Joan Marsh
Born
Dorothy Rosher[lower-alpha 1]

(1914-07-10)July 10, 1914
Porterville, California, U.S.
DiedAugust 10, 2000(2000-08-10) (aged 86)
Ojai, California, U.S.
Other namesDorothy D. Rosher
OccupationActress
Years active1915–1944
Spouses
Charles S. Belden
​
​
(m. 1938; div. 1943)​
    John D. W. Morrill
    ​
    (m. 1943)​

    Joan Marsh (July 10, 1914[lower-alpha 1] – 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,[lower-alpha 1] 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. 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

    Notes

    1. 1 2 3 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

    1. ↑ "Joan Marsh Biography". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on January 29, 2022.
    2. ↑ "Dorothy D. Rosher, born on July 10, 1914 in Tulare County, California". California Birth Index. Archived from the original on February 22, 2016.
    3. ↑ "Deaths". The Washington Post. August 24, 2000. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
    4. ↑ Oliver, Myrna (August 23, 2000). "Joan Marsh: '30s Bombshell Began in Silents". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 29, 2022.
    5. ↑ "Joan Marsh Father Freed From Paying". The Bakersfield Californian. California, Bakersfield. August 4, 1938. p. 18. Retrieved June 30, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
    6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Katz, Ephraim and Nolen, Ronald. The Film Encyclopedia, pp. 1166-67 (HarperCollins 2013).
    7. ↑ "Woman's Weapons". The Wichita Daily Eagle. Kansas, Wichita. November 24, 1918. p. 26. Retrieved June 30, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
    8. ↑ Sies, Luther F. (2014). Encyclopedia of American Radio, 1920-1960, 2nd Edition, pg. 234. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-5149-4.
    9. ↑ "Pick 13 as 'baby' stars". The New York Times. Associated Press. August 13, 1931. p. 24. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
    10. ↑ "Joan Marsh a Bride". The New York Times. Associated Press. December 3, 1938. p. 10. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
    11. ↑ "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. Open access icon
    12. ↑ "Joan Marsh Married". The New York Times. October 25, 1943. p. 11. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
    13. ↑ 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.
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