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Virginia Vance

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Virginia Vance was born Dahlia Roberta Pears on July 1, 1902 in Illinois. She moved to Hollywood and became one of Mack Sennett's bathing beauties. In 1922 she made her acting debut in the comedy short Crash. Virginia would appear in more than ninety short films including Don't Hesitate and Hold You Hat. She married actor Bryant Washburn in 1929 and retired. The couple had one daughter. Virginia died of a heart attack on October 13, 1942. She was just forty years old.


Dressed for St. Patrick's Day

With Cliff Bowes in Don't Hesitate



Sally Eilers

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"I like the limelight. I'm the girl who yearned to be an actress and got her wish." ~ Sally

Sally Eilers was born Dorothea Sally Eilers on December 11, 1908 in New York City. Her family moved to Los Angeles when she was a child and she began to attend acting classes. One day Sally was having lunch with her friend Carole Lombard when producer Mack Sennett saw her and asked her to become one of his bathing beauties. Soon Sally was landing small parts in movies like The Good-Bye Kiss and Broadway Babies with Alice White. In 1928 she was chosen as one of the Wampas Baby stars. She became a popular leading lady starring in the pre-code films Bad Girl and Sailor's Luck. Sally was called "the most beautiful girl in movies". She married western actor Hoot Gibson, her costar in Clearing The Range, in 1930.



They divorced three years later and she married producer Harry Brown. The couple had one son together. After divorcing Harry in 1943 she married World War 2 Lieutenant Howard Barney. By the end of the 1940s her third marriage was over and her career was in trouble.  She was no longer being offered good roles so she decided to quit acting. Her final film was the 1950 western Stage To Tuscon. Sally's fourth marriage, to director Hollingsworth Morse, lasted nine years. As she grew older she suffered from health problems and stayed out of the spotlight. Sally died on January 5, 1978 from a heart attack at the age of sixty-nine. She is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.

~ Original biography by Elizabeth Ann 2014

 Jean Harlow and Sally



With Harry Brown and their son
 
 




Charlotte Greenwood's Dress From Dixie Dugan

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In 2014 I purchased a dress Charlotte Greenwood wore in the movie Dixie Dugan. It was based on the popular comic strip.



Dixie Dugan was released on March 12, 1943. Charlotte plays Lois Andrews' mother, Mrs. Dugan.





Vintage Autograph Collections

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I have been collecting vintage Hollywood autographs for years, Many of my autographs can be 
seen on this blog. Here is a portion of my collection ...


 Clara Bow signed page from 1929

Loretta Young signed page

 Elizabeth Taylor signed page

1961 guestbook signed by Janet Gaynor, Natalie Wood, and Robert Wagner

Clark Gable signed page

 
William Powell signed page from 1942

Cesar Romero signed Christmas card

Pat O'Brien signed photo

Cloris Leachman's Pajamas From Raising Hope

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I recently bought a pair of pajamas worn by Cloris Leachman in the TV series Raising Hope. She wore them
in episode 419 "Para-Natesville Activity".



 

Raising Hope aired on Fox from 2010 until 2014. Cloris played the role of Maw Maw and was nominated for an Emmy.

Carmen Miranda's Accidental Nude Photo

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In 1943 Carmen Miranda and Cesar Romero posed for some publicity photos. Unfortunately Carmen decided not to wear any underwear that day. In one of the photos Carmen accidentally exposed her private parts!



