Jill St. John

Jill St. John (born Jill Arlyn Oppenheim; August 19, 1940) is an American retired actress. She is best known for playing Tiffany Case, the first American Bond girl of the James Bond franchise, in 1971's Diamonds Are Forever. Additional performances in film include Holiday for Lovers, The Lost World, Tender Is the Night, Come Blow Your Horn, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination, Who's Minding the Store?, Honeymoon Hotel, The Liquidator, The Oscar, Tony Rome, Sitting Target and The Concrete Jungle.

On television, St. John has appeared in such top-rated shows as Batman, The Big Valley, Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, Hart to Hart, Vega$, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Magnum, P.I. and Seinfeld. During her Hollywood heyday she was almost equally famous for her high-profile social life and frequent romantic associations with prominent public figures. St. John is married to actor Robert Wagner and has known him since she was 18 years old. They share credits on nearly a dozen screen and stage productions, notably the miniseries remake of Around the World in 80 Days.

Early life

St. John was born Jill Arlyn Oppenheim at Queen of Angels Hospital in Los Angeles on August 19, 1940, to Edward Oppenheim, a restaurateur from Brooklyn, and his philanthropist wife Betty (née Goldberg), from Philadelphia.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>"Births". Los Angeles Times. August 31, 1940.</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She has no siblings, but grew up with many cousins, her mother being one of eight surviving children and her father one of three.<ref name=Hedda1>Hopper, Hedda (September 28, 1958). "Jill St. John... Genius In Filmland". The Pittsburgh Press.</ref> St. John's parents married in 1934.<ref>"Marriages". Los Angeles Evening Post-Record. July 18, 1934. p. 13.</ref> Her maternal grandparents were Russian, of partial Jewish descent, while her paternal great-great-grandparents emigrated from Hessen, Germany and Amsterdam.<ref name=Perroni>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975.</ref><ref>New York Naturalization Index (Soundex), 1792-1906.</ref>

Raised in Encino, St. John was a member of the Michael Panaieff Children's Ballet Company with Natalie Wood and Stefanie Powers;<ref name=profile>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> all three would later marry or co-star with actor Robert Wagner. As a young girl, St. John says she never played with dolls, instead preferring a toy cash register and money.<ref name=Hedda1/> When she was 13 and had already been working for several years, her stage mother Betty changed Jill's last name from Oppenheim to the more marketable St. John.<ref name=profile/>

Career

St. John made her stage debut at age five in The Conspiracy at Geller's Theater Workshop on January 31, 1946.<ref>"Stardust Row". Hollywood Citizen-News. January 26, 1946. p. 13.</ref> She describes herself during this period as "precocious. I could read really well by the age of six."<ref>A Hole in One: R.J. & Jill Remember 'Banning' (2024, prod. Howard S. Berger). Via Vision Entertainment.</ref> St. John's television debut came in 1948 when she joined the cast of Sandy Dreams, a musical fantasy series for children featuring Richard Beymer. In December 1949, she played Missie Cratchit in The Christmas Carol, one of the earliest filmed adaptations of Charles Dickens' classic 1843 story. Shot in kinescope, it is a rare example of a 1940s live TV broadcast still surviving in entirety.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

By the age of 10, St. John was a regular on KTLA's Fantastick Studios, Ink.<ref>"'KTLA Archive Reel #11: A) Fantastic Studios, Ink (1950); B) Sandy Dreams (1948) (TV)". PaleyCenter.org.</ref><ref>Hopkins, Leo (September 17, 1950). "Geller Gossip". Los Angeles Times. p. 6.</ref> At 11, she appeared in three episodes of The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. She had an uncredited role in the film Thunder in the East (1951) and was in episodes of Sky King, Fireside Theatre, and Cavalcade of America.

