Anecdotes

She desperately wanted to become a mother but suffered from endometriosis and could not have children. She had numerous other health problems during her life, including dysentery, malaria, pneumonia and depression.

Diana Lewis once gave Carole a gold cross as a gift. She wore the cross for the rest of her life and was even buried wearing it.

She adopted her stage name by choosing Carole because she was a huge fan of Carole Lombard and took the surname Landis after baseball commissioner Kenesaw M. Landis.

In her musicals, Carole usually sang in her own voice.

Spent more time visiting troops during World War II than any other Hollywood star. She nearly died from malaria she contracted while traveling overseas.

Rex Harrison, who had dined with her the previous night, discovered her body the day she committed suicide.

Became friendly with future author Jacqueline Susann in 1944 when they appeared together in the Broadway revue "The Lady Says Yes". The character of fragile, blonde Jennifer North in "Valley of the Dolls" is partially based on Landis.

She initiated divorce proceedings against her last husband in March 1948 but the divorce was not final when she died.

A keen amateur photographer, she developed her own pictures.

She tried to start a girls football team at school but got into trouble because it was considered un-ladylike.

Had four older siblings, two of whom survived her. Lawrence Bernard Ridste (1912-88), Lewis Andrew Ridste (1913-25), Jerome Arthur Ridste (1916-17) and Dorothy Anna Ridste Ross (1917-97). Her brother Lewis died after being accidentally shot in the abdomen by a friend. Her brother Jerome died in infancy after being burned by scalding water.

Her second husband, Willis Hunt, was stabbed to death by his sixth wife, Deannie Best, during a violent argument. Best, whose attorney claimed Hunt was "drunk and unstable" and picked up the butcher knife he was killed with, was acquitted in November 1970.

Carole's fourth husband, W. Horace Schmidlapp, was a Broadway producer from 1940 to 1946.

Carole protested strongly and publicly against the nonsensical nickname "The Ping Girl" (apparently short for "purring") coined by Hal Roach publicist Frank N. Seltzer in April 1940.

Was a good friend of actress Louise Allbritton and introduced her to Charles Collingwood, Louise's future husband.

Her name was legally changed to Carole Landis on April 23, 1942.

Had appeared with Cesar Romero in four films: Dance Hall (1941), A Gentleman at Heart (1942), Kalamazoo (1942) and Fleur d'hiver (1943).

She was interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, CA, in the Everlasting Love area.

Parents were Alfred Ridste, a railroad mechanic, and Clara Stentek Ridste. They separated when Carole was a baby.

Although she was never nominated for an Academy Award, she was a presenter at the 1942 and 1944 Oscars. At the 1941 ceremony, she caused a commotion when her slip fell out of her skirt.

She was highly athletic and passionate about sports. She participated in tennis, badminton, and golf. During high school, she was a pitcher on the baseball team.

She enjoyed eating and hated to diet. Her favorite foods were eggs, donuts, and corn on the cob. Her last meal on July 4, 1948, was roast chicken, a tossed salad, and lemon chiffon pie.

The press often said that she bore a strong resemblance to actress Carole Lombard. Unfortunately, Carole Lombard got annoyed with Carole after she flirted with her husband, Clark Gable, at a nightclub. This confusion became moot after Lombard died in a plane crash.

The American Honey Institute chose Carole to be their official "Honey Girl" in 1941.

In May 1947, Carole attended the Indianapolis 500 car race. She presented the winner, Mauri Rose, with a trophy.