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Carole Wells

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Carole Maureen Wells
Born (1942-08-31) August 31, 1942 (age 82)
EducationHollywood High School
Occupations
  • actress
  • opera singer
  • producer
  • author
Years active1956–present
Known for
Spouse
Edward Laurence Doheny IV
(m. 1963; died 1973)
(m. 1977; div. 1984)
Jerry Dean Vanier
(m. 2000)
Children4
Websitecarolewells.com

Photograph of Carole Wells


Carole Wells (born August 31, 1942) is an American actress, opera singer, producer and author.

Early years

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The daughter of a doctor,[1] Wells was born Carole Maureen Wells in Shreveport, Louisiana, the fourth of six children in her family. Her siblings were two brothers and three sisters.[2] She graduated from Hollywood High School,[3] where she was a sorority sister of future actress Linda Evans.[4]

Stage

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Wells began acting with a role in a play at a little theater in Burbank, California, when she was 12 years old.[5]

Described as a light soprano, Wells took opera lessons in the 1960s[2]: 199  and expanded her repertoire to musical theater, performing in "musical productions of The Sound of Music, Call Me Madam with Ethel Merman ... Wildcat with Martha Raye, and State Fair with Roger Smith."[2]: 200 

Television and film work

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Wells was selective with regard to working in television. She said: "There are certain things I don't want to do. I won't do a television series unless it's a real good one. You put too much into it for what you get out. It's hard to find a series that's good for a girl."[6]

Wells played Edwina Brown in the NBC drama National Velvet (1960-1962)[7] and Lucy Hanks in the CBS comedy Pistols 'n' Petticoats (1966-1967).[7]: 837  She also was seen on The Brian Keith Show,[8] Showcase 5 -- Something Special,[9] Wagon Train,[10] Police Woman,[11]

She appeared in the television series Medic, Father Knows Best, Bachelor Father, Maverick in "The Lass with the Poisonous Air," Fury, The Donna Reed Show, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, Wide Country, Laramie, National Velvet, Wagon Train, Leave It to Beaver, Ben Casey, Arrest and Trial, Perry Mason, Pistols 'n' Petticoats (as a series regular), The Virginian, The Sixth Sense, The Brian Keith Show, Switch, McCloud, Police Woman and 1st & Ten, among others.[12]

She appeared in the films A Thunder of Drums, Come Blow Your Horn, The Lively Set, Zorro in the Court of England, The House of Seven Corpses, Funny Lady and The Cheap Detective.[13][14]

Books

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  • Amberella: An Action Hero Adventure[15][16][17]
  • Hijacked: An Eyewitness Account of Evil (MotherBird Productions, 14 September 2018, ISBN 978-1732490901

Other work

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Wells is partnered with Bemer Group, a manufacturer of devices that boost blood circulation.[18][19]

Personal life

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Wells married Edward Laurence Doheny IV in June 1963.[2] Doheny was an "oil scion,"[20] the great grandson of Edward Laurence Doheny, the first man to successfully drill an oil well in the Los Angeles City Oil Field. Edward Laurence Doheny IV died of an overdose of sedatives, deemed to be suicide , on 14 Feb 1973 (aged 30), in Santa Monica, California. They had two sons.[2]: 200 

Later she married Walter J. Karabian,[21] a member of the California House of Representatives.[22] They had a son and a daughter.[2]: 203 

In 1977, while she and Karabian were on an "around the world honeymoon",[2]: 203  a Japan Airlines flight on which they were traveling (Japan Airlines Flight 472) was hijacked by Japanese terrorists who asked for a ransom of $6 million and release of nine terrorists from jail. After being released, Wells described the hijacking as "a terrible experience."[21] She was pregnant at the time and later suffered a miscarriage, which her husband attributed to the trauma of the hijacking.[23]

References

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  1. ^ Finnigan, Joseph (June 12, 1964). "Carole Wells Continues Acting, But She Doesn't Need Money". Albuquerque Journal. New Mexico, Albuquerque. p. 60. Retrieved May 24, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Lisanti, Tom (2003). Drive-in Dream Girls: A Galaxy of B-movie Starlets of the Sixties. McFarland. pp. 193–205. ISBN 9780786415755. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
  3. ^ Hopper, Hedda (September 8, 1962). "Buster Keaton Headed for Rome to Do Musical". Chicago Daily Tribune. Illinois, Chicago. p. Part 1-Page 13. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
  4. ^ Scheuer, Steven H. (January 26, 1969). "TV Mailbag". The Bridgeport Post. Connecticut, Bridgeport. p. 57. Retrieved May 27, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  5. ^ "Ann Sheridan Plays A Straight-Shooter". The Corpus Christi Caller-Times. Texas, Corpus Christi. September 11, 1966. p. 57. Retrieved May 27, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  6. ^ "Looks, Wealth, Brains, She Prefers Acting". Valley Morning Star. Texas, Harlingen. United Press International. June 12, 1964. p. 20. Retrieved May 27, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  7. ^ a b Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7. Pp. 745-746.
  8. ^ "(TV listing)". Abilene Reporter-News. Texas, Abilene. July 19, 1974. p. 121. Retrieved May 27, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  9. ^ "(TV listing)". Redlands Daily Facts. California, Redlands. December 3, 1966. p. 10. Retrieved May 27, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  10. ^ "'Wagon Train' Guest". The Corpus Christi Caller-Times. Texas, Corpus Christi. May 6, 1962. p. 73. Retrieved May 27, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  11. ^ "Guest Stars". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Texas, Lubbock. August 15, 1976. p. 106. Retrieved May 27, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  12. ^ Claesson, Samuel (November 2024). "Carole Wells". Classic Images.
  13. ^ "Overview for Carole Wells". Turner Classic Movies. Turner Broadcasting System. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  14. ^ "Carole Wells". AllMovie. All Media Network. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  15. ^ Wells, Carole. "Carole Wells (AMBERELLA panel on rotating marquee)". Carole Wells. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
  16. ^ Lisanti, Tom (July 28, 2013). "ACTRESS TURNED CHILDREN'S AUTHOR". Sixties Cinema. Tom Lisanti. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
  17. ^ Simmons, Steve. "Actress, Entrepreneur Carole Wells Pens First Children's Book". The Beverly Hills Courier. Paula Kent Meehan.
  18. ^ "Bemer Group: Carole Wells". Bemer Group. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
  19. ^ Wells, Carole. "Carole Wells (BEMER panel on rotating marquee)". Carole Wells. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
  20. ^ "Actress Carole Wells To Marry Oil Man". The Corpus Christi Caller-Times. Texas, Corpus Christi. October 23, 1962. p. 19. Retrieved May 24, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  21. ^ a b Mohiuddin, Alamgir (September 29, 1977). "Japan agrees to terrorists' demand to free nine prisoners". The Herald. Indiana, Jasper. United Press International. p. 3. Retrieved May 27, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  22. ^ "Japan Agrees to Pay Hijackers Ransom". Idaho State Journal. Idaho, Pocatello. Associated Press. September 29, 1977. p. 1. Retrieved May 27, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  23. ^ "Hijacking Victim Lost Baby". The Times. California, San Mateo. Associated Press. October 13, 1977. p. 7. Retrieved May 27, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
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