She attended Powers Professional School and received her high school diploma from Hollywood Professional School in the spring of 1955 at age 14.<ref name=profile/> At age 15, St. John enrolled at UCLA where it was discovered that she had an IQ of 162.<ref name=profile/> During this time, she lent her voice to a large number of radio shows, notably Red Ryder and One Man's Family.<ref name=Hyman>Goldberg, Hyman (January 5, 1964). "Too Many Jacks for Jill". This Week Magazine.</ref>

John Saxon, Shelley Fabares, John Wilder and Jill St. John in Summer Love (1958)

St. John was 16 in May 1957 when Universal Pictures signed her to a contract for seven years starting at $200 a week.<ref>"Film Beauty, 16, to Save; Her Husband Pays Bills". Los Angeles Times. May 30, 1957. p. 2.</ref> Her major studio film debut was in Summer Love (1958) starring John Saxon. She also appeared on TV in episodes of The Christophers, Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, and DuPont Show of the Month (an adaptation of Junior Miss). She said her idol was Kay Kendall.<ref name=Hedda1/>

With Robert Wagner in 1959

St. John then signed a contract with 20th Century Fox, who tried to build her into a star. She played the daughter of Clifton Webb in The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker and Holiday for Lovers (both 1959), then was put in an adventure movie, The Lost World (1960). "Nothing but starlet parts," she later said. "You know, the daughter, the niece, the girlfriend."<ref name=Hyman/> After Fox picked up their option on her, Warner Bros. borrowed St. John for The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (1961), then she had a supporting role in Tender Is the Night (1962), for which she beat out Jane Fonda.<ref>Hopper, Hedda (April 9, 1961). "Jill's Got Everything". The Pittsburgh Press.</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

St. John had a key role in Come Blow Your Horn (1963), starring opposite Frank Sinatra. She received a Golden Globe Award nomination as Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for her performance. "I'm a comedienne," she said in 1963. "I've never pretended to be a dramatic actress. But I'm very funny."<ref>Smith, Jack (October 7, 1963). "Pretty, Bright, Rich Jill St. John Has Fun". Los Angeles Times. p. A1.</ref> She followed this with a series of comedies: Who's Minding the Store? (1963) with Jerry Lewis, Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed? (1963) with Dean Martin, and Honeymoon Hotel (1964) with Robert Morse and Nancy Kwan.

"Now I play the sexy comedienne, which is my forte," she said in 1964. "Comedy is what I've always wanted to do."<ref name=Hyman/> She guest-starred on television shows like Burke's Law, The Rogues, and Theatre of Stars. In 1964, she guest-starred with Lauren Bacall and Bacall's then-husband, Jason Robards, in the episode "Take a Walk Through a Cemetery" of Craig Stevens' CBS drama series Mr. Broadway. She also appeared in variety specials with Bob Hope. MGM gave her the female lead in The Liquidator (1965) with Rod Taylor, and she co-starred in The Oscar (1966) with Stephen Boyd.

St. John appeared in the first two episodes of the television series Batman as the Riddler's moll Molly. She became the first character to die in an episode of Batman.<ref>"Season One Molls". 66batmania.com. Retrieved August 2, 2018.</ref> She was also in an episode of The Big Valley at that time.

Wagner and St. John in How I Spent My Summer Vacation (1967)

St. John re-signed with Universal. She was in a TV movie Fame Is the Name of the Game (1966) and had a supporting role in How I Spent My Summer Vacation (1967), starring future husband Robert Wagner.<ref>Humphrey, Hal (November 25, 1966). "New TV Movies May Prove Less 'Adult' Than Old Style". The Victoria Advocate.</ref> She did the Bob Hope comedy Eight on the Lam (1967), then made Banning (1967) with Wagner and The King's Pirate (1967) with Doug McClure.

In 1966, she said "My goal is to be at a point where I have so proved myself as an actress that I can be more discriminating in the roles I choose. I want to be able to choose the parts I know I can do next."<ref name=Browning>Browning, Norma Lee (November 1, 1966). "Jill's Ready for Better Roles". Chicago Tribune. p. B1.</ref> St. John nearly landed a starring role in The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967), which instead went to Sharon Tate.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Efn

She was reunited with Sinatra for Tony Rome (1967) and did a TV movie The Spy Killer (1969), which was popular enough for a sequel Foreign Exchange (1970). She guested on The Name of the Game. Decisions! Decisions! (1971) was a TV movie St. John did with Bob Newhart and Jean Simmons.

