Here are two gals that were in some classic horror and sci-fi movies, even though they only have seven titles between them. We'll start with Marie Windsor...
Marie was born Marysvale, Utah, she attended Brigham Young University and trained for the stage before she began playing leading roles in B pictures in the late 1940's. Her best work was in the "film noir" category, most notably her role as the manipulative, double-crossing wife of Elisha Cook Jr. in THE KILLING in 1956, which earned her Look Magazine's Best Supporting Actress award.
CAT-WOMEN OF THE MOON hit the screens in 1953, Marie played a strong, adventurist female on a trip to the Moon with a bunch of guys. It was later remade as MISSILE TO THE MOON.
She scored a fun gig in Universal's ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET THE MUMMY in 1955, she plays the wicked Madame Rontru, and keeps the boys on their toes! Check out that 'Not Suitable For Children' warning on the poster!!
Marie then starred in the nap-inducing, weak sci-fi flick, THE DAY MARS INVADED EARTH in 1963. It's so boring that Eegah!! didn't even remember seeing the freaking thing, and I barely remembered seeing it myself!!
She played Madame Corona in the 1966 slasher movie, CHAMBER OF HORRORS, with Patrick O'Neal as... The Slasher! This was Marie's last movie in horror and scj-fi films...
Here are some swell photos of Marie, the last one is from CAT-WOMEN OF THE MOON.
That's one sexy looking lady from THE KILLING there in the second photo! Now, to Mara...
Mara Corday was born in Santa Monica, California, she was a dancer in the chorus line in "Earl Carroll's Revue" at the showman's theater-restaurant in Hollywood. Modeling led to wider exposure and ultimately to TV roles and bit parts in low-budget movies. As a Universal-International contract player, she was in most every type of B picture that the studio made. She gave up acting in the early sixties to concentrate on her marriage and motherhood, and had 17 tumultuous years as the wife of actor Richard Long.
Mara starred as 'Steve' in the great Universal movie, TARANTULA, in 1955, playing Leo G. Carroll's sexy lab assistant at his house of horrors in the desert!
Then, she starred with Jeff Morrow in the hilarious, THE GIANT CLAW, in 1957. Can you believe that Dell came out with a comic?! Well, there's your proof!..
Lastly, she starred in THE BLACK SCORPION in 1957, what a great movie for a nine year old monster nut to see when it came out, like for me! It really left an impression!
So, we'll finish up with a few photos of Mara posing for us...
Tune in tomorrow when we're back, with even more from... The Dungeon!
5 comments:
Just a few days ago I saw the "Francis the Talking Mule" movie FRANCIS JOINS THE W.A.C.S. For such a light comedy, it's a real Who's Who of horror actresses - Mara Corday, Allyson Hayes, Mamie Van Doren and Julie Adams in the lead actress role. So that was a real surprise.
Grant... WOW!!
It's a shame these two beautiful, talented women didn't appear in more films. They were two of the hottest women to ever appear in movies.
Marie Windsor is great in THE KILLING. The best part is when her hubbie Elisha Cook Jr. is dying from bullet wounds and she tells him to hail a cab to the hospital!
Somehow, I never associated Marie Windsor with horror or science fiction movies, even though I had seen A&C Meet the Mummy and Cat Women of the Moon. I always thought of her as a femme fatale in film noir gangster movies and crime dramas.
I think Chamber of Horrors was made for TV, and the ending suggests that it was a pilot for a series.
I also didn't fully realize that one actress starred in Tarantula, The Giant Claw, and The Black Scorpion.
The Giant Claw actually had a decent script and not-bad acting. As 1950's monster movies go, it would have been pretty good, if only the monster itself had not looked so ridiculous.
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