Constance Worth (born Enid Joyce Howarth; 19 August 1911 – 18 October 1963) was an Australian actress who became a Hollywood star in the late 1930s. She was also known as Jocelyn Howarth.

Early life and career

She was born in Sydney, Australia in 1911, the youngest of three daughters of businessman Moffatt Howarth and his wife Mary Ellen (née Dumbrell).''The Sydney Morning Herald'' 26 August 1911, p. 14
/ref> She attended

Ascham School , motto_translation = With Heart and Soul , established = , type = Independent, day and boarding , gender = Girls , educational_authority = , oversight = , district = , denomination = , slogan = , h ...

and a finishing school. She appeared on stage at Sydney's Independent theatre in a production of ''Cynara''.

Film career in Australia

Her film debut was in the title role in the Cinesound movie '' The Squatter's Daughter'' (1933), produced and directed by

Ken G. Hall Kenneth George Hall, AO, OBE (22 February 1901 – 8 February 1994), better known as Ken G. Hall, was an Australian film producer and director, considered one of the most important figures in the history of the Australian film industry. He ...

. Hall claimed Howarth's first screen test showed "light and shade, good diction, no accent and (that) she undoubtedly could act with no sign of the self-consciousness which almost always characterised the amateur." The film was a financial success. In August 1933 Cinesound put her under an 18-month contract, a rarity at the time. In late 1933, ''

Smith's Weekly ''Smith's Weekly'' was an Australian tabloid newspaper published from 1919 to 1950. It was an independent weekly published in Sydney, but read all over Australia. History The publication took its name from its founder and chief financer Sir J ...

'' raved enthusiastically about the young actress; "Young Joy Howarth who leapt into publicity when she became the Squatter's Daughter a few months ago, is just the big hit nowadays...." She had a supporting role in Hall's next film, '' The Silence of Dean Maitland'' (1934), which was also a box-office success. In June 1934 she signed a contract with J.C. Williamson Ltd for whom she appeared on stage in ''The Wind and the Rain'' by

Merton Hodge Merton Emerton Hodge (28 March 1903 – 9 October 1958) was a playwright, actor and medical practitioner. Born in Taruheru, Poverty Bay, New Zealand, he studied at Kings College in Auckland, Otago Medical School in 1925, graduated in 1928 (M.B., ...

. Howarth toured in the play in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.

Move to Hollywood

In April 1936, she sailed for the United States and Hollywood. A report in the ''Los Angeles Times'' said she was going to England, but she decided to stay in the US. (She later said she was stranded in the country due to a maritime strike.) On August 5 1936 it was reported she had tried to kill herself because she was "despondent about getting work", although shortly afterwards it was claimed this was an accident.

RKO

In October 1936 she signed a year long contract with

RKO Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orph ...

. Worth tested for a film by

Edward Small Edward Small (born Edward Schmalheiser, February 1, 1891, Brooklyn, New York – January 25, 1977, Los Angeles) was a film producer from the late 1920s through 1970, who was enormously prolific over a 50-year career. He is best known for the movi ...

, ''Clementina''. It was not made. However she was top billed in her first film for RKO: ''

China Passage ''China Passage'' is a 1937 American mystery film directed by Edward Killy from a screenplay by Edmund L. Hartmann and J. Robert Bren, based on a story by Taylor Caven. RKO Radio Pictures produced the film, which stars Constance Worth, Vinton ...

'' (1937), originally called ''Miss Customs Agent''. Because she appeared opposite established Hollywood actor

Vinton Hayworth Vinton Hayworth (June 4, 1906 – May 21, 1970), also known as Jack Arnold and Vincent Haworth,Although some sources cite Vinton Hayworth's real surname as Haworthwhich clearly shows the surname as Hayworth. The genealogy site indicates that his ...

, RKO decided to give her a new name "Constance Worth". In December 1936 RKO announced she would co star with

Robert Donat Friedrich Robert Donat (18 March 1905 – 9 June 1958) was an English actor. He is best remembered for his roles in Alfred Hitchcock's '' The 39 Steps'' (1935) and ''Goodbye, Mr. Chips'' (1939), winning for the latter the Academy Award for ...

in ''Son of Monte Cristo''. In February 1937 RKO announced her for ''Borrowed Time''. Instead she was in ''

Windjammer A windjammer is a commercial sailing ship with multiple masts that may be square rigged, or fore-and-aft rigged, or a combination of the two. The informal term "windjammer" arose during the transition from the Age of Sail to the Age of Steam ...

