Biography for
Joan Marshall (I) More at IMDbPro »

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Born in Chicago in 1931, Joan attended St. Clement's School. Looking far more "mature" than her age would indicate, when she was just 14 years old she auditioned for, and was hired, as a Showgirl at Chicago's Chez Paree, one of the country's foremost nightclubs in the 1940s & '50s. Two years later she was appearing in Las Vegas productions. Vegas was also where she met her first husband and her son, Steven, was born. Daughter Shari was born 3 years after Steven. Moving to Beverly Hills, she starred in the TV series "Bold Venture" (1959) in the 1959-60 season. She made some 10 feature films, liking only of few of them. In 1961 she starred in Homicidal (1961) (billed as Jean Arless) playing 2 roles, one as a male. This small film has developed a cult-like following. A woman of great beauty and style, she was signed by CBS and appeared often on such TV shows as Jack Benny & Red Skelton's. She had a gift for comedy, which often was overlooked because of her beauty. Possessing a flair for writing, in the 1970s Joan collaborated with her best friend (from grammar school days in Chicago, and an award winning writer) Dirk Wayne Summers, co-scripting TV sitcoms. She married film director Hal Ashby and, over the first 6 months of their marriage, and at his insistance, she related personal experiences of her life. Mr. Ashby (and Robert Towne) turned Joan's life into the film Shampoo (1975). She was not pleased that her husband had used such personal details in creating this film. (Joan Marshall did a cameo in "Shampoo" and can be seen in the opening scene in the Beauty shop.) Her real-life wedding (to Ashby) can be seen in the opening scenes behind the credts in Ashby's 1970 film The Landlord (1970). Ashby died in 1988, and in 1989 Joan married business executive Mel Bartfield. Although there were many rumors that Joan was secretly wed to 'Richard Chamberlain', this was not the case. She and the gifted Mr. Chamberlain were -- and remained -- very close friends. After visiting Jamaica, Joan fell in love with the island nation, where she had a home, and subsequently died in June 1992. Her ashes were spread under her favorite tree on the property.

Spouse

Trivia

It has long been speculated that Joan Marshall was the twin-sister of Writer/Director Dirk Wayne Summers. This may have been started by Joan herself. She always referred to Dirk as her 'brother,' and they introduced each other to their various friends as brother & sister. (They were the exact same age; went to the same elementary school & high-school together,and they did look remarkably alike.) Plus, their relationship was best described as 'familial,' always remaining constantly close. But no definitive information of their being siblings has ever been disclosed; Joan is now deceased and Dirk refuses to discuss the subject.

When Joan Marshall married business executive Mel Bartfield in 1990 in Los Angeles, her best friend (perhaps her brother?) writer/director Dirk Summers performed the wedding ceremony. (Summers became an Ordained Minister in 1969.)

Was originally cast as the mother character (then known as Phoebe Munster) and was filmed in that role in the test episode of "The Munsters" (1964) shown to network executives. However, she was subsequently replaced by Yvonne De Carlo when filming began for the first season (network executives thought Marshall's Lily Munster was too much like Morticia Addams).

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