Edith Madeleine Carroll (26 February 1906 – 2 October 1987) was an English actress, popular both in Britain and America in the 1930s and 1940s. At the peak of her success in 1938, she was the world's highest-paid actress. Carroll is remembered for her role in

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

's '' The 39 Steps'' (1935). She is also noted for largely abandoning her acting career after the death of her sister Marguerite in the

London Blitz The Blitz was a German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom in 1940 and 1941, during the Second World War. The term was first used by the British press and originated from the term , the German word meaning 'lightning war'. The Germa ...

to devote herself to helping wounded servicemen and children displaced or maimed by the war. She was awarded both the

Legion d'Honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon B ...

and the

Medal of Freedom The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, along with the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by the president of the United States to recognize people who have made "an especially merit ...

for her work with the

Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...

Early life

Carroll was born at 32 Herbert Street (now number 44) in

West Bromwich West Bromwich ( ) is a market town in the borough of Sandwell, West Midlands, England. Historically part of Staffordshire, it is north-west of Birmingham. West Bromwich is part of the area known as the Black Country, in terms of geography, ...

, Staffordshire, daughter of John Carroll, an Irish professor of languages from

County Limerick "Remember Limerick" , image_map = Island_of_Ireland_location_map_Limerick.svg , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Ireland , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = Munster , subdivision ...

, and Helene, his French wife. She graduated from the

University of Birmingham , mottoeng = Through efforts to heights , established = 1825 – Birmingham School of Medicine and Surgery1836 – Birmingham Royal School of Medicine and Surgery1843 – Queen's College1875 – Mason Science College1898 – Mason Univers ...

, with a B.A. degree in languages. While at university she appeared in some productions for the Birmingham University Dramatic Society. She was a French mistress at a girls' school in

Hove Hove is a seaside resort and one of the two main parts of the city of Brighton and Hove, along with Brighton in East Sussex, England. Originally a "small but ancient fishing village" surrounded by open farmland, it grew rapidly in the 19th cen ...

for a year.

Acting career

Early years

Carroll's father opposed her taking up acting, but with her mother’s support she quit teaching and traveled to London to look for stage work. She had won a beauty contest, and got a job in Seymour Hicks' touring company, making her stage debut in 1927 in ''The Lash''. The following year she made her screen debut in ''

The Guns of Loos ''The Guns of Loos'' is a 1928 British silent war film directed by Sinclair Hill and starring Henry Victor, Madeleine Carroll, and Bobby Howes. Plot A blind veteran of the First World War returns home to run his family's industrial empire. ...

'', and then starred alongside

Miles Mander Miles Mander (born Lionel Henry Mander; 14 May 1888 – 8 February 1946), was an English character actor of the early Hollywood cinema, also a film director and producer, and a playwright and novelist. He was sometimes credited as Luther Mile ...

in '' The First Born'', written by

Alma Reville Alma Lucy Reville, Lady Hitchcock (14 August 1899 – 6 July 1982), was an English director, editor, and screenwriter. She was the wife of the film director Alfred Hitchcock. She collaborated on scripts for her husband's films, including ''Shad ...

. Thence she met Reville's husband,

Film stardom

Carroll was the lead in her second film, ''

What Money Can Buy ''What Money Can Buy'' is a 1928 British silent drama film directed by Edwin Greenwood and starring Madeleine Carroll, Humberston Wright and John Longden. The screenplay concerns a man who makes a bet that he can seduce a woman. Plot A rake ...

'' (1928) with

Humberston Wright Humbertson Wright (1876 in London, England, UK – 1953), sometimes credited as Humberstone Wright or Humberston H. Wright, was a British film actor. Filmography * '' Trapped by the London Sharks'' (1916) * '' Thelma'' (1918) * '' The Secre ...

. She followed it with '' The First Born'' (1928) with

, which really established her in films. Carroll went to France to make '' Not So Stupid'' (1928). Back in Britain she starred in ''

The Crooked Billet ''The Crooked Billet'' is a 1929 British drama film directed by Adrian Brunel and starring Madeleine Carroll, Carlyle Blackwell and Miles Mander. It was released in both silent and sound versions, as its production came as the industry was sh ...