'' (1937) which she made with George O'Brien. She broke her hip during filming. After ''Windjammer'', RKO offered her no more films. Her next role was in

Willis Kent Willis Kent (June 8, 1878, Michigan – March 11, 1966, Los Angeles, California) was an independent American film producer, active from 1928 to 1958 under at least three different corporate names. Willis Kent Productions was active during the ...

's 1938 exploitation quickie, '' The Wages of Sin'' (1938), playing a young woman lured into prostitution. Worth had a supporting role in ''

Mystery of the White Room ''Mystery of the White Room'' is a 1939 American mystery film directed by Otis Garrett and starring Bruce Cabot, Helen Mack and Joan Woodbury.Weaver & Brunas p.441 A surgeon is killed during the middle of an operation when the hospital room is thr ...

'' (1939) at Universal. In June 1939, she returned to Australia for a three-month visit. She returned in late October. He name was linked romantically to

Ivan Goff Ivan Goff (17 April 1910 – 23 September 1999) was an Australian screenwriter, best known for his collaborations with Ben Roberts including ''White Heat'' (1949), '' Man of a Thousand Faces'' (1957), '' Legend of the Lone Ranger'' (1981), and ...

around this time.

Columbia

In August 1940 she signed a contract with Columbia. She had a supporting part in ''

Angels Over Broadway ''Angels Over Broadway'' (also called ''Before I Die'') is a 1940 American film noir drama film starring Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Rita Hayworth, Thomas Mitchell and John Qualen. Ben Hecht, who co-directed (with cinematographer Lee Garmes), co-pro ...

'' (1940) with

Rita Hayworth Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino; October 17, 1918May 14, 1987) was an American actress, dancer and producer. She achieved fame during the 1940s as one of the era's top stars, appearing in 61 films over 37 years. The press coined th ...

; Worth wanted to resume her name "Joy Howarth" but it was felt this was too close to Hayworth so she kept her new stage name. Columbia put her in ''

Meet Boston Blackie ''Meet Boston Blackie'' is a 1941 crime film starring Chester Morris as Boston Blackie, a notorious, but honorable jewel thief. Although the character had been the hero of a number of silent films, this was the first talking picture. It proved po ...

'' (1940). At

PRC China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

she had a supporting role in '' Criminals Within'' (1941), directed by Joseph H. Lewis, then she appeared in an uncredited minor role in Alfred Hitchcock's '' Suspicion'' (1941). In November 1940, she reportedly signed a three-picture deal with Paramount but appears not to have made movies for this studio. She lost a part in '' They Dare Not Love'' because Brent was cast. Worth was fourth billed in the gangster B film ''

Borrowed Hero ''Borrowed Hero'' is a 1941 American film directed by Lewis D. Collins. Plot A knowledgeable newspaper reporter helps a young prosecutor fight organized crime in a city. Cast * Alan Baxter as Roger Andrews *Florence Rice as Ann Thompson *C ...

'' (1941) at Monogram and '' The Dawn Express'' (1942) at RKO. Back at Columbia, she was billed third in ''

Boston Blackie Goes Hollywood ''Boston Blackie Goes Hollywood'' is a 1942 American crime film, fourth of the fourteen Boston Blackie films of the 1940s Columbia's series of B pictures based on Jack Boyle's pulp-fiction character. Plot summary Boston Blackie (Chester Mor ...

'' (1942), then at Universal, she was uncredited in '' When Johnny Comes Marching Home'' (1942). In January 1942, she was linked to ''Clementina'' again. She went to work as a waitress at a drive-in restaurant, which led to an item in a gossip column and drew the attention of Harry Cohn. In December 1942, she reportedly signed a five-year contract with Columbia. "It was not a star's contract by any means", she said later, "but I grabbed it very gratefully. I stayed at Columbia for about two years, but never did anything but small roles and a few leads in B pictures. In fact, I became known as 'Queen of the B's' at Columbia." Worth had a minor role in Columbia's '' City Without Men'' (1943), but she was billed third in Republic's serial ''

G-Men vs. The Black Dragon ''G-Men vs. The Black Dragon'' (1943) is a Republic Pictures movie serial. It is noteworthy among adventure serials as containing an unusually high number of fistfights, all staged by director William Witney and a team of stuntmen. This was Witne ...

