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Carole Landis

 
Actor: Carole Landis
  • Born: Jan 01, 1919 in Fairchild, Wisconsin
  • Died: Jul 05, 1948 in Hollywood, California
  • Occupation: Actor
  • Active: '30s-'40s
  • Major Genres: Comedy, Musical
  • Career Highlights: I Wake Up Screaming, Four Jills in a Jeep, A Gentleman at Heart
  • First Major Screen Credit: Cowboys from Texas (1939)

Biography

Of Polish and Norwegian descent, Carole Landis moved with her mother and siblings from Wisconsin to California, where at age seven she made her inauspicious stage debut in an amateur talent show. Within five years, Carole began winning beauty contests. In high school, she was only interested in athletics, organizing a girl's football team which was dissolved by the principal on the grounds that it was "unladylike." Married at 15 and separated a few weeks later, Carole dropped out of school to pursue an acting career. She was principal singer and star hula dancer at the Royal Hawaiian club in San Francisco. Entering films in 1937 as a bit actress, Carole played a thankless leading role in the 1939 serial Daredevils of the Red Circle. Later that year, she was selected to play the prehistoric heroine of Hal Roach's One Million BC; according to Roach, she won the role on the basis of her athletic prowess and running ability. Signed at Roach, Carole was dubbed "The Ping Girl" in the studio's publicity, appearing in comedy leads in Turnabout, Road Show, and Topper Returns (all 1941). In 1941, half of Carole's Roach contract was purchased by 20th Century-Fox. She received good reviews for her performances in such Fox films as I Wake Up Screaming (1941), Orchestra Wives (1942) and My Gal Sal (1942). In 1942, Carole joined Martha Raye, Kay Francis and Mitzi Mayfair for a Hollywood Victory Committee tour of the British isles. She wrote a book on the subject of this tour, Four Jills in A Jeep, which in 1944 was filmed by Fox with the four actresses starring. Carole was one of the most tireless performers on the USO circuit, at one point contracting malaria but insisting upon maintaining her hectic schedule. On the home front, she was a principal fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. After briefly appearing in a 1945 Broadway musical, Carole returned to films, but her star had eclipsed and she had to make do with B pictures. In 1948, Carole Landis committed suicide. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
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Carole Landis

in Topper Returns (1941)
Born Frances Lillian Mary Ridste
January 1, 1919(1919-01-01)
Fairchild, Wisconsin, U.S.
Died July 5, 1948 (aged 29)
Pacific Palisades, California, U.S.
Occupation Actress
Years active 1937–1948
Spouse(s) Irving Wheeler (1934 annulled; 1934–1939 divorced)
Willis Hunt Jr. (1940 divorced)
Thomas C. Wallace
(1943–1945) (divorced)
W. Horace Schmidlapp
(1945–1948) (her death)

Carole Landis (January 1, 1919 – July 5, 1948) was an American film and stage actress.

Contents

Early life and family

Landis was born Frances Lillian Mary Ridste in Fairchild, Wisconsin to a Polish immigrant, Clara Stentek Ridste. Although Mrs. Stenek Ridste was married to Norwegian Alfred Ridste, who abandoned the family before Carole was born, author E. J. Fleming suggested that Charles Fenner, Clara's second husband, was most likely Carole's biological father. Carole was the youngest of five children. Two of her brothers died in childhood: Jerome was burned by scalding water and Lewis was accidentally shot. She had an unhappy childhood filled with poverty and sexual abuse. Nevertheless, she blossomed into a stunning teenager who won several local beauty contests. Later, she became an early feminist who tried to form an all-female football team in high school.

In January 1934, 15-year-old Landis married her 19-year-old neighbor, Irving Wheeler, but the marriage was annulled in February 1934. They later remarried on August 25, 1934. Wheeler named Busby Berkeley in an alienation of affections lawsuit in 1938 involving Landis,[1] and they divorced in 1939.

