Canadian country music artist and songwriter. Born in Port Medway, Nova Scotia, March 4, 1949 Inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 1992
Miss Florida Fruits and Vegetables of 1949.
Her trouble with Warner Bros. continued when she declined to act in a series of movies based on books by pulp writer Erskine Caldwell. This led to her losing out on outside offers to do The Three Faces of Eve for 20th Century-Fox, and both Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and The Brothers Karamazov for MGM.
When she refused to play a nymphomaniac in the trashy Too Much, Too Soon , Warner Bros. refused to loan her out to appear opposite Laurence Olivier , Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas in The Devils Disciple .
While in Hollywood to test for Giant , director Nicholas Ray met with her on James Dean s suggestion to discuss playing the role of Judy in Rebel Without a Cause . Bakers new husband Jack Garfein insisted that she return to New York once the test was shot, and negotiations were broken off.
Though this may only be studio hype, in 1964 an African Masai chieftain reportedly was so fascinated by Baker that he offered 150 cows, 200 goats and sheep, and $750 for her while she was on location in Kenya for Mister Moses .
She became a nightclub dancer to raise money for her tuition at the Actors Studio.
Received the National Arts Club Medal of Honor in New York City.
Received a career Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2011 Hoboken International Film Festival.
Visited USS Ticonderoga CV-14, with Bob Hope , as part of his morale-boosting visits for the soldiers, sailors and airmen during the Vietnam War in 1965.
Despite playing the daughter of Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor in Giant , she was just nine years younger than Hudson and actually nine months older than Taylor.
Awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1725 Vine St. on February 8, 1960.
Awarded a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars in Palm Springs, CA, on May 4, 2001.
Retired from acting in 2003 after 50 years in the motion picture industry.
Spent several years--from the late 1990s to 2007--caring for her third husband, who suffered from emphysema. She remained retired from acting since being widowed in 2007.
As of August 2010, was residing in London, England.
Gave birth to her first child at age 25, daughter Blanche Joy Garfein (aka Blanche Baker ) on December 20, 1956. The childs father is her second [now ex] husband, Jack Garfein.
Gave birth to her second child at age 26, son Herschel David Garfein, on January 17, 1958. The childs father is her second [now ex] husband, Jack Garfein.
As of 2016, she is the third earliest surviving recipient of a Best Actress Oscar nomination, behind only Olivia de Havilland and Leslie Caron. She was nominated for the comedy-drama Baby Doll .
Grandmother of Zane Van Dusen (born September 27, 1984) and Dara Van Dusen (born June 23, 1986) via daughter Blanche Baker and her first husband, Bruce Van Dusen.
Following the death of Debbie Reynolds in December 2016, she is--as of January 2017--the only surviving cast member of the 24 credited actors in the epic Western How the West Was Won .
She has English and Polish ancestry.
Delivered her daughter Blanche naturally and her son Herschel via forceps.
After Baby Doll (1956) I did some Westerns. I would try to do,something so far away from "Baby Doll".