'' (1929) and ''

The American Prisoner ''The American Prisoner'' is a British novel written by Eden Phillpotts and published in 1904 and adapted into a film by the same name in 1929. The story concerns an English woman who lives at Fox Tor farm, and an American captured during ...

'' (1929), both shot in silent and sound versions. In 1930, she starred in ''

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

'', then co-starred with

Brian Aherne William Brian de Lacy Aherne (2 May 190210 February 1986) was an English actor of stage, screen, radio and television, who enjoyed a long and varied career in Britain and the United States. His first Broadway appearance in '' The Barretts of ...

in ''

The W Plan ''The W Plan'' is a 1930 British spy film produced and directed by Victor Saville and starring Brian Aherne, Madeleine Carroll, Gibb McLaughlin, and Gordon Harker. The screenplay was written by Saville with Miles Malleson and Frank Launder, ...

'' (1930). In France she was in ''

Instinct Instinct is the inherent inclination of a living organism towards a particular complex behaviour, containing both innate (inborn) and learned elements. The simplest example of an instinctive behaviour is a fixed action pattern (FAP), in which a v ...

'' (1930). On stage, Carroll appeared in ''The Roof'' (1929) for

Basil Dean Basil Herbert Dean CBE (27 September 1888 – 22 April 1978) was an English actor, writer, producer and director in the theatre and in cinema. He founded the Liverpool Repertory Company in 1911 and in the First World War, after organising unoff ...

, '' The Constant Nymph'', ''Mr Pickwick'' (opposite

Charles Laughton Charles Laughton (1 July 1899 – 15 December 1962) was a British actor. He was trained in London at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and first appeared professionally on the stage in 1926. In 1927, he was cast in a play with his future w ...

) and an adaptation of ''

Beau Geste ''Beau Geste'' is an adventure novel by British writer P. C. Wren, which details the adventures of three English brothers who enlist separately in the French Foreign Legion following the theft of a valuable jewel from the country house of a rel ...

''. The same year, Carroll starred in the controversial '' Young Woodley'' (1930), followed by a farce, '' French Leave'' (1930). She had a support role in an early adaptation of ''

Escape Escape or Escaping may refer to: Computing * Escape character, in computing and telecommunication, a character which signifies that what follows takes an alternative interpretation ** Escape sequence, a series of characters used to trigger some so ...

'' (1930) and was the female lead in ''

The School for Scandal ''The School for Scandal'' is a comedy of manners written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. It was first performed in London at Drury Lane Theatre on 8 May 1777. Plot Act I Scene I: Lady Sneerwell, a wealthy young widow, and her hireling Sna ...

'' (1930) and '' Kissing Cup's Race'' (1930). Carroll starred as a French aristocrat in ''

Madame Guillotine ''Madame Guillotine'' is a 1931 British historical romance film directed by Reginald Fogwell and starring Madeleine Carroll, Brian Aherne and Henry Hewitt. It was shot at Isleworth Studios.Wood p.69 Plot summary During the French Revolutio ...

'' (1931) with Aherne, then did another with Mander, '' Fascination'' (1931). She was in ''

The Written Law ''The Written Law'' is a 1931 British drama film directed by Reginald Fogwell and starring Madeleine Carroll, Percy Marmont and Henry Hewitt. It was shot at Elstree Studios.Wood p.73 Synopsis The screenplay concerns a man who is cured of blind ...

'' (1931), then signed a contract with

Gaumont British The Gaumont-British Picture Corporation produced and distributed films and operated a cinema chain in the United Kingdom. It was established as an offshoot of the Gaumont Film Company of France. Film production Gaumont-British was founded in 18 ...

for whom she made ''

Sleeping Car The sleeping car or sleeper (often ) is a railway passenger car (rail), passenger car that can accommodate all passengers in beds of one kind or another, for the purpose of sleeping. George Pullman was the American innovator of the sleeper car. ...

'' (1932) with Ivor Novello. She had a big hit with ''

I Was a Spy ''I Was a Spy'' is a 1933 British thriller film directed by Victor Saville and starring Madeleine Carroll, Herbert Marshall, and Conrad Veidt. Based on the 1932 memoir ''I Was a Spy'' by Marthe Cnockaert, the film is about her experiences as ...

