Joan Swenson (July 9, 1915 – January 29, 2005),[1] previously known as Joan Tompkins, was an American actress of television, film, radio, and stage.
Joan Tompkins | |
|---|---|
 Tompkins (right) as Susan Price Wells with Cameron Prud'homme and Charme Allen in the radio serial David Harum, 1947 | |
| Born | July 9, 1915 New York, U.S. |
| Died | January 29, 2005 (aged 89) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1953-1980 |
| Known for | |
| Spouse(s) | Steve Appleby Karl Swenson |
| Children | 4 stepsons |
Early life and career
editA New York City native, the eldest of two daughters born to Merritt E. Tompkins and Florence H. Aitken,[2][3] Tompkins performed with stock theater companies in Mount Kisco, New York and White Plains, New York.[4] She acted on Broadway in My Sister Eileen,[5] The Golden Journey,[6] Pride and Prejudice,[5] and Fly Away Home.[4]
Personal life
editOn July 25, 1936, Tompkins married actor Stephen Ker Appleby in Briarcliff, New York. They were divorced on December 4, 1941.[7] She was also married to actor Karl Swenson.[8][9]
Radio
editHer roles on radio programs include:
| Program | Role |
|---|---|
| Against the Storm | Siri Allen[10] |
| David Harum | Susan Wells[10]: 94 |
| Lora Lawton | Lora Lawton[10]: 206 |
| Our Gal Sunday | Madeline Travers[10]: 262 |
| This Is Nora Drake | Nora Drake[5] |
| Young Widder Brown | Joyce Turner[10]: 361 |
| Your Family and Mine | Judy Wilbur[10]: 362 |
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Made in Paris | Ruth (uncredited) | |
| 1969 | Popi | Miss Musto | |
| 1970 | Zig Zag | Judge Beth Weaver | Crime thriller film |
| The Christine Jorgensen Story | Aunt Thora | ||
| I Love My Wife | Grandma Dennison | Comedy film |
Television
editHer television roles included:
- Adventures in Paradise as Cora Summers in "Assassins" (1961)
- Hazel as Florence Gurney in "Hazel and the Gardener" (1962)
- The New Breed as Mrs. Marsh in "How Proud the Guilty" (1962)
- Bus Stop, as Sarah Jenkins in "The Runaways" (1961) and unknown role in "I Kiss Your Shadow" (1962)
- The Danny Thomas Show, two episodes (1959 and 1962)
- The Lieutenant, two episodes (1963–1964)
- Route 66, as Mrs. Thomas in "Between Hello and Goodbye" (1962)
- The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters as Martha Pollux in "The Day of the Wizard" (1964)
- The Eleventh Hour, three episodes, including the two-parter, "Does My Mother Have to Know?", in the role of Aggie Britt (1964)
- Mr. Novak as Mrs. Douglas Morgan, Sr., in "The Private Life of Douglas Morgan, Jr." (1964)
- Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. as Mrs. Harper in "A Date for the Colonel's Daughter" (1964)
- Perry Mason, three episodes (1962–1964)
- Dr. Kildare, three episodes (1962–1965)
- Slattery's People, as Dorothy Ralston in "Question, What Time Is the Next Bandwagon?" (1965)
- The Farmer's Daughter in "Katie's Castle" (1965)
- General Hospital, recurring as Nurse Genevieve Kendall Jones (1967–?)[8][11]
- My Three Sons, recurring as Lorraine Miller (1967-1970)
- Mannix as Mrs. Dover in "Turn Every Stone" (1967)
- Mission: Impossible as Miss Putnam in "The Seal" (1967)
- Occasional Wife as Mrs. Brahms in "Pilot" and "No Cookie for Dessert" (1966)[citation needed]
- I Dream of Jeannie as General's wife in "Invisible House for Sale" (1968)
- Bewitched as Harriet Walters in "Once in a Vial" (1968)
- The Brady Bunch as Mrs. Tyler in "The Honeymoon" (1969) which was that show's premiere episode
- Lassie, in two episodes, including the role of Mrs. Davis in the 1964 episode "The Little Christmas Tree" and as Katherine in the 1971 segment entitled "The Awakening"
- The Scarecrow as Mistress Cynthia Merton, television play (1972)
- The Mary Tyler Moore Show, as Mrs. Thorn, secretary to Lou Grant, episode "Who's in Charge Here?" (1972)
- Griff, as Ruth in "Elephant in a Cage" (1973)
- Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law, three episodes, including two as a judge (1973–1974)
- Barnaby Jones, three episodes, including role of Judge Edith Royce in "Voice in the Night" (1976)
- The Waltons, as Mrs. Herbert in "The Achievement" (1977), the final appearance of Richard Thomas in the series and the episode in which John-Boy Walton he obtains publication of his first novel[12]
- Emergency! as Maggie Trigg in "The Most Deadly Passage" (1978), made into a television movie the following year[citation needed]
References
edit- ^ "Social Security Death Index". ssdi.rootsweb.ancestry.com. Retrieved January 17, 2010.
- ^ "United States Census, 1930", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X4GZ-HYD : Sat Mar 09 13:19:29 UTC 2024), Entry for Merritt E Tompkins and Florence A Tompkins, 1930.
- ^ "United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6K97-FWVZ : 10 February 2023), Joan Tompkins Appleby, .
- ^ a b Dorfman, Nat (August 16, 1941). "Drama in Stage Job". The Brooklyn Citizen. p. 8. Retrieved October 28, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c "This Is Nora Drake Will Be New Serial Over KSCJ". Sioux City Journal. April 11, 1940. p. 10 - Section 2. Retrieved October 28, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Field, Rowland (September 16, 1936). "The New Play: 'The Golden Journey,' a New Comedy by Edwin Gilbert Is Presented by Lee Schubert at the Booth Theatre".
- ^ "Mrs. Appleby Obtains Divorce". The New York Times. December 5, 1941. p. 8. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
- ^ a b "Reunion of Pals". The Daily Herald. May 22, 1967. p. 2. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
- ^ "Actor Karl Swenson Dies". The Ledger. Florida, Lakeland. October 9, 1978. p. 2 A. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f Terrace, Vincent (1999). Radio Programs, 1924-1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows. McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 18. ISBN 978-0-7864-4513-4.
- ^ Terrace, Vincent (1985). Encyclopedia of Television Series, Pilots and Specials 1974-1984, Volume 2. New York: Zoetrope. p. 162. ISBN 0-918432-61-8.
- ^ "The Waltons: "The Achievement"". fandango.com. Archived from the original on April 5, 2011. Retrieved January 17, 2010.