Bottom

Born: Carolyn Baker
Born: April 28th, 1929, in Amarillo, Texas.
Died: August 3rd, 1983, of cancer.
Husband(s): Aaron Spelling (1953 - 1965)
Herbert Greene (1968 - 1977)
Peter Bailey-Britton (1982 - 1983)Jones' unique look-a beautiful face with a vaguely sinister cast-made her a natural to play Morticia Addams, the slinky matriarch of the TV series "The Addams Family" (1964-66), and the generation that grew up watching those shows is probably unaware that she was also an Oscar-nominated actress. She was already a stage performer of considerable experience when she made her film debut at age 23 in The Turning Point (1952). Jones played her share of floozies and adulterous wives throughout the decade, but snared her Academy Award nomination for a delightful supporting turn as a philosophical nymphomaniac in The Bachelor Party (1957). Her movie career petered out in the early 1960s and she turned to TV, making only a few feature-film appearances after the "Addams Family" series. She was once married to actorturned-producer Aaron Spelling.

Trivia

Born in Texas in the year of the stock market crash, Carolyn used her voice before she used her looks and acting talent. While she was still in high school she worked as a disc jockey for a Texas radio station, and later, when she was still struggling to make her way in Hollywood, she continued to work in radio. In the '50s she landed small roles in over a dozen prominent movies, including Bob and Bing's Road to Bali in '52, Vincent Price's House of Wax in '53 (she played the Joan of Arc wax figure), Frank Sinatra's The Tender Trap and Marilyn Monroe's The Seven Year Itch, both in '55, and Alfred Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much in '56. Playing a bongo-bangin' existentialist, Carolyn flashed in and out of The Bachelor Party in '57 like a glimmering meteor, but her six minutes were so incandescent that she got nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar and won a Golden Globe as Most Promising Newcomer. Strong movie roles took her to the end of the decade, including two memorable parts with two 20th-century kings. In late '57, Elvis was feeling a draft — Uncle Sam had come knocking, and Elvis was expected to report for induction into the army in January '58. Unfortunately, King Creole was scheduled to begin shooting at the same time. The great Michael Curtiz (Casablanca) was on board to direct this tale of a New Orleans singer, and Carolyn Jones was set to co-star as a good girl gone bad. Only by grace of a special deferment was Elvis's induction postponed to March 24th, which meant he could still make the film in January and February as planned. Which meant Carolyn's character got to die in Elvis's arms as scheduled. Which meant more resplendent notices for Carolyn: Variety praised her performance as "strong" and "moving." Then, teamed with Sinatra in Frank Capra's syrupy A Hole in the Head in '59, Carolyn once again stole the spotlight with a convincing performance that was the best thing in the movie. After the '60s, she made some more TV movies and was one of the stars on the series "Capitol" in '82, bravely carrying on though her health was failing. Sadly, in '83 Carolyn Jones died of cancer at the age of only 55. Her early death may have been tragic, but her life was triumphant.

"The Addams Family" debuted September 18, 1964, in the Friday 8:30 p.m. timeslot on ABC and ran for 64 episodes ... the debut was one week before the debut of "The Munsters" ... "The Addams Family" and "The Munsters" were cancelled within one week of each other in '66 ... an animated version ran in 1973-'75 and 1992-'95, both without Carolyn's voice ... the characters were all based on the popular Charles Addams cartoons that ran in The New Yorker magazine ... other actors on the show included John Astin as Gomez, Ted Cassidy as Lurch and Thing, Ken Weatherwax as Pugsley, Lisa Loring as Wednesday, Jackie Coogan as Uncle Fester, Blossom Rock as Grandmama, and Felix Silla as Cousin Itt ... Vic Mizzy wrote the nutty theme song.

