Carole Landis
She performed 353 USO shows in 90 days across the South Pacific, then wrote a bestselling memoir about it at age 25.
1919–1948 (age 29)·American actress·Birthday: January 1·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Carole Landis completed a tour of North Africa and the South Pacific from January to April 1944, performing sometimes four shows a day for Allied troops. The tour covered 30,000 miles and inspired her memoir 'Four Jills in a Jeep,' which she wrote in six weeks. Twentieth Century-Fox released a film adaptation starring Landis within five months of the book's publication. She had entered Hollywood through a 1937 studio talent search, winning a contract with Warner Bros. after taking a screen test in a borrowed swimsuit. Landis starred in 21 films between 1940 and 1948, including the 1940 musical 'One Million B.C.,' which established her as a pin-up favorite. She divorced four times between 1940 and 1945, a frequency that generated more column inches than her film roles. Landis testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1947, naming two colleagues as Communist sympathizers. She died by suicide on July 5, 1948, at age 29, leaving a note that cited 'extreme emotional distress.' Her funeral at the Church of the Recessional in Glendale drew 500 mourners, including three ex-husbands. The 1944 tour established the template for future USO entertainment brigades, proving that major stars could perform within combat zones.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Carole was born in 1919, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Carole Was Born
The biggest hits of 1919
Carole's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1919Born
Treaty of Versailles signed; Prohibition ratified
President: Woodrow Wilson
1924Started school
First Winter Olympics held in Chamonix, France
President: Calvin Coolidge"It Had to Be You" — Isham Jones
1932Became a teenager
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1935Could drive
Social Security Act signed into law
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,450President: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Cheek to Cheek" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Mutiny on the Bounty
1937Could vote
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1940Turned 21
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1948Died at 29
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
Key Achievements
- Authored the 1944 memoir 'Four Jills in a Jeep,' which sold 100,000 copies in its first three months.
- Became one of the first Hollywood stars to perform for troops in active combat zones during World War II.
- Her 1941 film 'I Wake Up Screaming' established the visual template for film noir 'girl in peril' marketing.
Did You Know?
Landis painted all the original artwork for her memoir's chapter headings herself.
She was an accomplished pilot who logged over 200 hours of flight time.
Her fourth husband, actor Thomas C. Wallace, was her divorce lawyer before their marriage.
“We washed our hair in helmets and changed costumes in C-47 cargo planes. The stage was wherever they parked the jeep.”