With Lana Wood on the set of Diamonds Are Forever (1971). In 2019, Wood questioned whether this photo was real.<ref>Template:Cite tweet</ref>

St. John achieved her biggest success starring as diamond smuggler Tiffany Case, the love interest of James Bond in Diamonds Are Forever (1971), opposite Sean Connery. She was the first American to play a Bond girl.<ref>Brown, Brigid (November 8, 2012). "The Early Bond Girls: Where Are They Now?". BBC America.</ref> The character Tiffany is argumentative, abrasive, loud, and brash when compared to previous Bond girls who were more demure; film scholars have inferred that she is meant to be a stereotypical commentary on American women.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

In 1972, St. John appeared alongside Oliver Reed in the British crime drama Sitting Target. After the shoot wrapped, she took a break from her career. She later explained that "two pictures in a row was exhausting... I decided I needed a new way of life."<ref>Scott, Vernon (May 6, 1976). "Jill St. John to Play Brenda Starr in Movie". Youngstown Vindicator.</ref>

St. John did the TV movies Saga of Sonora (1973) and Brenda Starr (1976) (playing the title role), and guest-starred on Vega$, The Love Boat, Magnum, P.I., Fantasy Island, and Matt Houston. She also appeared in the pilot of Hart to Hart. She was cast as the princess in Day of the Assassin (1979), but bowed out when her deposit failed to arrive on time; Susana Dosamantes replaced her.<ref>"Brian Trenchard-Smith (Drive Hard) Talks the Dark Side of Co-Production – and the Time Glenn Ford Squeezed His Balls". Talkhouse. December 20, 2014.</ref>

In 1981, following a decade-long sabbatical in Aspen, Colorado, St. John made Hollywood her primary residence again. "I really don't have to work," she said of her return. "But you know what? I got bored."<ref>Mann, Roderick (October 15, 1981). "Jill St. John: A Return to Show Biz". Los Angeles Times.</ref> St. John did the TV movies Two Guys from Muck (1982) and Rooster (1982) and was top-billed in the feature The Concrete Jungle (1982), a woman in prison film in which she played Warden Fletcher. She had a small role in The Act (1983).

During 1983–1984, she starred with Dennis Weaver on the short-lived soap opera Emerald Point N.A.S., in which she played Deanna Kinkaid, Thomas Mallory's conniving former sister-in-law. It also starred another former Bond girl, Maud Adams. St. John was to appear in the pilot for Lime Street (1985) but when it was reduced from two hours to 90 minutes, her scenes ended up on the cutting room floor.<ref>Bennett, Ray (August 19, 2025). "Jill St. John wanted to share recipes but not Robert Wagner". thecliffedge.com.</ref>

St. John and Wagner were in Around the World in 80 Days (1989), Something to Believe In (1998), and The Calling (2002). They made brief cameo appearances as themselves in Robert Altman's Hollywood satire The Player (1992). Between 1996 and 2004, they performed together on stage in a national touring production of Love Letters.<ref>Ryan, Tim (October 22, 1998). "It’s easy when you’re already in love". Honolulu Star-Bulletin.</ref> The couple also appeared on the television sitcom Seinfeld in 1997, playing the parents of Mickey Abbott (Danny Woodburn) in "The Yada Yada" episode.

St. John appeared without Wagner in Out There (1995) and The Trip (2002).

