Photo: Photo by "Bruno of Hollywood" / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Public records list Joan McCracken as a ballet dancer, stage actor and television actor. Born on December 31, 1917, Joan McCracken was from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Death is recorded on November 1, 1961, at the age of 43. Education on record includes West Philadelphia High School.
My Take
Joan McCracken moves me more than most names in this database. Famous as the girl who falls down in the original 1943 Oklahoma!, she helped define a golden age of Broadway dance, lighting up shows like Bloomer Girl and Billion Dollar Baby. That she died at just 43, in 1961, gives her story a bittersweet weight. I find something profoundly admirable in artists whose medium is movement, leaving behind glamour and energy that outlive them in memory and legend. Her career was short but luminous, and I think that brightness, rather than its brevity, is what truly deserves to be remembered.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Joan McCracken
- Name (Japanese)
- ジョーン・マクラッケン
- Reading
- じょーん・まくらっけん
- Born
- December 31, 1917 – November 1, 1961
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Capricorn / Snake
- Origin
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
- Occupation
- ballet dancer / actor / dancer / stage actor / television actor
2. Background
- High school
- West Philadelphia High School
3. Links
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan%20McCracken
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6205285
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Joan McCracken born?
Born December 31, 1917.
When did Joan McCracken die?
Died November 1, 1961, aged 43.
Where was Joan McCracken from?
Joan McCracken was from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.
What did Joan McCracken do?
Joan McCracken worked as ballet dancer, actor, dancer, stage actor, television actor.
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