Early career

Landis dropped out of high school at age 15 and set forth on a career path to show business. She started out as a nightclub singer and a hula dancer in San Francisco before her 1937 film debut as an extra in A Star Is Born. She dyed her hair blonde and changed her name to "Carole Landis" after her favorite actress, Carole Lombard. Landis landed a contract with Warner Bros. and had a high profile engagement to choreographer Busby Berkeley. She continued appearing in bit parts until 1940 when Hal Roach cast her as a cave girl in One Million B.C. The movie was a sensation and turned Carole into a star. She was nicknamed "The Ping Girl" (which was supposed to be short for purring) and "The Chest" due to her impressive 36DD bust. Although she desperately wanted to be taken seriously as an actress she was willing to pose for endless cheesecake photos if it helped her career. Carole's trademark was a gold cross she always wore around her neck, which had been a gift from her friend Diana Lewis. Busby Berkeley, director-choreographer, proposed to her in June 1939, but later broke it off, due to the rumors that she was a call girl.[2]

1940s

Carole Landis at Armed Forces Radio Studio c.1940s

Tall, lean, and glamorous with a strong singing voice, Landis appeared in a string of successful films in the early forties, usually as the second female lead. In a time when the singing of many actresses was dubbed in, Landis's own voice was considered good enough and was used in her few musical roles. Landis landed a contract with 20th Century Fox and began a sexual relationship with Darryl F. Zanuck. She had roles playing opposite fellow pin-up girl Betty Grable in Moon Over Miami and I Wake Up Screaming, both in 1941. When Carole ended her relationship with Zanuck, her career suffered and she was assigned roles in B-movies.

Her marriage to a second husband, yacht broker Willis Hunt Jr., lasted just four months. She then married an Army Air Corps captain named Thomas Wallace in 1943, but in 1945 this marriage also ended in divorce. Her many boyfriends included Franchot Tone, Gene Markey, Charlie Chaplin, and George Montgomery. Landis became a popular pin-up with servicemen during World War II. In 1942, she toured with comedienne Martha Raye, dancer Mitzi Mayfair and actress Kay Francis with a USO troupe in England and North Africa. Two years later, she entertained soldiers in the South Pacific with Jack Benny. Landis traveled more than 100,000 miles during the war and spent more time visiting troops than any other actress. She nearly died from amoebic dysentery and malaria she contracted while traveling overseas.

Landis was also an author. She penned several newspaper and magazine articles about her experiences during the war, including the 1944 book Four Jills in a Jeep, which was later made into a movie. She also wrote the foreword to Victor Herman's cartoon book Winnie The WAC.

In 1945 she starred on Broadway in the musical A Lady Says Yes with Jacqueline Susann, with whom she evidently fell in love and had an affair[3]. Susann purportedly based the character Jennifer North in her book Valley of the Dolls on Landis. In 1945, Landis married Broadway producer W. Horace Schmidlapp, whom Susann had introduced to her. She desperately wanted to become a mother, but it was later discovered that she suffered from endometriosis and was unable to have children.

Depression and death

Landis, plagued by depression her entire life, attempted suicide in 1944 and 1946. By 1948, her career was in decline and her marriage with Schmidlapp was collapsing. She entered into a romance with actor Rex Harrison, who was married to actress Lilli Palmer at the time. Landis was reportedly crushed when Harrison refused to divorce his wife for her; unable to cope any longer, she committed suicide at her Pacific Palisades home by taking an overdose of Seconal.[4] She was 29 years old.[5] She had spent her final night alive, her last 4th of July, with Harrison. The next afternoon, he and the maid discovered her on the bathroom floor. Harrison called a doctor and the police.[6] According to some sources, Landis left two suicide notes, one for her mother and the second for Harrison who instructed his lawyers to destroy it.[7] During a coroner's inquest, Harrison denied knowing any motive for her suicide and told the coroner he did not know of the existence of a second suicide note.[8]

Carole Landis was interred in Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California in plot 814 of the "Everlasting Love" section. Among the celebrities at her funeral were Cesar Romero, Van Johnson, and Pat O'Brien.[9]

For her contribution to motion pictures industry, Carole Landis has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1765 Vine Street.