Filmography

• "Capitol" (1982) TV Series .... Myrna Clegg (#1) (1982-1983)
• Midnight Lace (1980) (TV) .... Bernadette Chance
• Dream Merchants, The (1980) (TV) .... Vera
• "French Atlantic Affair, The" (1979) (mini) TV Series .... Peg
• Good Luck, Miss Wyckoff (1979) .... Beth
... aka Secret Yearnings (1979)
... aka Shaming, The (1979)
... aka Sin, The (1979)
• Halloween with the New Addams Family (1977) (TV) .... Morticia Frump Addams
... aka All New Addams Family Halloween, The (1977) (TV)
• "Roots" (1977) (mini) TV Series .... Mrs. Moore
• Little Ladies of the Night (1977) (TV) .... Marilyn Atkins
... aka Diamond Alley (1977) (TV)
• Eaten Alive (1976) .... Miss Hattie
... aka Death Trap (1976) (UK)
... aka Horror Hotel (1976)
... aka Horror Hotel Massacre (1976)
... aka Legend of the Bayou (1976)
... aka Murder on the Bayou (1976)
... aka Starlight Slaughter (1976)
• Color Me Dead (1969) .... Paula Gibson
... aka D.O.A. II (1969)
• Dance of Death, The (1969) .... Jenny
• Heaven with a Gun (1969) .... Madge McCloud (saloon owner)
• "Addams Family, The" (1964) TV Series .... Morticia Addams/Cousin Ophilia
• Ticklish Affair, A (1963) .... Tandy Martin
• How the West Was Won (1962) .... Julie Rawlings
• Sail a Crooked Ship (1961) .... Virginia
• Ice Palace (1960) .... Bridie Ballantyne
• Career (1959) .... Shirley Drake
• Last Train from Gun Hill (1959) .... Linda, Craig's Girl
... aka One Angry Day (1959) (USA: alternative title)
• Hole in the Head, A (1959) .... Shirl
• Man in the Net, The (1959) .... Linda Hamilton
• Marjorie Morningstar (1958) .... Marsha Zelenko
• King Creole (1958) .... Ronnie
• Baby Face Nelson (1957) .... Sue
• Johnny Trouble (1957) .... Julie Horton
• Bachelor Party, The (1957) .... The Existentialist
Opposite Sex, The (1956) .... Pat
• Man Who Knew Too Much, The (1956) .... Cindy Fontaine
• Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) .... Theodora 'Teddy' Belicec
... aka Sleep No More (1956)
• Tender Trap, The (1955) .... Helen
• Seven Year Itch, The (1955) .... Miss Finch (night nurse)
• East of Eden (1955) (uncredited)
... aka John Steinbeck's East of Eden (1955) (USA: complete title)
• Desirée (1954) .... Mme. Tallien
• Three Hours to Kill (1954) .... Polly
• Shield for Murder (1954) .... Beth, Girl at Bar
• Saracen Blade, The (1954) .... Elaine of Siniscola
• Geraldine (1954) .... Kitty
• Make Haste to Live (1954) .... Mary Rose
• Big Heat, The (1953) .... Doris
• War of the Worlds, The (1953) (uncredited) .... Blonde
• House of Wax (1953) .... Cathy Gray
Off Limits (1953) .... Deborah
... aka Military Policemen (1953) (UK)
• Road to Bali (1952) .... Eunice
• Turning Point, The (1952) .... Woman<