'' (1933), which won her an award as best actress of the year. It was directed by

Victor Saville Victor Saville (25 September 1895 – 8 May 1979) was an English film director, producer, and screenwriter. He directed 39 films between 1927 and 1954. He also produced 36 films between 1923 and 1962. Biography Saville produced his first f ...

. Carroll played the title role in the play ''Little Catherine''. Abruptly, she announced plans to retire from films to devote herself to a private life with her husband, the first of four. Carroll went to Hollywood to appear in ''

The World Moves On ''The World Moves On'' is a 1934 American drama film directed by John Ford and starring Madeleine Carroll and Franchot Tone. It was the first Hollywood code approved film. Plot The story opens in the year 1825, when two families, cotton merch ...

'' (1934) for Fox;

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...

directed and

Franchot Tone Stanislaus Pascal Franchot Tone (February 27, 1905 – September 18, 1968) was an American actor, producer, and director of stage, film and television. He was a leading man in the 1930s and early 1940s, and at the height of his career was known ...

co starred. Back in England she was in '' The Dictator'' (1935) for Saville, playing

Caroline Matilda of Great Britain Caroline Matilda of Great Britain ( da, Caroline Mathilde; 1751 – 10 May 1775) was Queen of Denmark and Norway from 1766 to 1772 by marriage to King Christian VII. The youngest and posthumous daughter of Frederick, Prince of Wales, by Prin ...

Hitchcock

Carroll attracted the attention of

and in 1935 starred as one of the director's earliest prototypical cool, glib, intelligent blondes in '' The 39 Steps''. Based on the

espionage novel Spy fiction is a genre of literature involving espionage as an important context or plot device. It emerged in the early twentieth century, inspired by rivalries and intrigues between the major powers, and the establishment of modern intelligen ...

John Buchan John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir (; 26 August 1875 – 11 February 1940) was a Scottish novelist, historian, and Unionist politician who served as Governor General of Canada, the 15th since Canadian Confederation. After a brief legal career ...

, the film became a sensation and with it so did Carroll. Cited by ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' for a performance that was "charming and skillful", Carroll became very much in demand. Of Hitchcock heroines as exemplified by Carroll, film critic

Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...

wrote:

The female characters in his films reflected the same qualities over and over again: They were blonde. They were icy and remote. They were imprisoned in costumes that subtly combined fashion with fetishism. They mesmerised the men, who often had physical or psychological handicaps. Sooner or later, every Hitchcock woman was humiliated.

The director wanted to re-team Carroll with her ''39 Steps'' co-star

Robert Donat Friedrich Robert Donat (18 March 1905 – 9 June 1958) was an English actor. He is best remembered for his roles in Alfred Hitchcock's '' The 39 Steps'' (1935) and ''Goodbye, Mr. Chips'' (1939), winning for the latter the Academy Award for ...

the following year in ''

Secret Agent Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tangib ...

'', a spy thriller based on a work by

W. Somerset Maugham William Somerset Maugham ( ; 25 January 1874 – 16 December 1965) was an English writer, known for his plays, novels and short stories. Born in Paris, where he spent his first ten years, Maugham was schooled in England and went to a German un ...

. However, Donat's recurring health problems intervened, resulting in a Carroll–

John Gielgud Sir Arthur John Gielgud, (; 14 April 1904 – 21 May 2000) was an English actor and theatre director whose career spanned eight decades. With Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olivier, he was one of the trinity of actors who dominated the Briti ...

pairing. In between the films she made a short drama ''

The Story of Papworth ''The Story of Papworth'' (also known as ''The Story of Papworth, the Village of Hope'') is a 1935 British short drama film directed by Anthony Asquith and starring Madeleine Carroll, Gordon Harker and C. Aubrey Smith. The screenplay concerns ...

'' (1935).

