf Billed as Jenna Engstrom.
Oct. 30, 1961 The Everglades 1.4 "Primer for Pioneers" [22] Memory Jacks The series is listed as "Everglades!" in the opening credits.
Nov. 1, 1961 Wagon Train 5.6 "The Jenna Douglas Story"[23] Sue Thompson Yes
Nov. 2, 1961 Outlaws 2.5 "The Night Riders"[24] Louise Nichols
Nov. 25, 1961 Gunsmoke 7.9 "Milly"[25] Milly Glover 1st of 2 appearances on this show. Yes
Dec. 26, 1961 Laramie 3.13 "The Lawless Seven" [26] Ginny Hawks 1st of 2 appearances on this show. Yes
Jan. 16, 1962 The New Breed 1.16 "To Sell Another Human Being"[3] Mother Jean Engstrom also appears in this episode.
Mar. 2, 1962 The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor 3.20 "Night Boat" [27] Frances 2nd of 2 appearances on this show.
Mar. 14, 1962 Wagon Train 5.24 "The Amos Billings Story"[28] Loan 2nd of 2 appearances on this show. Yes
Mar. 17, 1962 Have Gun, Will Travel 5.26 "Alice" [29] Maya Ferguson 3rd of 3 appearances on this show. Yes
Mar. 23, 1962 Rawhide 4.24 "The Child-Woman"[30] Posie Mushgrove 2nd of 3 appearances on this show. Yes
Apr. 5, 1962 Frontier Circus 1.20 "Mighty Like Rogues"[31] Betsy Ross Jukes Yes
May 12, 1962 Gunsmoke 7.32 "Chester's Indian" [32] Callie Dill 2nd of 2 appearances on this show. Yes
Oct. 26, 1962 Rawhide 5.5 "Incident of the Four Horsemen"[33] Amy Galt 3rd of 3 appearances on this show. Yes
Nov. 5,1962 Stoney Burke 1.6 "A Matter of Pride"[34] Meryle Hill Yes
Nov. 13, 1962 Laramie 4.7 "The Sunday Shoot"[35] Nancy Tilford 2nd of 2 appearances on this show. Yes
Dec. 2, 1962 Bonanza 4.10 "The Deadly Ones"[36] Molly Reed 2nd of 2 appearances on this show. Yes
Jan. 11, 1963 Route 66 3.16 "You Can't Pick Cotton in Tahiti" [37] Elva Dupree Yes
Feb. 7, 1963 Dr. Kildare 2.18 "Good Luck Charm"[38] Marcia Laverly Yes
Apr. 17, 1963 The Eleventh Hour 1.27 "Try to Keep Alive Until Next Tuesday" Marian Snyder Yes
May 23, 1963 The Doctors and the Nurses 1.30 "Bitter Pill"[39] Jean Wheeler The show was called The Nurses during the first season.
Sep 15, 1963 The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters 1.1 "The Day of Leaving"[40] Jennie Jena Engstrom was replaced after this pilot episode because of illness
Feb. 7, 1964 77 Sunset Strip 6.20 "Queen of the Cats"[41] Marian Armstrong Final episode of this series.77 Sunset Strip
Mar. 30, 1964 Wagon Train 7.20 "The Santiago Quesada Story"[42] Kim Case 3rd of 3 appearances on this show. Yes
Apr. 9, 1964 Perry Mason 7.25 "The Case of the Ilicit Illusion"[43] Vera Janel Yes
Sep. 30, 1964 The Virginian 3.3 "The Black Stallion"[2] Jodie Wingate Episode also called "The Stallion" Yes

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Jena Engstrom

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Jena Engstrom (born Liana Jeanne Moon; June 30, 1942) is an American former actress best known for her brief but prolific career in television during the early . Born in , , she appeared in more than three dozen television episodes and series, often portraying young women in Westerns, dramas, and crime shows. The daughter of actress and Elliott Ervin Engstrom, Jena began acting in her late teens, debuting in 1960 in episodes of popular series such as and gaining prominence in shows like Perry Mason (1957–1966), (1957–1965), Rawhide (1959–1965), and The Virginian (1962–1971). Her roles showcased versatility, ranging from supporting characters in legal dramas to frontier settlers in Westerns, contributing to her recognition in the of American television. Engstrom's career abruptly ended in 1964 due to a serious illness that forced her retirement from at age 22; she has since maintained a low public profile. Despite the short duration, her work remains notable for its quality and frequency in acclaimed anthology and episodic formats of the era.