In 2014, St. John played Mrs. Claus in the TV movie Northpole alongside Wagner, who played the part of Santa Claus. The film marked her first acting role after a 12-year absence from the screen. She has since officially retired from acting, but remains involved in civic activities.<ref name=election>Bielenberg, Julie (April 21, 2023). "Four run for two seats on Aspen Fire Board". The Aspen Times.</ref>

Avocation

In 1972, St. John largely left Hollywood behind and moved to Aspen, where she focused on personal interests and cooking. She is among the celebrities credited with increasing the popularity of the town along with Goldie Hawn and Jack Nicholson.<ref>Seal, Mark (January 23, 2014). "For Love of Aspen". Vanity Fair.</ref>

Her interest in cooking eventually led to her becoming a culinary personality, appearing in monthly cooking segments on ABC-TV's Good Morning America and her writing a column in USA Weekend magazine through the 1980s. This culminated in authoring The Jill St. John Cookbook (1987), a healthy, but not health food, collection of recipes and some anecdotes.<ref name=rice>Rice, William (December 10, 1987). "Actress Jill St. John Plays Up Cooking Career". Chicago Tribune.</ref>

St. John also developed a handmade Angora sweater business, and became interested in orchid growing, skiing, hiking, river rafting, camping, and gardening. In 1987, she said "I'm a mountain gal now. I love the outdoors and I love harvesting and using fresh vegetables and herbs."<ref name=rice/>

A 2005 skiing accident forced her to give up the sport and curtailed her dream of becoming "the oldest woman on the ski lift."<ref>"Hip surgery for Jill St. John". Lancaster New Era. February 11, 2005. p. D12.</ref><ref>Wilkinson, Wendy (July 10, 2021). "Coloradans Talk Colorado". Cowboys & Indians.</ref>

Charity work

During the Vietnam War, St. John entertained American soldiers at United Service Organizations (USO) shows.<ref>Scott, Vernon (December 20, 1964). "Redhead Jill Should Boom Reenlistments". Gadsden Times.</ref> She is founder of the Aunts Club, a Rancho Mirage-based group of women who contribute at least $1,000 per year to provide financial support for a child.<ref>"Bond Girl Jill St. John To Be Honored By Sintara Center". Look to the Stars. January 22, 2016.</ref><ref>Dodge, Marge (March 5, 2016). "Sinatra Center for Abused Children 2016 champion honors lunch". The Desert Sun.</ref> In 2015, she and her husband auctioned off a private lunch to raise money for Aspen Film.<ref>"Lunch with Robert Wagner & Jill St. John at Aquolina in Aspen". Charitybuzz. Retrieved May 7, 2021.</ref> St. John has also made donations to Aspen Community Foundation.<ref>"Contributions and Additions". 2021 Annual Report. Aspen Community Foundation. p. 15.</ref>

Politics

St. John ran unsuccessfully in 2023 for a seat on the board of the Aspen Fire Department.<ref name=election/><ref>Bielenberg, Julie (May 3, 2023). "Three special districts elect board members". The Aspen Times.</ref> She is a Republican.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Personal life

St. John and Wagner in Banning (1967)

St. John has been married four times. Her husbands:

• Neil Dubin (May 12, 1957 – July 3, 1958; divorced) St. John was 16 years old when they eloped to Yuma, Arizona.Template:Efn Dubin was heir to a linen fortune. St. John complained that he harassed and ridiculed her.<ref name=AP/>
• Lance Reventlow (March 24, 1960 – October 30, 1963; divorced) Reventlow was the son of Barbara Hutton, heir to the F. W. Woolworth fortune. St. John received a settlement of $86,000.<ref>United Press International (October 31, 1963). "Jill St. John Gets $86,000 Plus Divorce". Deseret News.</ref> Despite their divorce and subsequent remarriages, she refers to Reventlow as "my late husband" in interviews.<ref>See, e.g., The Paul O'Grady Show, season 10, episode 17.</ref>
• Jack Jones (October 14, 1967 – February 28, 1969; divorced) Jones said demands on his singing career and the traveling involved contributed to the breakup.<ref name=profile/>
• Robert Wagner (May 26, 1990 – present) The couple met in 1959 when they were contract players at 20th Century Fox, and have been together since Valentine's Day<ref>Template:Cite youtube</ref> 1982.<ref>Wallace, David (August 30, 1982). "Friends Say It's Love". People.</ref>Template:Efn

