Linda Douglas (born Mary Joanne Tarola; February 27, 1928May 2017) was an American model and actress. A native of

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...

, she began modeling and appearing in beauty contests as a teenager, and was named as a Princess to the

Portland Rose Festival The Portland Rose Festival is an annual civic festival held during the month of June in Portland, Oregon. It is organized by the volunteer non-profit Portland Rose Festival Association with the purpose of promoting the Portland region. It inclu ...

representing Grant High in 1947. She was discovered by a talent scout of

Howard Hughes Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American business magnate, record-setting pilot, engineer, film producer, and philanthropist, known during his lifetime as one of the most influential and richest people in th ...

while sitting in a hotel lobby in

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

and eventually embarked on an acting career in 1952. Under the

stage name A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...

Linda Douglas, she starred in two Westerns: '' Trail Guide'' and ''

Target Target may refer to: Physical items * Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports ** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports ** Aiming point, in field artillery, fi ...

'' (both 1952), followed by the drama ''

Affair with a Stranger ''Affair with a Stranger'' is a 1953 American comedy-drama directed by Roy Rowland and starring Jean Simmons and Victor Mature. It was originally to be released as ''Kiss and Run''. The film centres on the rumoured marital troubles of a succes ...

'' (1953), in which she was billed under her birth name. Douglas garnered publicity when she married film producer and mobster

Pat DiCicco Pasquale "Pat" DiCicco (; February 14, 1909 – October 24, 1978) was an American agent, movie producer, and occasional actor, as well as an alleged mobster working for Lucky Luciano. He was married three times, including to Thelma Todd and ...

, former husband of

Thelma Todd Thelma Alice Todd (July 29, 1906 – December 16, 1935) was an American actress and businesswoman who carried the nicknames "The Ice Cream Blonde" and "Hot Toddy". Appearing in about 120 feature films and shorts between 1926 and 1935, she ...

and

Gloria Vanderbilt Gloria Laura Vanderbilt (February 20, 1924 – June 17, 2019) was an American artist, author, actress, fashion designer, heiress, and socialite. During the 1930s, she was the subject of a high-profile child custody trial in which her mother ...

, in 1952. The couple divorced in 1960 after eight years of marriage. Douglas subsequently married

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

player

Hank Greenberg Henry Benjamin Greenberg (born Hyman Greenberg; January 1, 1911 – September 4, 1986), nicknamed "Hammerin' Hank", "Hankus Pankus", or "The Hebrew Hammer", was an American professional baseball player and team executive. He played in Major Leagu ...

in 1966, after which she went by the name Mary Jo Greenberg. She remained married to him until his death in 1986. She died in Los Angeles in 2017.

Biography

1928–1950: Early life

Douglas was born Mary Joanne Tarola in

to Mildred (née Andeerson) and Joseph Tarola. Her mother was a native of

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...

, born to

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

immigrants, . while her father was an immigrant from

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

.California, County Marriages, 1850-1952
005686327 > image 1155 of 2715
multiple county courthouses, California. of certificate. She had two older brothers, Hoyt and Ralph, and considered herself "a bit of a

tomboy A tomboy is a term for a girl or a young woman with masculine qualities. It can include wearing androgynous or unfeminine clothing and actively engage in physical sports or other activities and behaviors usually associated with boys or men. W ...

." Tall and blonde, Douglas was noticed at age 17 by a talent agent of

while sitting in a hotel lobby in

. She had been in Arizona at the time visiting her mother, who after divorcing Douglas' father relocated there for the drier climate in an effort to reduce symptoms of

arthritis Arthritis is a term often used to mean any disorder that affects joints. Symptoms generally include joint pain and stiffness. Other symptoms may include redness, warmth, swelling, and decreased range of motion of the affected joints. In som ...

. Douglas initially accepted Hughes' invitation and flew with her mother to Los Angeles on one of Hughes' private airplanes to complete screen tests. Recalling the event, Douglas said: "Even then, Howard Hughes had a questionable reputation regarding women. This was after he had produced ''

The Outlaw ''The Outlaw'' is a 1943 American Western film, directed by Howard Hughes and starring Jack Buetel, Jane Russell, Thomas Mitchell, and Walter Huston. Hughes also produced the film, while Howard Hawks served as an uncredited co-director. The f ...

