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Jody Lawrance (born Nona Josephine Goddard; October 19, 1930 – July 10, 1986) was an American actress who starred in many Hollywood films during the 1950s through the early 1960s.


Biography

She was born October 19, 1930 as Nona Josephine Goddard, or Josephine Lawrence Goddard (sources disagree) in
Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is the List of cities in Texas by population, fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the List of United States cities by population, 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, T ...
to Ervin Silliman "Doc" and Eleanor Roeck Goddard. In 1935, Jody's father, Doc, married Grace Mckee (née Clara Grace Atchinson). Grace and her foster daughter, Norma Jean Baker (
Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...
) moved in with the family in
Van Nuys, California Van Nuys () is a neighborhood in the central San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Home to Van Nuys Airport and the Valley Municipal Building, it is the most populous neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley. History In 1909, ...
and the two became stepsisters. As a teenager, Lawrance attended
Beverly Hills High School Beverly Hills High School (usually abbreviated as Beverly or as BHHS) is the only major public high school in Beverly Hills, California. The other public high school in Beverly Hills, Moreno High School, is a small alternative school located on B ...
and Hollywood Professional School, training as an actress with Bento Schneider. In 1946, Lawrance performed as a swimmer in the Larry Crosby Water Show. In 1949, she adopted the screen name Jody (short for Josephine) Lawrance (her maternal grandmother's maiden name) for her first role as Mary on ''The Silver Theater'' television show. Her first big break came in 1949 when she was signed to a 7-year contract with
Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...
, earning $250 per week. In 1951, Lawrance made her screen debut in ''
Mask of the Avenger ''Mask of the Avenger'' is a 1951 American historical adventure film directed by Phil Karlson starring John Derek, Anthony Quinn and Jody Lawrance. Derek portrays Renatu Dimorna, the son of an Italian aristocrat, who vows revenge after his fathe ...
'' starring
John Derek John Derek (born Derek Delevan Harris; August 12, 1926 – May 22, 1998) was an American actor, director, screenwriter, producer and photographer.The Family Secret'' was her second film, again starring Derek along with Lee J. Cobb, followed by '' Ten Tall Men'' starring
Burt Lancaster Burton Stephen Lancaster (November 2, 1913 – October 20, 1994) was an American actor and producer. Initially known for playing tough guys with a tender heart, he went on to achieve success with more complex and challenging roles over a 45-yea ...
, which premiered in October 1951. As the leading lady in three major movies, Jody was on her way to becoming a star. In 1952, she won the lead role in '' The Son of Dr. Jekyll'' with Louis Hayward and '' The Brigand'' starring Anthony Dexter. In 1953, Columbia asked Lawrance to make a musical, '' All Ashore'' with
Mickey Rooney Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule Jr.; other pseudonym Mickey Maguire; September 23, 1920 – April 6, 2014) was an American actor. In a career spanning nine decades, he appeared in more than 300 films and was among the last surviving stars of the ...
. Unsure of her singing ability, Lawrance asked to be replaced by another actor who would be better suited for the role. Columbia refused, and Lawrance reluctantly made the movie, but the studio branded Jody as a troublemaker, and in 1953 she was released from her contract. Wanting to continue working, Lawrance took the role of
Pocahontas Pocahontas (, ; born Amonute, known as Matoaka, 1596 – March 1617) was a Native American woman, belonging to the Powhatan people, notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. She was the daughter of ...
in the controversial independent film ''
Captain John Smith and Pocahontas ''Captain John Smith and Pocahontas '' is a 1953 American historical film directed by Lew Landers. The distributor was United Artists. It stars Anthony Dexter, Jody Lawrance and Alan Hale. While most scenes were filmed in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mo ...
'' which was universally panned and was a box office failure due to film's low budget and depiction of onscreen gun violence. Lawrance, on a budget, dyed her own hair black and suffered a horrible allergic reaction, but persevered and delivered one of her most memorable performances. Lawrance changed her last name to Lawrence for this film. It is unknown if it was because of contractual obligations, or simply a spelling mistake. In 1954, in order to make ends meet, Lawrance took a job as a waitress at Robb's Restaurant in the Westwood district of
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...
and Blum's Ice Cream and Candy Shop in Beverly Hills. During this time, she was interviewed by Bob Thomas in a nationally syndicated article which appeared in January of the following year. In the article Lawrence explained that she was now only making a salary of five dollars a day with roughly an equal amount in tips. When asked why her career took a nosedive, she explained to Thomas, "I see now that I was temperamental. I didn't cooperate with publicity. I didn't want to do cheesecake, not because my legs are bad, because they aren't. My entire training has been as an actress, I didn't want to submit to the usual starlet routine." In the Thomas article, Lawrence went on to say, "If I had to do it over again, I would do it differently. I realize now that cheesecake and publicity are an important part of the movie business." During one of her shifts, she reportedly attempted to hide from Lancaster, her former co-star in ''Ten Tall Men,'' as he entered the restaurant. He spotted her anyway. "If you knew the jobs I've had," he said, "you wouldn't hide your face." Burt later exclaimed, "What is Jody Lawrance, a movie star, doing working as a waitress?" Lawrance explained her situation and Burt vowed to help get her back into show business. A few weeks later, true to his word, Burt introduced Lawrence to his friend, the director of ''Casablanca''
