Joan Lorring, Oscar-Nominated Actress, Dead At 88

Joan Lorring, veteran performer and Oscar-nominated actress, died Friday at the Sleepy Hollow suburb in New York City. She was 88.

Lorring, whose supporting role as Bessie Watty on the 1945 film The Corn is Green, gained an Academy Award nomination, left behind two daughters, two grandchildren, and thousands of fans who fell in love with her American sweetheart persona on film. The cause of her passing has not yet been confirmed by representatives of Lorring’s family.

The Corn is Green told the story of a schoolteacher who dedicated herself to bringing proper education to a Welsh coal mining town despite massive adversary. The schoolteacher is played by Bette Davis. Cast member and actor John Dall was nominated Best Supporting Actor alongside Joan Lorring, who was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress award. The award went to Anne Revere from the movie National Velvet. Despite her loss, Lorring continued to dominate the early Hollywood limelight with multiple projects on TV and film.

Following her The Corn is Green character were equally wonderful roles in Three Strangers and The Verdict.

Aside from movies, Lorring also appeared on TV, where she snagged regular roles on Ryan’s Hope and The Love Boat. She was also a busy Broadway star, performing for various theater groups and stages across the country. One of her Broadway credits is Come Back, Little Sheba, where Lorring played Marie. She won a Donaldson Award in 1950 for the role.

Joan Lorring even got the chance to work with Dustin Hoffman on the made-for-TV movie The Star Wagon.

Born in Hong Kong, Joan Lorring traveled to San Fransisco in 1939 to try her luck on radio. After achieving a fair amount of success, Lorring was invited to try out the newest frontiers of entertainment — the movies.

Here is a snippet from The Verdict:

One of her most memorable roles was in Alfred Hitchcock Presents, where the young Joan Lorring plays the sister of axe murderess Lizzie Borden.

Joan Lorring retired from Hollywood in the 70s and married a New York endocrinologist, Martin Sonenberg, who died in 2011.

Lorring remains to be an inspiration, not just for fans, but for current actresses trying to replicate the late actress’ on-screen charisma.

No funeral announcements have been made by representatives of the veteran actress as of this writing. Fans who would like to give their tributes are advised to wait for instructions from direct family members of Joan Lorring.

[Image from Wikimedia]