'' with

Jane Russell Ernestine Jane Geraldine Russell (June 21, 1921 – February 28, 2011) was an American actress, singer, and model. She was one of Hollywood's leading sex symbols in the 1940s and 1950s. She starred in more than 20 films. Russell moved from th ...

and had a slew of famous girlfriends, including

Jean Harlow Jean Harlow (born Harlean Harlow Carpenter; March 3, 1911 – June 7, 1937) was an American actress. Known for her portrayal of "bad girl" characters, she was the leading sex symbol of the early 1930s and one of the defining figures of the ...

. Anyway, my father got wind of thismy parents were divorcedand he got word to Howard Hughes that if he laid a hand on me, he'd shoot him." After completing screen tests, Douglas was offered a film contract by Hughes at

RKO Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orphe ...

, but declined as her father insisted she complete her education first. She returned to Portland, where she finished her senior year at Grant High School. Douglas worked as beauty contestant and model in Portland, and was named queen of the

in 1947.

1951–2016: Film career and marriages

Returning to Los Angeles, she made her feature film debut in the Western '' Trail Guide'', followed by ''

'' (both 1952), under the

Linda Douglas. On December 12, 1952, Douglas married film producer

, former husband of

and

, in

Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. B ...

. After the wedding Douglas formally retired from acting. "I was never really interested in it," she recalled. "And I was never comfortable with it." Douglas and DiCicco eventually divorced in 1960, after which Douglas briefly dated singer

Andy Williams Howard Andrew Williams (December 3, 1927 – September 25, 2012) was an American singer. He recorded 43 albums in his career, of which 15 have been gold certified and three platinum certified. He was also nominated for six Grammy Awards. He hos ...

. In the early 1960s, Douglas began dating

player

. She had first met Greenberg briefly in 1955 while visiting New York City to attend the

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...

with her then-husband, DeCicco: "We were the guests of

Dan Topping Daniel Reid Topping (June 11, 1912 – May 18, 1974) was a part owner and president of the New York Yankees baseball team from 1945 to 1964. During Topping's tenure as chief executive of the Yankees, the team won 14 American League pennants and ...

, the then the co-owner of the

Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...

... As we were getting into our limousines in front of the

Park Lane Hotel The Sheraton Grand London Park Lane is a 5 Star hotel on Piccadilly, London. The hotel opened in 1927 as The Park Lane Hotel to designs by architects Adie, Button and Partners, in a grand Art Deco style, and was constructed by the developer ...

, Pat took me aside to introduce me to Hank Greenberg." Douglas recalled that, after the meeting, she observed DeCicco, Topping, and others in their limousine making

anti-semitic Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...

remarks: "It was my first experience with antisemitism. It left an impression." Douglas and Greenberg's romance received significant publicity, and the two were married in a small ceremony in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

in late November 1966, after which Douglas went by the name Mary Jo Greenberg.

1966–2016: Later life

After marrying Greenberg, Douglas traveled between her home in Los Angeles and his in New York City, though the couple eventually settled in Los Angeles, They lived in the Fields House, a

Regency A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

-style home in Beverly Hills designed by architect

Craig Ellwood Craig Ellwood (April 22, 1922 – May 30, 1992) was an influential Los Angeles-based modernist architect whose career spanned the early 1950s through the mid-1970s. Although untrained as an architect, Ellwood fashioned a persona and career ...

. Douglas was widowed in 1986 after Greenberg's death, and spent the remainder of her life living in the home she had shared with Greenberg. In July 1999, she established the Mary Jo and Hank Greenberg Animal Welfare Foundation, a

nonprofit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

animal welfare Animal welfare is the well-being of non-human animals. Formal standards of animal welfare vary between contexts, but are debated mostly by animal welfare groups, legislators, and academics. Animal welfare science uses measures such as longevity ...

organization for homeless and neglected animals.

Death

Douglas died in May 2017 in Los Angeles.

Filmography

References

Sources

* *

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Douglas, Linda 1928 births 2017 deaths Actresses from Portland, Oregon American people of Italian descent American people of Swedish descent American beauty pageant contestants American animal welfare workers Female models from Oregon Grant High School (Portland, Oregon) alumni 21st-century American women