Michael Curtiz Michael Curtiz ( ; born Manó Kaminer; since 1905 Mihály Kertész; hu, Kertész Mihály; December 24, 1886 April 10, 1962) was a Hungarian-American film director, recognized as one of the most prolific directors in history. He directed cla ...
. He subsequently spotted her at the restaurant himself, remembered her, offered her a screen test and cast Lawrance in the film '' The Scarlet Hour'' with Carol Ohmart and Tom Tryon. Now a blonde, Lawrance's career was reignited and
Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...
signed her to a contract, earning $300 a week. In October, Lawrance was named as one of the Deb Stars of '55 along with
Anita Ekberg Kerstin Anita Marianne Ekberg (; 29 September 193111 January 2015) was a Swedish actress active in American and European films, known for her beauty and stunning figure. She became prominent in her iconic role as Sylvia in the Federico Fellini ...
and Kathryn Grant, and 1956 brought the release of ''
The Leather Saint ''The Leather Saint'' is a 1956 American drama film noir sport film, directed by Alvin Ganzer in black-and-white VistaVision, about a priest who boxes. It stars John Derek, Paul Douglas and Jody Lawrance. Plot Although he is a minister, the youn ...
'', reuniting her with John Derek and starring
Cesar Romero Cesar Julio Romero Jr. (February 15, 1907 – January 1, 1994) was an American actor and activist. He was active in film, radio, and television for almost sixty years. His wide range of screen roles included Latin lovers, historical figures in c ...
. In 1957, just as her career was getting back on track, Paramount suddenly released Lawrance from her contract. Studio executives found out that she secretly married Bruce Michael Tilton, an airplane parts company executive, in
Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...
, and was pregnant with their first child. Her daughter, Victoria, was born in Los Angeles on October 6, 1957. Lawrance’s career and home life were at a crossroads; she still held on to the belief that she could once again resurrect her career, but Bruce wanted a wife and mother to stay home and raise their family. Unsure about what path to choose, in April, 1958, Lawrance travelled to Las Vegas twice to file, then changed her mind and dismissed each divorce complaint. Both citing emotional cruelty, Bruce Tilton was granted a divorce from Lawrance on March 26, 1958, and asked for custody of their daughter, Victoria, now 2 years old. Lawrance continued to find work even though her personal life was in turmoil. She landed a minor role opposite
Shirley MacLaine Shirley MacLaine (born Shirley MacLean Beaty, April 24, 1934) is an American actress, author, and former dancer. Known for her portrayals of quirky, strong-willed and eccentric women, MacLaine has received numerous accolades over her seven-dec ...
in ''
The Hot Spell ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
'', and a leading role in an episode of the ''
Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a c ...
'' television series, "Case of the Perjured Parrot." In 1959, Lawrance found another minor role in the mobster movie ''The Purple Gang'' starring
Barry Sullivan Barry Sullivan may refer to: *Barry Sullivan (American actor) (1912–1994), US film and Broadway actor *Barry Sullivan (stage actor) (1821–1891), Irish born stage actor active in Britain and Australia *Barry Sullivan (lawyer) Barry Sullivan is ...
and Robert Blake. On June 3, 1960 Lawrance temporarily lost custody of Victoria. Lawrance continued to try to find work, but the roles became more infrequent. This included work in television programs like '' The Loretta Young Show'', '' The Red Skelton Hour'' and '' The Rebel''. In the first season of the latter series, she appeared in two episodes including the season finale, "The Earl of Durango," where she played a pivotal role. Her last film, '' Stagecoach to Dancers' Rock'' starring
Martin Landau Martin James Landau (; June 20, 1928 – July 15, 2017) was an American actor, acting coach, producer, and editorial cartoonist. His career began in the 1950s, with early film appearances including a supporting role in Alfred Hitchcock's ''North ...
, was released in 1962. It was during this time that Lawrance met and fell in love with Robert Wolf Herre. Unlike her previous relationships, he was not blinded by the limelights of Hollywood. Instead he was an avid outdoorsman who appealed to Lawrance’s adventurous side. Playing golf, camping, and going on fishing trips, were a regular part of life together for almost 25 years. Lawrance and Herre married on November 1, 1962, in Las Vegas. On May 16, 1961 Lawrance gave birth to her son, Robert Wolf Herre, Jr. Their daughter Abigail Christian "Chrissy" Herre was born on October 10, 1963. Outside of the limelight, Lawrance focused her energies on her family and outdoor activities. An avid golfer, Mrs. Herre participated in the
Ojai Ojai ( ; Chumash: ''’Awhaỳ'') is a city in Ventura County, California. Located in the Ojai Valley, it is northwest of Los Angeles and east of Santa Barbara. The valley is part of the east–west trending Western Transverse Ranges and is ...
Valley Country Club women's championship tournament in 1964. As Josephine Lawrance Herre, she died at age 55 in Ojai on July 10, 1986. Her interment was in California.


Filmography


Notes


External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lawrance, Jody 1930 births 1986 deaths American film actresses 20th-century American actresses People from Fort Worth, Texas Actresses from Texas