Born in Barstow, California. Sweet, fresh-faced former beauty queen who entered film as a 20th Century-Fox starlet in 1943, before the age of 20. Crain played wholesome girl-next-door characters in a series of light entertainments (STATE FAIR, 1945, CENTENNIAL SUMMER, 1946, etc.) until she was cast against type in Elia Kazan's racial drama PINKY (1949), as a young black woman passing for white. Although frequently cast in musicals, she herself was not a singer. Louanne Hogan was specifically under contract at 20th Century-Fox so that she could dub the singing in all of Crain's musicals. In the 1950s Crain attempted to develop a more glamorous image and to appear in more sophisticated fare, but met with only limited success. Other notable screen credits include: 1943: THE GANG'S ALL HERE (her first, in a one-line bit part); 1944: HOME IN INDIANA, IN THE MEANTIME, DARLING, WINGED VICTORY 1945: LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN 1946: MARGIE (a Roaring Twenties tunefest that's one of her most satisfying star vehicles); 1948: APARTMENT FOR PEGGY 1949: A LETTER TO THREE WIVES, THE FAN 1950: CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN, I'LL GET BY 1951: THE MODEL AND THE MARRIAGE BROKER, PEOPLE WILL TALK, TAKE CARE OF MY LITTLE GIRL 1952: BELLES ON THEIR TOES, O. HENRY'S FULL HOUSE 1953: DANGEROUS CROSSING, VICKI, CITY OF BAD MEN 1954: DUEL IN THE JUNGLE 1955: MAN WITHOUT A STAR, GENTLEMEN MARRY BRUNETTES, THE SECOND GREATEST SEX 1956: THE FASTEST GUN ALIVE 1957: THE JOKER IS WILD, THE TATTERED DRESS 1960: GUNS OF THE TIMBERLAND 1961: TWENTY PLUS TWO 1962: MADISON AVENUE, NEFERTITI, QUEEN OF THE NILE, PONTIUS PILATE, INVASION 1700 1967: HOT RODS TO HELL 1971: THE NIGHT GOD SCREAMED 1972: SKYJACKED. A devout Roman Catholic, Crain remained married from 1946 to former RKO contract player-turned highly successful businessman Paul Brinkman. They had 7 children.    Nominated for Actress 1949: PINKY 1 nomination