Joanne Dru

b. Joanne Letitia LaCock, 31 January 1922, Logan, West Virginia, USA, d. 10 September 1996, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA. After moving to New York in 1940 Dru worked as a model and also danced in shows, including Al Jolson’s Hold Onto Your Hats. After marrying singer Dick Haymes in 1941 she relocated to Hollywood where she appeared in films from the mid-40s, several of them westerns, including Abie’s Irish Rose (1946), Red River (1948), She Wore A Yellow Ribbon (1949), All The… Show more King’s Men (1949), Wagon Master (1950), Vengeance Valley (1951), Mr. Belvedere Rings The Bell (1951), Return Of The Texan (1952), and Thunder Bay (1953). She played the title role in Hannah Lee (1953), although the film was subsequently retitled Outlaw Territory. Her co-star in this film was John Ireland, who was her second husband (the couple were together from 1949 to 1957).

Dru appeared in films from the 50s through to the 80s. During these same decades she made numerous appearances on television where her acting talents were better used, including the drama series Pulitzer Prize Playhouse, Studio 57, The Ford Television Theatre, Schlitz Playhouse Of Stars, Lux Video Theatre, Matinee Theater, and Disneyland. Dru was also in individual episodes of many shows, among them Climax! (1955 and 1956), Wagon Train (1957), Guestward Ho! (1960), Burke’s Law (1964), The Green Hornet (1967) and Marcus Welby, M.D. (1975). Her brother is actor and Hollywood Squares game show host Peter Marshall. ~ Rovi

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