Early Life

Birth and Family

Jena Engstrom was born Liana Jeanne Moon on June 30, 1942, in , California, to parents Richard Harold Moon and actress , who was born Flora Jean Bovie on July 25, 1920, in , . Her parents married on February 14, 1940, in , but divorced shortly after Jena's birth, around 1944. In 1946, remarried Elliott Ervin Engstrom (1920–2014), a businessman, who adopted Jena and legally changed her surname from Moon to Engstrom. Jean's acting career began in the 1940s with stage work in regional theater and early television appearances, establishing early Hollywood connections that later influenced her daughter's entry into the industry. Notable among her credits were guest roles in popular series such as , reflecting the family's immersion in the world.

Entry into Acting

Jena Engstrom entered the acting profession in the early 1960s, following in the footsteps of her mother, actress , whose own career in television and film began in the 1950s. The familial connection provided early exposure to the industry, with the two sharing overlapping professional circles in Hollywood during the late 1950s and early 1960s. Her first credited television role came in 1960, appearing as Ann Martin in the episode "Adopted" of The Detectives. These minor roles helped build her early resume amid the expanding landscape of network television. In , Engstrom secured a credited part as Kathy in the episode "The Fawn" of the children's series , further establishing her presence in family-oriented programming. By the early , she was attending auditions regularly, leveraging her mother's industry ties for opportunities in a competitive Hollywood scene dominated by and Western series. As the television industry grew rapidly in the early , Engstrom transitioned to more consistent guest spots starting around 1960, including her role as Ann Martin in The Detectives (1959–1962), signaling the onset of her more active professional phase.

Professional Career

Television Appearances

Jena Engstrom maintained an active presence in television from 1960 to 1964, accumulating appearances in approximately 37 episodes spanning more than 20 different series, almost exclusively in guest-starring capacities. Her work exemplified the episodic format prevalent during that era, where she operated as a contract player without transitioning to leading roles or feature films. Engstrom's television portfolio showcased a broad range of genres, reflecting the diverse programming landscape of early 1960s American broadcast TV. She featured in dramatic series such as Route 66, where she portrayed Elva Dupree in the 1963 episode "You Can't Pick Cotton in ," and Dr. Kildare, appearing as the terminally ill Marcia Lavery in the 1963 installment "The Good Luck Charm." Anthology formats also highlighted her versatility, including a role in in 1961. Family-oriented comedies provided lighter fare, as seen in her performance as Mary Beth Jackson in the 1961 episode "The Crush." Her output peaked mid-career, with roughly five episodes in 1960, over ten in 1961, and about fifteen in 1962, before tapering to fewer appearances in 1963 and 1964. This trajectory underscored her rapid rise and substantial contributions to the medium within a compressed timeframe, all confined to the small screen without any credited feature film work.

