Joan Valerie
Joan Valerie | |
---|---|
![]() Valerie in 1939 | |
Born | Helen Vlahakis July 15, 1911 Sparta, Wisconsin, U.S. |
Died | January 30, 1983 Long Beach, California, U.S. | (aged 71)
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1935–1953 |
Spouse(s) | Paris Methusis |
Children | 2[1] |
Joan Valerie (born Helen Vlahakis;[2] July 15, 1911 – January 30, 1983) was an American actress, who appeared mainly in B movies in the late 1930s and 1940s.
Early years[]
Born in Sparta, Wisconsin,[3] Valerie was the daughter of Michael Vlahakis.[4]
She was a 1931 graduate of Rhinelander High School.[5] She participated in local play productions in her hometown[6][7] and was active in theatrical productions[2] at Morningside College.[8]
In 1932, Vlahakis was runner-up for the title of "Miss Wisconsin."[9]
In 1934, Vlahakis was selected from a group of 44 women as Morningside College's "most beautiful girl,"[10] Miss Morningside.[3]
Film[]
Valerie initially changed her name to "Helen Valkis" for acting purposes.[2] She was discovered by Darryl F. Zanuck on stage at the Pasadena Playhouse.
In 1928, she was the leading lady in Yukon Trails, a production that was filmed in Valerie's hometown, Rhinelander, Wisconsin, with an all-local cast.[11]
Vlahakis' performance as the lead in 's Not So Long Ago in Hollywood led to two film studios' giving her screen tests, one of which resulted in a small part in Reckless (1935).[3] After signing a contract (as Helen Valkis) with the film company in 1935,[12] she received a long-term contract from Warner Bros. in 1936.[13]
Other of her films include Confession, The Prince and the Pauper, Day-Time Wife, Sergeant Murphy, Rio Rita, and the Charlie Chan film Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum.
Personal life[]
She was married to Paris Methusis[14] and, in 1940,[15] to Grant Richards.[14] She and Richards, with whom she had a daughter, Jo-Ellen Rose, were divorced September 9, 1942. A newspaper report said that Valerie "sued under her true name of Helen Jaffe."[15] She also had a son, George.[16]
Partial filmography[]
- Fighting Youth (1935) - Sorority Girl (uncredited)
- Ready, Willing, and Able (1937) - Switchboard Operator (uncredited)
- The Prince and the Pauper (1937) - Lady Jane Seymour
- The Cherokee Strip (1937) - Ruth Valley
- The Go Getter (1937) - Skinner's Secretary
- Blazing Sixes (1937) - Barbara Morgan
- Talent Scout (1937) - Ruth - Secretary
- Confession (1937) - Wanda
- It's Love I'm After (1937) - Autograph Seeker (uncredited)
- Alcatraz Island (1937) - Drake's Secretary (uncredited)
- Missing Witnesses (1937) - Simpering Girl (uncredited)
- Hollywood Hotel (1937) - Girl at Premiere (uncredited)
- Sergeant Murphy (1938) - Bess Merrill
- The Old Barn Dance (1938) - Sally Dawson
- Topa Topa (1938) - Margaret Weston
- A Trip to Paris (1938) - Marguerite Varloff
- Safety in Numbers (1938) - Toni Stewart (replaced by Iva Stewart) (uncredited)
- Submarine Patrol (1938) - Anne
- Road Demon (1938) - Joan Rogers
- Kentucky (1939) - Lucy Pemberton (uncredited)
- Tail Spin (1939) - Sunny
- Day-Time Wife (1939) - Mrs. Dexter
- The Man Who Wouldn't Talk (1940) - Miss Norton
- Young as You Feel (1940) - Bonnie Jones
- Free, Blonde and 21 (1940) - Vickie
- Lillian Russell (1940) - Lillian Russell's Sister
- Girl in 313 (1940) - Francine Edwards
- Pier 13 (1940) - Helen Kelly
- The Great Profile (1940) - Understudy
- Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum (1940) - Lily Latimer
- Murder Over New York (1940) - June Preston
- Michael Shayne, Private Detective (1940) - Marsha Gordon
- Jennie (1940) - Clara Schermer
- Who Is Hope Schuyler? (1942) - Phyllis Guerney
- Rio Rita (1942) - Dotty
- Just Off Broadway (1942) - Rita Darling
