Jo Ann Marlowe, born Jo Ann Mares in Schuyler, Nebraska in 1936, was the daughter of Edward and Theora Mares. Her early life took an unexpected turn when, at the age of four, she was discovered by a Warner Brothers director while on a family vacation in Hollywood.
The Mares family relocated to California, and Jo Ann adopted the stage name Jo Ann Marlowe. She went on to act in 29 motion pictures over the next decade, including the Oscar-winning film Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942),in which she played the role of six-year-old Josie Cohan. Her most notable role was as the younger daughter, Kay, in Mildred Pierce (1945),starring Joan Crawford and Ann Blyth.
After a successful acting career, Jo Ann left the spotlight to pursue a degree in law from Loyola University in Los Angeles. She became a lawyer and eventually married John F. Dunne in California on September 10, 1960. The couple had a daughter, Kimberly, born in 1963, but divorced in April 1968 in Los Angeles.
Jo Ann's professional life took another turn when she became a Chief Trial Lawyer for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles. However, her career was cut short after suffering injuries in an accident in the late 1960s. She was left in a coma and remained in that state for over 22 years until her death at her mother's home in Los Angeles.
Jo Ann's mother, Theora Mares, survived her and lived until February 2011, passing away at the age of 96. Jo Ann and her parents are buried at San Fernando Mission cemetery.
