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Mari Blanchard

Mari Blanchard

Actor · 1923 – 1970 · Long Beach, California, USA

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.

Movies23

  • Movie6.6

    McLintock!

    1963 · 266 votes

  • Movie6.1

    Destry

    1954 · 37 votes

  • Movie5.4
  • Movie7.3

    Devenir Marilyn

    Becoming Marilyn

    2022 · 21 votes

  • Movie6.2

    Ten Tall Men

    1951 · 19 votes

  • Movie6.2

    Twice-Told Tales

    1963 · 85 votes

  • Movie6.8

    Bannerline

    1951 · 4 votes

  • Movie6.9

    Something to Live For

    1952 · 9 votes

  • Movie5.8

    Black Horse Canyon

    1954 · 9 votes

  • Movie5.9

    Assignment: Paris

    1952 · 19 votes

  • Movie6.8

    The Veils of Bagdad

    1953 · 4 votes

  • Movie6.7

    Machete

    1958 · 5 votes

  • Movie6.5

    Rails Into Laramie

    1954 · 12 votes

  • Movie5.1

    Son of Sinbad

    1955 · 18 votes

  • Movie5.7

    She Devil

    1957 · 19 votes

  • Movie10.0

    Back at the Front

    1952 · 1 votes

  • Movie6.1

    On the Riviera

    1951 · 26 votes

  • Movie5.4

    Don't Knock the Twist

    1962 · 5 votes

  • Movie5.9

    The Brigand

    1952 · 7 votes

  • Movie3.5

    No Place to Land

    1958 · 4 votes

  • Movie6.1

    No Questions Asked

    1951 · 17 votes

  • Movie7.3
  • Movie7.3

    Canasta de Cuentos Mexicanos

    Basket of Mexican Tales

    1956 · 8 votes

Series18

  • TV7.7

    Perry Mason

    1957 · 139 votes

  • TV6.5

    The Virginian

    1962 · 35 votes

  • TV3.8

    Climax!

    1954 · 12 votes

  • TV6.3

    Burke's Law

    1963 · 12 votes

  • TV7.2

    Rawhide

    1959 · 49 votes

  • TV5.6

    Hawaiian Eye

    1959 · 10 votes

  • TV6.0

    The Texan

    1958 · 6 votes

  • TV5.8

    The Millionaire

    1955 · 4 votes

  • TV5.1

    Sugarfoot

    1957 · 8 votes

  • TV6.7

    Sea Hunt

    1958 · 20 votes

  • TV7.2

    77 Sunset Strip

    1958 · 26 votes

  • TV6.7

    The Detectives

    1959 · 10 votes

  • TV6.0

    Bronco

    1958 · 8 votes

  • TV6.7

    Mr. Lucky

    1959 · 6 votes

  • TV7.4

    Breaking Point

    1963 · 5 votes

  • TV6.3

    Gunslinger

    1961 · 3 votes

  • TV5.0

    Terry and the Pirates

    1952 · 2 votes

  • TV6.6

    Klondike

    1960 · 5 votes