Child of Manhattan
Actress Nancy Carroll 1903-1965
Memories of Nancy by those who knew her.
Actor Will Hutchins said he found Nancy to be " the warmest, most helpful star he's ever worked with. "
"She was generous in every way. I'm a better actor and person for having known her. "
In 1975, writer Paul Nemcek and author of " The Films of Nancy Carroll " wrote in a personal letter to a fellow fan C.Hallstrom of Sweden:
" I met Nancy on several occasions when I resided in New York City from the 1940's until my move to Florida in the fall of 1963. Whenever she appeared in a nearby summer theatre in a play, I always made a point to visit her backstage and chat with her. Being quite young and gauche, I recall that when I first met her backstage in Spring Lake, New Jersey, I asked her why she wasn't making pictures anymore, She looked me, with eyes blazing and snapped, " You know, you can't just go out to Hollywood and make pictures! You HAVE to be INVITED! "
About a later meeting with Nancy, he wrote:
" By the way, my last meeting with Nancy was in March 1963 when I went to a film society showing of this picture ( Honey) on lower Fifth Ave, in New York, and to my delight and surprise, Nancy was there, accompanied by John Springer! Little did I realize then that this would be the last time I would see her alive. She was so vibrant and lively, I would have made bets that this spunky Irish gal would live to be 90! "
A very special thanks to Carl for sharing his letters with me!
" The first star I ever saw on the Paramount lot was Nancy Carroll. I walked in the gate (I was just an extra then) and her car drove up. I saw her with her bright red hair, very pretty Irish face and beautiful complexion. She stopped her car, smiled sweetly at me and motioned to me to go in before her. She was a big star at the studio and very much admired by her co-workers. I was fresh from Chicago and they paid us $7.50 a day to sit around the pool. The first film I was in was as an extra in FOLLOW THRU with Nancy and Buddy Rogers. I would love to see that again. I think I had one line. It was in early Technicolor. I think she later went east to do a play and I didn't hear much about her any more but I remember her kindness fondly."
Sincerely,
Frances Dee McCrea
A special thanks to Tom Toth for making the sharing of this story possible.
The following story has been graciously shared by Christin Lahiff Semprebon, a grandniece of Nancy's, as told by her father, Nancy's nephew. Thank you!
My dad told me a funny story about Nancy that I had to pass on to you. When he was small (about the early to mid 1940's), both his parents became very ill. Aunt Nancy came to stay with them and take care of the 5 kids. He said that his memory is of her working frenetically and "bug-eyed" in the kitchen to keep meals going for the large family. However, it turns out that Nancy knew very little about cooking, and created some God-awful meals that no one would touch!
I met Nancy Carroll in New York in 1962. She was beautiful & delightful as in her films. I gave her a lift & talked with her for about an hour. Many interesting capsules about her. As a 10 year old girl she walked from her home in Hells Kitchen to the water fountain in front of Grace Church to take a drink. She was very nostalgic about that when we drove by there,at Broadway and 10th St. -- Paul Georges
The following memory was related by Florida Hall of Fame honoree Wilhemina Harvey and sent to me by Michael Keith. Thank you so very much Michael!
"On our local Key West, Florida TV channel this week (Feb. 8, '02), the mayor-emeritus of the county, Wilhemina Harvey, was recollecting her early days on the island. Wilhemina celebrated her 90th birthday this week and is still the grand damme of the city. Asked which of the celebrities she has known over the years made the biggest impression on her she said it was Ernest Hemingway. She recalled working at her parent's drug store in the '30s where the Hemingways would often stop in to buy a box of candy for one of their house guests. One she remembered in particular, she said, was the actress, Nancy Carroll. Ernest had sent for a box of candy "for Nancy," whom she described as simply beautiful. "She had freckles," Wilhemina said. "I always remembered that she had been the Hemingway's guest."
