Carol Nugent
Encyclopedia
Carol Lou Nugent is an American
actress who began her career as a child. Nugent appeared in over 20 feature films and 11 television programs during the 1940s, 50s and 60s. Her 1959 marriage to actor Nick Adams was widely publicized until his death in 1968.
, the elder daughter of Lucille and Carl Nugent. Her father was a property master for MGM and her mother later became a talent agent, managing Carol's career along with that of her younger sister Judy Nugent
.
(1950) and Belles on Their Toes
(1952) but as a child actor never quite made the transition from bit player to larger roles. However, as a teen Nugent grew into ingenue parts on television and in B films. She was a supporting actor throughout her career, which tapered off sharply after she married and had children.
that year. They had two children together, Allyson Lee Adams (born 1960) and Jeb Stuart Adams (born April 1961).
In a 1961 interview Nick said, "Carol is my good-luck charm. My first real success, the turn of the tide, came right after I fell in love with her. Then I formed my own production company and we sold The Rebel
." However, in the same interview Nugent said, "Let's not overdo the sweetness and light. Naturally, Nick and I had our problems at the start". Gossip columnist Rona Barrett
later wrote that Nugent "was one of the most refreshing wives in the entire community."
In 1965, seemingly without warning, during a promotional television appearance on the Les Crane Show
Adams announced he was leaving her. This began a very public period of bitter separations and temporary reconciliations which lasted until his death in 1968. Nugent filed for divorce and custody of the children went back and forth between her and Adams but she was listed as his spouse on the death certificate and when he died she was living with their two children only a few blocks from his house in Beverly Hills.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress who began her career as a child. Nugent appeared in over 20 feature films and 11 television programs during the 1940s, 50s and 60s. Her 1959 marriage to actor Nick Adams was widely publicized until his death in 1968.
Early life
Nugent was born in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, the elder daughter of Lucille and Carl Nugent. Her father was a property master for MGM and her mother later became a talent agent, managing Carol's career along with that of her younger sister Judy Nugent
Judy Nugent
-Early life:Nugent was born in Los Angeles, California, daughter of Lucille and Carl Nugent. Her father was a property master for MGM, her mother later became a talent agent, managing Judy's career and that of her older sister, Carol Nugent.-Career:...
.
Hollywood career
Nugent was a child actor, first appearing on screen at age seven in Secret Command (1944). She played small parts in four more movies over the next three years and in one of these, she and her sister Judy portrayed the same character at different ages. She was in a few popular hits, including Cheaper by the DozenCheaper by the Dozen (1950 film)
Cheaper by the Dozen is a 1950 film based upon the 1948 book Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey. The film and book describe growing up in a family with twelve children in Montclair, New Jersey. It was made in Technicolor with Leon Shamroy as cinematographer...
(1950) and Belles on Their Toes
Belles on their Toes (film)
Belles on Their Toes is a film based on the eponymous novel, Belles on Their Toes by Frank Bunker Gilbreth, Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey. The film had its debut in New York City on May 2, 1952. It was directed by Henry Levin. Henry Ephron and Phoebe Ephron wrote the screenplay...
(1952) but as a child actor never quite made the transition from bit player to larger roles. However, as a teen Nugent grew into ingenue parts on television and in B films. She was a supporting actor throughout her career, which tapered off sharply after she married and had children.
Personal life
In 1959 when she was 21 Nugent married actor Nick Adams after they dated for a short time. She appeared in a guest role for his television series The RebelThe Rebel (TV series)
The Rebel is an American Western television series that ran originally on the ABC network from 1959 to 1961. The program was produced by Goodson-Todman Productions, marking one of their few non-game show ventures...
that year. They had two children together, Allyson Lee Adams (born 1960) and Jeb Stuart Adams (born April 1961).
In a 1961 interview Nick said, "Carol is my good-luck charm. My first real success, the turn of the tide, came right after I fell in love with her. Then I formed my own production company and we sold The Rebel
The Rebel (TV series)
The Rebel is an American Western television series that ran originally on the ABC network from 1959 to 1961. The program was produced by Goodson-Todman Productions, marking one of their few non-game show ventures...
