Caren Marsh Doll ( Morris; born April 6, 1919), also credited as Caren Marsh, is an American former stage and screen actress and dancer specializing in modern dance and
tap. She is notable as
Judy Garland
Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. While critically acclaimed for many different roles throughout her career, she is widely known for playing the part of Dorothy Gale in '' The ...
's
stand-in
A stand-in for film and television is a person who substitutes for the actor before filming, for technical purposes such as lighting and camera setup.
Stand-ins are helpful in the initial processes of film and television production.
Stand-ins a ...
in ''
The Wizard of Oz'' (1939) and ''
Ziegfeld Girl
Ziegfeld Girls were the chorus girls and showgirls from Florenz Ziegfeld's theatrical Broadway revue spectaculars known as the ''Ziegfeld Follies'' (1907–1931), in New York City, which were based on the Folies Bergère of Paris.
Descripti ...
'' in 1941. She is one of the last surviving actors from
the Golden Age of Hollywood.
From 1937 until 1948, Marsh appeared in motion pictures with
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded o ...
, including a small uncredited part in ''
Gone with the Wind
Gone with the Wind most often refers to:
* ''Gone with the Wind'' (novel), a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell
* ''Gone with the Wind'' (film), the 1939 adaptation of the novel
Gone with the Wind may also refer to:
Music
* ''Gone with the Wind'' ...
''. She became a dance instructor in 1956.
Her younger sister was film and television actress
Dorothy Morris
Dorothy Ruth Morris (February 23, 1922 – November 20, 2011) was an American film and television actress known for her "girl next door" persona.
Early life
Dorothy Ruth Morris was born and raised in Hollywood. She attended Hollywood High Sc ...
.
Early life
Marsh was born in
Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood, ...
, California on April 6, 1919.
Her father was a Hollywood stockbroker. She and her family were active in the
Methodist
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...
church. In 1937, she graduated from
Hollywood High School
Hollywood High School is a four-year public secondary school in the Los Angeles Unified School District, located at the intersection of North Highland Avenue and West Sunset Boulevard in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California.
Histo ...
and wanted to become an actress. Her parents did not approve of this choice and preferred she pursue a college education. They compromised by telling Caren that unless she could land an acting job she would be sent to school.
Film career
Marsh auditioned for a role in ''
Rosalie'' (1937), starring
Nelson Eddy
Nelson Ackerman Eddy (June 29, 1901 – March 6, 1967) was an American actor and baritone singer who appeared in 19 musical films during the 1930s and 1940s, as well as in opera and on the concert stage, radio, television, and in nightclub ...
and
Eleanor Powell
Eleanor Torrey Powell (November 21, 1912 – February 11, 1982) was an American dancer and actress. Best remembered for her tap dance numbers in musical films in the 1930s and 1940s, she was one of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's top dancing stars duri ...
, but did not win the role. She later re-auditioned for that movie and got the part.
She was hired as Judy Garland's dance stand-in for ''The Wizard of Oz''.
She was hired largely mostly because she was similar in height and build to Garland and even received her own pair of
ruby slippers
The ruby slippers are the magic pair of shoes worn by Dorothy Gale as played by Judy Garland in the 1939 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musical film '' The Wizard of Oz''. Because of their iconic stature, the ruby slippers are among the most valuable items ...
.
She served as a stand-in for Garland a second time with ''Ziegfeld Girl'' (1941). According to Marsh, when she wasn't filling in for Garland in ''The Wizard of Oz'' she would be across Hollywood at
Selznick International Pictures
Selznick International Pictures was a Hollywood motion picture studio created by David O. Selznick in 1935, and dissolved in 1943. In its short existence the independent studio produced two films that received the Academy Award for Best Pictureâ ...
working as an extra in ''
Gone with the Wind
Gone with the Wind most often refers to:
* ''Gone with the Wind'' (novel), a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell
* ''Gone with the Wind'' (film), the 1939 adaptation of the novel
Gone with the Wind may also refer to:
Music
* ''Gone with the Wind'' ...
'' (1939).
In film, credited under the name Caren Marsh, she appeared in films such as ''
That Night in Rio
''That Night in Rio'' is a 1941 Technicolor American musical comedy film directed by Irving Cummings and starring Alice Faye, Don Ameche (in a dual role as an American entertainer and an aristocratic businessman he is asked to impersonate tempora ...
'' (1941), ''
Hands Across the Border'' (1944),
''
Wild Harvest
''Wild Harvest'' is a 1947 film directed by Tay Garnett and starring Alan Ladd and Dorothy Lamour.
Plot
Joe Madigan's crew harvests wheat for farmers. Jim Davis, a good mechanic who irresponsibly drinks and gambles too much, is fired by his frie ...
'' (1947),
''
Girl Crazy
''Girl Crazy'' is a 1930 musical by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin and book by Guy Bolton and John McGowan. Ethel Merman made her stage debut in the first production and co-lead Ginger Rogers became an overnight star. Rich in song, ...
