Editing Dana Andrews (section)

== Early life ==
Andrews was born on a farmstead near [[Collins, Mississippi|Collins]], ([[county seat]] town of [[Covington County, Mississippi|Covington County]]), in southern [[Mississippi]], the third of 13 children of Charles Forrest Andrews, a [[Baptist]] minister, and his wife, Annis (''née'' Speed).<ref name="query.nytimes">{{cite news| first=Richard| last=Severo| date=December 19, 1992| url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE6DF1E3BF93AA25751C1A964958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all| title=Dana Andrews, Film Actor of 40's, Is Dead at 83| work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=November 2, 2015}}</ref> The family subsequently relocated west to [[Huntsville, Texas]], the birthplace of his younger siblings, including fellow [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]] actor [[Steve Forrest (actor)|Steve Forrest]] (born William Forrest Andrews, 1925-2013).<ref>{{cite web|date=December 18, 1992|title=Dana Andrews Dies; Actor Was a Success but Not a Star|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-12-18-me-2163-story.html|access-date=March 21, 2024|website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref>

Andrews attended college at [[Sam Houston State University]] nearby in Huntsville<ref>{{cite news| last1=Coons| first1=Robbin| title=Hollywood Sights And Sounds| url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2622438/big_spring_daily_herald/| work=[[Big Spring Daily Herald]]| date=September 27, 1940| page=7| via=[[Newspapers.com]]| access-date=June 15, 2015| archive-date=August 17, 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170817040944/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2622438/big_spring_daily_herald/| url-status=live}} {{Open access}}</ref> and studied business administration in [[Houston, Texas|Houston]]. During 1931, he traveled to the [[West Coast of the United States|West Coast]] to [[Los Angeles, California]] to pursue opportunities as a singer. He worked various jobs, such as at a gas refueling station in the nearby community of [[Van Nuys, Los Angeles|Van Nuys]]. To help the struggling Andrews study music at night, "The station owners stepped in ... with a deal: $50 a week for full-time study, in exchange for a five-year share of possible later earnings", which he started repaying after signing with Goldwyn.<ref name=bsdh>{{cite news| last1=Coons| first1=Robbin| title=Dana Andrews Has Makings Of Stardom| url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2622507/big_spring_daily_herald/| work=Big Spring Daily Herald| date=August 8, 1941| page=2| via=Newspapers.com| access-date=June 15, 2015| archive-date=August 17, 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170817040943/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2622507/big_spring_daily_herald/| url-status=live}} {{Open access}}</ref> The founder of the Hollywood Community Theater, [[Neely Dickson]], disputed the gas station story, saying it was invented by [[Samuel Goldwyn]] Studio publicists and that Andrews was discovered at her theater.<ref name=":02">{{Cite journal |last=Wallace |first=Irving |date=October 1940 |title=Nurseries for Newcomers |url=https://archive.org/details/Modern-Screen-1940-10-Vol-21-No-5/page/26/mode/2up?q=%22neely+dickson%22 |journal=Modern Screen |volume=21 |issue=5 |pages=26–27, 83 |via=The Internet Archive, archive.org}}</ref> ''The Los Angeles Times'' also attempted to debunk the story.<ref>{{Cite news |date=29 January 1939 |title=Scouts Cover Theater School: Neely Dickson Students Given Film Contracts |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_los-angeles-times_los-angeles-times_1939-01-29_58/page/n59/mode/2up?q=%22james+bacigalupe%22 |work=The Los Angeles Times |pages=7}}</ref>