Jo Ann Marlowe

Jo Ann Marlowe (born Jo Anne Mares Dunne; December 15, 1935 – January 2, 1991) was an American child actress. She was first discovered by a Hollywood director around four years old while on a family trip to Los Angeles. Her talent landed her roles in films such as Mildred Pierce and A Scandal in Paris (1946). Despite receiving scholarship offers for drama schools, Marlowe's mother declined, opting to follow studio advice.

Later transitioning from acting to law after adolescence, Marlowe studied at Loyola Marymount University, eventually becoming a chief trial lawyer in Los Angeles. Her impressive success rate in the courtroom attracted the attention of the FBI, who sought her expertise in managing their cases.

In her early thirties, she suffered a cerebral hemorrhage which brought on a coma that lasted for 22 years. She died in January 1991 in Los Angeles, California.

Career Early career Marlowe was born Jo Anne Mares Dunne, to parents Edward and Theora

In May 1939, the family returned to their home after their vacation, but decided to relocate to Hollywood later that year. Marlowe's early years in the industry involved joining a tap dancing class, which eventually led to an audition and her debut in the 1942 film Yankee Doodle Dandy. As was common practice, Marlowe adopted a stage name.

Around 1946, she secured the lead role in the film Little Iodine following an extensive casting process. Producers spent months watching various screen tests and conducting many interviews before discovering Marlowe, who had recently completed the film Mildred Pierce as the younger daughter of Joan Crawford. She was commended for her ability to ad-lib, demonstrated during an audition for a film, where having forgot the lines, improvised her own in-keeping with the story, which contributed towards her securing the role. As she transitioned into adolescence, she encountered challenges in finding acting opportunities and eventually decided to retire from the industry. She was buried in San Fernando Mission Cemetery.

Filmography

Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) as Josie Cohan - Age 6 (uncredited) Stars on Parade (1944) as O'Rourke Child (uncredited) Roughly Speaking (1945) as Louise Jr. - Ages 5-6 (uncredited) Dangerous Intruder (1945) as Jackie Mildred Pierce (1945) as Kay Pierce A Scandal in Paris (1946) as Mimi De Pierremont Joe Palooka, Champ (1946) as Rosie Palooka (as Jo Ann Marlow) Man from Rainbow Valley (1946) as Ginny Hale Night and Day (1946) as Tina (uncredited) Of Human Bondage (1946) as Athelny Child (uncredited) Little Iodine (1946) as Little Iodine The Strange Woman (1946) as Jenny - as a Girl (uncredited) Rolling Home (1946) as Sandy Crawford (as Jo Anne Marlowe) Keeper of the Bees (1947) as Little Scout - The Orphan Never a Dull Moment (1950) as Sister (uncredited)