'' (1943). At Columbia, she had a supporting role in '' Let's Have Fun'' (1943) and '' She Has What It Takes'' (1943), then was uncredited in '' Crime Doctor'' (1943), ''

Appointment in Berlin ''Appointment in Berlin'' (also known as ''Assignment in Berlin'') is a 1943 American war drama film directed by Alfred E. Green and starring George Sanders, Marguerite Chapman and Onslow Stevens. The film's plot follows an R.A.F. officer who inf ...

'' (1943), ''

Dangerous Blondes ''Dangerous Blondes'' is a 1943 American comedy film directed by Leigh Jason and written by Richard Flournoy and Jack Henley.The film stars Allyn Joslyn and Evelyn Keyes, and was released by Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries ...

'' (1943), ''

My Kingdom for a Cook ''My Kingdom for a Cook'' is a 1943 American comedy film directed by Richard Wallace, which stars Charles Coburn, Marguerite Chapman, and Bill Carter. Synopsis A visiting British emissary on a goodwill tour of the United States struggles to r ...

'' (1943). She had billing in '' The Crime Doctor's Strangest Case'' (1943) and had a decent role in '' Klondike Kate'' (1943), directed by

William Castle William Castle (born William Schloss Jr.; April 24, 1914 – May 31, 1977) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. Orphaned at 11, Castle dropped out of high school at 15 to work in the theater. He came to the attenti ...

. She was billed third in '' Who's Hugh?'' (1943). Worth had uncredited roles in ''

Cover Girl A cover girl is a woman whose photograph features on the front cover of a magazine. She may be a model, celebrity or entertainer. The term would generally not be used to describe a casual, once-off appearance by a person on the cover of a maga ...

'' (1944) and ''

Jam Session A jam session is a relatively informal musical event, process, or activity where musicians, typically instrumentalists, play improvised solos and vamp over tunes, drones, songs, and chord progressions. To "jam" is to improvise music without ...

'' (1944). At Paramount, she had an uncredited role in '' Frenchman's Creek'' (1944). At Columbia, she was

Charles Starrett Charles Robert Starrett (March 28, 1903 – March 22, 1986) was an American actor, best known for his starring role in the ''Durango Kid'' westerns. Starrett still holds the record for starring in the longest series of theatrical features: ...

's leading lady in the Westerns '' Cyclone Prairie Rangers'' (1944) and '' Sagebrush Heroes'' (1945).

Last roles

For

Sigmund Neufeld Sigmund Neufeld (May 3, 1896 – March 21, 1979) was an American B movie producer. He spent many years at Poverty Row studio Producers Releasing Corporation where he mainly produced films directed by his brother Sam Newfield. When PRC was taken o ...

at PRC, she played a supporting part in '' The Kid Sister'' (1945) and was unbilled in '' Dillinger'' (1945) at Monogram. Worth had a supporting part in PRC's '' Why Girls Leave Home'' (1945) and Monogram's '' Sensation Hunters'' (1945), and a minor role in RKO's '' Deadline at Dawn'' (1946). In August 1945, she said "I have no desire to play romantic leads any more, though I do think I still look good enough for such roles. I'm now concentrating on character parts, similar to those that have made Claire Trevor famous. I think I can do them, and I feel they'll offer me a longer screen life than romantic leads. At least the competition won't be so stiff." She had an uncredited role in '' The Set-Up'' (1949). Her last film was a minor role in the

Johnny Mack Brown John Brown (September 1, 1904 – November 14, 1974) was an American college football player and film actor billed as John Mack Brown at the height of his screen career. He acted and starred mainly in Western films. Early life Born and raise ...

Monogram Western ''

Western Renegades ''Western Renegades'' is a 1949 American Western film directed by Wallace Fox and written by Adele Buffington. The film stars Johnny Mack Brown, Max Terhune, Poni Adams, Hugh Prosser, Riley Hill and Marshall Reed. The film was released on O ...

