Joan Marsh (July 10, 1914 – August 10, 2000) was an American

child actress The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting on stage or in movies or television. An adult who began their acting career as a child may also be called a child actor, or a "former child actor". Closely associated ...

in silent films between 1915 and 1921. Later, during the sound era, she resumed her acting career and performed in a variety of films during the 1930s and 1940s.

Early years

Marsh, born Dorothy D. Rosher, was the daughter of Lolita and

Charles Rosher Charles G. Rosher, A.S.C. (17 November 1885 – 15 January 1974) was an English-born cinematographer who worked from the early days of silent films through the 1950s. He was Mary Pickford's favourite cinematographer and a personal friend, shoo ...

. Her parents later divorced.

Career

In 1915, Marsh made her first film appearance, an uncredited one, in the

short Short may refer to: Places * Short (crater), a lunar impact crater on the near side of the Moon * Short, Mississippi, an unincorporated community * Short, Oklahoma, a census-designated place People * Short (surname) * List of people known as ...

''The Mad Maid of the Forest'', which her father was filming.Katz, Ephraim and Nolen, Ronald.
The Film Encyclopedia
', pp. 1166-67 (HarperCollins 2013). Later that same year she was also cast in ''Hearts Aflame'' and then billed as Dorothy Rosher. In 1917 she appeared too in ''

A Little Princess ''A Little Princess'' is a children's novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, first published as a book in 1905. It is an expanded version of the short story "Sara Crewe: or, What Happened at Miss Minchin's", which was serialized in '' St. Nicholas M ...

'' and in no less than five other productions in 1918, including the comedy-drama '' Women's Weapons'' for

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

. After these minor roles as a baby and

toddler A toddler is a child approximately 12 to 36 months old, though definitions vary. The toddler years are a time of great cognitive, emotional and social development. The word is derived from "to toddle", which means to walk unsteadily, like a child ...

, Marsh finally became a star in

Mary Pickford Gladys Marie Smith (April 8, 1892 – May 29, 1979), known professionally as Mary Pickford, was a Canadian-American stage and screen actress and producer with a career that spanned five decades. A pioneer in the US film industry, she co-founde ...

films such as '' Daddy-Long-Legs'' (1919) and ''

Pollyanna ''Pollyanna'' is a 1913 novel by American author Eleanor H. Porter, considered a classic of children's literature. The book's success led to Porter's soon writing a sequel, ''Pollyanna Grows Up'' (1915). Eleven more ''Pollyanna'' sequels, know ...

'' (1920). Marsh made her last film appearance as a child in 1921 but returned to films nine years later with a role in '' King of Jazz'', in which she sang with

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...

. She subsequently worked in a series of shorts and other feature films before she played

W. C. Fields William Claude Dukenfield (January 29, 1880 – December 25, 1946), better known as W. C. Fields, was an American comedian, actor, juggler, and writer. Fields's comic persona was a misanthropic and hard-drinking egotist who remained a sympathe ...

's daughter in '' You're Telling Me!'' in 1934. She continued performing on-screen in small roles for the next decade. In 1936, she sang on the

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

radio program ''Flying Red Horse Tavern''.Sies, Luther F. (2014). ''Encyclopedia of American Radio, 1920-1960, 2nd Edition'', pg. 234. McFarland & Company, Inc. . In 1931, Marsh was one of 13 actresses named as

WAMPAS baby stars The WAMPAS Baby Stars was a promotional campaign sponsored by the United States Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers, which honored 13 (15 in 1932) young actresses each year whom they believed to be on the threshold of movie stardom. ...

. She made her final film appearance in 1944 in '' Follow the Leader''.

Personal life

During the filming of ''

Charlie Chan on Broadway ''Charlie Chan on Broadway'' (1937) is a Charlie Chan film. This is the 15th film starring Oland as Chan and produced by Fox. Plot While Charlie Chan and his number one son, Lee, are aboard a New York-bound transatlantic liner returning from Ger ...

