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| Joseph Metzger |
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born:
20 July 1914 Detroit, Michigan, United States of America |
died:
15 March 1984 Los Angeles, California, United States of America (age 69) |
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American child actor. His biological father, Louis (1873-1978), a draftsman, married his mother, Eloise Heimerdinger Goodale (1893-1979) in Detroit, Michigan in July 1913. She filed for divorce citing "cruelty" in 1915 and it was granted in 1917. (His WWI Draft Card says he is a "Secret Service Operator". By 1921 she was having an affair with multi-millionaire auto body manufacturer, Herbert Cronenweth (1883-1956) who was married with a young child.
As a family, the Cronenweths moved to Los Angeles where he became a manager/producer/investor in the newly established Tiffany Film Co. Mrs. Harriet Cronenweth (1884-1959) sued for divorce in 1924 for $1,000,000 and settled out of court (dropped the suit) for $400,000. In 1926 she was granted a divorce citing "abandonment". Joseph's Mom was named "the other woman". In September 1927 in Los Angeles, Joseph's Mom, Eloise Goodale Metzger married Herbert Cronenweth. They divorced in 1942. From at least age 10 to at least age 20, Joseph grew up in a millionaire movie producer's household. After High School he started an antique dealer business. In 1937 he married actor Eddie Cantor's second oldest of 5 daughters (Natalie 1916-1997) . Cantor often joked about the difficulties of a man who is constantly surrounded by 6 women. He promised to give $10,000 to the first daughter to bear a son. In 1939 Natalie had a son, Michael. That same year, MGM offered Joseph an acting contract (at Cantor's urging). He turned the offer down flat and made it clear in "no uncertain terms" that he would never become an actor! He and Natalie divorced in 1946. |
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Real name: Joseph Lewis Metzger |
Films listed on this page: complete Hal Roach filmography. |
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