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WHO IS SHE ?
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Mona Freeman?
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I think you've got it, Manderley! The sky's the limit to your talents.
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Is it, perhaps, Joan Leslie?
CORRECT!!!
The talented, young actress soon signed a contract with Warner Bros. In 1941, Leslie got her first major role in the thriller High Sierra with Humphrey Bogart, playing a crippled girl under her new billing as "Joan Leslie". She also starred in Sergeant York and The Wagons Roll at Night in that same year. Later in 1942 she appeared as James Cagney's wife in Yankee Doodle Dandy, and at the age of 18 in 1943, she starred in The Sky's the Limit with Fred Astaire.
She starred in many more movies until 1950, when she married Dr. William Caldwell. Her last movie role was in The Revolt of Mamie Stover in 1956, and she eventually retired from acting altogether to look after her identical twin daughters Patrice and Ellen. She has appeared in several television commercials since then, and also made guest appearances in the TV shows Murder, She Wrote and Charlie's Angels. She also provided commentary as extras on the Yankee Doodle Dandy, Sergeant York, and High Sierra DVDs.
Joan was a regular volunteer at the Hollywood Canteen where she danced with the servicemen and granted hundreds of autographs. In 1944, she starred with Robert Hutton in the Warner Bros. film, Hollywood Canteen.
Joan Leslie has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1560 Vine Street.
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Although I don't recall seeing this in any of her recent obituaries, I read in a book (by Richard Schickel, I think) that after starring in all those classic Warner Brothers films she asked for a raise and was promptly fired by Jack Warner. If this is true, the studio was a bigger loser than the actress.
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Posted: |
Nov 16, 2015 - 11:59 AM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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Although I don't recall seeing this in any of her recent obituaries, I read in a book (by Richard Schickel, I think) that after starring in all those classic Warner Brothers films she asked for a raise and was promptly fired by Jack Warner. If this is true, the studio was a bigger loser than the actress.
During the 1945 production year, Warners put Leslie in several lead roles in B-pictures, albeit with top directors. In CINDERELLA JONES, it was Busby Berkeley. In JANIE GETS MARRIED, it was Vincent Sherman. TWO GUYS FROM MILWAUKEE reunited stars Leslie and Dennis Morgan and director David Butler, all from THANK YOUR LUCKY STARS. TWO GUYS FROM MILWAUKEE completed production in early February 1946.
On March 6, 1946 Joan Leslie was signed by Nero Films, Inc. to play the role of "Lorna" in their production of the Robert Cummings film noir THE CHASE, which was to be released by United Artists. However, Leslie was still under contract to Warner Bros. and had not obtained a release from them. The studio refused to lend her and obtained a restraining order on April 18, 1946 to prevent her from appearing in pictures for other producers. Leslie attempted to void her studio contract, which still had three years to run, claiming that since she had signed the initial contract when she was a minor, she had the right to dis-affirm her contract when she reached the age of consent, as she had on January 26, 1946, her 21st birthday. On April 23, 1946, a court lifted the restraining order, and Leslie was freed from her Warner Bros. contract.
TWO GUYS FROM MILWAUKEE opened during the week of July 27, 1946. Leslie, who was under the impression that she had the lead role in the film, was surprised to find that she was billed second to Dennis Morgan. On August 19, 1946, Leslie filed a $2,725,000 suit against Warner Bros., charging that the studio reduced her billing from star to featured player after she had won the suit breaking her contract. On October 29, 1946, the studio filed an answer denying the charges and asking for dismissal of the suit with court costs. Warner Bros. argued that star billing was "optional based on merit, proficiency and drawing power." The outcome of that suit is not known. Meanwhile, Warners also appealed the lifting of its restraining order on Leslie. But on October 26, 1947, the district appeals court ruled in Leslie's favor and the case was over.
While these court battles raged on, production on THE CHASE proceeded without Leslie. Michèle Morgan played the part of "Lorna."
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I knew I couldn't trust Schickel!
Thanks, Bob.
PNJ
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