Hollywood

Poised for international stardom, Carroll was the first British beauty to be offered a major American film contract. She accepted a lucrative deal with

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 ...

and was cast opposite

George Brent George Brent (born George Brendan Nolan; 15 March 1904 – 26 May 1979) was an Irish-American stage, film, and television actor. He is best remembered for the eleven films he made with Bette Davis, which included '' Jezebel'' and '' Dark Victo ...

in ''

The Case Against Mrs. Ames ''The Case Against Mrs. Ames'' is a 1936 mystery-drama film written by C. Graham Baker and Gene Towne based on a serial of the same name by Arthur Somers Roche originally published in ''Collier's Weekly'' magazine in 1934, and then as a novel ...

'' (1936). She followed this with ''

The General Died at Dawn ''The General Died at Dawn'' is a 1936 American drama film that tells the story of a mercenary who meets a beautiful girl while trying to keep arms from getting to a vicious warlord in war-torn China. The movie was written by Charles G. Booth and ...

'' (1936), and was borrowed by

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...

to play the female lead in ''

Lloyd's of London Lloyd's of London, generally known simply as Lloyd's, is an insurance and reinsurance market located in London, England. Unlike most of its competitors in the industry, it is not an insurance company; rather, Lloyd's is a corporate body gov ...

'' (1936) which made a star of

Tyrone Power Tyrone Edmund Power III (May 5, 1914 – November 15, 1958) was an American actor. From the 1930s to the 1950s, Power appeared in dozens of films, often in swashbuckler roles or romantic leads. His better-known films include '' Jesse James'', ...

. She stayed at the studio to make ''

On the Avenue ''On the Avenue'' is a 1937 American musical film directed by Roy Del Ruth and starring Dick Powell, Madeleine Carroll, Alice Faye, George Barbier, and The Ritz Brothers. Many of the songs were composed by Irving Berlin. Many of the plot deta ...

'' (1937), a musical with

Dick Powell Richard Ewing Powell (November 14, 1904 – January 2, 1963) was an American actor, musician, producer, director, and studio head. Though he came to stardom as a musical comedy performer, he showed versatility, and successfully transformed into ...

and

Alice Faye Alice Faye (born Alice Jeanne Leppert; May 5, 1915 – May 9, 1998) was an American actress and singer. A musical star of 20th Century-Fox in the 1930s and 1940s, Faye starred in such films as ''On the Avenue'' (1937) and ''Alexander's Ragtime B ...

. Carroll went to Columbia for ''

It's All Yours ''It's All Yours'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Elliott Nugent and starring Madeleine Carroll, Francis Lederer and Mischa Auer.Sikov p.218 Cast * Madeleine Carroll as Linda Gray * Francis Lederer as Jimmy Barnes * Mischa Auer ...

'' (1937) then was cast by David O. Selznick as

Ronald Colman Ronald Charles Colman (9 February 1891 – 19 May 1958) was an English-born actor, starting his career in theatre and silent film in his native country, then immigrating to the United States and having a successful Hollywood film career. He wa ...

's love interest in the 1937 box-office success ''

The Prisoner of Zenda ''The Prisoner of Zenda'' is an 1894 adventure novel by Anthony Hope, in which the King of Ruritania is drugged on the eve of his coronation and thus is unable to attend the ceremony. Political forces within the realm are such that, in order ...

''.

Walter Wanger Walter Wanger (born Walter Feuchtwanger; July 11, 1894 – November 18, 1968) was an American film producer active from the 1910s, his career concluding with the turbulent production of '' Cleopatra,'' his last film, in 1963. He began at Para ...

put her in ''

Blockade A blockade is the act of actively preventing a country or region from receiving or sending out food, supplies, weapons, or communications, and sometimes people, by military force. A blockade differs from an embargo or sanction, which are le ...

'' (1938) with

Henry Fonda Henry Jaynes Fonda (May 16, 1905 – August 12, 1982) was an American actor. He had a career that spanned five decades on Broadway and in Hollywood. He cultivated an everyman screen image in several films considered to be classics. Born and rai ...

, about the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...

. Back at Paramount she made some comedies with

Fred MacMurray Frederick Martin MacMurray (August 30, 1908 – November 5, 1991) was an American actor. He appeared in more than one hundred films and a successful television series, in a career that spanned nearly a half-century. His career as a major film le ...

