Hollywood's Child
Dancing Through OZ
By Caren Marsh-Doll

     Follow the Yellow Brick Road with Caren Marsh-Doll from her behind-the-scenes star turn as Judy Garland's stand-in in Hollywood to her starring role as published author, dance teacher and "Wizard of Oz" convention darling. Along the way, as for Dorothy, Marsh-Doll's road to the Emerald City leads through unexpected adventures, including a devastating plane crash, major life changes, and the golden age of Hollywood, before finally landing her in Palm Springs, where she recounts the place she once visited as a child before it became the playground of the stars. She tells delightful stories of dancing in Golden Age Busby Berkeley musicals and the classy stars she met such as Lucille Ball, Judy Garland (who had a sleepover with Marsh-Doll's sister Dorothy), James Stewart, and Kirk Douglas. (Trivia Hounds: Spencer Tracy hated to talk about his acting.)

     When Marsh-Doll's mother tells her at the start of a doomed marriage, "You can't rumba your way through life," this proves true for the marriage but false for Marsh-Doll, who recounts in the prologue an encounter with a mother whose daughter wants to dance. Marsh-Doll tells her, "Get her started in a ballet class now. She's ready." In the first chapter Marsh-Doll's mother asks her the question she asks the little girl in the prologue: "How would you like to take dance lessons?" The little girl's answer to Marsh-Doll: "Cool."

     One can say the same of Marsh-Doll's warm, candid recollections of a mother who modeled kindness, of Marsh-Doll's beloved son, Jonathan, and trials and tribulations, such as that famous plane crash (after which Marsh-Doll received a personal get-well note from Bing Crosby), a second marriage to an alcoholic, and being on her own again starting dance classes in Florida and then in Palm Springs, all told with humor and grace.

     Marsh-Doll's spirit sparkles from every page. The collection of photos she includes is a treat for movie fans and "Wizard of Oz" fans in particular. It's no wonder that, in recent photos, Marsh-Doll is as beautiful, lively and youthful today as she was when she stepped into Dorothy Gale's ruby slippers. And she says, "I'm still dancing."