." However, in the same interview Nugent said, "Let's not overdo the sweetness and light. Naturally, Nick and I had our problems at the start". Gossip columnist Rona Barrett
Rona Barrett
Rona Barrett is an American gossip columnist and businesswoman. She currently runs the Rona Barrett Foundation, a non-profit organization in Santa Ynez, California, dedicated to the aid and support of senior citizens in need.-Career and personal life:As a teenager, Barrett overcame a degenerative...
later wrote that Nugent "was one of the most refreshing wives in the entire community."
In 1965, seemingly without warning, during a promotional television appearance on the Les Crane Show
Les Crane
Les Crane , born Lesley Stein, was a radio announcer and television talk show host, a pioneer in interactive broadcasting who also scored a spoken word hit with his 1971 recording of the poem Desiderata, winning a "Best Spoken Word" Grammy.Born in Long Beach, New York , Crane...
Adams announced he was leaving her. This began a very public period of bitter separations and temporary reconciliations which lasted until his death in 1968. Nugent filed for divorce and custody of the children went back and forth between her and Adams but she was listed as his spouse on the death certificate and when he died she was living with their two children only a few blocks from his house in Beverly Hills.
Filmography
- Secret Command (1944) ... as Joan
- Little Mister Jim (1946) ... as Clara
- The Sea of GrassThe Sea of Grass (film)The Sea of Grass is a 1947 western-drama film. It was directed by Elia Kazan and based on the novel of the same name by Conrad Richter. The movie stars Katharine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy and Melvyn Douglas....
(1947) ... as Sarah Beth at age 7 - Green Dolphin Street (1947) ... as Veronica at age 7
- It Had To Be YouIt Had to Be You (1947 film)It Had to Be You is a 1947 romantic comedy film starring Ginger Rogers and Cornel Wilde.-Cast:* Ginger Rogers as Victoria Stafford * Cornel Wilde as George McKesson/Johnny Blaine* Ron Randell as Oliver H.P. Harrington...
(1947) ... as Victoria at age 6 - Cheaper by the Dozen (1950 film)Cheaper by the Dozen (1950 film)Cheaper by the Dozen is a 1950 film based upon the 1948 book Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey. The film and book describe growing up in a family with twelve children in Montclair, New Jersey. It was made in Technicolor with Leon Shamroy as cinematographer...
... as Young Girl - Trail of Robin HoodTrail of Robin HoodTrail of Robin Hood is a 1950 American Trucolor film starring Roy Rogers and filmed in the San Bernardino Mountains and Big Bear Lake California...
(1950) ... as Sis McGonigle - Here Comes the GroomHere Comes the GroomHere Comes the Groom is a 1951 musical romantic comedy film starring Bing Crosby and Jane Wyman. Directed and produced by Frank Capra, the film was released by Paramount Pictures.-Plot:...
(1951) ... as McGonigle Girl - It's A Big Country (1951) ... as Girl
- Belles on Their ToesBelles on Their ToesBelles on Their Toes is a 1950 book written by Frank Bunker Gilbreth, Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey. This book was the follow-up to the 1948 book Cheaper by the Dozen which covered the period before Frank Gilbreth Sr died. Belles on Their Toes was written about the family after the death of...
(1952) ... as Lily Gilbreth - The Story Of Will Rogers (1952) ... as young Mary Rogers
- The Lusty MenThe Lusty Men (film)The Lusty Men is a 1952 western film made by Wald-Krasna productions and RKO Radio Pictures. The film stars Susan Hayward, Robert Mitchum, Arthur Kennedy, and Arthur Hunnicutt...
(1952) ... as Rusty Davis - Fast Company (1953) ... as Jigger Parkson
- Ma and Pa Kettle at HomeMa and Pa Kettle at HomeMa and Pa Kettle at Home is a 1954 American comedy film directed by Charles Lamont and starring Marjorie Main and Percy Kilbride as "Ma and Pa Kettle".-Synopsis:...
