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person_profile-Mari Blanchard

Mari Blanchard Died at age: 43

Actor | Producer

Fullname:

Mari Blanchard

Date of Birth:

Apr 13, 1927

Country of birth:

USA

Died:

May 10, 1970

Biography of

Mari Blanchard

    Petite, attractive Mari Blanchard rarely managed to get the lucky breaks. The daughter of an oil tycoon and a psychotherapist, she suffered from severe poliomyelitis from the age of nine, which denied her a hoped-for dancing career. For several years, she worked hard to rehabilitate her limbs from paralysis, swimming and later even performing on the trapeze at Cole Brothers Circus. At the urging of her parents, she then attended the University of Southern California, where she studied international law before dropping out nine units short of a degree. Her university studies did not lead to a career either. Sometime in the late 1940s, she joined the Conover Agency as an advertising model and, at the same time, was promoted by famed cartoonist and writer Al Capp, becoming the inspiration for one of his Li'l Abner characters.

    As the result of an advertisement on the back page of the Hollywood Reporter, Mari was signed to a contract with Paramount. However, her early experience in the movie business proved an unhappy one, most of her roles being walk-ons and bit parts. Ten Tall Men (1951), for example, limited her to a token stroll down a street, twirling a parasol and smiling seductively at members of the Foreign Legion. It wasn't until Mari joined Universal that her fortunes improved somewhat, with a co-starring role (opposite Victor Mature) in The Veils of Bagdad (1953). After that, it was all downhill again. Burt Lancaster, co-producer and star (with Gary Cooper of the excellent A-grade western Vera Cruz (1954), had requested Mari as his leading lady, but Universal refused her release to United Artists and forbade her to accept the lucrative role (Denise Darcel ended up getting the part). Mari then lost the lead in a much lesser picture,Saskatchewan (1954), to Shelley Winters. Instead, she was cast as Venusian Queen Allura in one of the least exciting outings by Universal's leading comic duo, Abbott and Costello Go to Mars (1953).

    Mari did end up with a respectable starring role in the western Destry (1954) opposite Audie Murphy. A remake of the classic Destry Rides Again (1939), she was cast in the Marlene Dietrich part and took great pains to affect a totally different look, darkening her hair so as not to be compared to the great star. Even the name of her character was changed from 'Frenchy' to 'Brandy'. "Destry" was not all smooth sailing. There was tension between her and director George Marshall (who had also directed the original version) and Mari suffered a facial injury as the result of a fight scene. The film was critically well received, but unfortunately Universal failed to renew its contract with Miss Blanchard, and her career then went into free fall.

    Freelancing for lesser studios, she played a TB victim injected with a serum turning her into a Mr. Hyde-like killer in the lurid She Devil (1957) (during filming she nearly died of acute appendicitis). Mari then appeared for Republic in the eminently forgettable No Place to Land (1958) before briefly starring in her own short-lived adventure series Klondike (1960). Her last role of note was as the cheerful and likeable town madam in the rollicking John Wayne western comedy McLintock! (1963). Sometime that year, Mari Blanchard developed the cancer which was to claim her life in 1970 at the age of just 47.

Photos of

Mari Blanchard

Photos ( 1 Photos

Filmography of

Mari Blanchard

Found 28 Movies in total

McLintock!

Camille Reedbottom ( Actor )

... 1963

Twice-Told Tales

Sylvia Ward ( Actor )

... 1963

Don't Knock the Twist

Dulcie Corbin ( Actor )

... 1962

Machete

Jean Montoya ( Actor )

... 1958

No Place to Land

Iris Lee LaVonne ( Actor )

... 1958

Jungle Heat

Ann McRae ( Actor )

... 1957

She Devil

Kyra Zelas ( Actor )

... 1957

Stagecoach To Fury

Barbara Duval ( Actor )

... 1956

The Cruel Tower

Mary 'The Babe' Thompson ( Actor )

... 1956

Basket of Mexican Tales

Gladys Winthrop ( Actor )

... 1956

The Crooked Web

Joanie Daniel ( Actor )

... 1955

The Return of Jack Slade

Texas Rose ( Actor )

... 1955

Son of Sinbad

Chistina ( Actor )

... 1955

Destry

Brandy ( Actor )

... 1954

Black Horse Canyon

Aldis Spain ( Actor )

... 1954

Rails Into Laramie

Lou Carter ( Actor )

... 1954

The Veils of Bagdad

Selima ( Actor )

... 1953

... 1953

Back at the Front

Nina - Johnny Redondo's Accomplice ( Actor )

... 1952

Assignment: Paris

Wanda Marlowe (scenes deleted) ( Actor )

... 1952

The Brigand

Dona Dolores Castro ( Actor )

... 1952

Something to Live For

Hat Check Girl (uncredited) ( Actor )

... 1952

Overland Telegraph

Stella ( Actor )

... 1951

The Unknown Man

Sally Tever ( Actor )

... 1951

Ten Tall Men

Marie DeLatour ( Actor )

... 1951

Bannerline

Eloise ( Actor )

... 1951

No Questions Asked

Natalie ( Actor )

... 1951

On the Riviera

Eugenie (uncredited) ( Actor )

... 1951