, ''

Cafe Society A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of various types, notably espresso, latte, and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve cold drinks, such as iced coffee and iced tea, as well as other non-caf ...

'' (1939) and ''

Honeymoon in Bali ''Honeymoon in Bali'' is a 1939 American romantic comedy film. It is also known by the alternative titles ''Husbands or Lovers'' and ''My Love for Yours''. Virginia Van Upp's screenplay was based on the short stories "Our Miss Keane" by Grace S ...

'' (1939).

Edward Small Edward Small (born Edward Schmalheiser, February 1, 1891, Brooklyn, New York – January 25, 1977, Los Angeles) was a film producer from the late 1920s through 1970, who was enormously prolific over a 50-year career. He is best known for the movi ...

gave her top billing in ''

My Son, My Son! ''My Son, My Son!'' is a 1940 American drama film based on a novel by the same name written by Howard Spring and directed by Charles Vidor. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Art Direction by John DuCasse Schulze. Cast * Madelein ...

'' (1940) with Aherne. She starred in ''

Safari A safari (; ) is an overland journey to observe wild animals, especially in eastern or southern Africa. The so-called "Big Five" game animals of Africa – lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, and Cape buffalo – particularly form an importa ...

'' (1940) then played against Gary Cooper in '' North West Mounted Police'' (1940), directed by

Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American film director, producer and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of the American cine ...

. Paramount put Carroll opposite MacMurray 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 ...

'' (1941) and ''

One Night in Lisbon ''One Night in Lisbon'' is a 1941 American thriller film directed by Edward H. Griffith and starring Fred MacMurray, Madeleine Carroll and Patricia Morison. It was one of a cycle of pro-British films produced in Hollywood before the United Stat ...

'' (1941). ''Virginia'' also starred

Sterling Hayden Sterling Walter Hayden (born Sterling Relyea Walter; March 26, 1916 – May 23, 1986) was an American actor, author, sailor and decorated Marine Corps officer and an Office of Strategic Services' agent during World War II. A leading man for mos ...

who was reteamed with Carroll in ''

Bahama Passage ''Bahama Passage'' is a 1941 American drama film directed by Edward H. Griffith, starring Madeleine Carroll and Sterling Hayden. The film was primarily shot on Salt Cay, Turks Islands in Technicolor. Plot When his father dies in an accident, Ad ...

'' (1941). Carroll was

Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in more than 70 short and feature films, with 5 ...

's love interest in ''

My Favorite Blonde ''My Favorite Blonde'' is a 1942 American comedy film directed by Sidney Lanfield and starring Bob Hope and Madeleine Carroll. Based on a story by Melvin Frank and Norman Panama, the film is about a vaudeville performer who gets mixed up with Bri ...

'' (1942).

Radio and theatre

radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...

, Carroll was a participant in ''The Circle'' (1939) on NBC, discussing "current events, literature and drama" each week. In 1944, she was the host of ''This Is the Story'', an anthology series dramatising famous novels on the

Mutual Broadcasting System The Mutual Broadcasting System (commonly referred to simply as Mutual; sometimes referred to as MBS, Mutual Radio or the Mutual Radio Network) was an American commercial radio network in operation from 1934 to 1999. In the Old-time radio, golden ...

. At the tail end of radio's golden age, Carroll starred in the NBC soap opera ''The Affairs of Dr. Gentry'' (1957–59). She also was one of a group of four stars who rotated in taking the lead in each week's episode of ''The NBC Radio Theater'' (1959). In 1948 she made her debut on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

as Agatha Reed in

Fay Kanin Fay Kanin (née Mitchell; May 9, 1917March 27, 2013) was an American screenwriter, playwright and producer. Kanin was President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 1979 to 1983. Biography Born Fay Mitchell in New York City t ...

's ''

Goodbye, My Fancy ''Goodbye, My Fancy'' is a 1948 play by Fay Kanin. A comedy in 3 Acts and 4 scenes, the work premiered at the Grand Theatre in London, Ontario on October 21, 1948 for tryout performances before the production moved to Broadway in New York City. ...