(1954) ... as Nancy Kettle - Drum Beat (1954) ... as Young Girl
- The Gentle Web (1956) ... as Dancer
- Lost, Lonely, and Vicious (1958) ... as Pinkie
- The BadlandersThe BadlandersThe Badlanders is a western film directed by Delmer Daves and starring Alan Ladd and Ernest Borgnine. It was written by Richard Collins, based upon the novel The Asphalt Jungle by W.R. Burnett.-Plot:...
(1958) ... as stagecoach passenger's daughter - Inside The Mafia (1959) ... as Sandy Balcom
- The Crimson Kimono (1959) ... as Girl
- Vice Raid (1960) ... as Louise Hudson
Television Credits
- The Gene Autry ShowThe Gene Autry ShowThe Gene Autry Show is an American western/cowboy television series which aired for 91 episodes on CBS from July 23, 1950 until August 7, 1956, originally sponsored by Wrigley's Doublemint chewing gum.-Overview:...
: "Return of Maverick Dan" (1951) ....as Barbara "Bobbie" Blake - TV Reader's DigestTV Reader's DigestTV Reader's Digest is the title of a 30 minute American television anthology drama series which aired on the ABC from 1955 to 1956.Based on articles that appeared in Reader's Digest magazine, the episodes based on true stories which were varied in their themes, plots and content. Themes included...
: "If I Were Rich" (1955) - The Life and Legend of Wyatt EarpThe Life and Legend of Wyatt EarpThe Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp is a Western television series loosely based on the adventures of frontier marshal Wyatt Earp. The half-hour black and white series ran on ABC-TV from 1955 to 1961 and featured Hugh O'Brian as Earp. An off-camera barbershop quartet sang the theme song and hummed...
: "Shootin' Woman" (1957) ....as Young Woman - The 20th Century-Fox Hour: "Threat To A Happy Ending" (1957) ....as Anne
- Death Valley DaysDeath Valley DaysDeath Valley Days is an American radio and television anthology series featuring true stories of the old American West, particularly the Death Valley area. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program was broadcast on radio until 1945. It continued from 1952 to 1975 as a syndicated television series...
: "The Calico Dog" (1957) ....as Nancy Drake - The Adventures of Wild Bill HickokThe Adventures of Wild Bill HickokThe Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok is an American Western television series which ran for eight seasons from 1951 through 1958. The Screen Gems series began in syndication, but ran on CBS from 1955 through 1958, and, at the same time, on ABC from 1957 through 1958.-Synopsis:The Adventures of Wild...
: "Town Without Law" (1958) ....as Sue Lightfoot - Mickey Spillane's Mike HammerMickey Spillane's Mike HammerMickey Spillane's Mike Hammer is the title used for two syndicated television series that followed the adventures of fictional private detective Mike Hammer...
: "That Schoolgirl Complex" (1958) ....as Claudia - Perry MasonPerry Mason (TV series)Perry Mason is an American legal drama produced by Paisano Productions that ran from September 1957 to May 1966 on CBS. The title character, portrayed by Raymond Burr, is a fictional Los Angeles defense attorney who originally appeared in detective fiction by Erle Stanley Gardner...
: "The Case of the Fraudulent Foto" (1959) ....as Helen Preston - The Millionaire: "Millionaire Charles Bradwell" (1959) ....as sister
- The RebelThe Rebel (TV series)The Rebel is an American Western television series that ran originally on the ABC network from 1959 to 1961. The program was produced by Goodson-Todman Productions, marking one of their few non-game show ventures...
: "Yellow Hair" (1959) ....as Indian Girl - Family AffairFamily AffairFamily Affair is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from September 12, 1966 to September 9, 1971. The series explored the trials of well-to-do civil engineer and bachelor Bill Davis as he attempted to raise his brother's orphaned children in his luxury New York City apartment. Davis' traditional...
: "A Matter Of Tonsils" (1968) ....as Miss Jones
External links
- Alyson Adams at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- Jeb Stuart Adams at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...