Joel Thomas AshleyGuernsey, Jr., Otis L. (December 13, 1942). "14 New Shows in Broadway Debuts". The Miami News. p. 11-C. (April 7, 1919 – April 7, 2000) was an American character actor of stage, screen and radio, known for his versatility"Kay Francis and Able Cast Present 'Favorite Stranger'". Post-Bulletin. February 16, 1949. p. 3.—with stage roles ranging from Abraham LincolnWarner, Ralph (April 30, 1944). "NEW PLAYS: 'War President' a Play by Experimental Theatre". Daily World. p. 7. "Lincoln, played by Joel Ashley, emerges as a human being; the disruptive McClellan of Alexander Scourby is clear, and in lesser roles, Russell Collins, Joanna Roos and others are nicely cast." to Frankenstein's monster,"'Frankenstein' To Be Given By Capitol Players". Hartford Courant. June 21, 1939. p. 10. "Joel Ashley, who plays the role of Wayne Trenton, Marion Hardy's love interest in the present show, will drop the raiment of a romantic leading man to assume garb of a monster fashioned together by a mad scientist from odds and ends found in an assortment of eerie places." Prince Potemkin, and "Tiny" Tyler (Heywood Broun's unschooled but quick-study star ballplayer)—and for a series of theatrical leading man assignments, opposite Mae West,"MAE TRIES HER CURVES IN HISTORICAL DRAMA". The Spokesman-Review. August 7, 1944. p. 10. "As Catherine Il., Mae is shown here in the last scene. Prince Potemkin, played by Joel Ashley, kneels to kiss her hand." Elisabeth Bergner,"On the Screen; On the Stage". The Daily Oklahoma. December 30, 1947. p. 27. "All the glamour in 'The Two Mrs. Carrolls' is not confined to Elisabeth Bergner. The leading man is Joel Ashley, who plays the part of Geoffrey Carroll, and who wants to murder his wife because he is infatuated with Cecily Harden, played by Rochelle Heller (above, with Ashley), who has been sitting for a portrait for him." and, most notably, an extended period attached exclusively to Kay Francis."'A Brand New Technique'; Kay Francis 'Fascinated' by Arena Theater Setup". Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph. June 17, 1951. p. 25. "Kay Francis, the well-known screen and stage star, and Joel Ashley, who has been her leading man in her last five plays, prepare for their opening in 'Let Us Be Gay' in Bill Green's Arena Theater tomorrow night."
Early life and career Born April 7, 1919, in Atlanta, Georgia, son of actress and script supervisor Beulah Ashley [née Rodgers], Joel Ashley never knew his father and, for the better part of his pre-adult life, resided either at military boarding schools—primarily Georgia Military Academy, Peekskill Military Academy, and, later, the Black-Foxe Military Institute—or with his mother's family in Macon.
In either 1934 or early the next year (following the marriage of her sister, actress Barbara Rogers [née Emma Lee Rodgers"Macon Girl Gets Chance At Stardom in Hollywood". The Macon Telegraph. December 15, 1932. p. 5. "[I]t was learned that Barbara Rogers, listed as a Waycross blonde beauty in the group, is really Emily Rodgers of Macon, the 'baby' of Mr. and Mrs. J. T. Rodgers on Poplar Street [...] Barbara, who was Emma Lee, or Emily, then left Macon five years ago to spend three years in New York as a model for a big dressing establishment, living with her sister, Mrs. M. Fels.. [...] The Rodgers have lived in Macon nearly all their married life, except for an interval when they lived in Valdosta, where Emma Lee was born."], to Warner Brothers executive William Koenig"Koenig and Actress Will Remarry Here". Hollywood Citizen-News. February 20, 1935. p. 4. "Mr. Koenig said he and the actress were married a year ago at Tijuana but because of criticism of Tijuana marriages, they had decided to remarry in California."), Beulah brought her son to Los Angeles, where, on or just after his sixteenth birthday, Ashley made his Tinseltown stage debut—with backstage assists from both Beulah and Barbara—at Hollywood Military Academy, portraying Jim Hunter in Aunt Julia's Pearls, a three-act comedy penned by Boston-based educator and sometime playwright Hope Hearn Moulton."Hollywood Cadets in Mystery Drama". Evening Vanguard. April 13, 1935. p. 2. "[T]he "three-act mystery comedy, 'Aunt Julia's Pearls,' was presented by cadets this week at Hollywood Military Academy in the school auditorium. [...] In the masculine roles were: John Duffy, as Mr. Hunter; Joel Ashley, as Jim Hunter; [...] Of assistance in the makeup were Miss Barbara Rogers and Mrs. Beulah Ashley."Library of Congress. Copyright Office (1928). Catalog of Copyright Entries, New Series. Part 1, Group 3: Dramatic Compositions, Motion Pictures 1928: Vol. 1, No 1-12. United States Government Printing Office. p. 32. Moulton, Hope Hearn (1934) Exposition in Playwriting: Past and Present Methods. Boston University. . WorldCat.