Roles in Western Series

Jena Engstrom appeared in approximately 15 episodes of western television series between 1960 and 1964, often portraying young women navigating the challenges of frontier life, such as settlers, travelers, daughters, or reluctant accomplices in outlaws' schemes. These roles highlighted her ability to convey vulnerability and resilience, contributing to the genre's appeal during the early 1960s, a period when westerns dominated prime-time television before the widespread adoption of color broadcasting and more contemporary storytelling formats. In Rawhide, Engstrom guest-starred in multiple episodes from 1961 to 1962, including as Laurie Manson in "Incident of the Lost Idol," where she played the daughter in an family fleeing pursuit, and as Posie Mushgrove in "The Child-Woman," depicting a troubled teenager entangled in saloon life. Her performances in these installments underscored the series' themes of family dynamics and moral dilemmas on the cattle trail. Similarly, in Wagon Train, she appeared three times between 1961 and 1964, portraying characters like in "The Jenna Douglas Story," a young woman adopted by the after a traumatic encounter; Loan in "The Amos Billings Story," a naive figure deceived by con artists; and Kim Case in "The Santiago Quesada Story," a involved in a quest for hidden treasure. Engstrom's work extended to other prominent westerns, including two episodes of in 1961 and 1962: as Milly Glover in the titular "Milly," a 17-year-old escaping and abuse to seek for , and as in "Chester's Indian," a compassionate girl aiding a wounded Native American. She also featured in The Virginian as Jody Wingate in 1964's "The Stallion," where her character assists in rehabilitating an abused horse alongside a reclusive . In , she played three roles across 1961 and 1962, including Sarah Jane Darrow in "The Education of Sarah Jane," a feisty young woman caught in a . Additional appearances included Mary Susan in The Tall Man (1961) and Jennie in The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters (1963 pilot episode "The Day of Leaving"), a role originally envisioned as recurring but appearing only once.
SeriesYearsKey Episodes and Roles
Rawhide1961–1962"Incident of the Lost Idol" (Laurie Manson); "The Child-Woman" (Posie Mushgrove)
1961–1964"The Jenna Douglas Story" (Sue Thompson); "The Amos Billings Story" (Loan); "The Santiago Quesada Story" (Kim Case)
1961–1962"Milly" (Milly Glover); "Chester's Indian" (Callie)
The Virginian1964"The Stallion" (Jody Wingate)
1961–1962"The Education of Sarah Jane" (Sarah Jane Darrow); others as Cassandra Langford and Maya Ferguson
1963"The Day of Leaving" (Jennie)
Through these portrayals, Engstrom helped sustain the western genre's focus on personal growth and ethical conflicts, aligning with the era's peak viewership for shows like Rawhide and Wagon Train, which drew millions weekly.

Personal Life and Retirement

Marriage

Jena Engstrom entered into her sole marriage on January 17, 1968, wedding Daniel M. Jacobs in a union that lasted just 14 days before ending in divorce on January 31, 1968. No children resulted from the marriage. The brief marriage took place four years after Engstrom's retirement from acting in 1964. No other marriages or long-term relationships for Engstrom are publicly documented. Unlike her mother, actress , who had at least one child—Jena herself—Engstrom remained childless throughout her life.

Illness and Departure from Acting

In 1963, Jena Engstrom was initially cast in the recurring role of Jennie for the ABC Western series and appeared in the pilot episode "The Day of Leaving", but she was forced to withdraw due to an unspecified illness that interrupted her burgeoning career. This health setback came at a pivotal moment, as the 21-year-old actress had already appeared in numerous television episodes since her debut in 1958. A newspaper report published on November 24, 1963, in the San Antonio Express and News announced that Engstrom had made a complete recovery from her recent illness and was anticipated to return to acting promptly, with the article expressing optimism for her fans. Despite this, she only took on a handful of additional roles in early 1964, including appearances on and . Engstrom's final credited performance was as Jodie Wingate in the September 30, 1964, episode "The Stallion" of The Virginian, after which she permanently departed from at age 22, citing ongoing health issues as the reason for her retirement. Her career, spanning approximately six years, concluded without any subsequent return to the screen, marking an abrupt end to her work in television Westerns and dramas.

