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Eugenia Lincoln "Jinx" Falkenburg (January 21, 1919 – August 27, 2003) was an American actress and model. She married journalist and publicist Tex McCrary in 1945.[1][2] Known as "Tex and Jinx", the couple pioneered and popularized the talk show format, first on radio and then in the early days of television. They hosted a series of interview shows in the late 1940s and early 1950s that combined celebrity chit-chat with discussions of important topics of the day.[3]

Key Information

Early life

[edit]

Falkenburg was born to American parents in Barcelona, Spain; her father Eugene "Genie" Lincoln Falkenburg was an engineer for Westinghouse. Thinking the name would bring good luck, she was nicknamed Jinx by her mother Marguerite "Mickey" Crooks Falkenburg, an athlete and tennis player (Brazil women's champion in 1927), and the name stuck.[2][page needed][4] All the Falkenburg offspring became known for their tennis abilities; younger brother Bob won the men's singles championship at Wimbledon in 1948.[2]

The family moved to Santiago, Chile, where she spent her early years. She first received media attention at age 2 when The New York Sun ran a full-page picture and story of her exploits as a "baby swimmer."[4] A revolution in Chile caused the family to return to the United States and they moved to Los Angeles, California. She attended Hollywood High School but left in 1935 at the age of 16 to pursue a career in acting and modeling.[2]

Career

[edit]

Acting and modeling

[edit]
Falkenburg on McCall's cover in 1938

The Falkenburgs were at the center of a young social set at the West Side Tennis Club in Hollywood. While playing tennis there she was noticed by a talent scout for Warner Bros. and signed to a studio contract.[2] After a few brief walk-ons, her fluency in Spanish won her minor roles in a series of Spanish-language films made for distribution in Latin America.[3]

In 1937 her modeling career began when she met celebrity fashion photographer Paul Hesse,[4] whose Sunset Strip studio was a gathering place for advertising moguls and motion picture industry celebrities. Calling her "the most charming, most vital personality I have ever had the pleasure to photograph",[3] he took her picture for the August 1937 cover of The American Magazine, triggering similar offers from 60 other publications.[5] Falkenburg appeared on over 200 magazine covers and in some 1,500 commercial advertisements in the 1930s and 1940s.[6][7] She was considered to be one of the most beautiful women of that era, known for her All-American-Girl athletic good looks. The New Yorker magazine said she "possessed one of the most photogenic faces and frames in the Western world".[8] The New York World-Telegram said her face was seen more often and in more places than any other woman in the country.[3] And a headline story in the January 27, 1941, issue of Life magazine said Falkenburg "is the leading candidate for America's No. 1 Girl for 1941".

In 1939 she was in Hawaii posing for photographer Edward Steichen for a series of ads for the Hawaiian Steamship Company's Matson Line when she fell through a balcony at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel and landed 30 feet below on a dining room table.[2][page needed][9] While in the hospital recovering from her injuries, she was introduced to singer Al Jolson, who was also convalescing there. Jolson offered her a role in his upcoming Broadway show Hold On to Your Hats, which opened in January 1940.[2][page needed] Though her part as a cowgirl was small, she attracted much attention. Fans started gathering nightly at her dressing room door at the Shubert Theater, forming the core of what would become the Jinx Falkenburg Fan Club, the only national fan club not devoted to a movie star.[10]

Her biggest breakthrough as a model came in 1940 when she was picked by New York-based Liebmann Brewery, maker of Rheingold Beer, to be the first Miss Rheingold.[5] As the face for its marketing and advertising campaign, her image appeared on billboards throughout New York, Pennsylvania, and New England., and she was featured in promotional ads at every store that sold Rheingold. Her face and the campaign were a great success. Rheingold was suddenly the top brand in New York City.[2][page needed]

In the early 1940s she did a dozen movies, mainly for Columbia Pictures, sometimes in the starring role. Mostly B movies, neither they nor her acting garnered much critical acclaim. Among them were Two Latins from Manhattan, Sweetheart of the Fleet, Laugh Your Blues Away, She Has What It Takes, Two Senoritas From Chicago, and Nine Girls.[5] The biggest hit was Cover Girl, a musical about the modeling business that starred Rita Hayworth, with songs by Jerome Kern and Ira Gershwin. Falkenburg played herself in a cameo role.