Meanwhile, the Rogers-Koenig connection appears to have facilitated the film debuts—albeit uncredited—of both Ashleys, his mother doing rewrites on Warner Brothers' new James Cagney film, G Men,Roddick, Nick (1983). A New Deal in Entertainment : Warner Brothers in the 1930s. London : British Film Institute. p. 297. . "Ass.p-Lou Edelman. U.m-Frank Mattison. D-William Keighley. Ass.d-Chuck Hansen. 2nd.d-William K. McGann. Sc-Seton I. Miller, from his own story ‘Public Enemy No. T. Ph-Sol Polito. Camera-Al Green. Ed-Jack Killifer. Script-Beulah Ashley. A.d-John J. Hughes. Properties-Bill Kuehl. Cost-Orry-Kelly. M.d-Leo F. Forbstein." and Joel as the stunt double powering novice swashbuckler Errol Flynn's breakout performance in that same studio's box-office hit, Captain Blood.Kear, Lynn; Rossman, John (2006). Kay Francis: A Passionate Life and Career. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. p. 148. . The roundabout way in which Ashley actually landed this job is revealed in an anecdote related nine years later by Richmond Independent entertainment writer L. L. Stevenson. Joel Ashley, who played the young lead opposite Margaret Lindsay in 'Another Love Story,' was well started in the films before he joined the Marines a couple of years ago. His first chance came when he was working with Warner Bros. as a studio electrician. One day he slid down a rope, from the top of the stage practically into the lap of Michael Curtiz, the director. Instead of bawling him out, Curtiz promptly signed Ashley for a part in the picture he was making. It seems that he had been searching for actors who could slide down the rigging of a ship and Ashley, all unconsciously, had given an exhibition of what he could do in that line. In short, he slid right into the movies.Stevenson, L. L. (February 7, 1944). "Lights of New York; One Way". The Richmond Independent. In fact, judging from a San Francisco Examiner piece published two years later still, what Ashley had slid into was a whole slew of very much the same type of assignment—i.e. stunt doubling."Tivoli Drama in Last Week". The San Francisco Examiner. February 25, 1946. p. 8. "Joel Ashley [...] started his theatrical career by doubling for Hollywood stars while he was attending college. After appearing in stock for a short period, he headed east and scored in 'The American Way,' with Frederic March, 'Catherine Was Great,' with Mae West, and other legitimate productions. At the conclusion of the present Bergner tour, young Ashley intends to resume his Hollywood career." By his own account (which, to be clear, makes no mention of Blood, nor any of the specific titles in question), Ashley's film appearances during this period totaled about 20, and comprised a portion of his career best forgotten."Joel Ashley Is A Versatile Chap". The Philadelphia Inquirer. July 16, 1944. p. 37. "Joel Ashley, now appearing in 'Catherine Was Great,' was born in Forrest Hills, Long Island,[sic] of a partly literary family. He attended the University of Southern California and afterwards the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He admits having appeared in about 20 films, all of them 'quickies,' which he wants to forget. On the radio he has taken part in several serial 'soap operas' and in stock he has tried his fortunes in Lake Mahopic, N. Y., Hartford, Baltimore, Maplewood, N.J., and in Los Angeles." For the record, three of these in which Ashley's appearance received at least a passing press mention are the musical comedy Top of the Town (1937),"Capable Cast To Present Children's Theatre Play; 'Who's Who' of Clare Tree Major Troupe Shows Players Have Had Varied Experience". The News-Virginian. November 12, 1938. p. 1. "Joel Ashley [...] has appeared in various motion pictures, including 'I Met My Love Again,' 'Top of the Town' and others. His colorful career includes football playing at the University of California, and a period as a cowboy in Texas." the romantic drama, I Met My Love Again (1938), and the adventure comedy/buddy film Girl from Havana (1940)."At the Local Theatres: At the Capitol; Thursday and Friday". The Kingston Whig-Standard. January 18, 1941. p. 10. "Extra! Extra! There were four hundred and fifty of them used for three days' shooting of a large cafe scene in the Republic film, 'Girl From Havana.' [...] Steffi Duna, Addison Richards, Abner Biberman, Bradley Page, Jay Novello and Joel Ashley are some of the principals in the large cast of players." During this initial Hollywood tour, Ashley also worked in radio at least once, when, in August 1937, he was heard on KMTR in Los Angeles, appearing in the 15-minutes playlet, "Interference"."Tonight–Tomorrow: Sunday Programs". Hollywood Citizen-News. August 28, 1937. p. 16. "KMTR at 1:30 will broadcast a 15 minute playlet entitled 'Interference,' the cast to include Betty Arthur, Susan Lang, Joel Ashley and Ted Summers."
In June 1938, after paying his grandparents a visit in Macon, Ashley moved to New York, where he worked in summer stock and later attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts."City Items". The Macon News. June 7, 1938. p. 11. He also got his first taste of Broadway, "carrying a spear" in Kaufman and Hart's The American Way, starring Frederic March and Florence Eldridge. During this period, he also worked as a stevedore and a model for John Robert Powers.Stevenson, L. L. (December 25, 1943). "Lights of New York". The Richmond Independent.
Following his graduation from the AADA in 1940,"Daughter, Like Her Mother, Weds Leading Man In Cast; Margalo, Whose Father was Francis Wilson, Becomes Wife Of Hilltop Star, Joel Ashley". The Baltimore Sun. June 5, 1942. p. 6. "Ashley and his bride [...] are both busily rehearsing for the play which will open their season Tuesday night. He joined the United States Marines two years ago but has been discharged because of a knee injury suffered in the line of duty. Both he and Margalo were graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. [...] Margalo and her mother spent the winter near Hollywood where Ashley was appearing in films." Ashley joined the newly formed Hollywood Group Theater (modeled after its New York namesake), along with playwright Alfred Gehri, musical director Lou Halmy, art director Pierre Marquet, and actors such as Judith Allen, Sig Arno, Iphigenie Castigliani, Ann Lee, and Ernő Verebes. For its initial offering, on Monday, June 3, the Group presented the American debut of Gehri's Sixth Floor, described as a French Grand Hotel,"New Theater Group Plans for Debut; European Successes on Schedule for Thespian Enterprise". Hollywood Citizen-News. p. 7. set in Paris, presenting "a kaleidoscopic picture of several apartments in a rooming house in Montmartre", with Ashley deemed "debonairly handsome as the gay Lothario".Von Blon, Katherine (June 6, 1940). "Group Gives 'Sixth Floor'". The Los Angeles Times. p. 17."Legitimate Theater Offerings: Troupers Theatre – Sixth Floor". Hollywood Citizen-News. June 1941. p. 5. "4th Week of 'The Town's Hit' – (L.A. Times)"