''; a role later portrayed by

Joan Crawford Joan Crawford (born Lucille Fay LeSueur; March 23, ncertain year from 1904 to 1908was an American actress. She started her career as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway. Crawford was signed to a motion pict ...

in the 1951 film adaptation.

Return to Britain

Carroll returned to Britain after the war. She was in ''

White Cradle Inn ''White Cradle Inn'' is a 1947 British drama film directed by Harold French and starring Madeleine Carroll, Ian Hunter, and Michael Rennie. It was released as ''High Fury'' in the US; and filmed on location in Switzerland and at Shepperton Stud ...

'' (1947). She went back to the US and was reunited with MacMurray for ''

An Innocent Affair ''An Innocent Affair'' is a 1948 American comedy film directed by Lloyd Bacon and written by Lou Breslow and Joseph Hoffman. The film stars Fred MacMurray, Madeleine Carroll, Charles "Buddy" Rogers, Rita Johnson, Louise Allbritton and Alan Mowbra ...

'' (1948). Her last film was '' The Fan'' (1949).

Awards

In 1946, Carroll was awarded France's

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...

for her overseas work, during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, liaising between the forces of the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

and the

French Resistance The French Resistance (french: La Résistance) was a collection of organisations that fought the German occupation of France during World War II, Nazi occupation of France and the Collaborationism, collaborationist Vichy France, Vichy régim ...

, and her post-war fostering of amity between

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

and the United States. For her contributions to the film industry, Carroll was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960 with a List of actors with Hollywood Walk of Fame motion picture stars, motion pictures star located at 6707 Hollywood Boulevard. A commemorative monument and plaques were unveiled in her birthplace, West Bromwich, to mark the centenary of her birth. Her story is one of rare courage and dedication when at the height of her success she gave up her acting career during World War II to work in the line of fire on troop trains for the

in Italy after her sister was killed by a German air raid – for which she was awarded the American Medal of Freedom (1945), Medal of Freedom.

Personal life

Carroll married her first husband, Colonel Philip Reginald Astley, in 1931; they divorced in 1939. He was an estate agent, big-game hunter and soldier. In 1941, she starred opposite

in ''

''. The following year they married, divorcing in 1946. After her only sister, Marguerite, was killed in World War II's London Blitz, Carroll made a radical shift from acting to working in field hospitals as a

nurse. Having become a naturalised US citizen in 1943, she served at the American Army Air Force's 61st Station Hospital in Foggia, Italy, in 1944, where wounded airmen flying out of area's air bases were hospitalised. She earned the rank of captain and received the Medal of Freedom for her nursing service. Carroll first visited Spain's Costa Brava in 1934. The following year she bought an estate in Calonge, where her seaside home, Castell Madeleine, was constructed. She was prevented from living there by the

and World War II and moved to Marbella in 1949. The home was later demolished, leaving one tower intact, and a housing development named after it (Urbanización Castell Madeleine). During the war, Carroll donated another property of hers, a château she owned outside Paris, to house more than one hundred and fifty orphans, arranging for groups of young people in California to knit clothing for them. In an Pathe News, RKO-Pathe News bulletin she was filmed at the château with children and staff wearing the donated clothes thanking those who contributed. She was awarded the Légion d'Honneur for her efforts by France. Allied Commander Dwight Eisenhower remarked in private that, of all the movie stars he met in Europe during the war, he was most impressed with Carroll and Herbert Marshall (who worked with military amputees). After the war, Carroll stayed in Europe where she conducted a radio program fostering French-American friendship and helped in the rehabilitation of concentration camp victims, during which she met her future third husband, the French producer Henri Lavorel. In late 1946, she went briefly to Switzerland to film a British film, ''

