Carroll Baker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Carroll Baker
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Baker in 1962
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| Born | May 28, 1931 Johnstown, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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| Years active | 1951–2007 |
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Notable work
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Louie Ritter
(m. 1953; div. 1953)Donald Burton
(m. 1982; died 2007) |
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Carroll Baker (born May 28, 1931) is a retired American actress and writer. She began her career on Broadway in 1954 after studying at the famous Actors Studio. Director Elia Kazan chose her for the lead role in the 1956 film Baby Doll. Her performance as a young Southern bride earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress.
Baker also starred in the classic film Giant (1956) and the romantic comedy But Not for Me (1959). In 1961, she appeared in the serious drama Something Wild. She became well-known for her roles in popular Westerns like The Big Country (1958) and How the West Was Won (1962).
In the mid-1960s, Baker starred in the hit film The Carpetbaggers (1964). She also played the famous actress Jean Harlow in the movie Harlow (1965). After disagreements with her movie studio, she moved to Italy in 1966. For the next ten years, she starred in many European mystery and horror films.
She returned to American movies in the 1970s and became a popular character actress. She appeared in dramas like Star 80 (1983) and Native Son (1986). In the 1990s, she had roles in big-budget films like Kindergarten Cop (1990) and The Game (1997). Baker officially retired from acting in 2003. She has also written two autobiographies and two novels.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Carroll Baker was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Her father, William Watson Baker, was a traveling salesman. When she was eight, her parents separated. She moved with her mother and younger sister to Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania. Baker said her family was poor while she was growing up.
She went to Greensburg Salem High School, where she was on the debate team and performed in school musicals. At 18, she moved to St. Petersburg, Florida, and attended St. Petersburg Junior College. After one year, she began working as a magician's assistant and a professional dancer.
In 1951, Baker moved to New York City. She worked as a nightclub dancer to support herself. She studied acting at HB Studio and later enrolled at the Actors Studio with the famous teacher Lee Strasberg. There, she was classmates with future stars like Marilyn Monroe and became a good friend of James Dean.
Career Journey
1952–1957: Broadway and Breakout Film Roles
Baker started her career appearing in TV commercials. In 1953, she had a small part in the movie Easy to Love. This led to roles in two Broadway shows: Escapade and All Summer Long.
Her friend James Dean recommended her for the lead role in Rebel Without a Cause (1955), but she turned it down. Instead, her first major movie role was in Giant (1956). She acted alongside Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, and James Dean in his final film. Baker said she chose a supporting role because she wanted to start her film career slowly.
At the same time, director Elia Kazan cast her in the lead role of Baby Doll (1956). The movie was filmed in Benoit, Mississippi. Her role as a young bride made her famous overnight. A huge billboard in Times Square promoted the film, showing a now-famous picture of Baker.
Baby Doll was a box-office success. Baker received great reviews for her acting. Variety praised her performance, and The New York Times complimented her acting skills. The film established her as a top actress. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress and won a Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer.
1958–1963: Westerns and Independent Films
After Baby Doll, Baker had disagreements with her studio, Warner Bros. This prevented her from taking roles in movies like Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958). She said she felt like she had a "slave contract" because the studio had so much control over her career.
Once her contract issues were settled, she starred in the Western movie The Big Country (1958). She then appeared in the romance The Miracle with Roger Moore and the comedy But Not for Me (1959) with Clark Gable.
Baker then starred in the independent film Something Wild (1961), directed by her husband at the time, Jack Garfein. She played a young college student facing a difficult situation. To prepare, she took a job as a salesgirl and lived in a simple apartment in New York.
She also appeared in Bridge to the Sun (1961), playing an American woman married to a Japanese diplomat during World War II. The film was well-received by critics. Baker then starred in the blockbuster Western How the West Was Won (1962), alongside stars like James Stewart and Debbie Reynolds.
1964–1966: Rise to Stardom
Baker played a peaceful Quaker schoolteacher in John Ford's Western Cheyenne Autumn (1964). She also had a role as Saint Veronica in The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965). Her part as a movie star in The Carpetbaggers (1964) made her even more famous. The film was the highest-grossing movie of that year.
