Thursday, December 23, 2010

Who are Those Gals? - Carroll Baker

Karolina Piekarski was born on December 28, 1931 in Johnston, Pennsylvania. Her father was a traveling salesman. She attended community college for a year and then found work as a dancer and a magicians assistant. She won a beauty contest as Miss Florida Fruits and Vegetables in 1959. After a brief marriage to a furrier named Lou Ritterand and had a small part in “Easy to Love” (1953), she then enrolled in the Actors Studio in 1954. She then appeared in a bit part on Broadway and made a few commercials. During her studies at the Actors Studio she met and married director Jack Garfein [1930- ] (1955-1969). From their marriage their daughter, actress Blanche Baker [1956- ] was born. Warner Brothers sensing a future Marilyn Monroe cast her in 1956's “Giant” and “Baby Doll” for which she received an Oscar nomination. She found her greatest success during the 1960s. Appearing in “How the West Was Won” (1962), “The Carpetbaggers” and “Cheyenne Autumn” both in 1964, and as Jean Harlow in “Harlow” and “The Greatest Story Ever Told” both in 1965. She moved to Italy in the late 1960s and appeared in Italian, German, British and Mexican films. Among which was her only Euro-western “Captain Apache” in 1970 opposite Lee Van Cleef. She returned to American films and married actor Donald Burton [1934-2007] (1982-2000). Today Carroll Baker is currently living in London, England.


BAKER, Carrol (aka Carrol Baker) (Karolina Piekarski) [5/28/1931, Johnston, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. - ] - writer, stage, TV actress, married to director, screenwriter Jack Garfein [1930- ] (1955-1969), actor Donald Burton [1934-2007] (1982-2007), mother of actress Blanche Baker [1956- ].
Captain Apache - 1970 (Maude)

No comments:

Post a Comment