Jo-Carroll Dennison (December 16, 1923 – October 18, 2021) was an American actress and model who was Miss America 1942.

Early years

Dennison was born on December 16, 1923, in Florence, Arizona, the daughter of Elizabeth (née Brownd) and Harry Arthur Dennison, who ran a traveling medicine show in Texas. She was born in the infirmary of a men's state prison in Arizona, delivered by the prison doctor as he was the only medical help her traveling parents could find. Her father had wanted her to be born in California so the couple had been driving west from Texas when her mother went into labour. She was graduated from Hale Center High School in 1940,

Pageantry

Dennison was crowned Miss America September 12, 1942, after having entered the contest as Miss Texas. As Miss America during World War II, much of her time was spent visiting "Defense plants, hospitals and service camps" and selling war bonds. Per the Miss America tradition, it was insisted that she perform and dine with senior military personnel. She lobbied instead for doing so with the enlisted men, which helped set the standard for Bob Hope and other higher profile entertainers to do the same.

She was one of the first Miss Americas to refuse wearing a bathing suit during the year-long tour required of winners.

Film and television career

After her time as Miss America, Dennison went to Hollywood. On November 18, 1942, 20th Century Fox signed her to a seven-year contract. She had roles in Winged Victory and The Jolson Story, and many television roles, including The Frank Sinatra Show, Adventures of Kit Carson, Dick Tracy, Abbott and Costello, and Perry Mason

Personal life

Dennison married comedian Phil Silvers on March 2, 1945. They divorced March 8, 1950. The union produced no children. Dennison later married television producer Russell Stoneham and had two sons, Peter and John, with him. Her second marriage inspired the storyline for Redford and Streisand's dilemma in Arthur Laurents’ The Way We Were, she the free-spirited liberal and he the conservative pragmatist.

Filmography

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! Year

! Title

! Role

! Notes

|-

|1943|| The Song of Bernadette || Young Nun || uncredited

|-

|1943|| The Gang's All Here || minor role || uncredited

|-

|1944|| Ladies of Washington || Frieda || uncredited

|-

|1944|| Something for the Boys || minor role || uncredited

|-

|1944|| Winged Victory || Dorothy Ross ||

|-

|1945|| State Fair || Girl || uncredited

|-

|1946|| The Missing Lady || Gilda Marsh ||

|-

|1946|| The Jolson Story || Ann Murray ||

|-

|1950|| Beyond the Purple Hills || Mollie Rayburn ||

|-

|1950|| Prehistoric Women || Nika ||

|-

|1951|| Secrets of Beauty || Jo Carroll Dennison ||

|-

|1951|| Pickup || Irma ||

|-

|1951|| A Millionaire for Christy || Nurse Jackson || uncredited

|-

|1976|| Everybody Rides the Carousel || Stage 5 || voice

|}

References

  • Jo-Carroll Dennison at Miss America