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| Joan Rice promoting Innoxa in1954 |
Above is an advert dated by the Innoxa company to 1954, featuring the beautiful English actress Joan Rice (1930-1997).
Joan rose to fame as Maid Marian in Walt Disney's Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men (1952). This site is dedicated to her memory.
Joan promoted Innoxa Fashion Cream, described by the company as:
... far more than ordinary cake make-up and ideal for all types of skin. Needs no water and keeps the skin soft and radiant.
Shades: Honey Blonde, Sun Glow, and Golden Sand.
The year that the Innoxa advert appeared witnessed a turning point in Joan's film career. During December 1953, Joan had given birth to a son Michael, then January 1954 saw the release of the lavish Technicolor adventure His Majesty O'Keefe. Joan played the beautiful island girl Dalabo Aki Dali alongside Burt Lancaster.
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| Joan Rice as Dalabo |
But, after the release of The Crowded Day in October 1954, Rank Organisation did not renew her contract. There is a lot of speculation as to why this happened. Some claim it was her struggle with asthma that curtailed her career. But I am not so sure.
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| Joan as Peggy French in The Crowded Day |
In January 1955, Joan appeared in Norman Wisdom's second movie One Good Turn. A month later, she was photographed by the press leaving London airport en route for Dublin to appear on stage in the play Welcome Stranger at the Gaiety Theatre. Sadly the magical whirlwind that had lifted her to the dizzy heights of Hollywood was waning.
To read more about the life of Joan Rice, please click on the label.