'' (1949). Throughout her career and as late as 1961, publicity in Australia repeatedly suggested she was on the verge of signing a major studio contract again. This did not happen.

Personal life

On 10 May 1937, she married Irish actor George Brent in Mexico after a courtship of six weeks. After only a few weeks, they separated, and a divorce was granted the same year. Brent sought an annulment claiming that the marriage in Mexico was not legal. The case went to trial in August 1937 and was highly publicized, and Worth broke down in tears during proceedings. The court ruled the marriage was legal in September. She sued for divorce in November, and it was granted in December. The marriage and drama of the divorce attracted enormous newspaper publicity in Australia. Denis O’Brien comments that even in 1939 "the ''Weekly'' still was dredging the Howarth saga" in its report on her latest film ''Mystery of the White Room'' (1939). "I didn't get a penny", she declared in 1945, "though I could have demanded $120,000 as my share of George's community property. But I was too proud then to accept money from a man who didn't want me. I'd not be so proud now." In January 1946, she was again in newspapers, cited in divorce proceedings by the wife of Hollywood scriptwriter William A. Pierce. Both denied any impropriety, but within a year of his divorce, they married. In August 1947, Australian newspapers reported that she had been severely injured in a car accident and had undergone plastic surgery.

Death

Constance Worth died, aged 52, in Hollywood on 18 October 1963, an "ordinary housewife," reportedly from anemia. Ken Hall remarked that "unhappy circumstances" surrounded her death.Amber Sloan (1998) "Jocelyn Howarth death" BONZA National Cinema and Television Database, RMIT University
She occasionally is mistaken for a British silent-era stage and film actress of the same name, active from 1919 to 1922.

Partial filmography

* '' The Squatter's Daughter'' (1933) – Joan Enderby * '' The Silence of Dean Maitland'' (1934) – Alma Gray * ''

'' (1937) – Jane Dunn * ''

'' (1937) – Betty Selby * '' The Wages of Sin'' (1938) – Marjorie Benton * ''

'' (1939) – Ann Stokes * ''

'' (1940) – Sylvia Marbe * ''

'' (1941) – Marilyn Howard * '' Criminals Within'' (1941) – Alma Barton * '' Suspicion'' (1941) – Mrs. Fitzpatrick (uncredited) * ''

'' (1941) – Mona Brooks * '' The Dawn Express'' (1942) – Linda Pavlo * ''

'' (1942) – Gloria Lane * '' When Johnny Comes Marching Home'' (1942) – Blonde Vamp (uncredited) * '' City Without Men'' (1943) – Elsie * '' G-Men vs the Black Dragon'' (1943, Serial) – Agent Vivian Marsh * '' Let's Have Fun'' (1943) – Diana Crawford * '' She Has What It Takes'' (1943) – June Leslie * '' Crime Doctor'' (1943) – Betty, Ordway's Nurse-Receptionist (uncredited) * ''

'' (1943) – English Girl (uncredited) * ''

'' (1943) – Reporter (uncredited) * ''

'' (1943) – Airline Auxiliary Girl (uncredited) * '' The Crime Doctor's Strangest Case'' (1943) – Betty Watson * '' Klondike Kate'' (1943) – Lita * ''

'' (1944) – Receptionist (uncredited) * ''

'' (1944) – Ms. Dooley (uncredited) * '' Frenchman's Creek'' (1944) – Woman in Gaming House (uncredited) * '' Cyclone Prairie Rangers'' (1944) – Lola * '' Sagebrush Heroes'' (1945) – Connie Pearson * '' The Kid Sister'' (1945) – Ethel Hollingsworth * '' Dillinger'' (1945) – Woman in Bar * '' Why Girls Leave Home'' (1945) – Flo * '' Sensation Hunters'' (1945) – Irene * '' Deadline at Dawn'' (1946) – Nan Raymond * '' The Set-Up'' (1949) – Wife (uncredited) * ''

'' (1949) – Fake Ann Gordon (final film role)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Worth, Constance Australian film actresses 1911 births 1963 deaths Actresses from Sydney People educated at Ascham School 20th-century Australian actresses Australian expatriate actresses in the United States Deaths from anemia