Biography
This page uses content from the Joan Caulfield biography page on the English version of Wikipedia and is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. This list of authors can be seen in the page history. Rotten Tomatoes disclaims any and all warranties as to the accuracy or reliability of the content.
Joan Caulfied (June 1, 1922 - June 18, 1991) was an American actress and former fashion model. After being discovered by Broadway producers she began a stage career in 1943 that eventually lead to signing as an actress with Paramount Pictures.
Born in East Orange, New Jersey, she moved to West Orange during childhood while attending private school in Orange. She is featured as a character in the mystery novel, Dead in Their Sights by John Dandola.
One of her most memorable roles was when she was lent out to Warner Bros. to appear in The Unsuspected (1947) alongside Claude Rains and Audrey Totter. Later in life she appeared mostly on television, appearing on programs such as Baretta and Murder, She Wrote.
An urban legend states that her 1947 film Dear Ruth proved inspirational for author J.D. Salinger. Salinger supposedly named the protagonist of The Catcher in the Rye "Holden Caulfield" after seeing a movie theater marquee listing the film's two stars: Caulfield, and William Holden. However, Holden Caulfield first appeared in the short story "I'm Crazy", published in Collier's on December 22, 1945, a year and a half before Dear Ruth IMDb's Biography for William Holden [1], see the "Trivia" section. Retrieved on October 4, 2006.. Although a more common version of the legend claims that Salinger was taken by Joan Caulfield upon first seeing her (in a modeling photo or a publicity still or a film). Since Joan's career began prior to 1945, this more common version of the legend makes his using her surname for his character entirely possible. Specifically and incorrectly citing Dear Ruth as Salinger's inspiration is most probably a later embellishment of the legend.
She died, aged 69, from cancer.
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