Tex and Jinx: Radio and television

[edit]

Falkenburg met John Reagan "Tex" McCrary when he came to photograph and interview her for a military publication after she opened in Hold On to Your Hats. He was a lieutenant colonel in the Army Air Forces.[11] They were about to be engaged in 1942, but World War II intervened. They married after the war,[2][page needed] on June 15, 1945, in a civil ceremony conducted by New York Supreme Court Judge Ferdinand Pecora, famous for investigating the 1929 stock market crash and its aftermath.[4]

As World War II escalated in 1942, Falkenburg was invited to contribute to the inaugural broadcasts of CBS's innovative international radio network La Cadena de las Americas (Network of the Americas) under the supervision of the Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs chaired by Nelson Rockefeller.[12] This opportunity enabled Falkenburg to make a notable contribution to the implementation of President Franklin Roosevelt's cultural diplomacy initiatives in South America even as hostilities raged throughout Europe.[13][14]

During the war, Falkenburg traveled extensively on USO tours entertaining troops. The most arduous was a 42,000-mile (68,000 km) 80-stop series of shows in the rugged China-Burma-India theatre of operations.[15] In 1945 she was awarded the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal for her contributions.[4]

Backed by some of his well-connected friends like millionaire financier Bernard Baruch, McCrary convinced David Sarnoff, the chairman of RCA, which owned NBC, to give the couple a morning show on the network's New York radio station, WEAF.[4] The show was called Hi, Jinx and first aired on April 22, 1946.[16] Reviews ranged from "sprightly" to "rather intense discussions of foreign affairs".[17] In a cover story about the couple, Newsweek wrote: "A soft-spoken, calculating Texan, Tex McCrary, inched up to the microphone and drawled 'Hi, Jinx.' A voice with all the foam substance of a bubble bath answered, 'Hello Tex.'"[6] Over time they came to be known as "Mr. Brains and Mrs. Beauty".[16]

The McCrarys' radio show was broadcast five mornings a week on New York radio station WEAF and became a hit with critics and the public for tackling controversial issues like the atomic bomb, the United Nations and venereal disease, along with talk about theatre openings and New York nightlife.[6] Their guests were a mix of popular entertainers such as Mary Martin, Ethel Waters and Esther Williams and public figures such as Eleanor Roosevelt, Margaret Truman, Bernard Baruch, industrialist Igor Sikorsky and Indian statesman Krishna Menon.[18][19]

McCrary wrote the scripts and taught Falkenburg the art of interviewing and the basics of broadcast journalism. Over time she was considered the better interviewer, eliciting candid responses, often from the show's more intellectual guests. Her technique was to ask questions until she understood the answer and so, presumably, did all the housewives at home listening to her.[6] "They developed an audience that was ready to start thinking at breakfast", wrote New York Times columnist William Safire, who as a teenager was hired by McCrary to do pre-show interviews of guests.[20]

In January 1947, McCrary and Falkenburg had their first network TV show, Bristol-Myers Tele-Varieties, also known as Jinx and Tex at Home, broadcast Sunday nights on NBC. The program combined film and live interviews of celebrities in their residences. In May 1947, The Swift Home Service Club combined household tips with breezy interviews. Another radio show, Meet Tex and Jinx got such a big audience that in 1947 and 1948 it became a summer replacement for one of radio's most popular shows, Duffy's Tavern.[6]

In the winter of 1948, Falkenburg traveled to Berlin, Germany, during the height of the Berlin Airlift, when the city was under blockade by the Russians and emergency supplies were being flown in by Allied planes. She flew in with comedian Bob Hope and songwriter Irving Berlin to do highly publicized Christmas shows for airmen and occupation soldiers.[21][22]

McCrary and Falkenburg's popularity grew, and at one point in the early 1950s they hosted two radio programs and a daily television show and wrote a column for the New York Herald Tribune. Some of their shows were broadcast from the Peacock Alley restaurant in the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.[3]

Armed with tape recorder and microphone, Falkenburg often did interviews outside the studio.[23] She covered many major stories of the day, including the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in London and the wedding of Grace Kelly to Prince Rainier of Monaco.[24] In 1958, she was the only female reporter on the press plane that accompanied then Vice President Richard Nixon on his trip to South America, where he encountered rock-throwing crowds in Venezuela.[25] She also was on assignment and appeared on camera in the historic finger-poking televised "kitchen debate" in Moscow between Nixon and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. Safire maneuvered the two leaders into the kitchen of the model home, whose manufacturer was a client of McCrary's, for the confrontation.[26]

