Carole Wells

Carole Maureen Wells, born on August 31, 1942, in Shreveport, Louisiana, emerged as a versatile American entertainer whose career has spanned over six decades across multiple artistic disciplines. The daughter of a physician and the fourth of six children, Wells developed her passion for performance early, beginning her acting career at age twelve in a little theater production in Burbank, California, before graduating from Hollywood High School where she was sorority sisters with future actress Linda Evans. While she became widely recognized for her television work, including her starring role as Edwina Brown in the NBC drama National Velvet (1960-1962) and as Lucy Hanks in the CBS comedy Pistols 'n' Petticoats (1966-1967), Wells maintained a selective approach to her craft, famously stating that she would only commit to series she deemed truly worthwhile. Her extensive television resume encompasses appearances on iconic shows such as The Donna Reed Show, Leave It to Beaver, Perry Mason, The Virginian, Wagon Train, and Police Woman, demonstrating her range across both dramatic and comedic roles. Her film credits include notable features like Come Blow Your Horn, A Thunder of Drums, Funny Lady, and The Cheap Detective, while her musical pursuits as a light soprano led her to study opera in the 1960s and perform in musical theater productions including The Sound of Music, Call Me Madam alongside Ethel Merman, Wildcat with Martha Raye, and State Fair with Roger Smith.

Wells's personal life has been marked by both privilege and profound tragedy, including three marriages and a harrowing experience with international terrorism that tested her resilience. In 1963, she married Edward Laurence Doheny IV, an oil scion and great-grandson of the legendary oil pioneer Edward Laurence Doheny, with whom she had two sons before his tragic death by suicide in 1973; she later married California State Assemblyman Walter J. Karabian in 1977, with whom she had a son and daughter before their 1984 divorce, and eventually wed Jerry Dean Vanier in 2000. Perhaps most dramatically, during her 1977 honeymoon with Karabian, Wells was aboard Japan Airlines Flight 472 when it was hijacked by Japanese terrorists demanding a $6 million ransom and the release of imprisoned militants, an ordeal that caused her to suffer a miscarriage attributed to the trauma. In later years, Wells diversified her career into authorship, publishing the children's action book Amberella: An Action Hero Adventure and the memoir Hijacked: An Eyewitness Account of Evil, while also partnering with Bemer Group as an entrepreneur promoting blood circulation devices. Throughout her remarkable journey from National Velvet child star to accomplished opera singer, producer, author, and businesswoman, Wells has demonstrated an enduring resilience and multifaceted talent that continues to define her legacy in American entertainment.