"Look at me and tell me if I don't have Brazil in every curve of my body." ~ Carmen

Carmen's autograph (from my collection)

Carmen Miranda

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"Look at me and tell me if I don't have Brazil in every curve of my body." ~ Carmen 

Carmen Miranda was born Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha on February 9, 1909, in a small village in Portugal. Her family moved to Brazil when she was a baby. Carmen attended a convent school until the age of fourteen when she dropped out to get a job. She wanted to be in show business and got her big break in 1929 when she was discovered by composer Josué de Barros. Her first recording "Tai" was a major hit and she quickly became one of Brazil's most popular Samba singers. Audiences loved her elaborate stage shows, lavish costumes, and large fruity headpieces. In 1940 she was offered a contract at 20th Century Fox and made her film debut in Down Argentine Way. Over the next five years she appeared in several technicolor musicals including Week-End In Havana and The Gang's All Here. Her thick accent typecasted her and she always played the same ditzy "Brazilian Bombshell" character. Many of her Latin American fans were upset at the way she was portrayed in her movies but Carmen claimed she only did it for the money. At the peak of her fame she earned more than $200,000 a year and was asked to place her handprints outside Graumann's Chinese Theatre.



Carmen was romantically linked to actors Mickey Rooney, Dean Martin, and Robert Mitchum She tried to change her image by playing an Irish character in the 1946 film If I'm Lucky but it flopped. Her music career continued to be a big success and she toured all over the world. In 1947 she married producer David Alfred Sebastian. During their marriage she suffered a miscarriage and they separated several times. She refused to get a divorce because she was Catholic. Carmen's heavy drinking and rumored cocaine use began to take a toll on her health. Worried about her aging appearance she underwent a facelift. Her final movie was the comedy Scared Stiff released in 1953. She started suffering from serious depression and underwent electroshock therapy. Despite her problems she continued to make appearances on television shows like What's My Line and The Jimmy Durante Show. On August 5, 1955 Carmen suffered a heart attack and died at her Beverly Hills home. She was only forty-six years old. More than 60,000 fans attended her funeral. She was buried in the Cemitério São João Batista in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In 2011 Carmen was immortalized with a postage stamp by the US government.

~ Original biography by Elizabeth Ann 2014



 
 




Carmen's autograph (from my collection)

Isabel Jewell

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"I want nothing that I haven't earned thru my own efforts." ~ Isabel

Isabel Jewell was born on July 19, 1907 in Shoshonu, Wyoming. Her father was a successful doctor and the family lived on a large ranch. Isabel was educated at St. Mary's Academy in Minnesota and later attended Hamilton college. When she was a teenager Isabel began acting in stock companies. In 1930 she was cast in the Broadway show "Up Pops the Devil". Her performance earned her rave reviews and a talent scout brought her to Hollywood. She started getting supporting roles in movies like Manhattan Melodrama and Marked Woman. Unfortunately Isabel found herself typecast as a tough-talking blonde and she was rarely given leading roles. She once called herself "the most unsuccessful successful actress in Hollywood". Isabel had a serious romance with actor Lee Tracy and the press reported they were engaged. After they broke up Isabel said she never loved anyone as much as she had loved Lee. She married radio personality Walter Crump in 1936. The following year she starred as a prostitute in the drama Lost Horizon.



In 1939 Isabel played Emily Slattery in the epic Gone With The Wind. She continued to make movies throughout the 1940s but her parts were usually small. Isabel divorced Owen and married actor Paul Marion in 1941. Sadly this marriage would only last two years. At their divorce trial she testified that Paul flew into violent rages. Isabel was disillusioned with Hollywood and decided to move to Las Vegas. In 1959 she was arrested for writing bad checks. Two years later she spent five days in jail for driving drunk. Despite her personal problems Isabel never gave up on her acting career. She made a guest appearance on Gunsmoke and had a small role in the 1972 horror film Sweet Kill. On April 5, 1972 sixty-four year old Isabel was found dead in her home. The coroner said her death was caused by natural causes. Isabel was buried in her hometown of Shoshoni, Wyoming. At the time of death Isabel had no family and most of her belongings were given to a friend.