Legacy

Credit Confusions with Mother

The acting credits of Jena Engstrom and her mother, , were frequently confused due to their similar names and overlapping careers in television spanning the and . This led to unintentional mix-ups in public prints, where editors and typesetters often struggled to differentiate between the two blonde actresses, resulting in erroneous attributions of roles. Specific instances of such confusions arose in entertainment databases and records, where Jean's guest roles in series like Perry Mason during the late 1950s and early 1960s were sometimes misattributed to Jena, and vice versa for Jena's 1960s television appearances. These errors persisted in sources such as IMDb until user corrections and research updates clarified the distinctions. The ongoing impact on their legacy includes efforts in fan communities and retrospective articles to separate their individual contributions, highlighting the mother-daughter duo's unique roles in episodic television while underscoring the challenges of crediting practices in that era.

Media Availability

Jena Engstrom's television performances are primarily accessible through physical media releases of the series in which she appeared, with complete seasons available for major shows like Rawhide. The full eight-season run of Rawhide, including her guest role in the season 4 episode "The Child-Woman," is offered in a 59-disc DVD set by , encompassing all 217 episodes. Similarly, The Twilight Zone complete series, featuring her in season 3's "The Waiting Room," is available in a 13-disc DVD collection from DVD, covering all 156 episodes across five seasons. For Wagon Train, where she appeared in multiple episodes such as "The Jenna Douglas Story," select volumes and individual seasons have been released on DVD by Timeless Media Group, though a full complete series set is also commercially available from various distributors. As of 2025, streaming options for Engstrom's episodes are limited to select platforms hosting western anthologies and classic series. episodes are available to stream on and as of November 2025, including her appearances in seasons 4 and 5. full series, including her episode, streams on , providing on-demand access to all seasons. However, Rawhide is primarily streamable on with ads, covering her episode among the complete run, while not all of her approximately 27 television appearances have been fully digitized for modern platforms due to varying rights and preservation statuses. No personal memoirs, autobiographies, or extensive interviews with Engstrom have been released to the public, leaving viewers reliant on archival television releases to experience her work. Lesser-known series like , in which she appeared in several episodes during its 1961-1962 run, remain obscure with no official complete DVD or streaming release; only partial collections of select episodes are available through boutique labels like Alpha Video.

References

  1. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1226269/
  2. https://tv.apple.com/us/person/jena-engstrom/umc.cpc.6pgbm7dga3j7go30cb3tbq3rw
  3. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/133294038/elliott-ervin-engstrom
  4. https://watch.plex.tv/person/jena-engstrom
  5. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1226269/bio/
  6. https://www.themoviedb.org/person/3941304-jena-engstrom
  7. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/85240245/jean-engstrom
  8. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0257761/
  9. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0558826/
  10. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0699620/
  11. http://www.westernclippings.com/interview/dorothygreen_interview.shtml
  12. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052463/
  13. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0690520/
  14. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0565236/
  15. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1439847/
  16. https://www.tvmaze.com/people/89005/jena-engstrom
  17. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0683077/
  18. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0683147/
  19. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0743144/
  20. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0743029/
  21. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0743250/
  22. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0594252/
  23. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0741051/
  24. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0597594/
  25. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0257761/bio/
  26. https://www.newspapers.com/article/express-and-news-jena-engstrom-recovers/86632/
  27. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057783/fullcredits
  28. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0741051/trivia/
  29. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1226269/trivia/
  30. https://www.newspapers.com/article/express-and-news-the-names-almost-the/84695/
  31. https://www.amazon.com/Rawhide-Complete-Clint-Eastwood/dp/B00TZF2KU4
  32. https://www.amazon.com/Twilight-Zone-Complete-Rod-Serling/dp/B01KOCNQUO
  33. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Wagon-Train-The-Complete-Season-Eight-The-Final-Season-DVD-Timeless-Media-Drama/38661942
  34. https://www.hulu.com/series/wagon-train-51d5d39f-50a7-4cec-b40e-371d5076882a
  35. https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/wagon-train
  36. https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/the-twilight-zone-classic/
  37. https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/rawhide
  38. https://www.amazon.com/Everglades-Lost-Classics-Ron-Hayes/dp/B07JK2FNCZ
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