Donna Corcoran

Donna Corcoran (born September 29, 1942)[1] is an American former child actress who appeared in several Hollywood films of the early 1950s. She most notably appeared in two aquatic musicals that featured Esther Williams (playing swimmer Annette Kellerman as a child in one of them), and as a vulnerable girl being victimized by an emotionally disturbed babysitter (played by Marilyn Monroe) in a more serious drama, Don't Bother to Knock.

Donna Corcoran
Corcoran in Scandal at Scourie (1953)
Born	(1942-09-29) September 29, 1942 Quincy, Massachusetts, U.S.
Years active	1951–1963
Spouse(s)	Luis Felipe Guerrero Newman (1961-?) Jerry Keene (1981-2017, his death)
Parent(s)	Kathleen McKenney William Corcoran, Sr.
Relatives	Siblings: Noreen Corcoran Kevin Corcoran Kelly Corcoran Hugh Corcoran Brian Corcoran William Corcoran, Jr. Kerry Corcoran

After making her last film in 1955, she made a token comeback as a young adult in an episode of the long-running television sit-com My Three Sons (starring Fred MacMurray) in the early 1960s before finally leaving acting altogether.

Corcoran was born in Quincy, Massachusetts, to William Henry Corcoran, Sr. (1905–1958) and the former Kathleen H. McKenney (1917–1972).[1] Several of her siblings were also child stars, including younger sister Noreen Corcoran,[2] who played Kelly Gregg on John Forsythe's Bachelor Father (CBS, NBC, and ABC). Two younger brothers also went into acting: Kevin Anthony Corcoran, a star of various Walt Disney films and later a director and producer, and Kelly Corcoran (1958–2002), as a child star, appeared in the Barry Sullivan western series The Road West (1966–1968). Another brother, Brian Corcoran, also worked in television as a youth.

Personal life

Corcoran married Luis Felipe Guerrero Newman, a rancher, in 1961; they had two daughters and later divorced. She married mining engineer Jerry Keene in 1981, and they remained wed until his death in 2017.[1]

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1951	Angels in the Outfield[3]	Bridget White	with Paul Douglas and Janet Leigh
1952	Love Is Better Than Ever	Janice Lee Yogurt	Uncredited
1952	Young Man with Ideas	Caroline Webster
1952	Don't Bother to Knock	Bunny Jones	with Marilyn Monroe
1952	Million Dollar Mermaid	Annette - 10 years old	with Esther Williams
1953	Scandal at Scourie[3]	Patsy	with Walter Pidgeon and Greer Garson
1953	Dangerous When Wet[4]	Junior Higgins	again with Esther Williams
1954	Gypsy Colt[5]	Meg MacWade	with Ward Bond
1955	Moonfleet	Grace	with Stewart Granger

References

1. Stebick, Thomas A. (December 2019). "The Corcoran Kids". Classic Images (534): 7–15, 58–67.
2. Barnes, Mike (January 16, 2016). "Noreen Corcoran, the Adopted Niece on TV's 'Bachelor Father,' Dies at 72". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 1 June 2019. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
3. "All-Star Cast Featured In Center Theater Film". Kingsport Times-News. Tennessee, Kingsport. July 19, 1953. p. 15. Retrieved 1 June 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Williams, Lamas Are Musical Stars". The Paris News. Texas, Paris. July 26, 1953. p. 6. Retrieved 1 June 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "'Gypsy Colt' Appeals To Children, Adults". Casper Star-Tribune. Wyoming, Casper. April 18, 1954. p. 18. Retrieved 1 June 2019 – via Newspapers.com.

Bibliography

• Best, Marc. Those Endearing Young Charms: Child Performers of the Screen (South Brunswick and New York: Barnes & Co., 1971), pp. 45–49.

External links

• Donna Corcoran on IMDb