Florence Marly

Florence Marly
Marly in a promotion still for Sealed Verdict (1948).
Born
Hana Smékalová

(1919-06-02)2 June 1919
Obrnice, Czechoslovakia
(now Czech Republic)
Died9 November 1978(1978-11-09) (aged 59)
Glendale, California, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of Paris
OccupationActress
Years active1937–1975
Spouses

Florence Marly (born Hana Smékalová; 2 June 1919 – 9 November 1978) was a Czech film actress.[1] She started her career in France, appeared in Argentinian films during World War II, and later worked in the United States.

Early life and educaiton

Marly was born Hana Smékalová in Obrnice, Czechoslovakia. She studied French and her dream was to become an opera singer. At age 18 she went to Paris to study art, literature, and philosophy at Sorbonne.

Career

Marly met her future husband, director Pierre Chenal, who cast her in his film The Alibi in 1937. During World War II, Marly moved to neutral Argentina with her Jewish husband Chenal, where she appeared in several films. She also acted in two of her husband's films while they were in Chile.[2]

After the war, she played a major role in René Clément's Les Maudits, a fictionalized account showing the fate of Nazi refugees.[3] After moving to Hollywood, she acted in Paramount's film Sealed Verdict opposite Ray Milland.[4] Next year, she starred in Stuart Heisler's Tokyo Joe (1949) alongside Humphrey Bogart. In it she played Bogart's wife, who divorces him after he moves to the United States from Japan before Pearl Harbor brought the United States into World War II. The film met with mixed responses from critics. Clive Hirschhorn wrote in his book, The Columbia Story, that it was "a little more than a Bogart parody".[5] Marly's acting in the espionage film Tokyo File 212 brought her appreciations. Robert J. Lentz wrote in Korean War Filmography that she had given the best performance in the film.[6] It was Hollywood's first feature film to be shot entirely in Japan.[7]

In 1962, she appeared in a small role as a gangster's girlfriend in the Twilight Zone episode "Dead Man's Shoes".[8] She had the eponymous role of a blood-thirsty vampire queen in Curtis Harrington-directed science fiction horror film Queen of Blood (1966), novelized by Charles Nuetzel.[9] It met with positive reviews.[10] Paul Meehan wrote in Saucer Movies that she gave a "convincing" performance.[11] Marly made a 16 mm short sequel to Queen of Blood titled Space Boy! (1973).[12]

Her last film role was in The Astrologer (1976), which was infamously lost until 2021.[13][14][15]

Personal life

During the early years of her acting career, the U.S. Consulate mistook her for the Russian-born, left-inclined, singer and songwriter Anna Marly, and she was subsequently blacklisted in Hollywood by the House Un-American Activities Committee. Even after she was cleared from the blacklist, at a Hollywood party Jack L. Warner "turned his back on [her]".[16] Noël Coward, in a letter, called her a "rather sweet" "beautiful Czech lady".[17]

At a dinner, director Fritz Lang bit Marly's hand.[9]

She was married to Pierre Chenal from 1937 to 1955.[18] In 1956 she married the Austrian Count Degenhart von Wurmbrand-Stuppach (1893-1965) but divorced him the same year.

Death

Aged 59, Marly died in Glendale, California on November 9, 1978.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1937 The Alibi Gordon's Mistress [19]
1938 The Lafarge Case Emma Pontier [20]
Café de Paris Estelle [19]
Sirocco Diana [21]
1939 Savage Brigade Isa Ostrowski [22]
The Last Turning Madge [23]
1943 La piel de Zapa Fedora [24]
1944 End of the Night Pilar [25]
1946 Viaje sin regreso Isabel [24]
1947 The Damned Hilde Garosi [3]
1948 Krakatit Princess Wilhelmina Hagen [26]
Sealed Verdict Themis DeLisle [4]
1949 Tokyo Joe Trina Pechinkov Landis [5]
1951 Tokyo File 212 Steffi Novak [6]
1952 Gobs and Gals Soyna DuBois [27]
The Idol Cristina Arnaud [28]
1954 Confession at Dawn [29]
1957 Undersea Girl Leila Graham [30]
1966 Queen of Blood Alien Queen [10]
1967 Games Baroness [31]
1973 Doctor Death: Seeker of Souls Tana [32]
Space Boy Alien Queen Also writer & composer [12]
1976 The Astrologer Diana Blair [33]

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1957 The Adventures of Jim Bowie Giselle Fry Episode: "The Quarantine"
1958 The Millionaire Elena Episode: "The Johanna Judson Story"
Dragnet Episode: "The Big Honeymoon"
Suspicion Maria Nevada Episode: "Death Watch"
Behind Closed Doors Marie Savit Episode: "A Cover of Art"
1959 77 Sunset Strip Madeleine Episode: "A Check Will Do Nicely"
Colonel Humphrey Flack The Countess Episode: "Follow the Bouncing Meatball"
1960 Have Gun – Will Travel Madam L Episode: "The Prophet"
1962 The Twilight Zone Dagget's Girlfriend Episode: "Dead Man's Shoes"
1965 The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Drusilla Davina Episode: "The Tigers Are Coming Affair"
1966 I Spy Eliska Episode: "Always Say Goodbye"
1973 Love, American Style Hilary Episode: "Love and the Twanger Tutor"

