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Joan Lorring (born Mary Madeline Ellis on April 17, 1926) is a Hong Kong-born American actress. Lorring fled with her mother in 1939 following the Japanese invasion. The two of them settled in San Francisco, California in the United States, where young Mary began working in radio. Her first film role (by which time the studio had changed her name to "Joan Lorring") was in Song of Russia in 1944. She made The Bridge of San Luis Rey in the same year, and, in 1945, appeared opposite Bette Davis in The Corn Is Green as Bessie Watty. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting... MORE

Joan Lorring (born Mary Madeline Ellis on April 17, 1926) is a Hong Kong-born American actress. Lorring fled with her mother in 1939 following the Japanese invasion. The two of them settled in San Francisco, California in the United States, where young Mary began working in radio. Her first film role (by which time the studio had changed her name to "Joan Lorring") was in Song of Russia in 1944. She made The Bridge of San Luis Rey in the same year, and, in 1945, appeared opposite Bette Davis in The Corn Is Green as Bessie Watty. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the role. In 1950, Lorring appeared on Broadway in Come Back, Little Sheba. She began performing on television, acting in starring roles in the soap opera Valiant Lady and the sitcom Norby. She also had a small role in the 1970s soap opera Ryan's Hope before retiring. Lorring was married to Martin Sonenberg, a New York endocrinologist, until his death on June 27, 2011. The couple has two daughters. http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/washingtonpost/obituary.aspx?n=martin-sonenberg&pid=152277227 Academy Award LESS