In Memory of Former Child Star Anne Carter: 10 Years After Her Tragic Death From Cancer

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It's been ten years since former child star Ann Carter died of cancer at 77. Best known for supernatural-based movies from the 1940s, Carter had been stricken with polio, and her acting career was derailed. She returned to her beloved craft, but that took some time. This is her story.

A Closer Look

Ann Carter was born June 16, 1936 in Syracuse, New York.

At 3-years-old, she moved with her mother Nancy, initially an aspiring actress, to Palm Springs, CA, in order to benefit Nancy's health. Carter's father Bert was a Chrysler exectuive, who between California and Detroit.

Following a short stay with relatives, Carter and her mother relocated to West Los Angeles, where the young girl was discovered by Hollywood executives on a bus.

Veronica's On-Camera Daughter

At 4-years-old, Ann Carter fascinated producers and directors by her remarkable resemblance to famed actress Veronica Lake.

Subsequently, Carter was cast as Lake's daughter in I Married a Witch, one of three supernatural geared movies, among others, that she made in the 1940s. The other two were Cat People and Curse of the Cat People.

Other Screen Shots

In all, Ann Carter appeared in 18 motion pictures including Last of the Duanes, Commandos Strike at Dawn, The Two Mrs. Carrolls, The Boy With the Green Hair, and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court.

Sadly, in 1948, Carter developed polio while still in her teens. Four years later, she made her last movie: The Member of the Wedding.

Following a substantial, if not full, recovery from polio, Carter enrolled at Occidental College, Los Angeles. Fortuantely, the money she earned from acting helped to pay medical expenses and education.

In Her Final Years

In the last three decades of her life, Ann Carter live in Washington state. She passed away on January 27, 2014, in North Bend, Washington, following a lengthy, noble battle with ovarian cancer.

Lasting Impression

Unlike many former child stars before and after her, Ann Carter lived a relatively-stable life. She faced her challenges, personally and professionally, but she remained married to the same man (Crosby Newton) for 56 years. They had three children, and three grandchildren.