Joan Marsh
Joan Marsh | |
---|---|
Born | Dorothy Rosher[a] July 10, 1914 Porterville, California, U.S. |
Died | August 10, 2000 Ojai, California, U.S. | (aged 86)
Other names | Dorothy D. Rosher |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1915–1944 |
Spouses | Charles S. Belden (m. 1938; div. 1943)John D. W. Morrill (m. 1943) |
Joan Marsh (July 10, 1914[a] – August 10, 2000) was an American child actress in silent films between 1915 and 1921. Later, during the sound era, she resumed her acting career and performed in a variety of films during the 1930s and 1940s.
Early years
Marsh, born Dorothy D. Rosher,[a] was the daughter of Lolita and Charles Rosher. Her parents later divorced.[5]
Career
In 1915, Marsh made her first film appearance, an uncredited one, in the short The Mad Maid of the Forest, which her father was filming.[6] Later that same year she was also cast in Hearts Aflame and then billed as Dorothy Rosher.[6] In 1917 she appeared too in A Little Princess and in no less than five other productions in 1918, including the comedy-drama Women's Weapons for Paramount Pictures.[7] After these minor roles as a baby and toddler, Marsh finally became a star in Mary Pickford films such as Daddy-Long-Legs (1919) and Pollyanna (1920).[6]
Marsh made her last film appearance as a child in 1921 but returned to films nine years later with a role in King of Jazz, in which she sang with Bing Crosby. She subsequently worked in a series of shorts and other feature films before she played W. C. Fields's daughter in You're Telling Me! in 1934. She continued performing on-screen in small roles for the next decade.[6] In 1936, she sang on the CBS radio program Flying Red Horse Tavern.[8]
In 1931, Marsh was one of 13 actresses named as WAMPAS baby stars.[9]
She made her final film appearance in 1944 in Follow the Leader.[6]
Personal life
During the filming of Charlie Chan on Broadway, Marsh met writer Charles Belden, who had co-written the film's screenplay.[citation needed] They married on December 2, 1938, in Beverly Hills, California.[10] Their marriage ended in divorce in 1943—first in Los Angeles, California, on August 26, 1943, followed by a second divorce October 23, 1943, "so she won't have to wait a year before remarrying."[11]
In 1943, Marsh married Army Captain John D. W. Morrill in Santa Monica, California.[12]
Later years and death
Marsh later managed a stationery shop. She died at age 86 in Ojai, California[6] on August 10, 2000.[13]
Partial filmography
- Hearts Aflame (1915) - Child
- A Little Princess (1917) - Child (uncredited)
- How Could You Jean? (1918) - Morley Child
- Johanna Enlists (1918) - (uncredited)
- The Bond (1918, Short) - Cupid (uncredited)
- Women's Weapons (1918) - Nicholas Jr.'s Sister
- Captain Kidd, Jr. (1919) - Child (uncredited)
- Daddy-Long-Legs (1919) - (uncredited)
- Pollyanna (1920) - Dorothy Rosher
- Suds (1920) - Minor Role (uncredited)
- Young Mrs. Winthrop (1920) - Rosie
- Thou Art the Man (1920) - Ellie Prescott
- Little Lord Fauntleroy (1921) - (uncredited)
- King of Jazz (1930) - Blonde ("A Bench in the Park") (uncredited)
- All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) - Poster Girl (uncredited)
- The Little Accident (1931) - Doris
- Inspiration (1931) - Madeleine Dorety
- Dance, Fools, Dance (1931) - Sylvia
- A Tailor Made Man (1931) - Beanie
- Meet the Wife (1931) - Doris Bellamy
- Three Girls Lost (1931) - Marcia Tallant
- Shipmates (1931) - Mary Lou
- Politics (1931) - Daisy Evans
- Maker of Men (1931) - Dorothy
- The Wet Parade (1932) - Evelyn Fessenden
- Are You Listening? (1932) - Honey O'Neil
- Bachelor's Affairs (1932) - Eva Mills