Politics

[edit]

In 1952, McCrary spearheaded a campaign to get General Dwight D. Eisenhower to run for president on the Republican ticket. A high point of that recruitment effort was a "Citizens for Eisenhower" rally at Madison Square Garden. Falkenburg and McCrary organized and hosted the three-hour event.[16]

At the behest of John Hay Whitney, finance chairman for the Republican Party, Falkenburg became head of the women's division of the finance committee in 1954.[3] (McCrary was a wartime friend and neighbor of Whitney—he and Falkenburg lived in a house on Whitney's Greentree Estate in Manhasset, Long Island). She continued to serve on the finance committee and remained a lifelong Republican, occasionally lending her name to the party's causes.[19]

Later years

[edit]

Falkenburg informally retired from broadcasting in 1958 and continued to live in Manhasset. In 1962, she and McCrary anchored 16 weeks of coverage of the Billy Graham Crusade for Christianity.[27] In the early 1960s, Falkenburg was a commercial spokesperson for the American Gas Association. She became vice-president of Marian Bialac Cosmetics, a company owned by Whitney.

Personal life

[edit]

Falkenburg and McCrary had two sons, John Reagan "Paddy" McCrary III and Kevin Jock McCrary. In 2011, Kevin appeared on the A&E reality TV show Hoarders (Season 4, Episode 12, "Kevin & Mary"), in which he was threatened with eviction for hoarding his New York City apartment floor-to-ceiling.[3] After failing to clean out his apartment with help from the show's team, Kevin was granted an extension following the events of the episode, but was officially evicted by the U.S. Marshals in March 2014 after losing a two-year legal battle with his landlord over his hoard.[28]

Falkenburg's athletic prowess remained on display as she moved from starlet to middle age. She took up golf at the age of 40 and within a short time had a 12 handicap. In 1975, at the age of 56, she was part of a celebrity team that played a pre-opening tennis match at Forest Hills before the start of the U.S. Open.[19]

Falkenburg was a Roman Catholic.[29] In 1980, McCrary and Falkenburg separated but never divorced and remained friends. McCrary died at 92 on July 29, 2003, less than one month before Falkenburg.[20]

She also was involved in charitable work and was on the board of the North Shore Hospital in Manhasset, which her husband was instrumental in getting built.[30]

Falkenburg died on August 27, 2003, at the age of 84 at North Shore Hospital in Manhasset.[1] Her body was cremated.[31]

Legacy

[edit]

For her contribution to the television industry, Falkenburg has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1500 Vine Street.

Fictional depiction

[edit]

Falkenburg is featured as a supporting character in books #1-3, set in World War II Burma, of a French graphic-novel series, Angel Wings.

Selected filmography

[edit]

References

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

Jinx Falkenburg

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Eugenia Lincoln "Jinx" Falkenburg (January 21, 1919 – August 27, 2003) was an American model, actress, and broadcaster renowned for her pioneering role in early talk shows. Born in Barcelona, Spain, to American parents, she grew up internationally before settling in Los Angeles, where she began modeling after graduating from Hollywood High School in 1935. By 1941, Falkenburg had become the highest-paid model in the United States, gracing over 60 magazine covers and serving as the first Miss Rheingold. She transitioned into acting at age 16, appearing in Warner Bros. Spanish-language films and later Hollywood productions such as Cover Girl (1944) and entertaining troops during World War II. In 1945, she married journalist Tex McCrary, with whom she co-hosted influential radio and television programs like Hi Jinx (1946) and NBC's At Home (1947), refining the talk show format and broadcasting coverage of events including Queen Elizabeth II's coronation and the Nixon-Khrushchev debates. Though the couple separated in the 1980s, they never divorced and remained friends until McCrary's death shortly before hers; Falkenburg later engaged in Republican fundraising and co-founded North Shore University Hospital.

Early Life

Birth and Family Background

Eugenia Lincoln Falkenburg was born on January 21, 1919, in , , to American parents Eugene "Genie" Lincoln Falkenburg and Marguerite "Mickey" Crooks Falkenburg. Her father worked as an engineer for Westinghouse Electric, with assignments abroad that placed the family in Spain at the time of her birth. The family adhered to a superstition linking her given name to misfortune, as several relatives had died around the periods of her birth and that of her siblings; her mother thus nicknamed her "Jinx" in hopes of warding off bad luck. This moniker, derived from the term for a bringer of ill fortune, was intended paradoxically to invoke the opposite through reverse psychology rooted in folklore. As American expatriates in the pre-World War II era, the Falkenburgs exemplified mobile professional families tied to multinational engineering ventures in Europe and Latin America.