The producer of The Carpetbaggers, Joseph E. Levine, then cast her in two more films. She played the main character in Sylvia and portrayed the legendary actress Jean Harlow in Harlow (1965).
However, Baker's relationship with Levine and the studio became difficult. In 1966, she sued the studio over her contract and was fired. This left her in debt, but she later won the lawsuit. Feeling frustrated with Hollywood, she decided to move to Europe.
1967–1975: A New Career in Europe
In 1967, Baker moved to Rome with her two children. She learned to speak Italian fluently and began a new phase of her career. She starred in many European giallo (mystery-thriller) and horror films.
Some of her Italian films included The Sweet Body of Deborah (1968) and The Devil Has Seven Faces (1971). She also worked with director Umberto Lenzi on four films, including So Sweet... So Perverse (1969), A Quiet Place to Kill (1970), and Knife of Ice (1972).
These movies were very popular in Europe and gave her a steady income. Looking back, Baker said that working in Italy was a wonderful experience that gave her a "whole new outlook" on life and her career.
1976–1987: Return to American Films
Baker's first American film in over a decade was the dark comedy Bad (1977). In the 1980s, she became a well-respected character actress. She had a supporting role in the Disney horror film The Watcher in the Woods (1980), alongside the legendary Bette Davis.
She played the mother of model Dorothy Stratten in the true-story movie Star 80 (1983). She also appeared in the drama Native Son (1986), based on the famous novel by Richard Wright. Critic Roger Ebert praised her powerful performance in the film.
In 1987, she starred in Ironweed with Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep. She played the wife of Nicholson's character. Critics again praised her work, with Ebert noting that she "holds the screen against Jack Nicholson."
1988–2003: Later Roles and Retirement
In 1990, Baker played a memorable role in the hit comedy Kindergarten Cop, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. The film was a huge success, earning over $200 million worldwide.
Throughout the 1990s, she appeared in many TV movies and guest-starred on popular shows. These included Murder, She Wrote, L.A. Law, and Roswell.
In 1997, Baker had a supporting role in the thriller The Game, starring Michael Douglas and Sean Penn. The film was a critical and box-office success.
Her last screen appearance was in a 2002 episode of the TV show The Lyon's Den. She officially retired from acting in 2003 after a career that lasted 50 years and included over 80 roles in film, television, and theater.
Writing Career
In 1983, Baker published her first book, Baby Doll: An Autobiography. It described her life and her experiences in Hollywood. She said she always wanted to write but felt self-conscious because she didn't have a formal education. The book was well-received.
She later wrote two more books. To Africa with Love (1986) was about her time spent in Africa. She also wrote a novel called A Roman Tale (1987).
Personal Life
Baker was married three times. Her first marriage in 1953 was brief. Her second marriage was to director Jack Garfein, whom she met at the Actors Studio. They had a daughter, Blanche Baker (born 1956), who is also an actress, and a son, Herschel Garfein (born 1958), who is a composer. Baker and Garfein divorced in 1969.
In 1982, she married her third husband, British actor Donald Burton. They lived in London for a time and remained together until his death in 2007.
In the mid-1960s, Baker traveled with Bob Hope's USO tour to entertain American soldiers in Vietnam. She said the experience was life-changing.
As of 2016, she was living in New York City.
Legacy
Carroll Baker's role in Baby Doll remains her most famous performance. The film and her character defined her early career. In 2011, she attended the Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival to celebrate the famous playwright and discuss her work in the film.
Baker has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1725 Vine Street, which she received in 1960. In 2001, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars was also dedicated to her.
Selected Filmography
- Giant (1956)
- Baby Doll (1956)
- The Big Country (1958)
- But Not For Me (1959)
- How the West Was Won (1962)
- The Carpetbaggers (1964)
- Cheyenne Autumn (1964)
- The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)
- Harlow (1965)
- The Sweet Body of Deborah (1968)
- Star 80 (1983)
- Native Son (1986)
- Ironweed (1987)
- Kindergarten Cop (1990)
- The Game (1997)
See also
In Spanish: Carroll Baker para niños
- List of actors with Academy Award nominations
- List of actors with Hollywood Walk of Fame motion picture stars
