Carroll Baker

Carroll Baker was born on May 28, 1931 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, the daughter of a traveling salesman, William W. Baker. She attended community college for a year and then worked as a dancer and magician's assistant.

After a brief marriage, she had a small part in Easy to Love (1953), did TV commercials, and had a bit part on Broadway. She studied at the Actors Studio and was married to director Jack Garfein (one daughter, Blanche Baker).

Warner Brothers, sensing a future Marilyn Monroe, cast her in Giant (1956), Baby Doll (1956) (Oscar nomination for her thumb-sucking role), The Carpetbaggers (1964) and Harlow (1965) (title role). Moving to Italy, she made films there and in England, Germany, Mexico and Spain.

Her trouble with Warner Bros. continued when she declined to act in a series of movies based on books by pulp writer Erskine Caldwell. This led to her losing out on outside offers to do The Three Faces of Eve (1957) for 20th Century-Fox, and both Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) and The Brothers Karamazov (1958) for MGM.

When she refused to play a nymphomaniac in the trashy Too Much, Too Soon (1958), Warner Bros. refused to loan her out to appear opposite Laurence Olivier, Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas in The Devil's Disciple (1959).

Awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1725 Vine St. on February 8, 1960.

Though this may only be studio hype, in 1964 an African Masai chieftain reportedly was so fascinated by Baker that he offered 150 cows, 200 goats and sheep, and $750 for her while she was on location in Kenya for Mister Moses (1965).

Visited USS Ticonderoga CV-14, with Bob Hope, as part of his morale-boosting visits for the soldiers, sailors and airmen during the Vietnam War in 1965.

After returning to American films, she married Donald Burton in 1982 and resided in Hampstead, London in the 1980s.

Grandmother of Zane Van Dusen (born September 27, 1984) and Dara Van Dusen (born June 23, 1986) via daughter Blanche Baker and her first husband, Bruce Van Dusen.

The October 19, 1988, issue of Variety, in the Italian Film Production column, announced the movie "Incantesimo Fatale" or "Fatal Spell" began filming October 1, 1988. Mario Gariazzo (as Ray Garret) directed. The cast included Richard Hatch and Carroll Baker. No evidence the film was ever completed or released.

Spent several years--from the late 1990s to 2007--caring for her third husband, who suffered from emphysema. She remained retired from acting since being widowed in 2007.

Awarded a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars in Palm Springs, CA, on May 4, 2001.

Retired from acting in 2003 after 50 years in the motion picture industry.

Received the National Arts Club Medal of Honor in New York City (2009).

As of August 2010, was residing in London, England.

Received a career Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2011 Hoboken International Film Festival.

Following the death of Debbie Reynolds in December 2016, she is--as of January 2017--one of two surviving cast member of the 24 credited actors in the epic Western How the West Was Won (1962). The other surviving cast member is Russ Tamblyn.

On August 25, 2018, she was honored with a day of her film work during the TCM Summer Under The Stars.

As of 2020, she is the second earliest surviving recipient of a Best Actress Oscar nomination, behind only Leslie Caron. She was nominated for the comedy-drama Baby Doll (1956).