Image of Joan Leslie

Joan Leslie

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Joan Leslie (born Joan Agnes Theresa Sadie Brodel; January 26, 1925 – October 12, 2015) was an American actress, dancer, and vaudevillian who, during the Hollywood Golden Age, appeared in such films as High Sierra, Sergeant York, and Yankee Doodle Dandy. Joan Agnes Theresa Sadie Brodel was born on January 26, 1925, in Highland Park, Michigan, the youngest child of John and Agnes Brodel. At 15, Leslie had her first significant role as the crippled girl in High Sierra (1941), starring Humphrey Bogart and Ida Lupino. The same year she played in Sergeant York as York's fiancée. Leslie had a supporting role in The Male Animal (1942) as Olivia de Havilland's younger sister. In Yankee Doodle Dandy (also 1942) she portrayed George M. Cohan's girlfriend/wife. By now, Leslie had become a star whose on-screen image was described as "sweet innocence without seeming too sugary." Leslie was in four motion pictures released during 1943: The Hard Way, starring Ida Lupino and Dennis Morgan; The Sky's the Limit (1943), starring with Fred Astaire; the wartime film This Is the Army (1943) with Ronald Reagan; and finally Thank Your Lucky Stars. During World War II, she was a regular volunteer at the Hollywood Canteen, where she danced with servicemen and signed hundreds of autographs. She was featured with Robert Hutton, among many others, in the Warner Bros. film Hollywood Canteen (1944). In 1946 Leslie's career took a dive when she took Warner Brothers to court in order to get released from her contract based on moral and religious grounds because of the parts they kept giving her. She wanted more serious and mature roles. In 1947, the Catholic Theatre Guild gave Leslie an award because of her "consistent refusal to use her talents and art in film productions of objectionable character." As a result of this, Jack Warner used his influence to blacklist her from other major Hollywood studios. From this point on Leslie had a more irregular film career. In 1947, she signed a two-picture contract with the poverty row studio Eagle-Lion Films. The first one was Repeat Performance (1947), a film noir. The other was Northwest Stampede (1948) in which she performed with James Craig. In 1952, she signed a short-term deal with Republic Pictures. One of the films she made for Republic was Flight Nurse (1953). Her last film was The Revolt of Mamie Stover (1956). However, she continued making sporadic appearances in television shows while her children were at school. She retired from acting in 1991, after appearing in the TV film Fire in the Dark. Leslie died on October 12, 2015, in Los Angeles, California. She was 90. Her survivors include her two children and one sister, Betty. On October 8, 1960, Joan Leslie received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1560 Vine Street. In 1999, she was one of the 250 actresses nominated for the American Film Institute's selection of the 25 greatest female screen legends to have debuted before 1950. On August 12, 2006, she received a Golden Boot Award for her contributions to Western television shows and movies.