- Government Girl (1943) - Miss Jane MacVickers (uncredited)
- Around the World (1943) - Countess Olga (uncredited)
- Lost Honeymoon (1947) - Nurse (uncredited)
- The Hucksters (1947) - Receptionist (uncredited)
- Three Daring Daughters (1948) - Hostess (uncredited)
- Any Number Can Play (1949) - Minor Role (uncredited)
- The Skipper Surprised His Wife (1950) - Nurse (uncredited)
- A Life of Her Own (1950) - Party Guest (uncredited)
- Mister 880 (1950) - Cashier (uncredited)
- Roaring City (1951) - Irma Rand
- Father Takes the Air (1951) - Blonde
- Westward the Women (1951) - Flashy Woman (uncredited)
- The Girl in White (1952) - Nurse Hanson
References[]
- ^ "Clipped from the Rhinelander Daily News". The Rhinelander Daily News. August 1951. p. 5.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "Beauty of Girl Here Is Lauded by Californian". The Rhinelander Daily News. Wisconsin, Rhinelander. January 4, 1935. p. 5. Retrieved June 15, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "Bright Future in Drama Predicted for Local Girl". The Rhinelander Daily News. Wisconsin, Rhinelander. March 29, 1935. p. 8. Retrieved June 16, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Many Here for Wedding Rites". The Rhinelander Daily News. Wisconsin, Rhinelander. June 16, 1931. p. 5. Retrieved June 16, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Helen Valkis Was Active in School Plays". The Rhinelander Daily News. Wisconsin, Rhinelander. May 18, 1937. p. 5. Retrieved June 16, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "(ad for play)". The Rhinelander Daily News. Wisconsin, Rhinelander. December 17, 1932. p. 2. Retrieved June 16, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Announce Personnel for Historical Pageant Here". The Rhinelander Daily News. Wisconsin, Rhinelander. June 30, 1932. p. 2. Retrieved June 16, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Orchestra Will Appear During Guild Program". The Rhinelander Daily News. Wisconsin, Rhinelander. December 17, 1932. p. 3. Retrieved June 16, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Miss Vlahakis Wins Honor as Beauty Queen". The Rhinelander Daily News. Wisconsin, Rhinelander. May 26, 1934. p. 2.
- ^ "Miss Vlahakis Wins Honor as Beauty Queen". The Rhinelander Daily News. Wisconsin, Rhinelander. May 26, 1934. p. 2. Retrieved June 16, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Rhinelander Movie Is Shown This Week". The Rhinelander Daily News. Wisconsin, Rhinelander. December 26, 1928. p. 2. Retrieved June 15, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Signs Movie Contract". The Rhinelander Daily News. Wisconsin, Rhinelander. May 21, 1935. p. 3. Retrieved June 16, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Warners Sign Helen Valkis". The Rhinelander Daily News. Wisconsin, Rhinelander. October 7, 1936. p. 2. Retrieved June 16, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Joan Valerie". Omnilexica. Retrieved April 25, 2013.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Wins Custody of Daughter". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Associated Press. September 10, 1942. p. 12. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
- ^ Muller, Pat (August 1, 1951). "Movie Actress Is Vacationing In Home Town". The Rhinelander Daily News. Wisconsin, Rhinelander. p. 5. Retrieved June 16, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
External links[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Joan Valerie. |
- Joan Valerie at IMDb
- American film actresses
- 1911 births
- 1983 deaths
- American stage actresses
- Actresses from Wisconsin
- American people of Greek descent
- People from Rhinelander, Wisconsin
- 20th-century American actresses
- People from Sparta, Wisconsin
- Morningside College alumni