Joyce Compton

{{Short description|American actress (1907–1997)}}

{{Use American English|date=November 2021}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2021}}

{{distinguish|Betty Compton}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Joyce Compton

| image =

Joyce Compton in I Take This Oath.jpg

| caption = Compton in I Take This Oath (1940)

| birth_name = Olivia Joyce Compton

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1907|01|27|mf=yes}}

| birth_place = Lexington, Kentucky, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1997|10|13|1907|01|27|mf=yes}}

| death_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S.

| resting_place = Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills

| occupation = Actress

| years_active = 1925–1961

| spouse = {{marriage|William Francis Kaliher
|1955|1956|end=div}}

}}

Olivia Joyce Compton (January 27, 1907 – October 13, 1997) was an American actress.

Biography

Compton was born in Lexington, Kentucky,Compton, Joyce and Ankerich, Michael (2009). "The Real Joyce Compton: Behind the dumb blonde movie image". [http://bearmanormedia.bizland.com/id430.html BearManor Media], pp. 286-87. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090701235539/http://bearmanormedia.bizland.com/id430.html |date=July 1, 2009 }} the daughter of Henry and Golden Compton. (Despite frequent reports to the contrary, her name was not originally "Eleanor Hunt"; she had appeared in the film Good Sport (1931) with Hunt and this confusion in an early press article followed Compton throughout her career.){{cite news|title=Nostalgia Notes|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35219407/the_courierjournal|access-date=24 August 2019|work=The Courier-Journal|date=January 15, 1989|location=Kentucky, Louisville|page=23|via=Newspapers.com}} After graduating high school she spent two years at the University of Tulsa, studying dramatics, art, music and dancing. She won a personality and beauty contest and spent two months in a film studio as an extra.

Compton first made a name for herself when she was named one of the WAMPAS Baby Stars in 1926 with Mary Brian, Dolores Costello, Joan Crawford, Dolores del Río, Janet Gaynor and Fay Wray. Compton appeared in a long string of mostly B-movies from the 1920s through the 1950s. She was a comedy actress and protested at being stereotyped as a "dumb blonde".Compton & Ankerich, (2009), p. 12.

File:Joyce Compton-Robert Benchley in Bedtime Story.jpg in Bedtime Story]]

Among her over 200 films{{cite book| last=Lamparski |first=Richard |year=1982 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EuoszdLBzFcC&q=Joyce+Compton |title=Whatever became of-- ?: eighth series |publisher=Crown Publishers|isbn=9780517548554 }} were Imitation of Life, Magnificent Obsession, The Awful Truth, Mildred Pierce, and The Best Years of Our Lives.Compton & Ankerich, 2009.

A devout Christian, on her gravestone, just beneath her dates of birth and death, is written "Christian Actress".{{Citation needed |date=January 2022}} She died from natural causes, aged 90, and was buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ladyevesreellife.com/2019/11/joyce-compton-what-character.html|title=Joyce Compton, What a Character!|first=The Lady|last=Eve}}

Awards

For her contributions to the motion picture industry, Compton was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on the south side of the 7000 block of Hollywood Boulevard.{{Cite web|url=http://projects.latimes.com/hollywood/star-walk/joyce-compton/|title=Joyce Compton|website=Los Angeles Times}}

Selected filmography

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References

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Further reading

  • {{cite book |last= Alistair |first= Rupert |title= The Name Below the Title : 65 Classic Movie Character Actors from Hollywood's Golden Age |chapter= Joyce Compton |pages= 72–75 |date= 2018 |edition= First |type= softcover |publisher= Independently published |location= Great Britain |isbn = 978-1-7200-3837-5}}
  • {{cite book |last= Maltin |first= Leonard |title= The Real Stars : Profiles and Interviews of Hollywood's Unsung Featured Players |chapter= Joyce Compton |pages= 38–56 |date= 2015 |edition= Sixth / eBook |orig-year=First published 1969 |type= softcover |publisher= CreateSpace Independent |location= Great Britain |isbn = 978-1-5116-4485-3}}