Joan Rice in 1973

Joan Rice in 1973

This is a slide of Joan Rice taken in about 1973. It is not known  exactly where she was, but this image may have been taken outside the stage door of a theatre. 

I have dedicated this blog to the memory of Joan Rice (1930-1997). She was personally chosen by Walt Disney to play the part of Maid Marian in his wonderful live action movie The Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men (1952). Today, Joan is almost completely forgotten, but down the years I have tried to piece her life together.

For a short period Joan's film career was very successful and she became one of the many British 'pin-up girls' of the 1950's. But sadly her career quickly waned and her last appearance on the silver screen was as a grave robbers wife in The Horror of Frankenstein (1970).

Joan's acting abilities were criticised by director Ken Annakin and film legend Richard Todd. But I have since discovered that after her work on the silver screen faded she continued a successful and distinguished stage career. 

Joan Rice in 'A View From The Bridge'

In September 1959, Joan played the part of Catherine, in Arthur Miller’s play A View From The Bridge at the Savoy Theatre in Kettering. Another highlight was in 1972, when she appeared alongside Davy Jones of 'The Monkees', James Hayter and Dave King in Forget Me Not at the Leeds Grand Theatre. This production was later voted 'play of the year' and went on tour. 

Joan also played the leading female roles in such plays as Rebecca, Tea and Sympathy, Dial M for Murder, Bell, Book and Candle and Gaslight.

The image of Joan Rice at the top of this page was taken in 1973. From the 20th February till the 10th March 1973 she appeared at the Theatre Royal Windsor in A Voyage Around My Father alongside Gay Hamilton. So, that could have been when she  The programme notes include a short bio about Joan:

"Joan was born in Derby and educated in a convent, and her hobbies are animals, she has two Labradors that attend rehearsals, music and bridge."

This blog now has 90 pages on the life and career of Joan Rice. To read more about Walt Disney's first Maid Marian click here.