Selected filmography

Year Film Role Notes
1937 A Star Is Born Girl in beret at Santa Anita bar Uncredited
A Day at the Races Dance Extra Uncredited
Fly Away Baby Blonde at Airport Uncredited
The Emperor's Candlesticks Bit Uncredited
Broadway Melody of 1938 Dancer Uncredited
Varsity Show Student Uncredited
Hollywood Hotel Hat Check Girl with Coat Uncredited
1938 The Invisible Menace Woman wanting to go with her Johnnie Uncredited
A Slight Case of Murder Partygoer Leaning on Piano During Song Uncredited
Gold Diggers in Paris Golddigger Alternative title: The Gay Impostors
Four's a Crowd Myrtle, Lansford's 2nd Secretary
1939 Three Texas Steers Nancy Evans Alternative title: Danger Rides the Range
Daredevils of the Red Circle Blanche Granville
1940 One Million B.C. Loana
Turnabout Sally Willows
1941 Topper Returns Ann Carrington
Moon Over Miami Barbara Latimer, aka Miss Sears
I Wake Up Screaming Vicky Lynn Alternative title: Hot Spot
1942 My Gal Sal Mae Collins
Orchestra Wives Natalie Mercer
1943 Wintertime Flossie Fouchere
Show Business at War Herself
1946 A Scandal in Paris Loretta de Richet Alternative title: Thieves' Holiday
1947 Out of the Blue Mae Earthleigh
1948 Noose Linda Medbury Alternative title: The Silk Noose
Brass Monkey Kay Sheldon Alternative title: Lucky Mascot

References

  1. ^ Fleming, E.J. (2005). Carole Landis: A Tragic Life in Hollywood. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland and Co. ISBN 978-0-7864-2200-5, p. 49
  2. ^ The Private Life and Times of Carole Landis
  3. ^ Nicholas Wapshott (1991) Rex Harrison, p. 111
  4. ^ Parish, James Robert (2002). The Hollywood Book of Death: The Bizarre, Often Sordid, Passings of More Than 125 American Movie and TV Idols (3 ed.). Contemporary Books. pp. 315. ISBN 0-809-22227-2. 
  5. ^ Gans, Eric Lawrence (2008). "The Good Die Young (1948)". Carole Landis: A Most Beautiful Girl. University Press of Mississippi. pp. 197-199. ISBN 9781604730135. http://books.google.com/books?id=4m7nPlavJi8C&pg=PA197&lpg=PA197&source=bl&ots=omBgEPtkQF&sig=iaKADRbE6kJLTHsu1PZ3MZyN89Q&hl=en&ei=R0gzSqePOZCwsgPKoJTMDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10#PPA199,M1. Retrieved 13 June 2009. 
  6. ^ Mosby, Aline (July 06, 1948). "Carole Landis Mystery Death Clues Hunted". Oakland Tribune. p. 1. 
  7. ^ Gans, Eric Lawrence (2008). Carole Landis: A Most Beautiful Girl. Univ. Press of Mississippi. pp. 190. ISBN 1-604-73013-7. 
  8. ^ Actor Rex Harrison answering questions from coroner Ira Nance at inquiry on Carol Landis' suicide, a July 1948 Los Angeles Times photograph from the UCLA Charles E. Young Research Library website
  9. ^ Mosby, Aline (July 11, 1948). "Scores Attend Funeral of Carole Landis". Oakland Tribune. p. 1. 

External links


 
 
Learn More
A Gentleman at Heart (1942 Drama Film)
Dance Hall (1941 Musical Film)
Four Jills in a Jeep (1944 War Film)

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