'' (1943),''
Best Foot Forward'' (1943), ''
Seven Sweethearts
''Seven Sweethearts'' is a 1942 musical film directed by Frank Borzage and starring Kathryn Grayson, Marsha Hunt and Van Heflin.
''Seven Sweethearts'' generated legal trouble seven years later. In 1949, Hungarian playwright Ferenc Herczeg sue ...
'' (1942), and ''
Night and Day'' (1946). She did appear in speaking parts in films as ''Secrets of a Sorority Girl'' (1945) and ''
Navajo Kid
''Navajo Kid'' is a 1945 American Western film directed by Harry L. Fraser for Alexander-Stern Productions and starring Bob Steele as the titular character, Syd Salor and Ed Cassidy. It was distributed by Producers Releasing Corporation (PRC) ...
'' (1945).
In 1947, Marsh was named Miss Sky Lady of 1947
and began appearing in fewer films to focus on her new interest in
dance
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
. After appearing in an airshow as Miss Sky Lady, she took flight instruction classes, learned to fly and later dropped leaflets of her acting profile on various movie studios in Hollywood.
She made an appearance on ''
The Gabby Hayes Show
The Gabby Hayes Show was the name given to two early children's television series. Both series were broadcast on NBC, and both were sponsored by the Quaker Oats Company.
Gabby Hayes was the host of a series that featured history stories. He also ...
'' in 1956, after which she became a dance instructor.
1949 plane crash survival
On July 12, 1949, aged 30, Marsh was aboard
Standard Air Lines Standard Air Lines was an airline founded by Jack Frye, Paul E. Richter and Walter A. Hamilton in 1927. The three had founded Aero Corporation of California in 1926 in Los Angeles and Standard was made a subsidiary of Aero in 1927.
History
Stand ...
Flight 897R, when the
C-46E crashed
"Crashed" is the third U.S. rock Single (music), single, (the fifth overall), from the band Daughtry (band), Daughtry's debut album. It was released only to U.S. rock stations on September 5, 2007. Upon its release the song got adds at those stat ...
. The flight had left
Albuquerque
Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...
,
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
, at 4:43 am. While on approach to the
Lockheed Air Terminal Lockheed (originally spelled Loughead) may refer to:
Brands and enterprises
* Lockheed Corporation, a former American aircraft manufacturer
* Lockheed Martin, formed in 1995 by the merger of Lockheed Corporation and Martin Marietta
** Lockheed Mar ...
in
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank has a population of 107,337. The city was named after David Burbank, w ...
, at 7:40 am, the twin engine plane, flying too low, hooked a wingtip on a hill and crashed near
Chatsworth, California
Chatsworth is a suburban neighborhood in the City of Los Angeles, California, in the San Fernando Valley.
The area was home to Native Americans, some of whom left caves containing rock art. Chatsworth was explored and colonized by the Spanish be ...
, and Marsh was one of the 13 people who survived. Marsh was pulled from the wreckage by another passenger named Judy Frost. Marsh was hospitalized at
Cedars of Lebanon Hospital
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a nonprofit, tertiary, 886-bed teaching hospital and multi-specialty academic health science center located in Los Angeles, California. Part of the Cedars-Sinai Health System, the hospital employs a staff of over 2 ...
for several weeks, and nearly had her left foot amputated. Marsh's doctors told her that she would likely never dance again, but after careful exercise she was able to heal and continue in her dancing.
''The Wizard of Oz''
Although not a credited cast member, Marsh is one of a few known surviving personnel to have worked on the MGM film ''The Wizard of Oz''. She has appeared in ''Wizard of Oz'' film festivals, conventions, and reunions.
Autobiography and 'Oz' festivals
In November 2007, Marsh published her
autobiography
An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life.
It is a form of biography.
Definition
The word "autobiography" was first used deprecatingly by William Taylor in 1797 in the English peri ...
, ''Hollywood's Babe'', in which she discussed her life in Hollywood, and her love affair with ''The Wizard of Oz''.
In 2011, Marsh served as the Grand Marshal of the Oz-Stravaganza Parade in
Chittenango, New York
Chittenango is a village located in Madison County, New York, United States. The village is in the southern part of the Town of Sullivan. The population was 5,081 at the 2010 census. Chittenango is the birthplace of L. Frank Baum, author of ''T ...
.
Personal life
Marsh moved to
Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs (Cahuilla: ''Séc-he'') is a desert resort city in Riverside County, California, United States, within the Colorado Desert's Coachella Valley. The city covers approximately , making it the largest city in Riverside County by land a ...
, in 1957 and married Bill Doll, (died 1979) a press agent to theatre and film producer
Mike Todd
Michael Todd (born Avrom Hirsch Goldbogen; June 22, 1909 – March 22, 1958) was an American theater and film producer, best known for his 1956 production of ''Around the World in 80 Days'', which won an Academy Award for Best Picture. Actr ...
. The Dolls had one son. Her sister actress
Dorothy Morris
Dorothy Ruth Morris (February 23, 1922 – November 20, 2011) was an American film and television actress known for her "girl next door" persona.
