Joan Lorring 04.17.1926 - 05.30.2014 (88 years old)

Joan Lorring (April 17, 1926 – May 30, 2014) was an actress and singer known for her work in film and theatre. For her role as Bessy Watty in The Corn is Green (1945), Lorring was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Lorring also originated the role of Marie Buckholder in Come Back, Little Sheba on Broadway in 1950, for which she won a Donaldson Award (an early version of the Tony Award).4Lorring began her career as a child actress on the radio. Her performances include Alma Horrell in the Suspense episode The Great Horrell. Lorring made her Broadway debut in 1950, originating the role of Marie Buckholder opposite Shirley Booth in Come Back Little Sheba. Terry Moore would later play Marie in the 1952 film version. For this role Lorring won a Donaldson Award for Most Outstanding Female Debut in the 1949-1950 Broadway season. This success led to her performing in the 1951 Broadway production of the Lillian Hellman play The Autumn Garden. Lorring made her film debut at age 18 in Song of Russia (1944). Her second film was the Oscar-nominated drama The Bridge of San Luis Rey In the early 50s, Lorring began appearing often on television. In 1955 she performed in thirteen episodes of the television series Norby as Helen Norby. The show lasted one season. Also in 1956, she reprised her award-winning role as Bessy in The Corn is Green on television opposite Eva Le Gallienne as Miss Moffat. She appeared on one episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, (The Older Sister, 1956) about Lizzie Borden, in which she portrayed her sister Emma. She appeared in 22 episodes of Radio Mystery Theater.