Blast from the Past: Susan Hayward and Jill Jarmyn engage in a Real Catfight over a Cowboy!

Actresses Susan Hayward and Jill Jarmyn got into a very real catfight sometime in 1955.

The account was recounted by Time Magazine, and after doing some tedious searching, I have found some sources in some other places as well.

Study Susan Hayward, HERE
Study Jill Jarmyn, HERE

Jill Jarmyn met Don "Red" Barry while filming a movie called "A Twinkle in God's Eye". Jill claimed that they fell in love, and were going to be married. Sometime afterwards, they had a fight, and called everything off.

Don then started dating sexpot Susan Hayward, and it appears that Jill walked into Don's house unannouced at 11am, "for a spot of coffee", one morning in 1955, to find Susan Hayward in his bed, clad in blue and white polka dot pajamas!

Jill yelled:

"Get that two bit whore out of here!"

Susan replied:

"Who is this girl?"

Susan then went on the offensive, smacking Jill with a wooden hairbrush. Susan then forcefully ripped the buttons off of her blouse, and tried to burn her with a lighted cigarette!

Jill then proceeded to fall backwards over the couch, and slammed hard into a coffee table!

Meow!

What happened at that point, I don't know, but Jill filed an assault and battery charge with the police. It was reported that catty Susan told the police officers:

"It infuriated me and I went toward her and a wrestling match ensued"

Susan then went on to the officers:

"I don't know who struck the first blow." "I struck her, and then she struck me."

Susan followed up with:

"I'm red-head and Irish you know."

Jill eventually dropped the lawsuit against Susan because reports say she was under pressure from Susan's studio people to do so.

Jill decided to "drop the whole thing", and had the following to say to reporters:

"I've been through a humiliating experience, and now I want to forget it." I don't want to relive it again." Any further act on my part would only make matters worse, and hurt the children."

Susan Hayward was 34 at the time, and Jill Jarmyn was 23.

Sources:
Glamourous Girls of the Silver Screen Website
Time Magazine excerpt - 1955
Hostboard Message Board Posting