Short Biography

Landis was born Frances Lillian Mary Ridste in Fairchild, Wisconsin to a Norwegian father, Alfred Ridste, and Polish mother, Clara Stentek Ridste. Her father abandoned the family before Carole was born. Author E. J. Fleming reported that Alfred Ridste may not have been Carole`s birth father and that her biological father was most likely Charles Fenner, Clara Ridste`s second husband. Carole was the youngest of five children. Two of her brothers died in childhood – Jerome was burned by scalding water and Lewis was accidentally shot. She had an unhappy childhood filled with poverty and sexual abuse. She blossomed into a stunning teenager and began winning local beauty contests. She was also an early feminist who tried to form an all-female football team in high school. Landis married a Irving Wheeler, a neighbor, in January 1934 but this marriage was annulled in February 1934. They later remarried on 25 August 1934, but divorced in 1939. She quit high school at age 15 and set herself on a path towards a career in show business.

Landis worked as a nightclub singer and a hula dancer in San Francisco before her 1937 film debut as an extra in A Star Is Born. She dyed her hair blonde and changed her name to "Carole Landis" after her favorite actress, Carole Lombard. Carole landed a contract with Warner Brothers and had a high profile engagement to choreographer Busby Berkeley. She continued appearing in bit parts until 1940 when Hal Roach cast her as a cave girl in One Million B.C. The movie was a sensation and turned Carole into a star. She was nicknamed "The Ping Girl" (which was supposed to be short for purring) and "The Chest" due to her impressive 36 DD inch bust. Although she desperately wanted to be taken seriously as an actress she was willing to pose for endless cheesecake photos if it helped her career. Carole`s trademark was a gold cross she always wore around her neck, which had been a gift from her friend Diana Lewis.

Tall, lean, glamorous and with a strong singing voice, Landis appeared in a string of successful films in the early forties, usually as the second female lead. In a time when the singing of many actresses was dubbed in, Landis`s own voice was considered good enough and was used in her few musical roles. Landis landed a contract with 20th Century Fox and began a sexual relationship with Darryl F. Zanuck. She had roles playing opposite fellow pin-up girl Betty Grable in Moon Over Miami and I Wake Up Screaming, both in 1941. When Carole ended her relationship with Zanuck, her career suffered and she was assigned roles in B-movies.

Her marriage to second husband, yacht broker Willis Hunt Jr., lasted just four months. She then married an Army Air Corps captain named Thomas Wallace in 1943, but this marriage also ended in divorce. Her many boyfriends included Franchot Tone, Gene Markey, Charlie Chaplin, and George Montgomery. Landis became a popular pin-up with servicemen during World War II. In 1942, she toured with comedienne Martha Raye, dancer Mitzi Mayfair and actress Kay Francis with a USO troupe in England and North Africa. Two years later, she entertained soldiers in the South Pacific with Jack Benny. Landis traveled more than 100,000 miles during the war and spent more time visiting troops than any other actress. She nearly died from amoebic dysentery and malaria she contracted while traveling overseas.

Besides being an actress, Landis was also an accomplished author. She penned several

Miscellaneous Information

Measurements

Bust: 37" C  Waist: 24"  Hips: 35"

Friends and Family

Florence Jones [Friend]

Dorothy Lamour [Friend]

Ann Sheridan [Friend]

Dick Haymes [Friend]

Phyllis Brooks [Friend]

Barry Wood [Friend]

Peggy McKenna [Friend]

Rudy Vallee [Friend]

Norma Koch [Friend]

Burgess Meredith [Friend]

Billie Burke [Friend]

Van Johnson [Friend]

Eddie Sutherland [Friend]

Margaret Roach [Friend]

Williard Parker [Friend]

Pat & Eloise O` brien [Friend]

William Powell [Friend]

Kay Francis [Friend]

Martha Raye [Friend]

Sonja Henie [Friend]

Linda Darnell [Friend]

Don Loper [Friend]

Dorothy Dandridge [Friend]

Patsy Kelly [Friend]

Dorothy Kilgallen [Friend]

Diana Lewis [Friend]

Marguerite Haymes [Friend] (mother of Dick Haymes)

Cesar Romero [Friend]

Lewis Ridste [Brother]

Jerome Ridste [Brother]

Lawrence Ridste [Brother]

Dorothy Ridste Ross [Sister]

Clara Stentek Ridste [Mother]

Alfred Ridste [Father]

Pets

Donner Dog [1941 - 1943]

Skeezix Dog

Jinx Dog

Lucky Dog

Miss C Cat

Gina Dog

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