Tuesday 23 March 2021

Cigarette Card Stars (2) : Joy Hodges

"Joy has appeared in a number of films, her latest being Universal's 'Service de Luxe' released by General Film Distributors Ltd. Every morning she takes a plunge into the El Mirador pool at Palm Springs, for she believes in swimming for the figure."

The mention of Service de Luxe dates the card to 1938, one of two films she appeared in that year. Joy was born in Des Moines, Iowa in 1915. She made her screen debut in 1935 and appeared in a number of films in the late 1930s as either a singer or actor including appearing with Fred Astair in Follow the Fleet (1936). She also appeared in a number of Broadway musicals and made some TV appearances in the 1950s and early 1960s.

Her main claim to fame is helping Ronald Reagan become a movie star whom she knew in Des Moines when he was a sportscaster. When he later met her in Hollywood, she helped him get started in the acting game. Their friendship continued, and when Reagan was the President, she was a frequent guest at the White House. Joy died in 2003.