A former child star who has been part of Christmas for generations of families has died.
Jeanine Ann Roose, who played the flirty character Violet Bick as a young girl in the holiday movie classic “It’s A Wonderful Life, “ died Friday at the age of 84, according to The Express.
The website TMZ said she died at her Los Angeles home and had been battling an infection in her abdomen.
Jeanine Ann Roose, Young Violet in ‘It’s a Wonderful Life,’ Dies at 84 https://t.co/1zjNcrrIZJ
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) January 2, 2022
Born in 1937, Roose had multiple roles in radio and television from the 1940s and ’50s.
Her role as Violet in the 1946 Christmas film was her sole film credit, according to Deadline. (Grown-up Violet was played by Gloria Grahame, who died in 1981.)
Roose made her acting debut at the age of 8 on the radio show, “The Jack Benny Program,” Deadline reported.
Other radio credits included appearances on “The Fitch Bandwagon” and “The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show” between 1946 and 1954 as a character based on the real-life daughter of Harris and Faye, according to Deadline.
Twitter flowed with remembrances.
We’re sorry to hear of the passing of Jeanine Ann Roose. She played Little Violet in ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’. Our thoughts are with her family and friends. https://t.co/MNMb2oKeLj via @TMZ
— Jimmy Stewart Museum (@Jimmy_Dot_Org) January 1, 2022
Rest Well Baby Alice and Goodbye Violet 💔😭 Jeanine Roose has left our realm. From the prime of youth she could attempt to Coax young George or bring expert comic delivery to Jack Benny and the Phil Harris/Alice Faye show.
Onesie Twosie, Dear Miss Roosie, have a sweet sleep. pic.twitter.com/eg7X0lq67R
— Yesteryear Ballyhoo Revue (@BallyhooRevue) January 1, 2022
Very sad to learn of the passing of #JeanineRoose – if you're going to be in only one film, may as well be in the best film of all time.
Not many cast members left, as most have now gotten their wings.
May she rest in peace. #IAWL #RIPhttps://t.co/QX6dATvO5J
— Pierre Petrou💧🌸🎙️📻 (@PierrePetrou) January 1, 2022
Roose left acting behind when it was time to attend college.
She attended UCLA and later became a Jungian psychoanalyst, according to Deadline.
She explained once how she saw a connection between the movie classic and the other parts of her life.
“‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ was the only movie that I was in and it has been an amazing lifetime experience to have been in such a collectively meaningful picture,” she said.
Her calling lay elsewhere, she said.
“It became clear that my desire was specifically to help others who were struggling with finding meaning in their life — not unlike Clarence in the movie who helps George see the meaning of his life,” she said.