Jackie Horner • Another Nice Mess

Jackie Horner

born: 09 August 1932
Cheektowaga, New York,
United States of America

American child actress. Her father was George David Horner (1899 - ? ). He had a prior marriage (1920) and a son, Jack and served in the US Navy from 1916-1920. Jackie's Mom was Clare Feliska Wojciechowski (alternate endings.. "sky" and "ska") (1908-1972). She was aged 15 or 16 when they married, prior to the 1925 NY Census. Their first child was Adeline Carole Horner born about 1927 who used the stage name Carole Hayden.
In Feb. 1934, George applied for WWI PA Veterans compensation. The application says he was born in 1899. It gives his wife as "Clara Wojciechowski" and children "Dorothy aged 2" and "Adeline aged 8".
Jackie's birthday is 09 August 1932 given in the 19 Aug 1932 "Buffalo Evening News" p.22 and a 1948 newspaper quote from her father. Her birth name is Dorothy Isabel Horner but her parents and other relatives referred to her as Jacqueline. Her birthplace is Cheektowaga, NY, a suburb of Buffalo. The family moved to Los Angeles in 1932 in order to further the career of their talented daughter, Adeline. Jackie "tagged along" to jobs with her sister and was noticed by MGM staff for movies. She took piano lessons and became a talented concert pianist and performed in a Broadway play and on radio.
In early January of 1948, Jackie ran away from home in Los Angeles. The parents had divorced in 1942 and her Dad had remarried and was living in Buffalo, NY. She claimed she was forced to practice piano 8 hours per day and wanted to live and play like other kids. After a nationwide search and accounts in many newspapers, a week later, she was found in a San Francisco hotel in the company of a 19 year-old sailor. She claimed that nothing sexual happened, which was corroborated by medical examination and the police. She said she had lots of fun!
Jackie became a ward of the court and placed under court supervision with parental visitation. In March, her mother closed up her house and put her furniture in storage. She got Jackie and took her home for a weekend visit and never returned! Another nationwide search turned up nothing. About a year later in March 1949, she and her mother turned up in Buffalo, NY. All charges and the court supervision were dropped.
About 1953, Jackie became a dance instructor at Grossinger's Resort in the Catskills of NY. She eventually met the love of her life, Louis Goldstein (1921-2012) who was a very successful comedian and "tummler" for Grossinger's. Besides many famous celebrities, she gave dance lessons to author Eleanor Bergstein, who was inspired to write "Dirty Dancing" based on stories told to her by Jackie which resulted in the movie with Patrick Swayze. A contributor to the likedirtydancing.blogspot.com met and conversed with Jackie at the "Stardust Dance Weekend" at the Honor Hotel in NY on 14 April 2018. From all newspaper accounts, she has had a wonderful life "after Hollywood".

At least one source gives her name as Dorothy "Jackie" Horner; lists her birthdate as July 9, 1932 and her real name as Elizabeth Ann Horner.

Real name: Dorothy Isabel Horner

Films listed on this page: complete Hal Roach filmography;
plus all films with Our Gang.

1937	Our Gang Follies Of 1938 Girl with "!" on sweater
1940	Saps At Sea Girl

▼ NON-HAL ROACH FILMS

1939	Time Out For Lessons [UNCONFIRMED]*
1943	Calling All Kids Eleanor Powell
1943	Election Daze Club member

Acknowledgements:
Jim Jarvis (extensive research)
"Buffalo Evening News" Aug.19 p.22: birth announcement for 9 Aug: named "Dorothy Isabel": parents, George and Clara Horner (1932)
"Pennsylvania, WWI Veterans Service and Compensation Files" @ Ancestry.com - Names and ages of George Horner family (1934)
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MJ2Y-GN4...(Clara) Felixa Wojciechowski and family (1920 Census)
https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=2704&h=20642709&tid=&pid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=hLn368&_phstart=successSource (George D. and Clara Horner: Buffalo, NY.) (1925 Census)
https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=2704&h=20642709&tid=&pid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=hLn368&_phstart=successSource (1930 Census)
George and Clara and Adeline Horner in Cheektowaga, NY.
https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/2442/m-t0627-00398-00390?backurl=&ssrc=&backlabel=Return#?imageId=m-t0627-00398-00407 "HORmer" Family in LA. (1940 Census)
https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=2238&h=18221435&tid=&pid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=hLn342&_phstart=successSource (1942 WWII Draft Card for George David Horner)
1946 "Rochester Chronicle" 05 Jun. p. 9...in Broadway play.
1948 "Oakland Trib." 21 Jan. p.1....born Cheektowaga NY.
1948 "Buff Eve News" 17 Jan. p.7..Dad's bio and family history.
1948 "Buff Express" p.1....Jackie's relatives named.
1948 "Rochester Chronicle" 24 Jan. p.4...ward of juvenile court.
1948 "Elmira Gazette" 10 Feb. p.1....back home with Mom.
1948 "Elmira Gazette" 21 May p.1....missing again but with Mom this time.
1949 "LA Times" 02 March p.4...Jackie found living with Mom in Buffalo, NY.
1959 "Kingston NY Freeman" 05 Nov. p.1...Lou Goldstein Biography.
https://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/16/nyregion/lou-goldstein-borscht-belt-comedian-dies-at-90.html (2012 "NY Tines" 16 April p.xx..Lou Goldstein obit.)
ttp://www.recordonline.com/entertainmentlife/20170720/celebrating-most-memorable-catskills-milestone---dirty-dancing-is-30 ("on line" 20 July 2017)
http://likedirtydancing.blogspot.com/2011/10/dirty-dancing-character-penny-was-based.html (blog, plublished 18 April 2018)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Gang_Follies_of_1938 (Our Gang Wiki)

YouTube links: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgzU17N3Ngk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHJ6qA7L89s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUgHkLoPz48 (Grossingers)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7I1izk2NWFY

This page was last updated on: 22 April 2018