Carole's
early days were filled with heartache and dreams of stardom. She was born on January 1, 1919 in Fairchild, Wisconsin. Her birth name was Frances Lillian Ridste - she had been named after her maternal grandmother Francis Sentek. Carole was the youngest of five children. Sadly her brother Jerome had died in 1917 after being burned by boiling water. Her father Alfred Ridste was a railroad worker and her mother Clara Sentek Ridste was a housewife. In the Spring of 1919 the family moved to Denton, Montana. Clara began having a relationship with a farmer named Charles Fenner. She filed for divorce and Alfred sued Charles for alienation of affection. The divorce became so messy that Carole and her siblings were put in Foster care for a short time.
Left to Right: Carole's brother Lewis, her brother Lawrence, Carole, her mother Clara, her sister Dorothy
1919 articles about the Ridste divorce
Clara married Charles Fenner in December of 1919 but the marriage only lasted eighteen months, Then she took the children to San Diego, California where she reunited with Alfred. In 1923 the entire family relocated to San Bernardino and moved into a tiny home at 175 Bryant Street. Alfred walked out on Clara leaving her to raise the children alone. They were very poor and Carole's older sister Dorothy often watched her while their mother worked. According to family sources Carole was sexually molested by a relative during her childhood. Tragically in 1925 Carole's ten year old brother Lewis died after he was accidentally shot with gun.
Left to Right: Carole's brother Lewis, her sister Dorothy. her father Alfred, Carole, her brother Lawrence
A 1925 article about Lewis Ridste's death
Carole was such a beautiful child that everyone called her "Baby Doll". From a young age she dreamed about becoming a movie star. She loved watching The Gish sisters and covered her walls with photos of Kay Francis and Mary Astor. When Carole seven she won her first talent contest by singing "Yes Sir That's My Baby" and dancing the Charleston. She started taking dance lessons and performed with her sister in local clubs. By the time Carole was twelve she was winning beauty contests. She attended Sturges junior high school where she was a decent student but often skipped her classes. Carole said "I always seemed so much older than the other kids my age - they seemed like tots."
Left to right: Carole's sister-in-law Helen Ridste, her sister Dorothy, her mother Clara, and Carole
Articles mentioning Frances Ridste (Carole Landis)
Carole enjoyed playing
sports especially baseball and volleyball. She even tried to start an all girl football team! Carole was raised a Catholic and attended church every
Sunday. Her philosophy was "Pass the good deed along". She became a beautiful teenager and admitted she was "boy crazy". In the Fall of 1933 she met twenty year old Irving Kay Wheeler, a civilian conservation corps worker, from Benning, California. They eloped on January 14, 1934 in Yuma, Arizona. Because Carole was only fifteen she lied about her age on the marriage license. When her mother found out she had the marriage annulled and Irving was arrested.
Carole, Irving Wheeler, and her sister Dorothy
Carole and Irving's wedding license An article about their annulment
In August of 1934 the couple got Alfred Ridste's consent and were married again. Carole and Irving moved into a one room apartment with no refrigerator. After three weeks of marriage she walked out on her husband. She dropped out of school and got a job working at a restaurant where she earned $2 a day plus tips. Carole started saving money so she could move away and become an actress. Years later her father Alfred said "When she was five years old we knew
she had unusual talents. Without any professional training whatever she
learned to sing an dance beautifully - and we were confident she would
achieve her goal to become an actress."
Carole (right) with her sister Dorothy Carole at age three
Carole with her grandparents Carole at age seven
Over The Goal (extra sitting at table) * WATCH IT *
