Joanne Dru

Joanne Dru, born Joan Letitia LaCock on January 31, 1922 in Logan, West Virginia, entered the entertainment world after moving to New York City at age eighteen. She began as a fashion model before being hand‑picked by Al Jolson for his Broadway revue Hold On to Your Hats, an experience that honed her stage presence and introduced her to the world of performance. Relocating to Hollywood in the mid‑1940s, Dru was quickly discovered by a talent scout and made her film debut in Abie's Irish Rose (1946). Over the next decade she became a familiar face in both westerns and dramas, starring opposite celebrated directors such as Howard Hawks in Red River (1948) and John Ford in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949). Her nuanced portrayal of Anne Stanton in the Academy‑Award‑winning All the King's Men (1949) earned critical praise, while roles in 711 Ocean Drive (1950) and The Pride of St. Louis (1952) demonstrated her versatility across genres. By the early 1950s she was a sought‑after actress on both the big screen and the emerging television landscape, eventually landing the recurring role of Babs Hooten on the sitcom Guestward, Ho! (1960–61). After the popularity of Guestward, Ho!, Dru’s on‑screen appearances became more selective, though she continued to work in television through the 1960s and early 1970s, with a final feature credit in Sylvia (1965) and an occasional guest spot in later series. In recognition of her contributions to entertainment, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Her personal life was equally eventful: she married singer‑actor Dick Haymes in 1941, with whom she had three children, and later wed actor John Ireland, businessman George Pierose, and producer C. V. Wood, though only the first marriage produced offspring. A staunch Republican, Dru publicly supported Barry Goldwater in 1964 and attended a 1968 fundraiser for Richard Nixon. She died on September 10, 1996 in Los Angeles after complications from a respiratory ailment linked to lymphedema, and her ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean, leaving a legacy of memorable performances that continue to be celebrated by classic film enthusiasts.