'', Marsh met writer Charles Belden, who had co-written the film's screenplay. They married on December 2, 1938, in Beverly Hills, California. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1943—first in Los Angeles, California, on August 26, 1943, followed by a second divorce October 23, 1943, "so she won't have to wait a year before remarrying." In 1943, Marsh married Army Captain John D. W. Morrill in Santa Monica, California.

Later years and death

Marsh later managed a stationery shop. She died at age 86 in

Ojai, California Ojai ( ; Chumash: ''’Awhaỳ'') is a city in Ventura County, California. Located in the Ojai Valley, it is northwest of Los Angeles and east of Santa Barbara. The valley is part of the east–west trending Western Transverse Ranges and is ...

on August 10, 2000.

Partial filmography

* ''Hearts Aflame'' (1915) - Child * ''

'' (1917) - Child (uncredited) * ''

How Could You Jean? ''How Could You, Jean?'' is a 1918 American silent comedy-drama film, starring Mary Pickford, directed by William Desmond Taylor, and based on a novel by Eleanor Hoyt Brainerd. Casson Ferguson was the male lead; Spottiswoode Aitken and a youn ...

'' (1918) - Morley Child * ''

Johanna Enlists ''Johanna Enlists'' is a 1918 silent film comedy drama produced by and starring Mary Pickford with distribution by Paramount Pictures. The film was directed by William Desmond Taylor from a short story by Rupert Hughes, ''The Mobilization of Joha ...

'' (1918) - (uncredited) * ''

The Bond ''The Bond'' is a propaganda film created by Charlie Chaplin at his own expense for the Liberty Loan Committee for theatrical release to help sell U.S. Liberty Bonds during World War I. Made in 1918 with Edna Purviance, Albert Austin and Sydn ...

'' (1918, Short) - Cupid (uncredited) * '' Women's Weapons'' (1918) - Nicholas Jr.'s Sister * ''

Captain Kidd, Jr. ''Captain Kidd, Jr.'' is a 1919 American silent film produced by and starring Mary Pickford and directed by William Desmond Taylor. It is her last released film for distribution by Paramount Pictures before moving to First National. The film i ...

'' (1919) - Child (uncredited) * '' Daddy-Long-Legs'' (1919) - (uncredited) * ''

'' (1920) - Dorothy Rosher * '' Suds'' (1920) - Minor Role (uncredited) * ''

Young Mrs. Winthrop ''Young Mrs. Winthrop'' is a lost 1920 American silent drama film starring Ethel Clayton. It is based on the 1882 Victorian era Broadway play by Bronson Howard. The film was produced by Famous Players–Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictur ...

'' (1920) - Rosie * '' Thou Art the Man'' (1920) - Ellie Prescott * ''

Little Lord Fauntleroy ''Little Lord Fauntleroy'' is a novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. It was published as a serial in '' St. Nicholas Magazine'' from November 1885 to October 1886, then as a book by Scribner's (the publisher of ''St. Nicholas'') in 1886. The ill ...

'' (1921) - (uncredited) * '' King of Jazz'' (1930) - Blonde ("A Bench in the Park") (uncredited) * ''

All Quiet on the Western Front ''All Quiet on the Western Front'' (german: Im Westen nichts Neues, lit=Nothing New in the West) is a novel by Erich Maria Remarque, a German veteran of World War I. The book describes the German soldiers' extreme physical and mental trauma du ...

'' (1930) - Poster Girl (uncredited) * ''

The Little Accident ''The Little Accident'' is a 1930 American pre-Code comedy film directed by William James Craft and written by Gladys Lehman and Gene Towne, based on the 1927 novel ''An Unmarried Father'' by Floyd Dell and the 1928 play ''Little Accident'' by ...

