Joan Leslie
Encyclopedia
Joan Leslie is a retired American film and television actress.
, and raised Roman Catholic. She began performing as a singer at the age of nine as part of a vaudeville
act with her two sisters; Betty and Mae Brodel. She later began her Hollywood acting career while still a child, performing under her real name in several movies, beginning with her debut in the MGM movie Camille
(1936) with Greta Garbo
and Robert Taylor
.
, 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.
Early life
Leslie was born Joan Agnes Theresa Sadie Brodel in Detroit, MichiganDetroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, and raised Roman Catholic. She began performing as a singer at the age of nine as part of a vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
act with her two sisters; Betty and Mae Brodel. She later began her Hollywood acting career while still a child, performing under her real name in several movies, beginning with her debut in the MGM movie Camille
Camille (1936 film)
Camille is an American romantic drama film directed by George Cukor and produced by Irving Thalberg and Bernard H. Hyman, from a screenplay by James Hilton, Zoe Akins and Frances Marion. The picture is based on the 1852 novel and play La Dame aux Camélias by Alexandre Dumas, fils...
(1936) with Greta Garbo
Greta Garbo
Greta Garbo , born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson, was a Swedish film actress. Garbo was an international star and icon during Hollywood's silent and classic periods. Many of Garbo's films were sensational hits, and all but three were profitable...
and Robert Taylor
Robert Taylor (actor)
Robert Taylor was an American film and television actor.-Early life:Born Spangler Arlington Brugh in Filley, Nebraska, he was the son of Ruth Adaline and Spangler Andrew Brugh, who was a farmer turned doctor...
.
Hollywood success
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 BogartHumphrey Bogart
Humphrey DeForest Bogart was an American actor. He is widely regarded as a cultural icon.The American Film Institute ranked Bogart as the greatest male star in the history of American cinema....
, playing a crippled girl under her new billing as "Joan Leslie". She also starred in Sergeant York
Sergeant York
Sergeant York is a 1941 biographical film about the life of Alvin York, the most-decorated American soldier of World War I. It was directed by Howard Hawks and was the highest-grossing film of the year....
and The Wagons Roll at Night
The Wagons Roll at Night
The Wagons Roll at Night is a 1941 circus film, starring Humphrey Bogart as travelling carnival owner Nick Coster, Sylvia Sidney as his girlfriend and Eddie Albert as a newcomer who falls in love with Nick's sister.-Plot:...
in that same year. Later in 1942 she appeared as James Cagney
James Cagney
James Francis Cagney, Jr. was an American actor, first on stage, then in film, where he had his greatest impact. Although he won acclaim and major awards for a wide variety of performances, he is best remembered for playing "tough guys." In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked him eighth...
's wife in Yankee Doodle Dandy
Yankee Doodle Dandy
Yankee Doodle Dandy is a 1942 American biographical musical film about George M. Cohan, known as "The Man Who Owns Broadway". It stars James Cagney, Joan Leslie, Walter Huston, and Richard Whorf, and features Irene Manning, George Tobias, Rosemary DeCamp and Jeanne Cagney.The movie was written by...
, and at the age of 18 in 1943, she starred in The Sky's the Limit with Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. His stage and subsequent film career spanned a total of 76 years, during which he made 31 musical films. He was named the fifth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute...
.
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
The Revolt of Mamie Stover (film)
The Revolt of Mamie Stover is a romantic drama film made by Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation. It was directed by Raoul Walsh and produced by Buddy Adler from a screenplay by Sydney Boehm based on the novel of the same name by William Bradford Huie.The film stars Jane Russell and Richard Egan...
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
Murder, She Wrote
Murder, She Wrote is an American television mystery series starring Angela Lansbury as mystery writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher. The series aired for 12 seasons from 1984 to 1996 on the CBS network, with 264 episodes transmitted. It was followed by four TV films and a spin-off series,...
and Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels is a television series about three women who work for a private investigation agency, and is one of the first shows to showcase women in roles traditionally reserved for men...
. 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
Robert Hutton (actor)
-Early life:Robert Hutton was the son of a hardware merchant and was a cousin of the Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton. He attended Blair Academy, a small, exclusive boarding school in Blairstown, New Jersey...
in the Warner Bros. film, Hollywood Canteen.