~ Original biography by Elizabeth Ann 2014


With Janet Gaynor





Isabel, Mayo Methot, Bette Davis, Rosalind Marquis, and Lola Lane

Isabel's autograph (from my collection)

Marie Dressler

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"Old age is an insult. It's like being smacked" ~ Marie

Marie Dressler was born Leila Marie Koerber on November 9, 1868 in Cobourg, Ontario. Her father was a music teacher and she sang with him when she was a child. At the age of fourteen she left home to become a chorus girl. She found success in vaudeville where she was known for her full-figured body. Marie married an American named George Hoeppert in 1899 and became a US citizen. They had a daughter who sadly died in infancy. She divorced George in 1906 and began a serious romance with businessman James Henry Dalton. Marie claimed they had gotten married but it turned out James had never legally divorced his first wife. In 1914 Mack Sennett cast her in Tillie's Punctured Romance, the first full length motion picture.



After appearing in several more comedies Marie returned to the New York stage. Tragically in 1921 her longtime companion James died. She was also bi-sexual and had a serious romance with actress Claire DuBrey. Marie landed a contract with MGM in 1927 and quickly became one of the most popular character actresses in  Hollywood. In 1931 she won an Oscar for her performance in Minn and Bill. Her success continued with hit films like Dinner At Eight and Tugboat Annie. She appeared on the cover of Time magazine and wrote her autobiography "The Life Story Of An Ugly Duckling". Marie's career came to a sudden end when she was diagnosed with terminal cancer. On July 28, 1934 she died at the age of sixty-five. She was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.

~ Original biography by Elizabeth Ann 2013

 With Lionel Barrymore

 

 With Jean Harlow




A handwritten letter (from my collection)


 Marie's grave

Joan Fontaine

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"Marriage, as an institution, is as dead as the dodo bird." - Joan

Joan Fontaine was born Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland on October 22, 1917, in Tokyo, Japan. When she was a child her family moved to California and her parents divorced. She and her sister, Olivia de Havilland, both decided to pursue acting careers and the two women became lifelong rivals. To distance herself from her sister Joan changed her last name to Fontaine (which was her stepfather's last name). She started getting small parts in movies like The Women and Gunga Din. In 1939 she married actor Brian Aherne. Joan costarred with Laurence Oliver in  the 1940 film Rebecca and was nominated for an Academy Award. She won an Oscar the following year for her performance in the Alfred Hitchcock drama Suspicion. Over the next decade she appeared in numerous hit films including Jane Eyre, The Constant Nymph, and Letter From An
Unknown Woman.
 


 Joan divorced Brian and married producer William Dozier in 1946. They had a daughter, Deborah, but the marriage didn't last. She married producer Collier Young in 1952 and adopted a baby girl from Peru. Sadly the young girl ran away when she was a teenager. After divorcing Collier Joan married her fourth husband, magazine editor Alfred Wright Jr, in 1964. Their marriage ended five years later. Joan continued to act in movies and on television. She was nominated for an Emmy award for her work on the soap opera Ryan's Hope. Joan also starred on Broadway in the play Lion In Winter and  in 1978 she published her autobiography No Bed Of Roses. Her final acting role was in the 1994 TV movie Good King Wenceslas. She retired and lived a quiet life with her dogs in Carmel, California. Joan died on December 15, 2013 from natural causes. She was ninety-six years old.

~ Original biography by Elizabeth Ann 2013

 With her mother





With Olivia de Havilland


Olive Thomas

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"I don't think you can change anything that is going to happen to you any more than you can change anything that
has happened to you." ~ Olive

Olive Thomas was born Oliveretta Elaine Duffy on October 20, 1894, in Charleroi, Pennsylvania. She was the oldest of three children and her father died when she was just nine years old. In 1911 Olive married Bernard Krug Thomas, a teenage clerk, but they divorced two years later She moved to New York City where she worked in a department store. After winning a beauty contest she started modeling and was offered a job in the Ziegfeld Follies. Olive had a romantic relationship with the Follies creator Florenz Ziegfeld, who was married to actress Billie Burke. Florenz asked Alberta Vargas to paint a nude portrait of Olive for his private collection. In 1916 she made her film debut in Beatrice Fairfax. That same year she married actor Jack Pickford, brother of Mary Pickford. They had a tumultuous marriage due to Jack's drinking and womanizing and spent a lot of time apart.




