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Carole Landis (January 1, 1919 in film|1919 - July
5, 1948 in film|1948) was an United
States|American film actor|actress.


Born Frances Lillian Mary Ridste in Fairchild,
Wisconsin to a Norwegian-American|Norwegian father
and Poland|Polish mother, her early life was a
struggle as her father abandoned the family and
left them to fend for themselves.  By the age of
15, Landis had married and left high school, but
this marriage was annulled and she set herself on
a path towards a career in show business.

She worked as a nightclub singer and hula dancer
before her 1937 in film|1937 film debut as an
extra in A Star Is Born.   She continued appearing
in uncredited bit parts until being signed to a
contract in 1940.  Her first starring role as a
cave girl in One Million B.C. attracted a lot of
attention and made her a celebrity if not a star.

Tall, lean, glamorous and with a strong singing
voice, Landis appeared in a string of films in the
early forties, usually as the second female lead. 
In a time when many actresses were dubbed in their
singing roles, Landis' own voice was considered
good enough and was used in her few musical roles.

She had two roles playing opposite the pin-up
Betty Grable in Moon Over Miami and I Wake Up
Screaming both 1941. Landis too became a popular
pin-up with servicemen during World War II and
toured with comedienne Martha Raye, dancer Mitzi
Mayfair, and actress Kay Francis with a United
Service Organizations|USO troupe in England and
North Africa.  She starred in a film about the
tour, Four Jills and a Jeep, based on her book of
the same title, but the response from the public
was lukewarm, and Landis's career seemed to stall.


By 1948 in film|1948 her career was fading, she
had health problems, and with three divorces and
several failed romances behind her, she entered
into a romance with famed actor Rex Harrison who
was at the time married to  actress Lilli Palmer.
Landis was reported to be crushed when Harrison
refused to divorce his wife in her favour and
unable to cope any longer, she committed suicide
by taking an overdose of barbiturates. Her final
night alive had been spent with Harrison and it
was Harrison who found her body the next morning.
There was a scandal, however his career resumed
with relative ease.

Carole Landis was interred in the Forest Lawn
Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale,
California|Glendale, California in the
"Everlasting Love" section. 

She was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk
of Fame for her contribution to Motion Pictures,
at 1765 Vine St.

The character of Jennifer North in the novel
Valley of the Dolls and played by Sharon Tate in
the film of the same name, was based partly on
Carole Landis.  The author Jacqueline Susann and
Landis had worked together during the early
forties and became friends.

==Filmography==
*A Star Is Born (1937)
*A Day at the Races (movie)|A Day at the Races
(1937)
*Fly Away Baby (1937)
*The Emperor's Candlesticks (1937)
*Broadway Melody of 1938 (1937)
*Varsity Show (1937)
*Alcatraz Island (1937)
*Hollywood Hotel (1937)
*The Invisible Menace (1938)
*Blondes at Work (1938)
*A Slight Case of Murder (1938)
*Love, Honor and Behave (1938)
*Over the Wall (1938) 
*Women Are Like That (1938) 
*Gold Diggers in Paris (1938)
*When Were You Born (1938)
*Men Are Such Fools (1938)
*Four's a Crowd (1938)
*Penrod's Double Trouble (1938)
*Boy Meets Girl (1938)
*Girls on Probation (1938)
*Three Texas Steers (1939)
*Daredevils of the Red Circle (1939)
*The Cowboys from Texas (1939)
*Reno (movie)|Reno (1939)
*One Million B.C. (1940)
*Turnabout (1940)
*Mystery Sea Raider (1940)
*Dance Hall (1941)
*Road Show (1941)
*Topper Returns (1941)
*Meet the Stars: Hollywood Meets the Navy (1941)
(short subject)
*Moon Over Miami (1941)
*I Wake Up Screaming (1941)
*Cadet Girl (1941)
*Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 2 (1941) (short
subject)
*A Gentleman at Heart (1942)
*My Gal Sal (1942)
*It Happened in Flatbush (1942)
*Orchestra Wives (1942)
*Manila Calling (1942)
*The Powers Girl (1943)
*Show Business at War (1943) (short subject)
*Wintertime (1943)
*Four Jills in a Jeep (1944) (also writer)
*Secret Command (1944)
*Having Wonderful Crime (1945)
*Behind Green Lights (1946)
*A Scandal in Paris (1946)
*It Shouldn't Happen to a Dog (1946)
*Out of the Blue (1947)
*The Noose (1948)
*Brass Monkey (film)|Brass Monkey (1948)

== External links ==

*
http://movies.groups.yahoo.com/group/CaroleLandisF
ans/ Carole Landis Fans
* http://www.classicactresses.com/carole.html
Carole Landis at Classic Actresses
*
http://www.suspense-movies.com/stars/carole-landis
/ Carole Landis Photo Gallery
* http://www.lawzone.com/half-nor/landis.htm
Carole Landis Norwegian American