Childhood and Relocation

Eugenia Lincoln Falkenburg, known as , spent her early childhood in , following the family's relocation there shortly after her birth due to her father Eugene Falkenburg's engineering assignments with . In , she attended local schools and began developing athletic interests, including , which her mother, an accomplished amateur player, encouraged amid the family's lifestyle. These formative years fostered her outgoing nature and adaptability, shaped by frequent international moves tied to her father's career in projects across . A political revolution in during the early 1930s prompted the family's abrupt return to the around 1932, when Falkenburg was approximately 13 years old. They settled in , , where her father secured employment in the film industry's electrical systems, coinciding with the depths of the that strained many families' resources. In this new environment, Falkenburg enrolled in , continuing her athletic pursuits such as —in which she won a junior championship—and horseback riding, activities that highlighted her energetic and resilient character amid economic hardship. The relocation immersed the family in Southern California's vibrant culture, influencing Falkenburg's early exposure to entertainment hubs without immediate professional entry.

Entertainment Career

Modeling and Early Public Image

Eugenia Lincoln "Jinx" Falkenburg entered the modeling industry in the mid-1930s following her departure from in 1935 at age 16. Initially discovered by a talent scout, she transitioned into fashion modeling after connecting with photographer Paul Hesse at studios. Her debut magazine cover featured her on the August 1937 issue of American Magazine, marking the start of a prolific career that saw her grace over 60 covers in the late 1930s and 1940s. By 1940, Falkenburg had emerged as a leading cover girl, appearing on prominent publications such as Life (October 14, 1940) and Collier's (October 12, 1940). Her athletic physique, honed as an expert swimmer and tennis player, projected a wholesome, all-American vitality that differentiated her from more conventionally glamorous peers and resonated with wartime audiences. Recognized as the highest-paid model in the United States by 1941, she commanded $25 per hour, a substantial rate reflecting her commercial dominance.) Falkenburg's modeling prominence intensified during , where her images functioned as pin-ups in servicemen's magazines like Yank: The Army Weekly (April 27, 1945), bolstering troop morale. Selected as the inaugural Miss Rheingold in 1941, she endorsed the beer brand in advertisements, enhancing its sales amid constraints. Her endorsements and covers epitomized consumer resilience and patriotic optimism, solidifying her as a symbol of American endurance in a male-dominated field.

Film Acting Roles

Falkenburg entered the film industry in the early 1940s, appearing in B-movies produced primarily by , where her modeling background positioned her for roles emphasizing glamour and lighthearted appeal. Her debut feature was Two Latins from Manhattan (1941), in which she played Jinx Terry, a in a musical . This was followed by similar low-budget entries such as Sweetheart of the Fleet (1942), portraying Jerry Gilbert, and Lucky Legs (1942) as Gloria Carroll, both showcasing her in comedic, ensemble-driven narratives typical of wartime escapist fare. These early appearances, numbering around a dozen through the decade, often cast her in secondary parts that capitalized on her photogenic presence rather than demanding dramatic depth. A breakthrough in visibility occurred with (1944), a musical directed by , where Falkenburg played herself as a prominent cover girl model, serving as a glamorous foil to Rita Hayworth's aspiring protagonist Rusty Parker. The film, which grossed over $4 million domestically and featured songs by and , highlighted her real-life status in the fashion world, blending meta-commentary on modeling with her natural on-screen poise. Critics noted her authentic charm in the role, though it remained a cameo-like supporting turn amid the star power of Hayworth and . Throughout the mid-1940s, Falkenburg continued in comparable vein with films like Tahiti Nights (1944) as Luana, a Polynesian-inspired entertainer; Nine Girls (1944), a mystery-comedy ensemble; The Gay Señorita (1945) as Elena Sandoval; Meet Me on Broadway (1946); and Talk About a Lady (1946) as Janie Clark, often in romantic or adventurous comedies that played to her athletic, wholesome derived from and prowess. in these supporting or lead-but-light roles reflected industry perceptions of her marketability as an "all-American " , with limited ventures into heavier due to her perceived strengths in vivacity over emotional range. By 1946–1948, her output dwindled to sporadic shorts like Appointment with Baby (1948), as personal commitments—including her June 1945 marriage to —shifted priorities toward radio and emerging television broadcasting, effectively concluding her cinematic phase. Contemporary reviews praised her photogenic appeal and ease in front of the camera but critiqued any shortfall in versatility for starring dramatic vehicles.
YearFilmRoleNotes
1941Two Latins from ManhattanJinx TerryDebut feature; musical comedy.
1942Sweetheart of the FleetJerry GilbertB-movie ensemble.
1942Lucky LegsGloria CarrollComedy leveraging modeling image.
1944Cover GirlJinx Falkenburg (herself)Notable supporting role opposite Hayworth.
1944Tahiti NightsLuanaExotic adventure comedy.
1945The Gay SeñoritaElena SandovalLight romantic lead.
1946Talk About a LadyJanie ClarkFinal major feature.

