Joan Lorring was born Madeline Ellis on April 17, 1926, in Hong Kong. She and her mother, Ania Fred, a Russian Jewish immigrant, left Hong Kong after the outbreak of WWII to pursue
an acting career, settling in California in the late 1930s. After
finding radio work in Los Angeles, Lorring worked her
way into films making a minor debut at age 18 in the romantic war drama
Song of Russia (1944) and
subsequently played the small part of Pepita in the ensemble suspense
The Bridge of San Luis Rey (1944).
The following year Joan won the coveted role of the scheming, trampy
Bessie opposite
Bette Davis in
The Corn Is Green (1945),
earning a Academy Award nomination for "best supporting actress" in the
process. She may have lost the Oscar trophy that year to
Anne Revere for
National Velvet (1944) but Warner
Brothers Studio was more than impressed with the up-and-comer and
eagerly signed her up. Joan proved quite able in a number of juicy film
noir parts, including
Three Strangers (1946) and
The Verdict (1946), both opposite the
malevolent pairing of
Sydney Greenstreet and
Peter Lorre.
Inexplicably her film career went into a rapid decline by the end of
the decade. As a result she sought work elsewhere and maintained with
stage, radio and small screen endeavors into the next decade. On
Broadway she made her debut in the prime role of budding college
student Marie who sets off the explosive dramatic action in "Come Back,
Little Sheba" (1950) starring
Shirley Booth and
Sidney Blackmer. She continued with
strong roles in "The Autumn Garden" (1951), "Dead Pigeon" (1953) and "A
Clearing in the Woods" (1957).
Among Joan's many 1950s dramatic showcases
on TV was her portrayal of suspected ax-murderess Lizzie Borden's
sister Emma on an
Alfred Hitchcock episode. In
the 1970s, Joan made a mini comeback in the
Burt Lancaster movie
The Midnight Man (1974) as
Cameron Mitchell's wife. She
also performed on radio soap operas and appeared for a season on the TV
soap
Ryan's Hope (1975) before
phasing out her career once again.
Long married to New York endocrinologist Dr. Martin Sonenberg, who died in 2011, Joan passed away on May 30, 2014, in Sleepy Hollow, New York, survived by two daughters.
The Love Boat(1977)as Marian Cummings
Ryan's Hope(1975)as Anna Pavel
The Midnight Man(1974)as Judy Willinger
NET Playhouse(1964)as Martha Minch
The Star Wagon(1966)as Martha
Good Sam(1948)
The Verdict(1946)
Turner Classic Movies Remembers 2014(2014)as Self - Actress
