Joyce Holden (1930-)

biography

Born in Missouri on September 1, 1930, actress Joyce Holden made only a handful of films during her brief career. Nonetheless, she starred in several now-cult classic films including Girls in the Night (1953; with Glenda Farrell and Harvey Lembeck), The Werewolf (1956), and Terror From the Year 5000 (1958). Holden signed with Universal in 1949 and landed her first film role in the comedy The Milkman (1950; with Piper Laurie). Universal press releases in the early 1950s made much of Holden's youth and inability to gain weight.

the films of joyce holden

The Milkman (1950)

You Never Can Tell (1951)

Bronco Buster (1952)

Girls in the Night (1953)

joyce holden today

When her contract with Universal International lapsed in 1953, Joyce Holden's film career floundered. She found work as a model and on television, acting in many anthology programs, such as The Lux Video Theater and General Electric Theater in the mid 1950s. Holden had a brief first marriage to songwriter Arnold Stanford that proved turbulent, ending with their divorce in November 1955. Her second marriage in 1958 called a halt to her acting career. Holden's last film was the effective 1958 American International horror flick Terror From the Year 5000, originally released on a double bill with The Screaming Skull. Following the release of this film, she then retired to concentrate on domestic life and her religion.

joyce holden films available from movies unlimited

Sam Katzman: Icons Of Horror Collection [DVD] DVD
This collection of four chill-packed classics from prolific producer Sam Katzman begins with "Creature with the Atom Brain" (1955), as a down-and-out mobster enlists the aid of a wicked German scientist to create an army of murderous zombies to serve as his personal squad of assassins. Michael Granger, Angela Stevens star. Next, an amnesiac man (Steven Ritch) goes from a guinea pig to "The Werewolf" (1956), suffering the after-effects of an experimental serum coursing through his veins. With Joyce Holden and Don Megowan. Eager treasure hunters have their work cut out for them when a sunken ship off the African coast is found to be loaded with a fortune in diamonds...as well as the "Zombies of Mora Tau" (1957)! Gregg Palmer, Allison Hayes, Morris Ankrum star. AKA: "The Dead That Walk." Then, look, up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a puppet! It's "The Giant Claw" (1957)! Can Jeff Morrow and Playboy Playmate Mara Corday stop the ferocious, big-beaked alien fowl before it destroys the world? Ankrum, Louis Merrill also star. 4 3/4 hrs. total on two discs. Standard/Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English; bonus shorts "Terror Faces Magoo" (1959), "Midnight Blunders" (1936); theatrical trailers.
Terror From The Year 5000 [DVD](1958) DVD
A beautiful woman arrives on Earth from the distant future in an attempt to bring humans back with her and repopulate a world devastated by radioactivity. Salome Jens, Ward Costello, Joyce Holden star in this AIP fave. 66 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English mono; theatrical trailers; scene access.
The Man Behind The Badge [DVD] DVD
Includes "The Case of Operation Sabotage," "The Case of the Capital Crime," "The Case of the Dying Past," and "The Case of the Hunted Hobo." 104 min. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English. Plays All Regions.

joyce holden photos available

filmography

FILMS
Terror from the Year 5000 (1958) with Ward Costello and Salome Jens; aired on Mystery Science Theater 3000 during season eight
The Werewolf (1956) with Steven Ritch and Don Megowan
Girls in the Night (1953) with Glenda Farrell, Patricia Hardy, Harvey Lembeck, and Dolores Fuller
Private Eyes (1953) with Leo Gorcey and Huntz Hall
Murder Without Tears (1953) with Craig Stevens
Bronco Buster (1952) with Scott Brady and Chill Wills
You Never Can Tell (1951) with Dick Powell and Peggy Dow
Iron Man (1951) with Jeff Chandler and Rock Hudson
Target Unknown (1951) with Mark Stevens and Gig Young
The Milkman (1950) with Donald O'Connor, William Conrad, and Piper Laurie

TELEVISION SERIES
The Guiding Light, 1952-present CBS daytime drama. Holden portrayed Marie Grant during the 1954 season

joyce holden links

Glamour Girls of the Silver Screen: Joyce Holden
Visit the Glamour Girls of the Silver Screen website for photos and an interesting, well-researched biography of Joyce Holden.