Radio and Television Broadcasting

In 1946, Jinx Falkenburg launched the morning radio program Hi Jinx on New York station WEAF (later and WRCA), airing weekdays at 8:30 a.m. alongside her husband, publicist . The unscripted format featured candid banter between the hosts, interspersed with interviews of celebrities, experts, and public figures on topics blending and current events. This approach broke from scripted radio norms, pioneering the informal style that emphasized spontaneity and audience relatability. The program evolved into Tex and (also known as Meet Tex and Jinx in some iterations) by the late 1940s, expanding to and continuing through 1959. It tackled then-taboo subjects such as venereal disease, the atomic bomb, and the formation of the , positioning the show as a platform for public discourse on issues often avoided in mainstream broadcasting. While some contemporaries viewed the frank discussions as sensational, the format's success was evident in sustained listener engagement and commercial viability, with early episodes commanding significant advertising rates reflective of strong appeal. Falkenburg and McCrary extended the concept to television with an adaptation in 1949, maintaining the half-hour structure that drew audiences through its accessible, conversational tone. The TV version aired briefly amid early network experimentation but contributed to the duo's influence on blending with substantive topics, foreshadowing enduring talk formats. Their combined radio and TV efforts demonstrated empirical viability in attracting broad viewership to provocative content, prioritizing informational value over polished production.

Political Involvement

Republican Party Activities

In 1954, Falkenburg was appointed head of the women's division of the Republican Party's finance committee at the request of , the party's national finance chairman. In this role, she focused on mobilizing support among women voters and served as a major fundraiser for Republican candidates and causes. Her efforts emphasized leveraging her public profile to bolster party finances during a period of Democratic dominance in urban centers like New York. Falkenburg contributed to the 1952 Republican presidential effort by assisting her husband, , in persuading to seek the nomination. She participated actively in the Citizens for Eisenhower movement, including speaking at a February 8, 1952, rally at attended by over 15,000 supporters, where she introduced theatrical producer Josh Logan to energize the crowd in favor of Eisenhower's candidacy. These activities highlighted her use of media experience to promote Republican platforms centered on and anti-communist vigilance.

Advocacy and Public Commentary

Falkenburg and her husband utilized their radio and television program "Tex and Jinx," which aired from 1946 to 1959, to engage in public discourse on pressing geopolitical matters, including tensions. The show frequently featured discussions on communist threats, such as episodes addressing how Soviet-backed forces were outmaneuvering troops in Korea, portraying General Douglas MacArthur as strategically hampered by UN inefficiencies and President Truman's hesitancy. These commentaries emphasized the empirical failures of multilateral approaches lacking decisive American leadership, aligning with causal analyses prioritizing national self-interest over supranational collectivism. The couple hosted prominent anti-communist voices, amplifying calls for vigorous opposition to atheistic across religious lines. For instance, in a 1954 broadcast, they interviewed , who framed the ideological struggle as a unified American endeavor transcending denominational divides. Falkenburg's contributions to these segments reflected a realist skepticism toward international bodies like the UN, critiquing their operational laxity as evidenced by stalled military progress in Korea, where data on battlefield setbacks underscored the need for unilateral resolve over bureaucratic diffusion of authority. Amid the ' shifting social landscape, Falkenburg's platform advocated for traditional familial and individual responsibilities, countering emerging welfare expansions and globalist policies she and McCrary viewed as fostering dependency rather than . Their joint commentary, informed by McCrary's prior government service and Falkenburg's observations of post-war recovery, favored restrained state intervention, drawing on observable outcomes like rising fiscal burdens from expanded entitlements to argue against empirically unproven collectivist models. This stance persisted beyond the show's run, through their column, where they promoted as a bulwark against the progressive orthodoxies gaining traction in media and academia, institutions often critiqued for underreporting socialism's historical failures in . Falkenburg's advocacy extended to influencing Republican strategy, leveraging her media reach to urge Dwight D. Eisenhower's 1952 presidential candidacy, thereby shaping public narratives toward deterrence-focused realism over accommodationist . Her views prioritized verifiable strategic imperatives, such as maintaining nuclear superiority for , over narratives downplaying Soviet aggression—a perspective validated by subsequent declassifications revealing penetrations in U.S. institutions.