- That's My Boy (1932) - Co-ed (uncredited)
- Speed Demon (1932) - Jean Torrance
- High Gear (1933) - Anne Merritt
- Daring Daughters (1933) - Betty Cummings
- The Man Who Dared (1933) - Joan Novak
- It's Great to Be Alive (1933) - Toots
- Three-Cornered Moon (1933) - Kitty
- Rainbow Over Broadway (1933) - Judy Chibbins
- You're Telling Me! (1934) - Pauline Bisbee
- Many Happy Returns (1934) - Florence Allen
- We're Rich Again (1934) - Carolyn 'Carrie' Page
- Champagne for Breakfast (1935) - Vivian Morton
- Anna Karenina (1935) - Lili
- Dancing Feet (1936) - Judy Jones
- Brilliant Marriage (1936) - Madge Allison
- What Becomes of the Children? (1936) - Marion Worthington
- Charlie Chan on Broadway (1937) - Joan Wendall
- Hot Water (1937) - Bebe Montaine
- Life Begins in College (1937) - Cuddles
- The Lady Objects (1938) - June Lane
- Idiot's Delight (1939) - one of Harry Van's Les Blondes!
- Fast and Loose (1939) - Bobby Neville
- Blame It on Love (1940) - Terry Arden
- Road to Zanzibar (1941) - Dimples
- The Man in the Trunk (1942) - Yvonne Duvalle
- Police Bullets (1942) - Donna Wells
- Keep 'Em Slugging (1943) - Lola
- Secret Service in Darkest Africa (1943, Serial) - Janet Blake
- Mr. Muggs Steps Out (1943) - Brenda Murray
- Follow the Leader (1944) - Milly McGinnis (final film role)
Notes
- ^ a b c Some sources list Marsh's birth year as 1913, and others 1914;[1] the day, July 10, however, is consistent amongst them. The California Birth Index corroborates a birthdate of July 10, 1914, for Dorothy Rosher, born in Tulare County, California.[2] Furthermore, some sources (primarily obituaries) suggest that her birth name was Nancy Rosher,[3][4] though the California Birth Index entry conflicts with this claim.
References
- ^ "Joan Marsh Biography". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on January 29, 2022.
- ^ "Dorothy D. Rosher, born on July 10, 1914 in Tulare County, California". California Birth Index. Archived from the original on February 22, 2016.
- ^ "Deaths". The Washington Post. August 24, 2000. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
- ^ Oliver, Myrna (August 23, 2000). "Joan Marsh: '30s Bombshell Began in Silents". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 29, 2022.
- ^ "Joan Marsh Father Freed From Paying". The Bakersfield Californian. California, Bakersfield. August 4, 1938. p. 18. Retrieved June 30, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d e f Katz, Ephraim and Nolen, Ronald. The Film Encyclopedia, pp. 1166-67 (HarperCollins 2013).
- ^ "Woman's Weapons". The Wichita Daily Eagle. Kansas, Wichita. November 24, 1918. p. 26. Retrieved June 30, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Sies, Luther F. (2014). Encyclopedia of American Radio, 1920-1960, 2nd Edition, pg. 234. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-5149-4.
- ^ "Pick 13 as 'baby' stars". The New York Times. Associated Press. August 13, 1931. p. 24. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
- ^ "Joan Marsh a Bride". The New York Times. Associated Press. December 3, 1938. p. 10. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
- ^ "Actress Joan Marsh To Marry Captain". Long Beach Independent. California, Long Beach. International News Service. October 22, 1943. p. 5. Retrieved June 30, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Joan Marsh Married". The New York Times. October 25, 1943. p. 11. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
- ^ Oliver, Myrna (August 23, 2000). "Joan Marsh; '30s Bombshell Began in Silents". Los Angeles Times. p. B 8. Retrieved August 13, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.