'' (1931) - Doris * '' Inspiration'' (1931) - Madeleine Dorety * ''

Dance, Fools, Dance ''Dance, Fools, Dance'' is a 1931 pre-Code Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer drama film starring Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, and Lester Vail in a story about a reporter investigating the murder of a colleague. Story and dialogue were created by Aurania Rouve ...

'' (1931) - Sylvia * ''

A Tailor Made Man ''A Tailor Made Man'' is a 1931 American MGM pre-Code comedy film directed by Sam Wood. Adapted from the 1908 Hungarian play ''A Szerencse Fia'' by Gábor Drégely (staged in English in New York in 1917), the film stars William Haines and Doro ...

'' (1931) - Beanie * '' Meet the Wife'' (1931) - Doris Bellamy * ''

Three Girls Lost ''Three Girls Lost'' is a 1931 American Pre-Code drama film directed by Sidney Lanfield and starring Loretta Young, Lew Cody, and John Wayne. The film also featured Ward Bond (in a small unbilled role), and co-starred Wayne with Paul Fix for t ...

'' (1931) - Marcia Tallant * '' Shipmates'' (1931) - Mary Lou * ''

Politics Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that studies ...

'' (1931) - Daisy Evans * ''

Maker of Men ''Maker of Men'' is a 1931 American pre-Code sports melodrama film directed by Edward Sedgwick and written by Howard J. Green and Edward Sedgwick. Produced by Columbia Pictures Corporation, the film stars Jack Holt, Richard Cromwell, and ...

'' (1931) - Dorothy * ''

The Wet Parade ''The Wet Parade'' is a 1932 American pre-Code drama film directed by Victor Fleming and starring Robert Young, Myrna Loy, Walter Huston, Lewis Stone and Jimmy Durante. It is based on the 1931 novel by Upton Sinclair. The film shows how two ...

'' (1932) - Evelyn Fessenden * '' Are You Listening?'' (1932) - Honey O'Neil * '' Bachelor's Affairs'' (1932) - Eva Mills * '' That's My Boy'' (1932) - Co-ed (uncredited) * '' Speed Demon'' (1932) - Jean Torrance * ''

High Gear High may refer to: Science and technology * Height * High (atmospheric), a high-pressure area * High (computability), a quality of a Turing degree, in computability theory * High (tectonics), in geology an area where relative tectonic uplift to ...

'' (1933) - Anne Merritt * ''

Daring Daughters ''Daring Daughters'' is a 1933 American pre-Code melodrama film, directed by Christy Cabanne. It stars Marian Marsh, Kenneth Thomson, and Joan Marsh, and was released on March 25, 1933. Cast list * Marian Marsh as Terry Cummings * Kenneth ...

'' (1933) - Betty Cummings * '' The Man Who Dared'' (1933) - Joan Novak * '' It's Great to Be Alive'' (1933) - Toots * ''

Three-Cornered Moon ''Three Cornered Moon'' is a 1933 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Elliott Nugent, written by Ray Harris and S.K. Lauren, and starring Claudette Colbert, Richard Arlen, Mary Boland, and Wallace Ford. Based on a 1933 play by Gertrude Ton ...

'' (1933) - Kitty * ''

Rainbow Over Broadway ''Rainbow Over Broadway'' is a 1933 American pre-Code musical drama film directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Joan Marsh, Frank Albertson and Lucien Littlefield. The film's sets were designed by the art director Edward C. Jewell. Cast * ...

'' (1933) - Judy Chibbins * '' You're Telling Me!'' (1934) - Pauline Bisbee * '' Many Happy Returns'' (1934) - Florence Allen * '' We're Rich Again'' (1934) - Carolyn 'Carrie' Page * ''

Champagne for Breakfast ''Champagne for Breakfast'' is a 1935 American comedy-drama film, directed by Melville Brown. It stars Mary Carlisle, Hardie Albright, and Joan Marsh, and was released on June 18, 1935. Cast list * Mary Carlisle as Edie Reach * Hardie Albright ...