Personal Life

Marriage to Tex McCrary

Falkenburg met John Reagan "Tex" McCrary, a in the Army Air Forces with a background in and , during while she was on a USO tour; their paths reconverged in in early 1945, where they agreed to marry following his interview of her for a military publication. The couple married on June 10, 1945, in , establishing a high-profile union that merged Falkenburg's on-air charisma with McCrary's promotional acumen forged in wartime publicity campaigns. Professionally styled as "Tex and Jinx," their partnership launched innovative morning talk formats, debuting on radio with Hi Jinx on April 22, 1946, over WEAF in New York, where McCrary's expertise in securing high-profile guests and handling production logistics directly bolstered Falkenburg's transition to broadcasting and expanded their audience reach. McCrary's prior work promoting political figures, including efforts to draft for the presidency, provided strategic access to influential contacts that enriched their programs' content and elevated Falkenburg's visibility in media circles. Though the marriage faced extended separations in later decades, including a formal parting in 1980 amid McCrary's independent pursuits, the couple never divorced and preserved a bond of mutual support and friendship. This resilience persisted until McCrary's death from natural causes on July 29, 2003, at age 92 in , followed precisely 29 days later by Falkenburg's passing on August 27, 2003.

Family and Relationships

Falkenburg and her husband had two sons: John Reagan McCrary III, nicknamed "Paddy," born in August 1946 in New York, and Kevin Jock McCrary, born on August 13, 1948, also in New York. The family raised the boys on the expansive estate in , which afforded a degree of seclusion and stability amid Falkenburg's public career. Motherhood intersected directly with her professional commitments, as evidenced by Falkenburg conducting portions of her radio broadcasts from the hospital shortly after Paddy's birth, demonstrating a pragmatic approach to sustaining work output without full interruption. This integration reflected a prioritization of familial continuity over rigid career pauses, with the couple delegating routine childcare to maintain her high-visibility media presence during the boys' early years. Contemporary accounts portray no significant disruptions from relational conflicts or scandals involving the , diverging from the era's frequent narratives of marital volatility in entertainment circles. Both sons survived their parents, with Paddy establishing a local presence in , and Kevin residing in .

Later Years

Retirement and Philanthropy

Falkenburg informally retired from broadcasting in 1958, transitioning to a quieter life in Manhasset, , where she focused on community involvement. She and her husband, , relocated there permanently, prioritizing local civic contributions over public media appearances. A key aspect of her centered on healthcare advancement, as she served on the board of trustees for in Manhasset, an institution the couple helped establish to improve regional medical access. Their efforts supported the hospital's growth, including facility expansions that enhanced services for residents, reflecting a commitment to practical community welfare through targeted funding and oversight. Falkenburg also channeled her public experience into Republican-aligned civic activities, such as speaking at party fundraising events to bolster conservative grassroots initiatives and women's groups. These engagements emphasized local , leveraging her communication skills for causes like political and without seeking personal prominence.

Health and Death

Jinx Falkenburg died on August 27, 2003, at the age of 84, at in , less than a month after the death of her husband, , on July 29, 2003. The cause of death was not publicly disclosed, consistent with her preference for privacy regarding health matters in her later years. Her body was cremated following the funeral arrangements, which were handled discreetly without fanfare, reflecting a focus on personal legacy rather than media attention. No detailed accounts of chronic health conditions emerged in contemporaneous reports, underscoring the limited information released about her final illnesses.

