Child of Manhattan
Actress Nancy Carroll 1903-1965
Child of Manhattan
Nancy truly was a child of Manhattan. She was born there in 1903 and died there in 1965. For short periods of time she lived in California, Mexico, Europe and Indonesia, but, Manhattan was her home and her heart...always.
She even starred in a motion picture bearing that title.
Nancy's Life - an overview
Born - Ann Veronica Lahiff
in NYC on November 19,1903
Died - August 6, 1965 in NYC
Marriages
Jack Kirkland 1924-1931 (Div.)
Bolton Mallory 1931-1935 (Div.)
C.H.J. "Jappe" Gruen 1953-1965
(Her death)
Children
1 child Patricia Kirkland Bevan - July 1925 - August 2000
4 grandchildren
Years Active
1927 -1965
Stage & Screen
Silents, Early Talkies, Silver Screen,Broadway & Television
Final Resting Place
LAHIFF FAMILY PLOT
Calvary Cemetery
Woodside, Queens County, New York, USA
Plot Sec 35, Lot Q, Range 10, Grave 14/15 (3rd)
Calvary Cemetery
Woodside, Queens County, New York, USA
Plot Sec 35, Lot Q, Range 10, Grave 14/15 (3rd)
About Nancy Carroll
The name alone may not bring instant recognition, but if you've ever feasted your eyes on a photo of Nancy Carroll, you will never forget her. Most people today discover her because they've inadvertently come across one of hundreds of photos of her. To this day, her photos are very much in demand among collectors and film fans.
Nancy stood 5'4" with a slender frame. She had flaming red hair, blue saucer eyes, and alabaster skin, dotted with freckles. It proved to be a stunning combination, although her freckles were usually covered with pancake! Most fans thought Nancy was a blonde until she appeared in an early technicolor film, Follow Thru (1930). She also had what directors considered, a baby face, and that prevented them from initially casting her in major roles. The worry was for naught, because as it turned out, her face was an asset, not a hinderance. She also was one of the comparatively few performers who successfully transitioned from "silents" to "talkies". At the height of her fame in the early '30s, she was rivaled only by a young Shirley Temple when it came to fan mail. Nancy looked stunning, could act, dance, had a great speaking voice and although she wasn't a diva, her pleasant enough trill, the type of singing that was very popular for the day, helped make her an instant success in early talkies and in Hollywood musicals.
It is believed that Nancy has the distinction of being the very first actress to sing, dance and speak in a motion picture, after sound had been added to The Shopworn Angel (1928). Nancy was a talented, smart,and beautiful. She was also a woman before her time. When studios and magazines tried to present the illusion of 'availability' to her fans, she would have none of it. She refused to hide her marriage or her child and the fans loved her for it. On the downside, she was also known to be tempermental, (some have said 'bitchy') and could be quite obstinate, and very opinionated. She knew she had talent and was very aware of her capabilities. An Academy Award nominee, she ran a close second to Norma Shearer (The Women) for Best Actress for her role as a manicurist in The Devil's Holiday (1930). All told she made 41 films, impressive by most standards. As the years passed,she grew tired of seeing the meatier roles go to other actresses. After 1935, she was no longer considered "box office", and by 1938, she returned to her first love -- the stage. She continued to act in stage productions and was an early pioneer in television, appearing regularly in The Aldrich Family (1950) series. She later guest-starred on her daughter Patricia Kirkland's series, The Egg and I (1950). In the ensuing years she acted primarily on stage, but took a guest role here and there such as the "Take and Put" episode in The Naked City (1961). Nancy Carroll earned her motion picture star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (1725 Vine St.) in 1960. At the time of her death from an aneurysm at age 61, she was appearing at the playhouse in Nyack, NY in a production of Never Too Late.
After her death, noted film critic John Springer wrote, " She was a bigger star and better actress than her obituaries let you know." In "The Films of Nancy Carroll", the only book dedicated exclusively to the life and career of Nancy Carroll, Mr. Paul Nemcek recalled how in later years Nancy accepted responsibility for her lost film career. Mr. Nemcek punctuated Ms. Carroll's revelation with the following words, "She was young, rebellious and lost the friendship of many influential executives, and when a few of her pictures failed at the box office, no attempt was made to save her. " Sadly, that was a loss for us all!
Occasionally, Nancy's movies will air on TCM. Some may even be viewed on You Tube. A complete listing of Nancy's films and television appearances are featured under the Career and Quotes section of this site.