Joan Leslie has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
at 1560 Vine Street.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1936 1936 in film The year 1936 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May 29 - Fritz Lang's first Hollywood film Fury, starring Spencer Tracy and Bruce Cabot, is released.*November 6 - first Porky Pig animated cartoon... |
Camille Camille (1936 film) Camille is an American romantic drama film directed by George Cukor and produced by Irving Thalberg and Bernard H. Hyman, from a screenplay by James Hilton, Zoe Akins and Frances Marion. The picture is based on the 1852 novel and play La Dame aux Camélias by Alexandre Dumas, fils... |
Marie Jeanette | uncredited |
| 1938 1938 in film The year 1938 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*January — MGM announces that Judy Garland would be cast in the role of "Dorothy" in the upcoming Wizard of Oz motion picture. Ray Bolger is cast as the "Tinman" and Buddy Ebsen is cast as the "Scarecrow". At Bolger's insistence,... |
Men with Wings Men with Wings Men With Wings is a 1938 Technicolor American starring Fred MacMurray, Ray Milland, and Louise Campbell. Donald O'Connor also has a small part as the younger version of MacMurray's character. The two would soon star in the film Sing You Sinners together along with Bing Crosby.... |
Patricia Falconer at Age 11 | uncredited |
| 1939 1939 in film The year 1939 in motion pictures can be justified as being called the most outstanding one ever, when it comes to the high quality and high attendance at the large set of the best films that premiered in the year .- Events :Motion picture historians and film often rate... |
Nancy Drew ... Reporter | Mayme, Journalism Student | uncredited |
| Love Affair | Autograph Seeker | uncredited | |
| Winter Carnival | Betsy Phillips | as Joan Brodel | |
| Two Thoroughbreds | Wendy Conway | as Joan Brodel | |
| 1940 1940 in film The year 1940 in film involved some significant events, including the premieres of the Walt Disney classics Pinocchio and Fantasia.-Events:*February 7 - Walt Disney's animated film Pinocchio is released.... |
Laddie Laddie (film) - Cast :*Tim Holt as Laddie Stanton*Virginia Gilmore as Pamela Pryor*Joan Carroll as Sister Stanton*Spring Byington as Mrs. Stanton*Robert Barrat as Mr. John Stanton*Miles Mander as Mr. Pryor*Esther Dale as Sarah, the Housekeeper*Sammy McKim as Leon Stanton... |
Shelley Stanton | as Joan Brodel |
| High School | Patsy | uncredited | |
| Young as You Feel | Girl | as Joan Brodel | |
| Star Dust | College Girl | uncredited | |
| Susan and God Susan and God Susan and God is a 1940 comedy-drama film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer starring Joan Crawford and Fredric March in a story about a matron who finds religion. The screenplay by Anita Loos was based upon a 1937 play by Rachel Crothers. The film was directed by George Cukor and produced by Hunt... |
Party Guest | uncredited | |
| Military Academy Military Academy (film) Military Academy is an American film directed by D. Ross Lederman, scripted by Karl Brown and David Silverstein from a story by Richard English and released as a low-budget programmer by Columbia Pictures on August 6, 1940... |
Marjorie Blake | as Joan Brodel | |
| Foreign Correspondent Foreign Correspondent (film) Foreign Correspondent is a 1940 American spy thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock which tells the story of an American reporter who tries to expose enemy spies in Britain, a series of events involving a continent-wide conspiracy that eventually leads to the events of a fictionalized World War... |
Jones' Sister | uncredited | |
| Alice in Movieland | Alice Purdee | Short film | |
| 1941 1941 in film The year 1941 in film involved some significant events.-Events:Citizen Kane, consistently rated as one of the greatest films of all time, was released in 1941.-Top grossing films :-Academy Awards:... |
High Sierra | Velma | |
| The Great Mr. Nobody | Mary Clover | ||
| The Wagons Roll at Night The Wagons Roll at Night The Wagons Roll at Night is a 1941 circus film, starring Humphrey Bogart as travelling carnival owner Nick Coster, Sylvia Sidney as his girlfriend and Eddie Albert as a newcomer who falls in love with Nick's sister.-Plot:... |
Mary Coster | ||
| Thieves Fall Out | Mary Matthews | ||
| Sergeant York Sergeant York Sergeant York is a 1941 biographical film about the life of Alvin York, the most-decorated American soldier of World War I. It was directed by Howard Hawks and was the highest-grossing film of the year.... |
