JOANNE DRU BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Joanne Dru was an American film and television actress born January 31st, 1922 with the birth name Joan Letitia LaCock in Logan, West Virginia.  Her father was a druggist.  When she was eighteen years old, Dru moved to New York City to work as a model.  She was then seen by Al Jolson an American singer, comedian and actor, who chose to cast her in his Broadway show, "Hold Onto Your Hats". 
 
Soon Dru decided to relocate to Hollywood and do some stage work there.  She began with various theater jobs and was soon spotted by a talent scout and was asked to join the film industry.
 
She was discovered by director, Howard Hawks in 1948 and was cast as the lead in, "Red River" (1948) and "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" (1949) both starring John Wayne.  She was then cast in, "All the King's Men" (1949) starring Broderick Crawford, which was an Oscar winning film and also the movie set where she met her second husband, actor, John Ireland.  Majority of her film roles type cast her in western films, although she made it known that she disliked that genre.
 
A couple more decent film roles followed in the mid 50's such as roles on, "Vengeance Valley" (1951) starring with Burt Lancaster, "Thunder Bay" (1953) and "3 Ring Circus" (1954).  As her film career was beginning to slow down, Dru took a chance at television working on the sitcom, "Guestward Ho" (1960) which lasted 39 weeks. 

From here on out her appearances were quite sporadic and very seldom.  She had a film appearance on, "Syliva" (1965) and "Super Fuzz" (1980). 
 
Joanne Dru married three times, first to a popular singer, Dick Haymes prior to relocating to Hollywood.  She had three children with her first husband, Richard, Helen and Barbara.  In 1949, she divorced and married an actor she met on set, John Ireland, and the couple were married until 1957.  She married one more time to C.V Wood in 1972 and they were together until he passed away on March 14th, 1992.  

Dru passed away on September 10th, 1996, in Los Angeles, California at the age of 74 from lymphedema.  She was cremated and her ashes were scattered at sea.  For her contribution to the Motion Picture Industry she was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Filmography

1980   Super Fuzz
1975   Marcus Welby, M.D.
1971   The Smith Family 
1970   The Governor & J.J. 
1967   Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre 
1967   The Green Hornet
1965   The Long, Hot Summer 
1964   Burke's Law
1960-1961  Guestward Ho!
1960   September Storm
1960   Goodyear Theatre 
1959   The Wild and the Innocent  
1959   The David Niven Show
1958   The Red Skelton Hour
1958   Colgate Theatre
1958   The Light in the Forest 
1958   G.E. True Theater
1958   Studio One in Hollywood 
1957   Wagon Train
1954-1957  Lux Video Theatre 
1957   Playhouse 90 
1957   Drango 
1955-1956  Climax! 
1956   Studio 57 
1956   Celebrity Playhouse
1956   Jane Wyman Presents The Fireside Theatre 
1953-1956  Schlitz Playhous
1955   Hell on Frisco Bay
1953-1955  The Ford Television Theatre 
1955   Sincerely Yours 
1955   The Loretta Young Show 
1955   The Dark Avenger  
1955   The Star and the Story 
1955   Four Star Playhouse 
1954   Day of Triumph  
1954   3 Ring Circus 
1954   Siege at Red River 
1954   Southwest Passage  
1954   Duffy of San Quentin 
1953   Forbidden 
1953   The Revlon Mirror Theater
1953   Hannah Lee: An American Primitive 
1953   Thunder Bay 
1953   Robert Montgomery Presents
1952   My Pal Gus 
1952   The Pride of St. Louis
1952   Return of the Texan
1951   Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell 
1951   Vengeance Valley 
1950   711 Ocean Drive
1950   Wagon Master 
1949   All the King's Men
1949   She Wore a Yellow Ribbon 
1948   Red River 
1946   Abie's Irish Rose