Doris Davenport - Overview

Doris Davenport, also known as Doris Jordan (January 1, 1917 - June 18, 1980) was an American film actress during the 1930s and early 1940s.

Davenport was born in Moline, Illinois, but raised in Hollywood, California. She started auditioning for acting roles, and performed in her first film in 1934, titled Kids Millions.

From 1934 to 1939, she would appear in only five films, supporting herself by working in New York City as a fashion model between films. However, when she auditioned under the screen name "Doris Jordan" for the role of "Scarlett O'Hara", the lead role in the now classic Gone with the Wind, she did well enough to become one of the finalists for the role, but lost out to actress Vivien Leigh.

Despite not winning that major role, Davenport impressed MGM executive Samuel Goldwyn. In 1940, he gave a lead role to Davenport in the film The Westerner, starring opposite Gary Cooper and Walter Brennan. That same year she starred in the film Behind the News opposite Lloyd Nolan. It would be her last role. With no other offers following that film, she soon retired from acting.

She eventually settled in Santa Cruz, California, where she lived until her death on June 18, 1980, aged 63.