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Carol Forman

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Carol Forman
Carol Forman in the movie serial, "The Black Widow" (1947)
Born
Maude Carolyn Sawls

(1919-06-19)June 19, 1919
DiedJuly 9, 1997(1997-07-09) (aged 78)
OccupationTelevision actress
Years active1946–1961
Spouse(s)Robert Forman (1940-?) (divorced)
William Dennis (?-1979) (his death)

Carol Forman (June 19, 1919 – July 9, 1997) was an American actress best known for playing exotic villains in action serials, particularly Spider Lady in the 1948 Superman serial, as well as Sombra, the lead villainess in the 1947 Republic serial The Black Widow.[1]

Early life

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Born Maude Carolyn Sawls in Epes, Alabama on July 19, 1919 (some sources indicate 1918), the eldest of two children of Edward D. Sawls, a carpenter, and Annabelle Fleming, a homemaker.[2] Her interest in acting began as a youngster. By the time she was six years old, she was starring in school plays. She would continuing acting throughout high school.[3]

As a teenager, she moved to Memphis. While in Memphis, she worked as a cosmetics salesperson. It was there that she met and married her first husband, Robert D. Forman in 1940. The marriage didn't last long.[4][5]

Career

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By the mid-1940s, Forman had moved to California. While working in small community theater productions, mostly in unsympathetic roles, she was discovered by a talent scout from RKO Pictures. In 1946, RKO signed her to a contract.[3] One of her early roles was playing Raymond Burr's girlfriend in his first film, Code of the West. She played opposite Burr again in San Quentin.[6]

Forman became better known for her appearances in movie serials in which she differed from other actresses by playing villainesses exclusively. Her characters occasionally used disguises to go undercover or to impersonate other characters, in the same manner as Batman, or Artemis Gordon in The Wild Wild West TV series years later. In 1952, in the nostalgic musical comedy By the Light of the Silvery Moon starring Doris Day, Forman spoofed her serial persona by appearing briefly as an evil woman in a young boy's daydream.

She also made guest appearances on The Cisco Kid starring Duncan Renaldo and Leo Carrillo in the early 1950s.

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1946 From This Day Forward Counselor in Unemployment Office Uncredited
Nocturne Receptionist Uncredited
The Falcon's Adventure Helen Ray
San Quentin Ruthie
1947 Code of the West Milly
Honeymoon Nurse Uncredited
Desperate Mrs. Henry Roberts Uncredited
Under the Tonto Rim Juanita
The Black Widow Sombra, The Black Widow Serial
Brick Bradford Queen Khana Serial
1948 Docks of New Orleans Nita Aguirre
Superman Spider Lady Serial
The Mozart Story Catherine Cavallieri (new scenes)
The Feathered Serpent Sonia Cabot
1949 Federal Agents vs. Underworld, Inc Nila Serial
Brothers in the Saddle Flora Trigby
1951 Oh! Susanna Blonde Uncredited
1952 Blackhawk Laska Serial
1953 By the Light of the Silvery Moon Dangerous Dora Uncredited
1961 Ada Newspaper Woman Uncredited, (final film role)

Death

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She died in Burbank, California on July 9, 1997, of natural causes.[6]

References

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  1. ^ Cline, William C. "Filmography". In the Nick of Time. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 0-7864-0471-X.
  2. ^ "Fourteenth Census of the United States (1920) [database on-line], Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama, Enumeration District: 65, Page: 3A, Line: 17, household of Edward D. Sawls". United States: Family Search. January 3, 1920. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Carol Forman". The Files of Jerry Blake. January 6, 2013. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  4. ^ "Sixteenth Census of the United States (1940) [database on-line], Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee, Enumeration District: 7, Page: 62A, Line: 2, household of Polk L. Riley Jr". United States: The Generations Network. June 1, 1940. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  5. ^ "Tennessee, County Marriages, 1790-1950". United States: Family Search. July 17, 1940. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  6. ^ a b "Carol Forman; Actress in Movies, TV Series". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles. July 18, 1997. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
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