Between marriages, St. John dated entertainment, sports, and political personalities including David Bailey, Gianni Bulgari, Sammy Cahn, Michael Caine, Oleg Cassini, Barry Coe, Sean Connery, Robert Evans, Glenn Ford, David Frost, Jack Haley Jr., Bill Hudson, Henry Kissinger, Sidney Korshak, Peter Lawford, George Lazenby, Jim Lonborg, Trini López, Tom Mankiewicz, George Montgomery, Joe Namath, Jack Nicholson, Hugh O'Brian, Ogden Mills Phipps, Roman Polanski, Alejandro Rey, Tom Selleck, Frank Sinatra, Robert Vaughn, Giovanni Volpi, Adam West and David L. Wolper.<ref name=Hyman/><ref name=Perroni/><ref name=profile/><ref>Fine-Collins, Amy (April 2001). "The Man Hollywood Trusted". Vanity Fair.</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Brady, James (February 26, 1982). "A new romance for Jill St. John?". The Buffalo News. p. 19.</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Dougherty, Margot; Adelson, Suzanne (June 5, 1989). "Cindy Williams and Bill Hudson Really Do Act Just Like Family". People.</ref>

St. John has also been romantically linked to criminal court judge Jerome M. Becker, ski instructor Ricky Head, Olympic ski champion Brownie Barnes, plastic surgeon Steven Zax, investment broker Lenny Ross, Chicago businessman Delbert W. Coleman and Brazilian entrepreneur Francisco 'Baby' Pignatari.<ref>Martin, Jack (June 19, 1981). "Hollywooding". Daily Herald-Tribune. p. 2.</ref><ref>Scott, Vernon (October 5, 1983). "Jill St. John jilts jet set". UPI.com.</ref><ref>Smith, Liz (February 22, 1978). "What They're All Doing—And Where". New York Daily News. p. 6.</ref><ref>Adams Sloan, Robin (November 13, 1977). "Show Stoppers". Democrat and Chronicle. p. 30.</ref> She was engaged to Miami real estate developer Robert Blum in 1974, but called off the engagement.<ref name=profile/>

She has three stepdaughters:

• Katie Wagner, born 1964 to Wagner and Marion Marshall
• Natasha Gregson, born 1970 to Richard Gregson and Natalie Wood, but raised in the Wagner/St. John household after Wood died
• Courtney Wagner, born 1974 to Wagner and Wood

In 2007, Wagner and St. John sold the Brentwood ranchette they'd lived on since 1983 for a reported $14 million and relocated full-time to Aspen.<ref>"Sale price *finally* revealed (After more than a year!) for the 4,556-square-foot house in Los Angeles' Brentwood area that actor Robert Wagner and actress Jill St. John sold in July 2007". BergProperties.com. November 6, 2008.</ref><ref>Husted, Bill (September 18, 2008). "Aspen is home, sweet home for actor Wagner". The Denver Post.</ref>

Mutual animosity between St. John and her husband's former sister-in-law, Lana Wood, extends back to 1971, when Sean Connery was simultaneously involved with both women during the filming of Diamonds Are Forever.<ref>Template:Cite youtube</ref> The half-century feud has been highlighted by two well-documented public altercations: one in 1999, in which St. John refused to be photographed with Wood at a Bond girl reunion for Vanity Fair magazine,<ref>Perry Graham, Nancy (October 11, 1999). "Insider". People.</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and another in 2016 when Wood crashed an event honoring St. John in Palm Springs to confront Wagner over the reopened homicide case of her sister Natalie,<ref>"Death Threat Terror: Natalie Wood's Sister Threatened After Fingering Robert Wagner Over Death". Radar Online. July 5, 2016.</ref> who drowned in 1981 while yachting with Wagner off the coast of Santa Catalina Island.

