Donna Corcoran
Donna Corcoran (born September 29, 1942)[1] is an American former child actress who appeared in several Hollywood films of the early 1950s. She most notably appeared in two aquatic musicals that featured Esther Williams (playing swimmer Annette Kellerman as a child in one of them), and as a vulnerable girl being victimized by an emotionally disturbed babysitter (played by Marilyn Monroe) in a more serious drama, Don't Bother to Knock.
Donna Corcoran | |
|---|---|
 Corcoran in Scandal at Scourie (1953) | |
| Born | September 29, 1942 Quincy, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Years active | 1951–1963 |
| Spouse(s) | Luis Felipe Guerrero Newman (1961-?) Jerry Keene (1981-2017, his death) |
| Parent(s) | Kathleen McKenney William Corcoran, Sr. |
| Relatives | Siblings: Noreen Corcoran Kevin Corcoran Kelly Corcoran Hugh Corcoran Brian Corcoran William Corcoran, Jr. Kerry Corcoran |
After making her last film in 1955, she made a token comeback as a young adult in an episode of the long-running television sit-com My Three Sons (starring Fred MacMurray) in the early 1960s before finally leaving acting altogether.
Corcoran was born in Quincy, Massachusetts, to William Henry Corcoran, Sr. (1905–1958) and the former Kathleen H. McKenney (1917–1972).[1] Several of her siblings were also child stars, including younger sister Noreen Corcoran,[2] who played Kelly Gregg on John Forsythe's Bachelor Father (CBS, NBC, and ABC). Two younger brothers also went into acting: Kevin Anthony Corcoran, a star of various Walt Disney films and later a director and producer, and Kelly Corcoran (1958–2002), as a child star, appeared in the Barry Sullivan western series The Road West (1966–1968). Another brother, Brian Corcoran, also worked in television as a youth.
Personal life
Corcoran married Luis Felipe Guerrero Newman, a rancher, in 1961; they had two daughters and later divorced. She married mining engineer Jerry Keene in 1981, and they remained wed until his death in 2017.[1]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | Angels in the Outfield[3] | Bridget White | with Paul Douglas and Janet Leigh |
| 1952 | Love Is Better Than Ever | Janice Lee Yogurt | Uncredited |
| 1952 | Young Man with Ideas | Caroline Webster | |
| 1952 | Don't Bother to Knock | Bunny Jones | with Marilyn Monroe |
| 1952 | Million Dollar Mermaid | Annette - 10 years old | with Esther Williams |
| 1953 | Scandal at Scourie[3] | Patsy | with Walter Pidgeon and Greer Garson |
| 1953 | Dangerous When Wet[4] | Junior Higgins | again with Esther Williams |
| 1954 | Gypsy Colt[5] | Meg MacWade | with Ward Bond |
| 1955 | Moonfleet | Grace | with Stewart Granger |
References
- Stebick, Thomas A. (December 2019). "The Corcoran Kids". Classic Images (534): 7–15, 58–67.
- Barnes, Mike (January 16, 2016). "Noreen Corcoran, the Adopted Niece on TV's 'Bachelor Father,' Dies at 72". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 1 June 2019. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
- "All-Star Cast Featured In Center Theater Film". Kingsport Times-News. Tennessee, Kingsport. July 19, 1953. p. 15. Retrieved 1 June 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Williams, Lamas Are Musical Stars". The Paris News. Texas, Paris. July 26, 1953. p. 6. Retrieved 1 June 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- "'Gypsy Colt' Appeals To Children, Adults". Casper Star-Tribune. Wyoming, Casper. April 18, 1954. p. 18. Retrieved 1 June 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
Bibliography
- Best, Marc. Those Endearing Young Charms: Child Performers of the Screen (South Brunswick and New York: Barnes & Co., 1971), pp. 45–49.