'' (1935) - Vivian Morton * ''

Anna Karenina ''Anna Karenina'' ( rus, «Анна Каренина», p=ˈanːə kɐˈrʲenʲɪnə) is a novel by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy, first published in book form in 1878. Widely considered to be one of the greatest works of literature ever writte ...

'' (1935) - Lili * '' Dancing Feet'' (1936) - Judy Jones * ''

Brilliant Marriage ''Brilliant Marriage'' is a 1936 American drama film directed by Phil Rosen and starring Joan Marsh, Ray Walker and Inez Courtney.Pitts p.114 Cast * Joan Marsh as Madge Allison * Ray Walker as Garry Dane * Inez Courtney as Sally Patrick ...

'' (1936) - Madge Allison * '' What Becomes of the Children?'' (1936) - Marion Worthington * ''

'' (1937) - Joan Wendall * ''

Hot Water Water heating is a heat transfer process that uses an energy source to heat water above its initial temperature. Typical domestic uses of hot water include cooking, cleaning, bathing, and space heating. In industry, hot water and water heated t ...

'' (1937) - Bebe Montaine * ''

Life Begins in College ''Life Begins in College'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by William A. Seiter. It marked the Ritz Brothers' first starring role in a feature film. Plot The action takes place at Lombardy College, founded "to give the Indian nations of ...

'' (1937) - Cuddles * ''

The Lady Objects ''The Lady Objects'' is a 1938 American drama film written by Gladys Lehman and Charles Kenyon and directed by Erle C. Kenton. It was nominated for the Oscar for Best Song at the 11th Academy Awards with the song ''A Mist Over the Moon'', wit ...

'' (1938) - June Lane * '' Idiot's Delight'' (1939) - one of Harry Van's ''Les Blondes!'' * '' Fast and Loose'' (1939) - Bobby Neville * ''Blame It on Love'' (1940) - Terry Arden * '' Road to Zanzibar'' (1941) - Dimples * ''

The Man in the Trunk ''The Man in the Trunk'' is a 1942 American comedy film directed by Malcolm St. Clair and written by John Larkin. The film stars Lynne Roberts, George Holmes, Raymond Walburn, J. Carrol Naish, Dorothy Peterson and Eily Malyon. The film was re ...

'' (1942) - Yvonne Duvalle * ''

Police Bullets ''Police Bullets'' is a 1942 American crime film directed by Jean Yarbrough and written by Edmond Kelso and Ande Lamb. The film stars Joan Marsh, John Archer, Milburn Stone, Warren Hymer, Tris Coffin and Fern Emmett. The film was released by Mo ...

'' (1942) - Donna Wells * ''

Keep 'Em Slugging ''Keep 'Em Slugging'' is a 1943 American film starring the Little Tough Guys and directed by Christy Cabanne for Universal Pictures. This was the final film in Universal's Little Tough Guys series, and although Universal still billed the group as ...

'' (1943) - Lola * ''

Secret Service in Darkest Africa ''Secret Service in Darkest Africa'' is a 1943 Republic serial. It was Republic's thirtieth serial, of the sixty-six produced by the studio. It was a sequel to ''G-Men vs. the Black Dragon'' released earlier in 1943, again starring Rod Camero ...

'' (1943, Serial) - Janet Blake * ''

Mr. Muggs Steps Out ''Mr. Muggs Steps Out'' is a 1943 American film directed by William Beaudine and starring The East Side Kids. Plot Much to the despair of her husband John, wealthy New York socialite Margaret Morgan hires former criminals Masie O'Donnell and But ...

'' (1943) - Brenda Murray * '' Follow the Leader'' (1944) - Milly McGinnis (final film role)

Notes

References

External links

*
Photographs of Joan Marsh
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marsh, Joan 1914 births 2000 deaths 20th-century American actresses American film actresses American people of English descent American silent film actresses Actresses from California People from Porterville, California WAMPAS Baby Stars