Janice Gero

Janice Gero was the second wife of actor Brandon DeWilde who was a child star in the 1950s, appearing in movies such as "Shane" and "The Member of the Wedding." Janice and Brandon married on March 25th 1972, just 4 months before Brandon died at age 30 in a car accident. It was Janice's first marriage and Brandon's second - he had previously married Susan Maw and they had a son, Jesse. Brandon registered as "Andre B. Dewilde" on his marriage certificate. According to his IMDb biography, Brandon was on his way to see Janice at a hospital where she had recently undergone surgery, and his camper van struck a parked truck and killed him. There was a book written about the couple - see Piecing together a Hollywood life in which Janice was quoted as saying "We were so poor we went to the grocery store and were actually taking bags of beans and were putting them inside our clothes to get something to eat. I never forget it because I had never stolen anything." In 2012, Patrisha McLean, wife of singer/songwriter, Don McLean, ultimately traced Janice to Italy and was able to interview her for the book. Shortly after Brandon's death Janice L. De Wilde, 20, married Gregory L Hankins, 21, on August 24th 1972, and three years after that, on September 20th 1975 married Michael J. Marto - both in Los Angeles, California. She later moved to Italy and has kept out of the public eye since the 1970s.

Brandon De Wilde got his start in the world of acting at the ripe age of ten. He kept working in film throughout the fifties and the sixties, starring in "Missouri Traveler" (1958), "Blue Denim" (1959) and the Eva Marie Saint dramatic adaptation "All Fall Down" (1962). He also appeared in the Paul Newman dramatic adaptation "Hud" (1962) and "Those Calloways" (1964) with Brian Keith. Nearing the end of his career, he tackled roles in the John Wayne action flick "In Harm's Way" (1965), "Black Jack" (1971) and the western "La Spina Dorsale del Diavola" (1971) with Bekim Fehmiu. He also appeared in "Wild in the Sky" (1972) and the documentary "George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey" (1985) with Jean Arthur. De Wilde was most recently credited in the Jerry Trimble action picture "Breathing Fire" (1992). De Wilde was married to Susan DeWilde and had one child, Jesse DeWilde. De Wilde passed away in July 1972 at the age of 30. CAST: (feature film) 1. Wild in the Sky (1972) 2. Black Jack (1971) Josh 3. Spina Dorsale del Diavola, La (1971) Ferguson 4. In Harm's Way (1965) Ens. Jeremiah "Jere" Torrey 5. Those Calloways (1965) Bucky Calloway 6. Hud (1963) Lon Bannon 7. All Fall Down (1962) Clinton Willart 8. Blue Denim (1959) Arthur Bartley 9. The Missouri Traveler (1958) Bairn Turner 10. Night Passage (1957) Joey Adams Milestones 1949:Broadway acting debut in "The Member of the Wedding" 1952:First film as actor "The Member of the Wedding" Companions WIFE:Susan DeWilde. Mother of Jesse. SON:Jesse DeWilde. Mother is first wife. Second Wife: Janice Gero. Brandon De Wilde (April 9, 1942 – July 6, 1972) was an Academy Award-nominated American actor born into a theatrical family in Brooklyn. Brandon De Wilde made his Broadway debut at the age of 7 in The Member of the Wedding, and was the first child actor to win the Donaldson Award. As the tow-headed Joey who worshipped the mysterious gunman in Shane, he stole the movie and was nominated for an Oscar. He shared the screen with James Stewart and Audie Murphy in the 1957 western Night Passage. De Wilde made his mark onscreen as an adolescent in the 1959 drama Blue Denim. He also appeared in Martin Ritt's Hud (1963) with Paul Newman and Patricia Neal, and in All Fall Down (1962) opposite Warren Beatty and Eva Marie Saint. De Wilde delivered another acclaimed performance at the age of 22 as Jere Torry, the screen son of John Wayne in In Harm's Way (1965). Brandon De Wilde was critically injured in a traffic accident in the Denver suburb of Lakewood on the evening of July 6, 1972, while en route to perform in the play, Butterflies Are Free. Swerving to avoid another vehicle, he struck a construction trailer parked on the side of the road, and was pinned under the wreckage of his motorcycle for some time before being taken to Denver General Hospital. He died four hours later. He was 30 years old. De Wilde was married to his second wife Janice Gero when he died. He left a small son, Jesse.