Joan Marsh

Joan Marsh
Joan Marsh
Born	Dorothy Rosher; July 10, 1914; Porterville, California, U.S.
Died	August 10, 2000 (aged 86); Ojai, California, U.S.
Other names	Dorothy D. Rosher
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1915–1944
Spouses	; Charles S. Belden (m. 1938; div. 1943) ; John D. W. Morrill (m. 1943)

Joan Marsh (July 10, 1914^[a] – 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,^[a] 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.^{[citation needed]} 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

Hearts Aflame (1915) - Child
A Little Princess (1917) - Child (uncredited)
How Could You Jean? (1918) - Morley Child
Johanna Enlists (1918) - (uncredited)
The Bond (1918, Short) - Cupid (uncredited)
Women's Weapons (1918) - Nicholas Jr.'s Sister
Captain Kidd, Jr. (1919) - Child (uncredited)
Daddy-Long-Legs (1919) - (uncredited)
Pollyanna (1920) - Dorothy Rosher
Suds (1920) - Minor Role (uncredited)
Young Mrs. Winthrop (1920) - Rosie
Thou Art the Man (1920) - Ellie Prescott
Little Lord Fauntleroy (1921) - (uncredited)
King of Jazz (1930) - Blonde ("A Bench in the Park") (uncredited)
All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) - Poster Girl (uncredited)
The Little Accident (1931) - Doris
Inspiration (1931) - Madeleine Dorety
Dance, Fools, Dance (1931) - Sylvia
A Tailor Made Man (1931) - Beanie
Meet the Wife (1931) - Doris Bellamy
Three Girls Lost (1931) - Marcia Tallant
Shipmates (1931) - Mary Lou
Politics (1931) - Daisy Evans
Maker of Men (1931) - Dorothy
The Wet Parade (1932) - Evelyn Fessenden
Are You Listening? (1932) - Honey O'Neil
Bachelor's Affairs (1932) - Eva Mills
That's My Boy (1932) - Co-ed (uncredited)
Speed Demon (1932) - Jean Torrance
High Gear (1933) - Anne Merritt
Daring Daughters (1933) - Betty Cummings
The Man Who Dared (1933) - Joan Novak
It's Great to Be Alive (1933) - Toots
Three-Cornered Moon (1933) - Kitty
Rainbow Over Broadway (1933) - Judy Chibbins
You're Telling Me! (1934) - Pauline Bisbee
Many Happy Returns (1934) - Florence Allen
We're Rich Again (1934) - Carolyn 'Carrie' Page
Champagne for Breakfast (1935) - Vivian Morton
Anna Karenina (1935) - Lili
Dancing Feet (1936) - Judy Jones
Brilliant Marriage (1936) - Madge Allison
What Becomes of the Children? (1936) - Marion Worthington
Charlie Chan on Broadway (1937) - Joan Wendall
Hot Water (1937) - Bebe Montaine
Life Begins in College (1937) - Cuddles
The Lady Objects (1938) - June Lane
Idiot's Delight (1939) - one of Harry Van's Les Blondes!
Fast and Loose (1939) - Bobby Neville
Blame It on Love (1940) - Terry Arden
Road to Zanzibar (1941) - Dimples
The Man in the Trunk (1942) - Yvonne Duvalle
Police Bullets (1942) - Donna Wells
Keep 'Em Slugging (1943) - Lola
Secret Service in Darkest Africa (1943, Serial) - Janet Blake
Mr. Muggs Steps Out (1943) - Brenda Murray
Follow the Leader (1944) - Milly McGinnis (final film role)

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c 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

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