Joan Tetzel Explained

Joan Tetzel
Birth Name:Joan Margaret Tetzel
Birth Date:21 June 1921
Birth Place:New York City, U.S.
Death Place:Fairwarp, Sussex, England
Occupation:Actress
Spouse:
    Yearsactive:1946 - 1976

    Joan Margaret Tetzel (June 21, 1921 – October 31, 1977) was an American actress.

    Early years

    Tetzel was born in New York City and grew up in the Spuyten Duyvil section of the Bronx. Her father, an illustrator, was Austrian, and her mother was Scottish-Canadian.[1]

    Radio career

    Tetzel played in When a Girl Marries and Woman of Courage, both on CBS.[2]

    Film career

    Tetzel is noted for her performance in Alfred Hitchcock's The Paradine Case (1947), in which she played "Judy Flaquer", the daughter of the solicitor played by Charles Coburn in the film. In the movie, she is the confidante and best friend of the wife (Ann Todd) of defense lawyer Anthony Keane (Gregory Peck), and is able to objectively see how Keane is ruining his marriage because of his infatuation with Mrs. Paradine (Alida Valli).

    Her other film appearances included Duel in the Sun (1946), The File on Thelma Jordon (1950), Hell Below Zero (1954) and Joy in the Morning (1965).

    TV career

    Tetzel also worked with Alfred Hitchcock in his TV series Alfred Hitchcock Presents. She played "Eve Ross" in the Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode "Guest for Breakfast". In 1963, she appeared as Marian Stuart, wife of the title character, in Perry Mason's, "The Case of the Decadent Dean." Tetzel also made appearances on Thriller ("An Attractive Family" and "The Devil's Ticket") and Gunsmoke.

    Theater career

    Aside from her movie career, Tetzel was a well-known stage actress. She appeared in the 1940 revival of Liliom, the original stage production of I Remember Mama, and portrayed Nurse Ratched in the stage production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest on Broadway. As a noted stage actress, her photo appeared on the front cover of Life Magazine on Monday 16 February 1948.[3]

    Tetzel's other Broadway credits include The Winner (1953), Red Gloves (1948), Strange Bedfellows (1947), Pretty Little Parlor (1943), Peepshow (1943), Harriet (1942), The Damask Cheek (1942), and The Happy Days (1940).[4]

    Marriages

    Her first husband was radio producer John E. Mosman.[5] Her second husband was Oscar Homolka (1898–1978), whom she married in 1949.

    Death

    Tetzel died October 31, 1977, at her home Beri-Be-Dahn, Fairwarp, Sussex, England, aged 56, from cancer and pneumonia.[6]

    Partial filmography

    Notes and References

    1. News: Boasts Record at 17. The Evening News. January 27, 1939. Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. 18. Newspapers.com. April 28, 2017.
    2. Say Hello to .... Radio and Television Mirror. September 1940. 14. 5. 48. 8 March 2015.
    3. (front cover). 29 April 2017. Life. February 16, 1948.
    4. Web site: ("Joan Tetzel" search results). Playbill Vault. Playbill. 29 April 2017.
    5. News: Joan Tetzel of Jackson Heights Plays in 'Harriet'. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. June 20, 1943. New York, Brooklyn. 28. Newspapers.com. April 28, 2017.
    6. Book: Wilson. Scott. Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed. (2 volume set). 2016. McFarland. 9781476625997. 739. 29 April 2017. en.