Caren Marsh was born in the City of Angels, Los Angeles, with her sister, the talented actress Dorothy Morris, following close behind on February 23, 1922. As Caren ventured into the world of show business in 1937, she decided to change her name to Marsh due to the abundance of people named Morris at the time. Her parents initially wanted her to pursue a college education, but Caren had her heart set on becoming a dancer. She learned of an audition for dancers at MGM and seized the opportunity, landing a role in Eleanor Powell's 1937 film "Rosalie." This marked the beginning of a long and illustrious career as a dancer, with Caren working alongside renowned choreographers such as Busby Berkeley, Nick Castle, and Hermes Pan.
As she continued to make a name for herself in Hollywood, Caren was spotted by Metro executives and cast as Judy Garland's stand-in in the iconic 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz." Her first real acting role came in 1944 with an Army Signal Corps Hygiene film, "Pickup Girl." After establishing herself in the industry, Caren traveled to New York in 1949 to work with ventriloquist Paul Winchell at the Capitol Theatre.
However, her life took a dramatic turn when she was involved in a plane crash while flying home to visit her parents. The plane, a Curtiss C-46E-1-C airliner, descended below the prescribed altitude of 5,000 feet while flying in patchy fog and crashed into a mountain near Box Canyon in the San Fernando Valley. The accident resulted in the loss of both pilots, a flight attendant, and 32 passengers, including two young children. Miraculously, Caren was one of the 12 passengers who survived with moderate to serious injuries.
In 1950, Caren married Bill Doll, producer Mike Todd's press agent, and embarked on a life of travel and adventure. Today, she resides in Palm Springs, where she continues to teach dancing and attends western film festivals and "Wizard of Oz" reunions whenever possible.