References

  1. ^ Phillips, Alastair; Vincendeau, Ginette (July 17, 2006). Journeys of desire: European actors in Hollywood : a critical companion. BFI. p. 351. ISBN 978-1-84457-123-9.
  2. ^ Plazaola, Luis Trelles (January 1, 1989). South American Cinema/ Cine De America Del Sur: Dictionary of Film Makers/ Diccionario De Los Productores De Peliculas. La Editorial, UPR. p. 55. ISBN 978-0-8477-2011-8.
  3. ^ a b Klinowski, Jacek; Garbicz, Adam (2012). Feature Cinema in the 20th Century: Volume One: 1913-1950: a Comprehensive Guide. Vol. 1. Planet RGB Limited. p. 238. ISBN 978-1-62407-564-3.
  4. ^ a b "Sealed Verdict". The Rotarian. 74 (1). Rotary International: 53. January 1949. ISSN 0035-838X.
  5. ^ a b Blottner, Gene (March 17, 2015). Columbia Noir: A Complete Filmography, 1940-1962. McFarland. pp. 230–231. ISBN 978-1-4766-1761-9.
  6. ^ a b Lentz, Robert J. (2003). Korean War Filmography. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. p. 377. ISBN 978-0-7864-1046-0. OCLC 50630520.
  7. ^ "Tokyo File 212". American Film Institute. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
  8. ^ Lofficier, Jean-Marc; Lofficier, Randy (April 15, 2003). Into The Twilight Zone: The Rod Serling Programme Guide. iUniverse. p. 44. ISBN 978-1-4620-9900-9.
  9. ^ a b Painter, Deborah (November 15, 2010). Forry: The Life of Forrest J Ackerman. McFarland. p. 75. ISBN 978-0-7864-5798-4.
  10. ^ a b Shelley, Peter (September 15, 2009). Grande Dame Guignol Cinema: A History of Hag Horror from Baby Jane to Mother. McFarland. p. 97. ISBN 978-0-7864-5485-3.
  11. ^ Meehan, Paul (January 1, 1998). Saucer Movies: A UFOlogical History of the Cinema. Scarecrow Press. p. 125. ISBN 978-0-8108-3573-3.
  12. ^ a b Video Watchdog. Tim & Donna Lucas. 1993. p. 80.
  13. ^ "1975's The Astrologer Is the Greatest Cult Classic Film You Might Never Get to See". pastemagazine.com. June 23, 2018. Retrieved May 17, 2026.
  14. ^ "The Astrologer (found Craig Denney film; 1976) - The Lost Media Wiki". lostmediawiki.com. Retrieved May 17, 2026.
  15. ^ Craig Denney (1975), The Astrologer 1975 (Previously Lost Film), retrieved May 17, 2026
  16. ^ Malone, Aubrey (April 10, 2015). Hollywood's Second Sex: The Treatment of Women in the Film Industry, 1900-1999. McFarland. p. 156. ISBN 978-1-4766-1951-4.
  17. ^ Coward, Noël (October 31, 2014). The Letters of Noël Coward. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 596. ISBN 978-1-4081-4767-2.
  18. ^ Rège, Philippe (December 11, 2009). Encyclopedia of French Film Directors. Vol. 1. Scarecrow Press. p. 211. ISBN 978-0-8108-6939-4.
  19. ^ a b Films in Review. Vol. 30. National Board of Review of Motion Pictures. 1979. p. 59.
  20. ^ Buache, Freddy (1972). Erich von Stroheim: présentation par Freddy Buache. Textes et propos d'Erich von Stroheim, points de vue critiques, témoignages... (in French). Seghers. p. 160.
  21. ^ Films in Review. Vol. 8. National Board of Review of Motion Pictures. 1957. p. 203.
  22. ^ Bessy, Maurice; Chirat, Raymond (1987). Histoire du cinéma français: 1935-1939 (in French). Pygmalion. p. 439. ISBN 978-2-85704-239-6.
  23. ^ Focus on Film. Vol. 19–31. Tantivy Press. 1974. p. 27.
  24. ^ a b Ruuth, Marianne (July 1, 1991). Cruel city: the dark side of Hollywood's rich and famous. Roundtable Pub. p. 41. ISBN 9780915677481.
  25. ^ Martín, Jorge Abel (1978). Cine argentino (in Spanish). Ediciones Corregidor. p. 73.
  26. ^ Hogan, David (1980). Who's Who of the Horrors, and Other Fantasy Films: The International Personality Encyclopedia of the Fantastic Film. A. S. Barnes. p. 155. ISBN 978-0-498-02591-4.
  27. ^ Erickson, Hal (August 7, 2012). Military Comedy Films: A Critical Survey and Filmography of Hollywood Releases Since 1918. McFarland. p. 385. ISBN 978-0-7864-6290-2.
  28. ^ Vega, Alicia; Agüero, Ignacio (1979). Re-visión del cine chileno (in Spanish). Editorial Aconcagua : Centro de Indagación y Expresión Cultural y Artística. p. 38.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
  29. ^ Coo, Carlos Ossa (1971). Historia del cine chileno: Carlos Ossa Coo (in Spanish). Empresa Editora Nacional Quimantú. p. 67.
  30. ^ Langman, Larry (1995). A Guide to American Crime Films of the Forties and Fifties. Greenwood Press. p. 297. ISBN 978-0-313-29265-1.
  31. ^ Derry, Charles (August 1, 1977). Dark dreams: a psychological history of the modern horror film. A. S. Barnes. p. 127. ISBN 978-0-498-01915-9.
  32. ^ Product Digest. Vol. 1. Quigley Publishing Company. 1973. p. 49.
  33. ^ Films in Review. Vol. 27. National Board of Review of Motion Pictures. 1976. p. 551.
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