Legacy

Contributions to Media and Broadcasting

Falkenburg co-hosted the radio program Hi Jinx with her husband starting in 1946 on WEAF in , marking an early instance of the format that featured news discussions, celebrity interviews, and coverage of controversial topics such as the , venereal disease, and the atomic bomb. The show, later known as New York Close-Up with Tex and Jinx, aired weekdays from 8:30 a.m. until 1954 and achieved top ratings with guests including and . In 1947, the couple expanded to television with At Home with Tex and Jinx on , a Sunday night program that ran through the mid- and incorporated live interviews, film segments, and household tips alongside current events. This transition represented one of the earliest network television , blending interactive discussions with visual elements in a manner that anticipated later daytime programming. They later hosted a five-day-a-week television show in the , alongside their ongoing radio efforts, solidifying their role in refining the talk show structure for both mediums. The duo's approach emphasized candid, unscripted exchanges on real-world issues, diverging from prevailing norms of deferential broadcasting and demonstrating the appeal of issue-driven content to morning audiences presumed capable of engaging with serious topics. Falkenburg's participation as co-host exemplified the viability of women adopting forthright styles in media, influencing subsequent female broadcasters by showcasing success in non-traditional, assertive hosting roles amid an era favoring polished restraint. Their programs hold archival significance for preserving direct, unaltered perspectives on 1940s and societal concerns, offering primary material that contrasts with later, more curated historical s and underscores the evolution toward interactive punditry formats.

Political and Cultural Impact

Jinx Falkenburg's career trajectory from a self-taught model discovered at age 16 to one of the highest-paid cover girls during exemplified meritocratic ascent in the American entertainment industry, where success hinged on talent, market demand, and personal initiative rather than institutional favoritism or quotas. Her earnings peaked at $25,000 annually by 1942 from modeling alone, outpacing many contemporaries through relentless self-promotion and adaptability, which resonated as a of agency amid wartime and economic constraints. This path challenged entitlement-based views of opportunity, influencing later discourses on the by demonstrating how personal drive could yield prosperity without reliance on government intervention or . Her Republican activism, including efforts that amassed significant contributions for the party from the onward, contributed to broadening the visibility of conservative women in public life, countering presumptions of uniform female alignment with progressive causes. Alongside her husband , Falkenburg supported Dwight D. Eisenhower's presidential bid, leveraging their media platform to advocate for anti-communist policies and free-market principles, which helped legitimize right-leaning female voices in an era dominated by male political figures. This normalization persisted in conservative circles, providing a template for subsequent women like , who drew on similar patterns of media-savvy advocacy to engage in policy debates without deferring to ideological conformity. As a WWII-era cultural figure, Falkenburg embodied wholesome through her pin-up imagery and morale-boosting appearances, which emphasized traditional values like resilience and national unity over escapist . Her appeal endured in critiques of mid-20th-century media shifts toward , serving as a benchmark for authentic representation that prioritized substantive amid rising progressive cultural narratives. This legacy informed conservative pushback against dominant media biases, highlighting how early icons like Falkenburg fostered toward institutionalized that sidelined merit and realism.

Filmography

Selected Films and Appearances

Two Latins from Manhattan (1941), directed by John H. Auer, featured Falkenburg in a leading role as Jinx Terry alongside George Montgomery in this about twin sisters posing as Latin entertainers.
Sing for Your Supper (1941), a low-budget musical directed by Charles Barton, starred Falkenburg as one of the leads in a story of performers competing for a radio contract.
Sweetheart of the Fleet (1942), directed by Sidney Salkow, cast her as Jerry Gilbert, a sailor's love interest in this wartime naval produced by Columbia.
Lucky Legs (1942), under Barton again, had Falkenburg portraying Gloria Carroll, a model entangled in a mystery involving and .
Nine Girls (1944), a directed by Leigh , included Falkenburg among the ensemble of sorority sisters investigating a at a mountain lodge.
Cover Girl (1944), the musical directed by and starring and , featured Falkenburg in a cameo as herself during a sequence.
Tahiti Nights (1944), directed by Phil Rosen, starred Falkenburg as Luana, a Polynesian performer in this adventure- with .
The Gay Senorita (1945), directed by George Archainbaud, showcased her as Elena Sandoval in a Western musical opposite .
Talk About a Lady (1946), a directed by Leigh , had Falkenburg in the lead as Janie Clark, a performer navigating romance and .
Meet Me on Broadway (1946), also directed by , featured her alongside in a about producing a show.
By 1950, Falkenburg shifted focus to television, appearing in episodes of such as Danger.

