Biography

Joan Davis

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Widely popular comedienne appeared in some movies and on radio in the 40s and on early television. She starred in the popular television series, I Married Joan (1952), with Jim Backus as her husband and her real-life daughter, Beverly Wills as her sister.

Joan died of a sudden heart attack in 1961. Two years later, a fire tragically claimed the lives of her mother, daughter and two grandsons.
- IMDb mini biography by: Bill Takacs <kinephile@aol.com>

On October 24, 1963, her mother, daughter Beverly Wills and two grandsons perished in a housefire in Palm Springs, California.
Signed a radio contract for $1,000,000 per year for four years with the United Drug Company (1941). This enabled her to set up her own production company in the 1950s.
Best remembered by the public for her role as the scatterbrained wife of a mild-mannered community judge (played by Jim Backus) on the situation comedy I Married Joan (1952).
She was awarded 2 Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Motion Pictures at 1521 Vine Street; and for Radio at 1716 Vine Street in Hollywood, California on February 8, 1960.
Probably best known in films for her co-starring turn with Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in the horror comedy Hold That Ghost (1941), she had a reputation for flawless physical comedy.

I don't get it. Unless my mirror lies to me, I'm not bad looking. But let me get one look at that face on the screen and I'm sick for a week.
[1950] Dramatic actresses have to fight for jobs, but comediennes are always working. While there are plenty of roles for funny women, you can count the candidates on your fingers - Miss Davis, Betty Hutton, Marie Wilson, Eve Arden, Gracie Allen, Betty Grable, Judy Canova and Cass Daley.
[1944] I'm tired of being the clown with the funny hat and the red nose. I want to do something believable. Every time I'm cast in a picture I'm supposed to come out and be funny. For no reason at all. Or they insist on having me chase a man. There's nothing funny, to me, about that. It's the situation that makes anybody funny.
The woods are full of dramatic actresses, but just try to find a good comedienne. They're scarce as millionaire boy friends.

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