'' (aka ''High Fury''). On her return to Paris, she and Lavorel formed a production company and made several two-reel documentaries to promote peace, one of which, ''Children's Republic'', was shown at the Cannes Film Festival. Carroll told the Christian Science Monitor that "wars are started at the top but can be prevented at the bottom, if all men and women will rid themselves of distrust and suspicion of that which is foreign." Filmed in a small orphanage in the town of Sèvres, just southwest of Paris, it focused attention on the devastation of children's lives in Europe caused by war. Widely shown in Canada, it became a prime source of funds for the manufacture of artificial limbs for wounded children. In 1947, Carroll returned to the US together with Lavorel. Their intention was for her to resume her acting career, which would fund their production company, but they soon separated. Appearing in three more films until 1949 and debuting on Broadway in 1948, Carroll then mostly retired from acting, although she did occasionally appear on television and radio until the mid-1960s. She married Andrew Heiskell, publisher of ''Life (magazine), Life'', in 1950, and they had a daughter Anne Madeleine in 1951. They divorced in 1965. By then, Carroll had moved to Paris. She later moved to Spain, where she shared an estate with her mother and her daughter. Her mother died in 1975 and her daughter, having relocated to New York, died in 1983.

Death

Carroll died on 2 October 1987, aged 81, in Marbella, Spain, from pancreatic cancer and is buried in the cemetery of Sant Antoni de Calonge in Catalonia.

Filmography

* ''

'' (1928) as Diana Cheswick * ''

'' (1928) as Rhoda Pearson * '' The First Born'' (1928) as Lady Madeleine Boycott * '' Not So Stupid'' (1928) * ''

'' (1929) as Joan Easton * ''

'' (1929) as Grace Malherb * ''Atlantic (1929 film), Atlantic'' (1929) as Monica * ''

'' (1930) as Rosa Hartmann * ''

'' (1930) * '' Young Woodley'' (1930) as Laura Simmons * '' French Leave'' (1930) as Mlle. Juliette / Dorothy Glenister * ''

'' (1930) as Dora * ''

'' (1930) as Lady Teazle * '' Kissing Cup's Race'' (1930) as Lady Molly Adair * ''

'' (1931) as Lucille de Choisigne * '' Fascination'' (1931) as Gwenda Farrell * ''

'' (1931) as Lady Margaret Rochester * ''

'' (1933) as Anne * ''

'' (1933) as Martha Cnockhaert * ''

'' (1934) as Mrs. Warburton, 1825 / Mary Warburton Girard, 1914 * '' The Dictator'' (1935) as Queen Caroline Mathilde of Denmark * '' The 39 Steps'' (1935) as Pamela * ''The Story of Papworth, the Village of Hope'' (1935, short) as The Introducer * ''

'' (1936) as Elsa Carrington * ''

'' (1936) as Hope Ames * ''

'' (1936) as Judy Perrie * ''

'' (1936) as Lady Elizabeth * ''

'' (1937) as Mimi Caraway * ''

'' (1937) as Linda Gray * ''

'' (1937) as Princess Flavia * ''

'' (1938) as Norma * ''

'' (1939) as Christopher West * ''

'' (1939) as Gail Allen * ''My Son, My Son!'' (1940) as Livia Vaynol * ''

'' (1940) as Linda Stewart * ''Northwest Mounted Police (film), Northwest Mounted Police'' (1940) as April Logan * ''

'' (1941) as Charlotte Dunterry * ''

'' (1941) as Leonora Perrycoate * ''

'' (1941) as Carol Delbridge * ''

'' (1942) as Karen Bentley * ''

'' (1947) as Magda * ''

'' (1948) as Paula Doane * '' The Fan'' (1949) as Mrs. Erlynne

Radio appearances

References

External links

* * *
Madeleine Carroll biography and filmography at Screenonline.org.uk

BBC: ''Bid to honour film star war nurse''

Madeleine Carroll – Official Tribute Website

Photographs of Madeleine Carroll
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carroll, Madeleine 1906 births 1987 deaths 20th-century English actresses 20th Century Studios contract players Alumni of the University of Birmingham Deaths from cancer in Spain Deaths from pancreatic cancer English emigrants to the United States English expatriates in Spain English film actresses English people of French descent English people of Irish descent Recipients of the Legion of Honour Paramount Pictures contract players People from West Bromwich Actors from Staffordshire People educated at West Bromwich Grammar School

Early life

Acting career

Early years

Film stardom

Hitchcock

Hollywood

Radio and theatre

Return to Britain

Awards

Personal life

Death

Filmography

Radio appearances

See also

References

External links