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1948	Sandy Dreams		Series regular
1949	The Christmas Carol	Missie Cratchit	Teleplay
1950	Fantastick Studios, Ink		Series regular
1951	Thunder in the East	English girl	Uncredited
1951–1952	The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show	Sherry Kelly / Jill Kelly	3 episodes
1952	Sky King	Gretchen Gluckman	Episode: "Two-Gun Penny"
1953	Fireside Theatre		Episode: "His Name Is Jason"
1954	Cavalcade of America		Episode: "Night Call"
1957	The Christophers		Episode: "Gentle Warrior"
	Schlitz Playhouse	Eloise	Episode: "No Second Helping"
	The DuPont Show of the Month	Lois Graves	Episode: "Junior Miss"
1958	Summer Love	Erica Landis
1959	The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker	Kate Pennypacker
	Holiday for Lovers	Meg Dean
1960	The Lost World	Jennifer Holmes
1961	The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone	Barbara Bingham
1962	Tender Is the Night	Rosemary Hoyt
1963	Come Blow Your Horn	Peggy John	Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
	Who's Minding the Store?	Barbara Tuttle
	Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed?	Toby Tobler
1963–1965	Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre	Janie Douglas / Faith / Bunky	3 episodes
1964	Honeymoon Hotel	Sherry Nugent
	Mr. Broadway	Herself	Episode: "Take a Walk Through a Cemetery"
	Burke's Law	Pinky Likewise	Episode: "Who Killed Merlin the Great?"
1965	The Rogues	Jena Tate	Episode: "The Pigeons of Paris"
	The Liquidator	Iris MacIntosh
1966	Batman	Molly	Episodes: "Hi Diddle Riddle" and "Smack in the Middle"
	The Big Valley	Barbary Red	Episode: "Barbary Red"
	The Oscar	Laurel Scott
	Fame Is the Name of the Game	Leona Purdy	TV movie
1967	How I Spent My Summer Vacation	Nikki Pine
	Eight on the Lam	Monica
	Banning	Angela Barr
	The King's Pirate	Mistress Jessica Stephens
	Tony Rome	Ann Archer
1968–1972	Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In		8 episodes
1969	The Spy Killer	Mary Harper	TV movie
	The Name of the Game	Michelle Howell	Episode: "The Civilized Men"
1970	Foreign Exchange	Mary Harper	TV movie
1971	The Red Skelton Hour	Freida	Episode: "Humperdoo's Little Prescription"
	Decisions! Decisions!	Andrea Winters	TV movie
	Diamonds Are Forever	Tiffany Case
1972	Sitting Target	Pat Lomart
1973	Old Faithful	Miss Roberts	TV movie
	Saga of Sonora	Molly
1976	Brenda Starr	Brenda Starr
1977	Telethon	Fran Sullivan
1979	Hart to Hart	Sylvia Maxwell	Pilot
1979–1982	The Love Boat	Laura / Sandy Wilson / Claire Dalrymple / Mitzi De Risi	4 episodes
1980	Vega$	Mavis Graham	Episode: "Sudden Death"
1981–1982	Fantasy Island	Ellen Layton / Jane Doe / Helen of Troy	Episodes: "Paquito's Birthday/Technical Advisor" and "Forget Me Not/The Quiz Masters"
1982	Magnum, P.I.	Jan Kona	Episode: "Three Minus Two"
	Two Guys from Muck	Miss Demandt	TV movie
	Rooster	Joanna Van Eegan
	Matt Houston	Karen Ann Douglas	Episode: "X-22"
	The Concrete Jungle	Warden Fletcher
1983	The Act	Elise
1983–1984	Emerald Point N.A.S.	Deanna Kincaid	Series regular
1986	Dempsey and Makepeace	Mara Giardino	Episodes: "The Burning" and "The Burning: Part 2"
1988	J.J. Starbuck	Rachel Capstone	Episode: "A Song from the Sequel"
1989	Around the World in 80 Days	Woman mistaken for Princess Aouda	Miniseries
1992	The Player	Herself	Cameo
1995	Out There	Bunny Wells	TV movie
1997	Seinfeld	Mrs. Abbott	Episode: "The Yada Yada"
1998	Something to Believe In	Dr. Joanne Anderson
2002	The Trip	Mary Oakley
	The Calling	Elegant Lady
2014	Northpole	Mrs. Claus	TV movie

External links

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