Name: Joanne Dru
Date of Birth: 31 January 1922 The daughter of a West Virginia druggist, Joanne came to New York in 1940. In New York, she worked as a model and was cast by 'Al Jolson' (qv), as one of the showgirls in his Broadway play "Hold Onto Your Hats." When the show closed in 1941, Joanne married popular singer 'Dick Haymes' (qv) and went with him to Hollywood. Discovered by a talent scout while working in the theater, Joanne made her screen debut in a film called _Abie's Irish Rose (1946)_ (qv), and that picture almost ended her caree... r. Two years later, she would become well known with her role of Tess in the classic Western _Red River (1948)_ (qv). She followed that with another Western titled _She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949)_ (qv), again playing opposite 'John Wayne (I)' (qv). With two of the best Westerns directed by 'John Ford (I)' (qv) and 'Howard Hawks' (qv), the scripts submitted to her were predominately Western and she became typecast. This was from a woman who said, "I simply hated horses..." In 1950, she was cast in another Western called _Wagon Master (1950)_ (qv), which became the basis for the 'Ward Bond' (qv) Television Series called _"Wagon Train" (1957)_ (qv). Even though she did other roles besides Westerns, those roles were not what she is remembered for. She appeared in films like _All the King's Men (1949)_ (qv), _The Pride of St. Louis (1952)_ (qv), and _Hell on Frisco Bay (1955)_ (qv). By the mid 1950s, Western's were running out of steam and so was her screen career, so she turned to Television where she appeared on shows such as _"Playhouse 90" (1956)_ (qv). In 1960, Joanne was cast in the role of the Eastern Owner of a Dude Ranch in the Television Series _"Guestward Ho!" (1960)_ (qv). Perhaps even funnier that she would play an Easterner after all those Westerns is the fact that her character name was Babs. The show ended in 1961.Read more Joanne Dru movies (actor)User Comments |