Olive was offered a lucrative contract with Selznick Pictures. She appeared in many successful films including Madcap Madge, Youthful Folly, and The Flapper. With her marriage in trouble she began an affair with producer Myron Selznick. In September 1920 she and Jack went on a trip to Europe. After an evening of partying in Paris Olive went in to her bathroom and swallowed some mercury bichloride (a drug that had been prescribed to treat Jack's syphilis). She died four days later on September 10, 1920. Olive was just twenty-five years old. Her death was ruled an accident but some believe she committed suicide. She was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, New York. Her final film, Everybody's Sweetheart, was released a month after her death. Many people have claimed they have seen Olive's ghost in New Amsterdam Theatre where she began her career as a Ziegfeld girl.

~ Original biography by Elizabeth Ann 2013

 With Jack Pickford

 




"Memories of Olive" by Alberto Vargas


Suzanne Kaaren

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"I was offered screen tests at Universal and Fox. A flip of the coin and I signed with Fox." ~ Suzanne 

Suzanne Kaaren was born on March 21, 1912 in Brooklyn, New York. When she was a teenager she won a high-jumping contest. She wanted to compete in the Olympics but her parents wouldn't let her. Suzanne started modeling and was hired to be one of the original Rockettes. She signed a contract with 20th Century Fox in 1933. Suzanne was given small roles in The Great Ziegfeld and Strangers All. Her biggest success came when she began working with the Three Stooges. She appeared in several of their comedy shorts including What's The Matador? and Disorder In The Court. Suzanne became known for displaying her long legs and as a publicity stunt they were insured for one million dollars. In 1940 she costarred with Bela Lugosi in the horror film The Devil Bat. Unfortunately her career stalled and she found herself stuck making B-movies.

Suzanne and Irene Hervey


She married actor Sidney Blackmer in 1943. Suzanne was supposed to play Judy Garland's sister in meet Me In St. Louis but when Louis B. Mayer found out she had gotten married he gave the role to another actress. She and Sidney had a turbulent marriage and they separated several times. They had two sons and starred in several plays together. Suzanne continued to act on the stage and starred in the Broadway show Chicken Every Sunday. She and Sidney remained together until his death in 1973. After a fire burned down her North Carolina home Suzanne moved to a rent controlled apartment in Manhattan. When real estate developer Donald Trump wanted to tear down her building she refused to move. In 1984 she had a small role in the film The Cotton Club. Suzanne died on August 27, 2004 from pneumonia. She is buried at Chestnut Hill Cemetery in Salisbury, North Carolina.

~ Original biography by Elizabeth Ann 2014






Judy Garland

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"Hollywood is a strange place if you're in trouble. Everyone thinks it's contagious." ~ Judy

Judy Garland was born Frances Ethel Gumm on June 10, 1922, in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. She was the youngest of three daughters. Judy was a gifted singer and by the age of three she was performing with her sisters in vaudeville. She was offered a contract with MGM in 1935. Judy appeared in several hit films with Mickey Rooney including Babes On Broadway and Girl Crazy. As a teenager she struggled with her weight and began taking amphetamines. In 1939 Judy played Dorothy in the classic film The Wizard Of Oz. It became the most successful movie of her career and she would forever be associated with the movie's theme song "Over The Rainbow". In 1940 she received a special juvenile Academy Award. She married David Rose, a composer, in 1941. Judy became pregnant but her mother forced her to have abortion because she believed a baby would hurt her career. Her success continued with starring roles in Meet Me In St. Louis, The Harvey Girls, and Easter Parade. She divorced David and married director Vincente Minnelli in 1945. Their daughter, Liza, was born the following year. While working on the 1947 musical The Pirate Judy suffered 
a nervous breakdown.



