The Only Official work of Connie Marshall.
The Norman Rockwell painting of Connie in Vermont, 1942 was taken from a photograph he took of her sitting on a bench in Central Park, New York, earlier that same year. The painting was called "The Meeting" and was published in a magazine that September. The actual painting was sold to Richard Blackwell, whom Connie visited at his home for a benefit meeting, and where she saw the same picture . As all records of Blackwell's up until 1943 were lost in a fire at his studio, there was no proof that this was Connie. When we contacted the curator of the museum in October 2008 we were asked how we knew it was Connie in the picture.
The CMS. has provided that proof to the Norman Rockwell Museum, and it is now accepted that Connie was the little girl in this picture, which is shown on the photo link on the site. Connie only made one other picture for Rockwell and that was of her tying her skates up. The founder of this society Malcolm James also forwarded pictures of Connie In the park minutes before the photo was taken by Rockwell as proof that it was Connie. Connie's elder sister was also with Connie on that day and varified our information to her own daughter.
Child model, Joan Caroll, who resembled Connie, did model for him.
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"Sunday Dinner for a Soldier" as Mary Osborne.
TCF released December 1944. Premiere Los Angeles on 21st December 1944.
Production date 26th June-mid-August 1944
Duration (in feet) 7,816
87 minutes.
Notes: Martha Cheaven's short story was purchased by TCF as "SDS" but was published as "Each in His Own Way".
In March 1944 memo Darry Zanuck suggested Charles Coburn, Charles Grapewin or Monty Wooley for the role of "Grandfeathers" but this was rejected for Charles Winneger. John Hodiak was borrowed from MGM for the soldier role.
The background photography was shot in Sarasota, Florida.
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"Sentimental Journey" as Mehitabel (Hitty)
(AKA "The Little Horse")
TCF Premiere released March 1946 premiere New York. U S A
94 minutes
Production Date 27th August to Late Oct 1945
The picture's title was taken from the popular song at the time.
The beach scenes in this picture were shot at Laguna Beach, California
TCF later remade this picture as "The Gift of Love" with Robert Stack.
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"Dragonwyck" as KatrineVan Ryn
TCF released 10th April 1946 premiere New York U S A
Production Date Mid February-Early May 1945
103 minutes
Gregory Peck was originally chosen to play the Vincent Price role.
Some scenes were filmed at Sherwood Forest, California.
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"Home Sweet Homicide" as April Carstairs
TCF released October 1946. Premiere 11th Sept New York U S A
90 minutes
Production Info 11th March to 18th April 1946. Addit scenes 14th May.
The houses used in this picture for the exterior shots actually belonged to Lloyd Bacon the director and were located at #3 and #5 Toluca Estates Drive in North Hollywood, CA. Both houses were rented to the studio for $1.00 each for 30 days.
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"Wake up and Dream" as Nella Cairns
(AKA "Give Me The Simple Life" and "The Enchanted Voyage")
TCF released December 1946 premiere Los Angeles. U S A 27th Nov 1946
92 minutes
Production date early May-early August 1945
Filmed in bayous around New Orleans and on Lake Pontchartrain, LA. Plus exteriors in Arcadia,CA in the area that became the Los Angeles County Arboretum.
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"Mother Wore Tights" as Mikie Burt
TCF released September 1947 premiere New York U S A on 20th August.
107 minutes
Production date mid Oct 1946 until mid Jan 1947
Peggy Ann Garner was down to play Iris Burt but the role went to Mona Freeman. Taken from the real story by Miriam (Mikie) Young's biography of her parents for $23,000.
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"Daisy Kenyon" as Marie O'Mara
TCF released December 25th 1947 premiere Los Angeles. U S A on 27th November 1947.
100 minutes
Production date 16th June to early August 1947
Exteriors were filmed at the Greenwich Theatre in New York. Joan Crawford was borrowed from Warner Bros for this picture.
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"Mr Blandings Builds His Dream House" as Betsy Blanding's
RKO released June 1948 premiere (information not available)
95 minutes
Production date early October to late December 1947
Multiple sets were built at Hunter Ranch, near Girard, CA, in what is now Malibu Creek State Park. The finished house set is currently being used as a Park facility.
73 Blandings houses were constructed around the country when RKO sold the plans to a builders. The houses were constructed in Bel Air,CA, Washington,D.C. and Portland and Toledo, Ohio
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"Down to the Sea In Ships" (Scenes deleted) as neighbour)
TCF release date March 1949 World premiere New Bedford & New York. U S A
120 minutes
It is important to credit Connie here for this picture has she did make it. The studio records show that when this film was completed Ruth Donnerly, Connie Marshall and Hubert E.Flanagan as neighbours of Capt Joy in New Bedford, were shot but cut before release.
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"The Green Promise" as Abigail Matthews.
RKO released March 22nd,1949 world premiere Chicago December 1948 &
Houston. U S A March 2nd 1949
95 minutes
Production Dates 23rd August-early October 1948 at the Samuel Goldwyn Studio.
Some scenes of this film were shot in Feather River Country in Northeast California.
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"Kill the Umpire" as Suzie Johnson.
Columbia released December 1950??? premiere not available
78 minutes
Production dates 29th November to 24th December 1949.
Some scence were shot at Gilmore Field in Los AAngeles, the home ballpark of Hollywood Stars.
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"The Twonky" as Suzie
UA release date June 10th 1953 no premiere
Production dates November to December 1951
72 minutes
The only part Connie plays in this is a girl who enters the house with some friends. In the small part she has one of her friends says to her,"O shut up Suzie". At least we now have a name for her in this film. This is where you heard it first.
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"Saginaw Trail" as FloraTourney
Columbia released September 1953 premiere not available
Production date Early January 1953
54 minutes
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"Rogue Cop" as Frances (Uncredited)
MGM released October 8th 1954 premiere New York. U S A
Premiere New York 17th September 1954
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This was a list of all her cinema pictures.
Further television series were also made in between 1952 and 1954.
1952 "Big Town" episode called "Embezzlement"
1952 "Sky King" as Ellen Barret
1952 "Doc Corkle" as Daughter Corkle
1953 "City Detective" as Joanne in "My Sainted Aunt"
1953 "The Pride of the Family" as Martha
1953 "The Canterville Ghost" as Lady Jessica-de Canterville
1954 "The Halls of Ivy" as Mother to be
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Radio Show credit now follows:
The Hallmark Playhouse, "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn"
April 4th 1949, with James Dunn. 30 minutes
Broadcast nationally by CBS Radio Studio L.A. on April 28th 1949, Connie's birthday.
This information concerning Connie's episode above was not known by anybody including the family.
As a result of a postcard found in Connie's belongings this Society traced the information and made it possible for all of you to know of her credit here. Thank you Paco and Heidi who assisted me in finding out this information.
This year the CMS. has established her credit to the painting above, the episode of "The Canterville Ghost" and now this episode of "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn"
Credits richly deserved by our Connie.
New discovery:
On December 21st, 22nd and 23rd 1984 Connie made her debut as a director with "A Christmas Carol" at the Cinnabar Theatre, 3333 Petaluma Blvd, Petaluma.
The other director of this production was Harvey Bell, the stars were John McTeer as Scrooge, Chuck Lewis as Dickens, Eddy Arnold as Bob Cratchit, Lew Gardner as Marley's Ghost and Nickolas Frazee as Tiny Tim.