Gracie Williams | ||
| Nine Lives Are Not Enough Nine Lives Are Not Enough Nine Lives Are Not Enough is a 1941 film directed by A. Edward Sutherland. It stars Ronald Reagan and Joan Perry.-Cast:*Ronald Reagan as Matt Sawyer*Joan Perry as Jane Abbott*James Gleason as Sgt. Sam Daniels... |
Newspaper Receptionist | uncredited | |
| 1942 1942 in film The year 1942 in film involved some significant events, in particular the release of a film consistently rated as one of the greatest of all time, Casablanca.-Events:... |
The Male Animal The Male Animal The Male Animal is a Warner Brothers film starring Henry Fonda, Olivia de Havilland and Joan Leslie.The film was based on a hit 1940 Broadway play of the same name written by James Thurber and Elliott Nugent. The screenplay was written by Stephen Morehouse Avery, Julius J. Epstein, and Philip G.... |
Patricia Stanley | |
| Yankee Doodle Dandy Yankee Doodle Dandy Yankee Doodle Dandy is a 1942 American biographical musical film about George M. Cohan, known as "The Man Who Owns Broadway". It stars James Cagney, Joan Leslie, Walter Huston, and Richard Whorf, and features Irene Manning, George Tobias, Rosemary DeCamp and Jeanne Cagney.The movie was written by... |
Mary | ||
| 1943 1943 in film The year 1943 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* January 3 - 1st missing persons telecast * February 20 - American film studio executives agree to allow the Office of War Information to censor films.... |
The Hard Way The Hard Way (1943 film) The Hard Way is a 1943 Warner Bros. drama film directed by Vincent Sherman. The film was based on a story by Irwin Shaw which was reportedly... |
Katie Chernen | |
| The Sky's the Limit | Joan Manion | ||
| This Is the Army This Is the Army This Is the Army is a 1943 American wartime motion picture produced by Hal B. Wallis and Jack L. Warner, and directed by Michael Curtiz, and a wartime musical designed to boost morale in the U.S. during World War II, directed by Sgt. Ezra Stone... |
Eileen Dibble | ||
| Thank Your Lucky Stars Thank Your Lucky Stars (1943 film) Thank Your Lucky Stars is a film made by Warner Brothers as a World War II fundraiser. It was directed by David Butler and starred Eddie Cantor, Dennis Morgan, Joan Leslie, Edward Everett Horton and S. Z... |
Pat Dixon | ||
| 1944 1944 in film The year 1944 in film involved some significant events, including the wholesome, award-winning Going My Way plus popular murder mysteries such as Double Indemnity, Gaslight and Laura.-Events:*July 20 - Since You Went Away is released.... |
Hollywood Canteen | Herself | |
| 1945 1945 in film The year 1945 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* Paramount Studios releases theatrical short cartoon titled The Friendly Ghost, featuring a ghost named Casper.* With Rossellini's Roma Città aperta, Italian neorealist cinema begins.... |
Where Do We Go from Here? | Sally Smith / Prudence / Katrina | |
| Rhapsody in Blue Rhapsody in Blue (film) Rhapsody in Blue is a 1945 fictionalized screen biography of the American composer and musician George Gershwin . Starring Robert Alda as Gershwin, the film features a few of Gershwin's acquaintances playing themselves... |
Julie Adams | ||
| Too Young to Know | Sally Sawyer | ||
| 1946 1946 in film The year 1946 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*November 21 - William Wyler's The Best Years of Our Lives premieres in New York featuring an ensemble cast including Fredric March, Myrna Loy, Dana Andrews, Teresa Wright, and Harold Russell.*December 20 - Frank Capra's It's a... |
Cinderella Jones | Judy Jones | |
| Janie Gets Married | Janie Conway | ||
| Two Guys from Milwaukee Two Guys from Milwaukee Two Guys from Milwaukee is a 1946 comedy film about a Balkan prince who wants to see for himself what America is really like. So he slips away from his entourage in New York and pretends to be an average guy. The comedy movie stars Dennis Morgan, Joan Leslie, and Jack Carson.Morgan, Carson,... |
Connie Reed | ||
| 1947 1947 in film The year 1947 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May 22 - Great Expectations is premiered in New York.*November 24 : The United States House of Representatives of the 80th Congress voted 346 to 17 to approve citations for contempt of Congress against the "Hollywood Ten".*November 25... |