Her marriage to Vincente ended in 1951 after she caught him in bed with another man. By this time Judy's drug use was out of control and she was fired from MGM. Depressed over her failed marriage and career she attempted suicide by slitting her throat. She married producer Sid Luft in 1952 and had two more children. Judy starred in the musical remake of A Star Is Born in 1955 and was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance. In 1962 she received another Oscar nomination for her role in Judgment In Nuremberg. Judy spent much of the 1960s performing live concerts. She also starred on television in The Judy Garland Show. After divorcing Sid she married actor Mark Herron. Their marriage ended when Judy discovered he was gay. In the spring of 1969 she married her fifth husband, Mickey Deans. Judy died on June 22, 1969 from an accidental overdose of barbiturates. She was just forty-seven years old. Judy is buried at Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York. Her daughter, Liza Minnelli, followed in her footsteps and became a very successful performer.

~ Original biography by Elizabeth Ann 2014




 With Mickey Rooney and Bob Hope



A signed check (from my collection)

Judy's book signed by Sophie Tucker (from my collection)

Margaret Roach

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Margaret Roach was born on March 21, 1921 in Los Angeles, California. Her father was comedy producer Hal Roach. When she was a teenager Margaret worked on in the theatre and sang at nightclubs. She changed her name to Diane Rochelle and began getting small roles in films. Her father didn't want her to be an actress and initially refused to help her. However in 1940 he cast her in his comedies including Turnabout and Road Show. Margaret's first marriage, to E.L. Hilton, ended in divorce.  Following her mother's death in 1941 she became estranged from her father.

Patsy Kelly, Margaret, and Adolphe Menjou

John Hubbard, Margaret, and Carole Landis

She married actor and writer Robert Livingston in 1947 and they had a son named Addison. Although she made more than a dozen films Margaret never became a leading lady. She retired after appearing in the 1949 crime drama The Devil's Sleep. Her marriage to Robert ended after four years. On November 25, 1964 Margaret passed away at the age of forty-three. She was buried near her mother at Holy Cross cemetery in Los Angeles. Margaret's son Addison Randall also became an actor.

~ Original biography by Elizabeth Ann 2013

 
 
With Charles Butterworth


Olive Thomas' Nude Photos

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Olive Thomas was one of the first silent movie stars. When she was young she posed nude for artist Alberto Vargas.






Thelma Todd

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"Life isn’t worth the candle. While we’re here we should laugh, be gay and have fun." ~ Thelma

Thelma Alice Todd was born on July 29, 1906 in Lawrence, Massachusetts. She was a good student and dreamed of becoming a school teacher. When she was a teenager Thelma began entering beauty pageants. After winning the title of Miss Massachusetts in 1925 a Hollywood talent scout offered her a contract. She was given small parts in the silent films Vamping Venus and Naughty Baby. Her big break came when she was signed by producer Hal Roach. She appeared in comedies with Patsy Kelly. Charley Chase, and the Marx Brothers. Thelma quickly became one of Tinseltown's favorite comedic actresses. She was nicknamed "The Ice-Cream Blonde". Thelma started dating director Roland West who cast her in the drama Corsair. Her success continued with roles in the hit films Call Her Savage and The Maltese Falcon.



In 1932 she married agent Pat DiCicco. Unfortunately Pat was an alcoholic and often became violent. Their marriage only lasted two years. Thelma decided to open a restaurant in 1934. Located in the Pacific Palisades Thelma's Sidewalk Cafe became a popular Hollywood hangout. On December 16, 1935 Thelma was found dead in her car. She was only twenty-nine years old. The police ruled her death an accident from carbon monoxide poisoning but many fans believe she was murdered. There were rumors that she was being pressured by gangsters to sell her cafe. She was also seen fighting with her ex-husband Pat DiCicco two days before she died. Thelma was cremated and her ashes were buried with her mother at Bellevue Cemetery in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Her final film The Bohemian Girl was released in 1936.