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Born:
Jan 26, 1925 In Detroit, Michigan, USA
Movie/TV Credits:
70
First Appeared:
In the movie Camille 1936-12-26
Latest Project:
Movie Hollywood Gangster 2008-12-27
Known For
Poster of Sergeant York: Of God and Country
Poster of Turn Back the Clock
Poster of Stars on Horseback
Poster of Camille
Filmography
Movie Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History Self 2008-10-14
Movie Public Enemies: The Golden Age of the Gangster Film Self 2008-10-21
Movie Hollywood Gangster Self 2008-12-27
Movie Sergeant York: Of God and Country 2006-11-07
Movie Gary Cooper: The Face of a Hero Self 1998-03-17
Movie James Cagney: Top of the World Self 1992-07-05
Movie Fire in the Dark Ruthie 1991-07-01
Series Shades of L.A. Unknown 1990-10-10
Movie Turn Back the Clock Party Guest 1989-11-20
Series Murder, She Wrote Unknown 1984-09-30
Series Simon & Simon Unknown 1981-11-24
Series The Incredible Hulk Unknown 1977-11-04
Movie The Keegans Mary Keegan 1976-05-03
Series Charlie's Angels Unknown 1976-09-22
Series Police Story Unknown 1973-03-20
Series Branded Unknown 1965-01-24
Movie The Revolt of Mamie Stover Annalee Johnson 1956-05-11
Series The 20th Century Fox Hour Unknown 1955-10-05
Movie Hell's Outpost Sarah Moffit 1954-12-15
Movie Jubilee Trail Garnet Hale 1954-05-15
Series General Electric Theater Unknown 1953-02-01
Movie Woman They Almost Lynched Sally Maris 1953-03-20
Movie Flight Nurse Lt. Polly Davis 1953-11-15
Movie Hellgate Ellen Hanley 1952-09-04
Movie Toughest Man in Arizona Mary Kimber 1952-10-10
Movie Hill Number One: A Story of Faith and Inspiration Claudia 1951-03-25
Series Schlitz Playhouse of Stars Unknown 1951-10-05
Movie Man in the Saddle Laurie Bidwell Isham 1951-12-02
Movie Born to Be Bad Donna Foster 1950-09-28
Movie The Skipper Surprised His Wife Daphne Lattimer 1950-06-29
Series Lux Video Theatre Unknown 1950-10-02
Movie Northwest Stampede Chris Johnson 1948-07-28
Movie Repeat Performance Sheila Page 1947-05-22
Movie So You Want to Be in Pictures Herself (archive footage) (uncredited) 1947-06-07
Movie Cinderella Jones Judy Jones 1946-03-09
Movie Two Guys from Milwaukee Connie Reed 1946-07-26
Movie Janie Gets Married Janie Conway 1946-06-22
Movie Rhapsody in Blue Julie Adams 1945-06-27
Movie Where Do We Go from Here? Sally Smith / Prudence / Katrina 1945-05-23
Movie Too Young to Know Sally Sawyer 1945-12-01
Movie Parade of Aquatic Champions Herself 1945-07-22
Movie Hollywood Canteen Self 1944-12-15
Movie I Am an American Self (uncredited) 1944-12-23
Movie Stars on Horseback 1943-04-23
Movie The Sky's the Limit Joan Manion 1943-07-13
Movie The Hard Way Katherine 'Katie' Blaine 1943-01-13
Movie Thank Your Lucky Stars Pat Dixon 1943-09-25
Movie The Voice That Thrilled the World Self (segment 'Yankee Doodle Dandy') (archive footage) 1943-10-16
Movie This Is the Army Eileen Dibble 1943-08-14
Movie The Male Animal Patricia Stanley 1942-03-12
Movie Yankee Doodle Dandy Mary 1942-05-29
Movie The Great Mr. Nobody Mary Clover 1941-02-15
Movie High Sierra Velma 1941-01-23
Movie The Wagons Roll at Night Mary Coster 1941-04-25
Movie Nine Lives Are Not Enough Receptionist (uncredited) 1941-09-20
Movie Thieves Fall Out Mary Matthews 1941-05-03
Movie Sergeant York Gracie Williams 1941-09-27
Movie Young as You Feel Girl (as Joan Brodel) 1940-02-16
Movie Laddie Shelley Stanton 1940-01-18
Movie Alice in Movieland Alice Purdee (as Joan Brodel) 1940-03-03
Movie High School Patsy 1940-01-26
Movie Star Dust College Girl (uncredited) 1940-04-06
Movie Foreign Correspondent Jones' Sister (uncredited) 1940-08-16
Movie Susan and God Party Guest (uncredited) 1940-06-07
Movie Nancy Drew... Reporter Mayme, Journalism Student (uncredited) 1939-02-18
Movie Love Affair Autograph Seeker (uncredited) 1939-04-07
Movie Winter Carnival Betsy Phillips 1939-07-28
Movie Two Thoroughbreds Wendy Conway (as Joan Brodel) 1939-12-08
Movie Men with Wings Young Patricia Falconer 1938-07-16
Movie Camille Marie Jeanette (uncredited) 1936-12-26