Biography

Joi Lansing

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Overview

Born
April 6, 1929 · Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Died
August 7, 1972 · Santa Monica, California, USA (breast cancer)
Birth name
Joyce Renee Brown
Height
5′ 6″ (1.68 m)

Biography

Joi Lansing was born Joyce Renee Brown on April 6, 1929 in Salt Lake City, Utah. As a teen she developed early, and because of her striking good looks, she began to model and was extremely successful throughout the 1940s.

It was only natural that her physical assets eventually landed her on the silver screen. Her first go at films occurred in 1948 with roles as--what else?--models in The Counterfeiters (1948), Julia Misbehaves (1948), and Easter Parade (1948). She was 20 years old and her acting wasn't exactly polished in the beginning, but producers cared not--she was hired for her looks and her body.

The following year brought more of the same; she got mostly uncredited roles in films as nothing more than a showpiece. She took a hiatus in 1950 to concentrate on her modeling career. She returned to the big screen in 1951 to play minor roles, though this time went a little better. She played Susan Matthews in F.B.I. Girl (1951) and Marilyn Turner in On the Riviera (1951); at least she played characters with names. Then it was back to being a showpiece. In 1952, she had an uncredited role in one of the most popular movies of all time, Singin' in the Rain (1952). Another minor role as the Maxim Girl in The Merry Widow (1952) followed. She began appearing on television in 1955 when she played in an episode of Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok (1951) and one of I Love Lucy (1951) the following year.

In 1955, Joi landed a recurring role as Shirley Swanson in the television series The Bob Cummings Show (1955). It was this series that proved to all that she actually could act well. Because of this series, she began to get more-substantial parts in films such as The Brave One (1956), Hot Cars (1956), and So You Think the Grass Is Greener (1956), all in 1956. Then it was back to bit roles. For the balance of the 1950s, she continued to appear in B-movies with less-than-quality roles. After appearing in the comedy film Who Was That Lady? (1960), Joi landed the role of Goldie in the television series Klondike (1960). However, most viewers remember her as the wife of Lester Flatt on the situation comedy The Beverly Hillbillies (1962), in which she appeared from 1965 to 1968. As Gladys Flatt, her beauty even surpassed Donna Douglas' as Elly May Clampett.

Her film career was now winding down and she appeared as Boots Malone in the B-movie Hillbillys in a Haunted House (1967), which went nowhere.

Joi Lansing died of breast cancer at age 43 on August 7, 1972 in Santa Monica, California.
- IMDb mini biography by: Denny Jackson / Clay Marston

Family

Spouses
Parents

Trademark

Blue eyes and platinum blonde hair
/deep sultry voice

Trivia

Awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6259 Hollywood Blvd. on 2/8/60.
Lansing met her longtime companion Nancy Hunter (aka Alexis Hunter) in 1969 when she was separated from her third husband. They remained in a clandestine relationship until Lansing's death in 1972; Hunter was at her side when she died.
Was married four times. Her first marriage occurred at age 17 but lasted less than a year. Her second, to Columbia Pictures sales manager Jerry Safron, was over within four months. Her third, to actor Lance Fuller, ended in separation and divorce after only a year and a half. She was long estranged from fourth husband Stan Todd, an investment broker who became her manager, by the time she died of breast cancer in 1972.
As Joy Loveland, she began posing at age 13, and attended MGM's studio talent school at age 17.
She was considered for a continuing character role in the series Adventures of Superman (1952) after the success of her role of Superman's Wife (1958) in the final season, filmed in the fall of 1957, but the series was canceled.