Joan Caulfield
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Notes
In his unauthorized biography of author J.D. Salinger, Ian Hamilton claims that the name for the hero of "The Catcher in the Rye," Holden Caulfield, was a combination of a childhood friend--Holden--with Joan Caulfield, on whom Salinger had a crush.
"I didn't go Hollywood on the outside with flashy cars, upstairs maids and mink covered bathroom fixtures. I went Hollywood on the inside--and that's worst of all. . . . I played a character only in one picture--my first. From then on I was this movie star named Joan Caulfield. I tried to avoid being natural. I lowered my voice. I copied the mannerisms of other stars. I struck poses. I received bad advice--from dramatic coaches, from agents and from studio executives. I stopped being a human being. I blame myself and I blame Hollywood's star system." --Joan Caulfield to writer Erskine Johnson ("The Paramount Pretties" by James Robert Parish, 1972)
Biography
A former cover girl and Broadway ingenue, Joan Caulfield exhibited a modest charm in light comedy, most notably opposite William Holden in "Dear Ruth" (1947) and "Dear Wife" (1950). She conveyed refined femininity and sophistication in a dozen-plus features, mostly at Paramount, from her debut in "Miss Susie Slagle's" (1944, released 1946), to her costarring role opposite Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire in the Irving Berlin musical "Blue Skies" (1946), to her later work in B westerns. Throughout her film career, Caulfield remained active on stage, mostly in stock or touring productions of contemporary comedies. From 1950 to 1960 she was married to producer Frank Ross, who produced and directed her in "The Lady Says No" (1951), and produced "The Rains of Ranchipur" (1955), in which she played second fiddle to Lana Turner; and also Caulfield's live TV comedy series "My Favorite Husband" (1953-55), and "Sally" (1957-58).
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Misc. Crew (Short)
Life Events
1940
Acted with Morningside Players (date approximate)
1942
Worked as a Harry Conover model; appeared on cover of LIFE magazine (May 11, 1942)
1942
Broadway debut as dumb blonde in George Abbott's production of the musical, "Beat the Band"
1943
First starring Broadway role, "Kiss and Tell"
1944
Starred in first feature, "Miss Susie Slagle's" (not released until 1946)
1944
Signed a four-figure contract with Paramount, guaranteeing her a yearly option to work six months on Broadway
1945
Appeared in a bit part in first feature to be released, "Duffy's Tavern"
1948
Toured with John Payne in "Voice of the Turtle"
1950
TV debut in "Saturday's Children"
1962
Appeared in stock producion of "Cactus Flower"
1963
Returned to film after an eight-year hiatus in "Cattle King"
1965
Named vice president of Lustre Shine Company Inc.
1987
Made guest appearance on TV series, "Murder She Wrote"
1991
Last feature film, "Evil Spirits"
Videos
Movie Clip
Trailer
Family
Companions
Bibliography
Notes
In his unauthorized biography of author J.D. Salinger, Ian Hamilton claims that the name for the hero of "The Catcher in the Rye," Holden Caulfield, was a combination of a childhood friend--Holden--with Joan Caulfield, on whom Salinger had a crush.
"I didn't go Hollywood on the outside with flashy cars, upstairs maids and mink covered bathroom fixtures. I went Hollywood on the inside--and that's worst of all. . . . I played a character only in one picture--my first. From then on I was this movie star named Joan Caulfield. I tried to avoid being natural. I lowered my voice. I copied the mannerisms of other stars. I struck poses. I received bad advice--from dramatic coaches, from agents and from studio executives. I stopped being a human being. I blame myself and I blame Hollywood's star system." --Joan Caulfield to writer Erskine Johnson ("The Paramount Pretties" by James Robert Parish, 1972)
