Carole Landis was one of the most popular stars of the 1940's but sadly today she is mostly remembered for her tragic death. She was born on January 1, 1919, in Fairchild, Wisconsin. Her real name was Frances Lillian Mary Ridste. Carole was the youngest of five children. Her father, Alfred Ridste, was Norwegian and her mother, Clara Zentek Ridste, was Polish. Alfred worked as a machinist. He abandoned the family shortly before Carole was born and moved to Montana. Clara had been having an affair with a man named Charles Fenner and some believe he was Carole's real father. She later married Charles but the marriage didn't last. Tragically in 1919 Carole's brother Jerome died after accidentally being burned with boiling water. Clara took her children to Montana and tried to reconcile with Alfred. In 1923 Clara moved the family to San Bernardino, California. Alfred came to California a few years later. Clara had to work several jobs and the children were often left alone. Carole developed a close bond with her sister, Dorothy. In 1924 tragedy struck again when their brother Lewis was accidentally shot and killed. According to family sources Carole was sexually abused during her childhood. At the age of nine she attended a talent show with her mother and brother Lawrence. During the show Carole impulsively ran up on stage and sang "That's My Weakness Now". She became obsessed with show business and told her family she was going to be a movie star. Her favorite stars were Carole Lombard, Kay Francis, and Gary Cooper. She developed into an attractive teenager and began winning local beauty contests. Carole was smart and popular but she hated school. When she was fourteen years old Carole started dating Irving Wheeler, a nineteen year old writer. On January 14, 1934 they eloped in Yuma, Arizona. When her mother found out she had the marriage annulled. Carole got permission from her father and the couple remarried on August 25. After living together a few weeks she realized she was not ready to be a wife and walked out on Irving. Carole dropped out of high school and got a job at a movie theater.
In 1935 she decided to go to San Francisco to pursue a singing career. Carole worked as a hula dancer and landed a job singing with the Carl Ravazza orchestra. Later there would be rumors that she had worked as prostitute while in San Francisco. There is no truth to these rumors and she always had a steady paycheck coming in when she lived there. Carole had become a successful singer but her real dream was to be a movie star. In September 1936 she quit the band and moved to Hollywood. She appeared as an extra in movies like A Star Is Born and A Day At The Races. Carole met forty-one year old choreographer Busby Berkeley at an audition. They started dating and he helped her get a contract at Warner Brothers. Carole was now making a name for herself in Hollywood and her picture started appearing in magazines. Her estranged husband, Irving Wheeler, took advantage of her new fame by suing Busby for $250,000 for "alienation of affection". He lost the case in court and Carole officially divorced him. In 1938 Busby broke up with Carole and Warner Brothers dropped her contract. She worked as a model and appeared in several unsuccessful plays. Carole signed a contract with Republic Pictures in 1939. Her first leading role was opposite John Wayne in the western Three Texas Steers. She had brief relationships with journalist Kenny Morgan and Pat DiCicco, ex-husband of Thelma Todd. Carole's big break came when Hal Roach cast her as a beautiful cave girl in the 1940 movie One Million B.C. The film was a huge hit and made Carole a star. Her success continued with leading roles in Turnabout and Topper Returns. In early 1940 she underwent a major transformation. She lost a lot of weight and had cosmetic surgery on her nose. When she wasn't making movies Carole posed for cheesecake photos that showed off her long legs and 36 inch chest. She desperately wanted to be taken seriously as an actress but she knew these photos would help her career. Carole was nicknamed "The Ping Girl" (because she makes you purr). She hated that nickname and even took out an ad asking the press not to call her that.
Carole married Willis Hunt Jr, a wealthy yacht salesman, on July 4, 1940. The marriage lasted only four months. After their split she enjoyed romances with Franchot Tone, Charlie Chaplin, and art director Cedric Gibbons. Carole was offered a lucrative contract with 20th Century Fox in December 1940. She began having a sexual relationship with the studio's president Darryl Zanuck. Carole costarred with Betty Grable in Moon Over Miami and with Cesar Romero in Dance Hall. She dated George Montgomery, her costar in Cadet Girl, and was engaged to screenwriter Gene Markey, who would later marry Myrna Loy. When she stopped giving in to Darryl Zanuck's sexual demands her career suffered. Although she was an established star Carole was given supporting roles in movies like Orchestra Wives and Wintertime. During World War 2 she devoted much of her time to entertaining the troops. In 1942 she went on five month U.S.O. tour with Kay Francis, Martha Raye, and Mitzi Mayfair. They traveled to Africa and England where they performed hundreds of shows for the soldiers. On January 5, 1943 she married Air Force pilot Tommy Wallace. Carole wrote a book based on her experiences during the war called Four Jills In A Jeep. The book was made into a movie in 1944 and Carole played herself. Carole suffered from depression and was hospitalized in May 1944 after a suicide attempt. During the summer of 1944 she went on a two month U.S.O. tour of the South Pacific with Jack Benny. While overseas she suffered numerous illnesses and nearly died from pneumonia. By the end of 1944 her marriage to Tommy was over and her career was in trouble. She was cast in low budget movies like Having Wonderful Crime and Behind Green Lights. In January 1945 Carole starred on Broadway in the musical A Lady Says Yes. She became romantically involved with her female costar, Jacqueline Susann. A Lady Says Yes was not a success and it closed after only 87 performances. One bright spot in her career was the 1946 drama A Scandal In Paris. It was a hit and her performance got rave reviews.
Carole married Broadway producer Horace Schmidlapp on December 8, 1945. She divided her time between Hollywood and New York City where Horace lived. Carole loved children and wanted desperately to become a mother. Unfortunately she suffered from endometriosis and was unable to get pregnant. She considered adopting a baby but her marriage to Horace was rocky. In October 1946 she lost her contract with 20th Century Fox and made another suicide attempt. Carole and Horace bought a thirteen room mansion in Pacific Palisades. She began having an affair with married actor Rex Harrison in early 1947. That fall she went to England to make The Silk Noose and Brass Monkey. Rex Harrison followed her there and the relationship got serious. She filed for divorce from her husband in March 1948 but Rex Harrison refused to file for divorce from his wife. On July 4, 1948 Carole had dinner with Rex Harrison. During the evening he ended their affair. Carole was heartbroken and she committed suicide by taking an overdose of Seconal. She was just twenty-nine years old. Rex Harrison discovered her body on the bathroom floor the next morning. He had been the last person to see her alive. Carole was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. After a brief investigation her death was officially ruled a suicide. Although Rex Harrison was never charged with any crime many people believe that he lied to the police about what really happened the night Carole died. In 1956 columnist Jimmie Fiddler remembered Carole saying "Even today it is difficult to imagine that she was haunted by despair. The girl who was admired by millions vainly searched for the love of one man". Carole was a talented actress who was never given the chance to become a superstar. She was a beautiful woman who could never find lasting love. Her efforts to entertain the troops during World War 2 earned her the respect of millions of soldiers. Carole's kindness and generosity made her one of the most beloved stars in Hollywood. She still has thousands of fans all over the world who will never forget her.
* If you want to know more of Carole's story I recommend reading the wonderful
biography Carole Landis: A Tragic Life In Hollywood written by E.J. Fleming *