References

  1. https://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/28/arts/jinx-falkenburg-model-actress-pioneer-of-radio-and-tv-talk-shows-dies-at-84.html
  2. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-aug-29-me-jinx29-story.html
  3. https://variety.com/2003/scene/people-news/jinx-falkenburg-1117891686/
  4. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0266242/bio/
  5. https://www.encyclopedia.com/women/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/falkenburg-jinx-1919-2003
  6. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Falkenburg-57
  7. https://www.glamourgirlsofthesilverscreen.com/show/534/Jinx%2BFalkenburg/index.html
  8. https://www.the-independent.com/news/obituaries/jinx-falkenburg-37161.html
  9. https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Jinx-Falkenburg-model-actress-talk-show-2559373.php
  10. https://www.uso.org/stories/1747-uso-tour-vet-was-also-a-jinx
  11. https://travsd.wordpress.com/2025/01/21/the-tex-and-jinx-show/
  12. https://www2.gwu.edu/~erpapers/radiotv/doc.cfm?_p=erprg&_f=erprg_034
  13. https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Jinx-Falkenburg-model-actress-talk-show-2559373.php
  14. https://www.aenigma-images.com/2019/02/jinx-falkenburg-all-american-girl/
  15. https://www.thevintagenews.com/2016/08/10/priority-jinx-falkenburg-one-first-supermodels-highest-paid-ubiquitous-cover-girl-model-u-s-1930s-1940s/
  16. https://walkoffame.com/jinx-falkenburg/
  17. https://brookstonbeerbulletin.com/jinx-the-first-miss-rheingold/
  18. https://www.ggarchives.com/Military/ArmyArchives/Magazines/Yank-TheArmyWeekly/1945-04-27/10-JinxFalkenburg-YANKPinupGirl.html
  19. https://rateyourmusic.com/films/jinx-falkenburg
  20. https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/27433/cover-girl
  21. https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/jinx-falkenburg/credits/3000445353/
  22. https://en.notrecinema.com/communaute/stars/stars.php3?staridx=70406
  23. https://www.atvaudio.com/ata_search.php?record_id=11039
  24. https://www.oldtimeradiodownloads.com/actors/jinx-falkenburg
  25. https://www.atvaudio.com/ata_search.php?record_id=13327
  26. https://archive.org/stream/variety162-1946-05/variety162-1946-05_djvu.txt
  27. https://www.nytimes.com/1952/02/09/archives/a-serenade-to-ike-is-theme-at-rally-of-15000-in-garden.html
  28. https://www.atvaudio.com/ata_search.php?current_page=1&keywords=Jinx%2520Falkenburg
  29. https://www.nytimes.com/1954/12/10/archives/cohn-charges-bias-to-6-publications-says-4-articles-in-the-times.html
  30. https://www.atvaudio.com/ata_search.php?record_id=10714
  31. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2003/08/31/of-note/0b71f51c-c6ef-4866-80c2-438efb6a01bc/
  32. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1447268078825074/posts/2996195777265622/
  33. https://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/30/arts/tex-mccrary-dies-at-92-public-relations-man-who-helped-create-talk-show-format.html
  34. https://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/15/opinion/of-tex-and-jinx.html
  35. https://www.atvaudio.com/ata_search.php?record_id=10698
  36. https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Radio-Mirror/50/Mirror-50-Feb.pdf
  37. https://www.nytimes.com/1948/08/14/archives/son-born-to-jinx-falkenburg.html
  38. https://www.longislandpress.com/2016/09/14/the-end-of-an-era-john-reagan-paddy-mccrary/
  39. https://newspaperarchive.com/us/ohio/lima/lima-news/1947/06-27/page-21/
  40. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1978/01/08/still-up-to-her-same-old-hi-jinx/0f380c21-8aa8-4729-8967-b44c8e51e9f4/
  41. https://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/28/classified/paid-notice-deaths-mccrary-jinx-falkenburg.html
  42. https://digmichnews.cmich.edu/?a=d&d=MidlandMDN19600706-01.1.16
  43. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7801449/jinx-falkenburg
  44. https://www.atvaudio.com/ata_category_search.php?category=T&alpha=N
  45. https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/mccrary-john-reagan-tex
  46. https://www.amazon.com/Tex-McCrary-Wars-Women-Politics-Adventurous-American/dp/0761844554
  47. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037131/
  48. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036723/
  49. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038735/
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