~ Original biography by Elizabeth Ann 2014





Thelma and Patsy Kelly



Patsy Kelly

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"I think people are starved for happy endings. I know I was" ~ Patsy

Patsy Kelly was born Bridget Sarah Veronica Rose Kelly on January 12, 1910, in Brooklyn, New York. She began performing in vaudeville when she was just twelve years old. Patsy worked with comedian Frank Fay and starred in several Broadway shows. She was discovered by producer Hal Roach who paired her with Thelma Todd in a series of comedy shorts. They became a popular onscreen team and made thirty-five films together including Top Flat and Done In Oil. Although Patsy never became an A-list star she continued to work throughout the 1930s. She had supporting roles in Pigskin Parade, Merrily We Live, and Topper Returns.



Patsy was a lesbian and she was always open with the press about her sexuality. She had a long-term relationship with actress Wilma Cox. By the early 1940s Patsy was drinking heavily and making headlines for her erratic behavior. She decided to quit show business and moved to New York City. She started dating Tallulah Bankhead and worked as her secretary. Eventually Patsy went back to acting and appeared on numerous television shows. She also had small roles in the films Rosemary's Baby and Freaky Friday. Patsy won a Tony award in 1971 for her performance in No No Nanette. After suffering a stroke she moved into a nursing home. She died from pneumonia on September 24, 1981. Patsy is buried at Calvary Cemetery in Queens, New York.

~ Original biography by Elizabeth Ann 2014

 Thelma Todd and Patsy




Patsy and Carole Landis




Peggy Shannon's Nude Photos

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Peggy Shannon was a lovely starlet who appeared in The Ziegfeld Follies. Early in her career she posed nude.



Mitzi Mayfair

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"The Broadway business is sort of wacky It wouldn't mix with a nice happy marriage." ~ Mitzi

Mitzi Mayfair was born Juanita Emylyn Pique on June 6, 1914, in Fulton, Kentucky. Her grandfather was a minister and she attended church every Sunday. Mitzi started dancing when she was a child. Although she never took a lesson a local theatrical producer cast her in a kiddie review. Vaudevillian Gus Edwards saw Mitzi in the show and asked her to go on tour. At the age of fifteen she danced in the short film Manhattan Serenade. Mitzi made a few more Vitaphone shorts but she preferred to be on the stage. By 1936 she was one of the highest paid vaudeville performers in the country. Her specialty was kicking her leg up to touch the back of her head. Mitzi also appeared in several Broadway shows including The Ziegfeld Follies and Take A Chance with Ethel Merman. On March 12, 1938 she married Albert Hoffmann, vice-president of the 
Hoffman beverage company.

Mitzi, Carole Landis, and Martha Raye


The couple had a tumultuous marriage and they separated a few years later. During World War 2 she joined Carole Landis, Kay Francis, and Martha Raye on a four month USO tour to entertain the troops. When their experiences were made into the movie Four Jills In A Jeep Mitzi played herself. Although she wasn't a trained actress her performance received good reviews. Dancer Irene Castle wanted Mitzi to play her in a film but the studio gave the part to Ginger Rogers instead. In 1943 Mitzi filed for bankruptcy claiming that she only had $200 in assets. The following year she married Charles Henderson, a music executive from 20th Century Fox. Soon after she retired from Hollywood to become a full-time housewife. She spent her time cooking and playing chess. Eventually she and Charles moved to Tucson, Arizona. Mitzi passed away in May 1976 at the age of sixty-one. She is buried at East Lawn Palms Cemetery in Tucson.

~ Original biography by Elizabeth Ann 2014

 Carole Landis, Mitzi, Kay Francis, and Martha Raye






With Dick Haymes

Carole Landis' Suit From Four Jills In A Jeep

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In 2012 I bought a suit that Carole Landis wore in Four Jills In A Jeep. It was designed by Yvonne Wood.



Four Jills In A Jeep was released on March 17, 1944. The movie was based on a book Carole wrote.

Kay Francis, Martha Raye, and Carole


Phil Silvers, Kay Francis, and Carole



Here is a clip of Carole wearing the suit ...

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