Notable TV Guest Appearances
• "Fantasy Island" (1978) playing "Elli" in episode: "Daddy's Little Girl/The Whistle" (episode # 5.14) 30 January 1982
• "Quincy" (1976) playing "Victoria" in episode: "Stain of Guilt" (episode # 5.8) 14 January 1981
• "Fantasy Island" (1978) playing "Ellie Simpson" in episode: "Tattoo's Romance/Handy Man" (episode # 3.8) 10 November 1979
• "Love Boat, The" (1977) playing "Margaret Jerome" in episode: "Cindy/Play By Play/What's a Brother For?" (episode # 3.8) 27 October 1979
• "Quincy" (1976) in episode: "Last of the Dinosaurs" (episode # 2.12) 16 December 1977
• "Wonder Woman" (1976) playing "Queen Hippolyta" in episode: "Wonder Woman in Hollywood" (episode # 1.14) 16 February 1977
• "Wonder Woman" (1976) playing "Queen Hippolyta" in episode: "The Feminum Mystique: Part 2" (episode # 1.6) 8 November 1976
• "Wonder Woman" (1976) playing "Queen Hippolyta" in episode: "The Feminum Mystique: Part 1" (episode # 1.5) 6 November 1976
• "Kolchak: The Night Stalker" (1974) playing "The Registrar" in episode: "Demon in Lace" (episode # 1.16) 7 February 1975
• "Ironside" (1967) in episode: "Raise the Devil: Part 2" (episode # 8.2) 19 September 1974
• "Ironside" (1967) in episode: "Raise the Devil: Part 1" (episode # 8.1) 12 September 1974
• "New Perry Mason, The" (1973) in episode: "The Case of the Frenzied Feminist" (episode # 1.12) 16 December 1973
• "Match Game 73" (1973) playing "Herself" (episode # 1.28) 8 August 1973
• "Ghost Story" (1972) in episode: "The Summer House" (episode # 1.5) 13 October 1972
• "Virginian, The" (1962) playing "Annie Spencer" in episode: "The Legacy of Spencer Flats" (episode # 9.17) 27 January 1971
• "Name of the Game, The" (1968) in episode: "Why I Blew Up Dakota" (episode # 3.12) 4 December 1970
• "Love, American Style" (1969) in episode: "Love and the Geisha" (episode # 1.7b) 10 November 1969
• "Mod Squad, The" (1968) playing "Lisa Whittaker/Jenny" in episode: "Lisa" (episode # 2.6) 4 November 1969
• "Rango" (1967) in episode: "What's a Nice Girl Like You Doing Holding Up a Place Like This?" (episode # 1.6) 17 February 1967
• "Batman" (1966/II) playing "Marsha" in episode: "Penguin's Disastrous End" (episode # 2.44) 2 February 1967
• "Batman" (1966/II) playing "Marsha" in episode: "Penguin Sets a Trend" (episode # 2.43) 1 February 1967
• "Batman" (1966/II) playing "Marsha" in episode: "Penguin Is a Girl's Best Friend" (episode # 2.42) 26 January 1967
• "Batman" (1966/II) playing "Marsha" in episode: "Marsha's Scheme of Diamonds" (episode # 2.24) 24 November 1966
• "Batman" (1966/II) playing "Marsha" in episode: "Marsha, Queen of Diamonds" (episode # 2.23) 23 November 1966
• "Addams Family, The" (1964) playing "Ophelia Frump" in episode: "Ophelia Visits Morticia" (episode # 2.24) 25 February 1966
• "Burke's Law" (1963) playing "Carole" in episode: "Who Killed Madison Cooper?" (episode # 1.18) 24 January 1964
• "Burke's Law" (1963) playing "Betsy Richards/Meredith Richards/Jane Richards/Olivia Manning" in episode: "Who Killed Sweet
• Betsy?" (episode # 1.7) 1 November 1963 "Wagon Train" (1957) playing "Molly Kincaid" in episode: "The Molly Kincaid Story" (episode # 7.1) 16 September 1963
• "Dr. Kildare" (1961) playing "Evy Schaller" in episode: "The Mask Makers" (episode # 2.4) 18 October 1962
• "Frontier Circus" (1961) playing "Amy Tyson" in episode: "Stopover in Paradise" (episode # 1.16) 22 February 1962
• "Wagon Train" (1957) playing "Jenna Douglas" in episode: "The Jenna Douglas Story" (episode # 5.6) 1 November 1961
• "Dick Powell Show, The" (1961) in episode: "Who Killed Julie Greer?" (episode # 1.1) 26 September 1961
• "Zane Grey Theater" (1956) playing "Julie Whiting" in episode: "Blood Red" (episode # 5.16) 29 January 1961
• "Zane Grey Theater" (1956) playing "Sal" in episode: "Picture of Sal" (episode # 4.17) 28 January 1960
• "Wagon Train" (1957) playing "Julie Cameron" in episode: "The John Cameron Story" (episode # 1.3) 2 October 1957
• "Zane Grey Theater" (1956) playing "Ella" in episode: "Until the Man Dies" (episode # 1.17) 25 January 1957
• "20th Century-Fox Hour, The" (1955) playing "Rita Kirby" in episode: "The Hefferan Family" (episode # 1.18) 13 June 1956
• "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" (1955) playing "Pamela Waring" in episode: "The Cheney Vase" (episode # 1.13) 25 December 1955
• "20th Century-Fox Hour, The" (1955) playing "Fanny Bridges" in episode: "Heart of a Woman" (episode # 1.1) 5 October 1955
• "Dragnet" (1951) in episode: "The Big Note" (episode # 4.36) 5 May 1955
• "Dragnet" (1951) (as Caroline Jones) in episode: "The Big Producer" (episode # 4.1) 26 August 1954
• "Dragnet" (1951) (as Caroline Jones) in episode: "The Big Frame" (episode # 3.34) 22 April 1954
• "Dragnet" (1951) (as Caroline Jones) in episode: "The Big Girl" (episode # 3.31) 1 April 1954

Top