Early life
Dorothy Ruth Morris was born and raised in Hollywood. She attended Hollywood High Sc ...
, became her neighbor when Marsh retired in 1971. The sisters lived next door to each other until Dorothy's death on November 20, 2011. She
turned 100 in April 2019.
Once a month on the first Monday, Marsh volunteers as a dance therapy instructor at the Palm Springs Stroke Activity Center where the styles taught range from themes like
ballroom dancing
Ballroom dance is a set of partner dances, which are enjoyed both socially and competitively around the world, mostly because of its performance and entertainment aspects. Ballroom dancing is also widely enjoyed on stage, film, and television.
...
,
country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...
,
Hawaiian, and
belly dancing
Belly dance (Egyptian Arabic: رقص بلدي, translated: Dance of the Country/Folk Dance, romanized: Raks/Raas Baladi) is a dance that originates in Egypt. It features movements of the hips and torso. It has evolved to take many different f ...
.
She is an active member of The Palm Springs United Methodist Community Church.
[Doll, Caren-Marsh ''Hollywood's Babe'' BearMedia Manor, November 1, 2007, p. 279.]
Filmography
* ''
The Gabby Hayes Show
The Gabby Hayes Show was the name given to two early children's television series. Both series were broadcast on NBC, and both were sponsored by the Quaker Oats Company.
Gabby Hayes was the host of a series that featured history stories. He also ...
'' (television serial) appearing in episode: "Navajo Kid" (1956)
* ''
Adventures of Don Juan
''Adventures of Don Juan'' is a 1948 American Technicolor swashbuckling adventure romance film directed by Vincent Sherman and starring Errol Flynn and Viveca Lindfors, with Robert Douglas, Alan Hale, Ann Rutherford, and Robert Warwick. Also in ...
'' (1948)
* ''
Luxury Liner'' (1948)
* ''
Wild Harvest
''Wild Harvest'' is a 1947 film directed by Tay Garnett and starring Alan Ladd and Dorothy Lamour.
Plot
Joe Madigan's crew harvests wheat for farmers. Jim Davis, a good mechanic who irresponsibly drinks and gambles too much, is fired by his frie ...
'' (1947)
* ''
Welcome Stranger
The Welcome Stranger is the biggest alluvial gold nugget that has ever been found, which had a calculated refined weight of .Potter, Terry F. (1999) ''The Welcome Stranger: a definitive account of the worlds largest alluvial gold nugget''. I ...
'' (1947)
* ''
Smash-Up: The Story of a Woman'' (1947)
* ''
Night and Day'' (1946)
* ''
Navajo Kid
''Navajo Kid'' is a 1945 American Western film directed by Harry L. Fraser for Alexander-Stern Productions and starring Bob Steele as the titular character, Syd Salor and Ed Cassidy. It was distributed by Producers Releasing Corporation (PRC) ...
'' (1945)
* ''
Secrets of a Sorority Girl
''Secrets of a Sorority Girl'' is a 1946 American crime film directed by Lew Landers and Frank Wisbar and written by George Wallace Sayre and Arthur St. Claire. The film stars Mary Ware, Rick Vallin, Addison Richards, Ray Walker, Marie Harmon a ...
'' (1945)
* ''
Hands Across the Border'' (1944)
* ''
Best Foot Forward'' (1943)
* ''
Seven Sweethearts
''Seven Sweethearts'' is a 1942 musical film directed by Frank Borzage and starring Kathryn Grayson, Marsha Hunt and Van Heflin.
''Seven Sweethearts'' generated legal trouble seven years later. In 1949, Hungarian playwright Ferenc Herczeg sue ...
'' (1942)
* ''
Ziegfeld Girl
Ziegfeld Girls were the chorus girls and showgirls from Florenz Ziegfeld's theatrical Broadway revue spectaculars known as the ''Ziegfeld Follies'' (1907–1931), in New York City, which were based on the Folies Bergère of Paris.
Descripti ...
'' (1941)
* ''
The Wizard of Oz'' (1939)
* ''
Gone with the Wind
Gone with the Wind most often refers to:
* ''Gone with the Wind'' (novel), a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell
* ''Gone with the Wind'' (film), the 1939 adaptation of the novel
Gone with the Wind may also refer to:
Music
* ''Gone with the Wind'' ...
'' (1939)
* ''
Rosalie'' (1937)
References
External links
*
Caren Marsh Interviewat Western Clippings
{{DEFAULTSORT:Doll, Caren Marsh
1919 births
Living people
20th-century American actresses
21st-century American women
American film actresses
American television actresses
Actresses from Palm Springs, California
American female dancers
Dancers from California
Writers from Los Angeles
American United Methodists
Actresses from Hollywood, Los Angeles
American tap dancers
American memoirists
Hollywood High School alumni
People from Greater Los Angeles
Modern dancers
Survivors of aviation accidents or incidents
American women memoirists
American centenarians
Women centenarians