Repeat Performance Repeat Performance Repeat Performance is a film of the film noir style. It combines elements of a 1940s drama with a science fiction twist. The film was released by Poverty Row studio Eagle-Lion Films and directed by Alfred L. Werker.- Plot :... |
Sheila Page | |
| 1948 1948 in film The year 1948 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* Laurence Olivier's Hamlet becomes the first British film to win the American Academy Award for Best Picture.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :... |
Northwest Stampede | Christine "Honey" Johnson | |
| 1950 1950 in film The year 1950 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* February 15 - Walt Disney Studios' animated film Cinderella debuts.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :Academy Awards:*Ambush... |
The Skipper Surprised His Wife The Skipper Surprised His Wife The Skipper Surprised His Wife is a 1950 film directed by Elliott Nugent. It stars Robert Walker and Joan Leslie.-Cast:*Robert Walker as Cmdr. William J. Lattimer*Joan Leslie as Daphne Lattimer*Edward Arnold as Adm. Homer Thorndyke... |
Daphne Lattimer | |
| Born to Be Bad Born to Be Bad (1950 film) Born to Be Bad is a 1950 melodrama starring Joan Fontaine as a manipulative young woman who will stop at nothing to get what she wants. It was based on the novel All Kneeling by Anne Parrish.-Cast:*Joan Fontaine as Christabel Caine Carey... |
Donna Foster | ||
| 1951 1951 in film The year 1951 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* Sweden - May Britt is scouted by Italian film-makers Carlo Ponti and Mario Soldati-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :Academy Awards:... |
Man in the Saddle | Laurie Bidwell Isham | |
| 1952 1952 in film The year 1952 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* January 10 - Cecil B. DeMille's circus epic, The Greatest Show on Earth, premieres at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.... |
Hellgate | Ellen Hanley | |
| Toughest Man in Arizona | Mary Kimber | ||
| 1953 1953 in film The year 1953 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*September 16 — The Robe debuts as the first anamorphic, widescreen CinemaScope film.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :Academy Awards:A... |
Woman They Almost Lynched | Sally Maris | |
| Flight Nurse | Lt. Polly Davis | ||
| 1954 1954 in film The year 1954 in film involved some significant events and memorable ones.-Events:*May 12 - The Marx Brothers' Zeppo Marx divorces wife Marion Benda... |
Jubilee Trail | Garnet Hale | |
| Hell's Outpost | Sarah Moffit | ||
| 1956 1956 in film The year 1956 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* October 5 - The Ten Commandments opens in cinemas and becomes one of the most successful and popular movies of all time, currently ranking 5th on the list of all time moneymakers * February 5 - First showing of documentary films by... |
The Revolt of Mamie Stover The Revolt of Mamie Stover (film) The Revolt of Mamie Stover is a romantic drama film made by Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation. It was directed by Raoul Walsh and produced by Buddy Adler from a screenplay by Sydney Boehm based on the novel of the same name by William Bradford Huie.The film stars Jane Russell and Richard Egan... |
Annalee Johnson | |
| 1986 1986 in film -Events:*April 12 - Actor Morgan Mason marries The Go-Go's Belinda Carlisle.*April 26 - Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger marries television journalist Maria Shriver.*May - Actress Heather Locklear marries Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee.... |
Charley Hannah | Sandy Hannah | TV movie |
| 1989 1989 in film -Events:* Batman is released on June 23, and goes on to gross over $410 million worldwide.* Actress Kim Basinger and her brother Mick purchase Braselton, Georgia, for $20 million... |
Turn Back the Clock | Party Guest | TV movie |
| 1991 1991 in film The year 1991 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*April 28 - Bonnie Raitt marries actor Michael O'Keefe in New York* Terminator 2: Judgment Day, became one of the landmarks for science fiction action films with its groundbreaking visual effects from Industrial Light & Magic.*November... |
Fire in the Dark Fire in the Dark Fire in the Dark is the title of the third studio album recorded by American country music artist Billy Dean. It was released in 1993 on SBK/Liberty Records and like his previous two albums, it was certified gold by the RIAA. Unlike his first two albums, which were produced by Tom Shapiro, this one... |
Ruthie | TV movie |