Constance Dowling

• Name — Constance Dowling • Born — 24 July 1920 • Birthplace — New York City, U.S. • Died — 28 October 1969 • Place of death — Los Angeles, California, U.S. • Resting Place — Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City • Years Active — 1944–1955 • Children — 4 • Relatives — Doris Dowling (sister)

Born in New York City, Dowling was a model and chorus girl before moving to California in 1943. She had two brothers, Richard Dowling and Robert Smith Dowling, and was the elder sister of actress Doris Dowling. She attended Wadleigh High School for Girls in New York City. Dowling was a dancer at the Paradise nightclub in New York City, a job that she obtained by lying about her age to her employer and lying about the job to her mother.

Prior to her move to Hollywood, she appeared in several Broadway productions, including Quiet City, Liliom, Panama Hattie (with sister Doris), Hold On To Your Hats, and The Strings, My Lord, Are False.

Dowling had been involved in a long affair with married director Elia Kazan in New York. He couldn't bring himself to leave his wife and the affair ended when Dowling went to Hollywood under contract to Goldwyn. She was later linked with the famous Italian poet and novelist Cesare Pavese who committed suicide in 1950 after a lifelong depression aggravated, at one point, by having been rejected by Dowling who, in Pavese's poetry, is often linked to spring ("face of springtime"). One of his last poems is entitled "Death will come and she'll have your eyes". In 1955, Dowling married film producer Ivan Tors, writer and producer of her last film. (Another source, published two years earlier, refers to Dowling and Tors as "honeymooning.") She then retired from acting, going on to have three sons and a foster child with Tors: Steven, David, Peter and foster son Alfred Ndwego of Kenya. (An obituary listed Ndwego as an adopted son rather than a foster son and spelled his last name Ndewga.) In early 1964, Dowling introduced John C. Lilly to LSD for the first time.

On October 28, 1969, Dowling died at the age of 49 of a heart attack at UCLA Medical Center. Her burial was at the Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.

• Year — Title — Role — Other notes • 1944 — Up in Arms — Nurse Lt. Mary Morgan • Knickerbocker Holiday — Tina Tienhoven • 1946 — The Well-Groomed Bride — Rita Sloane • Black Angel — Mavis Marlowe • Boston Blackie and the Law — Dinah Moran — Alternative title: Blackie and the Law • 1947 — Blind Spot — Evelyn Green • The Flame — Helen Anderson • 1948 — Mad About Opera — Margaret Jones — Alternative title: Follie per l'opera • 1949 — City of Pain — Lubitza — Alternative title: La città dolente • Addio Mimí! — Student — Alternative title: Her Wonderful Lie • Una Voce nel tuo Cuore — Dolly — Alternative title: A Voice in your Heart • 1950 — My Beautiful Daughter — Lilly • 1951 — Nash Airflyte Theatre — Episode: "Pearls Are a Nuisance" • Pulitzer Prize Playhouse — Episode: "The Haunted House" • Duello Senza Onore — Olga — Alternative title: Duel Without Honor • The Adventures of Ellery Queen — 1 episode • Cosmopolitan Theatre — Episode: "Mr. Pratt and the Triple Horror Bill" • La Strada finisce sul fiume — Barbara — Alternative title: Stormbound • 1951–1952 — Lights Out — Adele Bryan — 2 episodes • 1953–1954 — City Detective — Karen / Sheila / Blonde Mrs. Nato — 2 episodes • 1954 — Gog — Joanna Merritt • 1955 — Fireside Theater — Betty — Episode: "Cheese Champion", (final film role)

She was the child of Harry Glynn Smith. She married Ivan Tors. 3 children are recorded: Steven Tors, Peter Tors and David Tors.