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Mari Blanchard‌

Gender

Female

Birthday

calendar1923-04-13

Popularity

star2.6

Mari Blanchard

Long Beach, California, USA

Mari Blanchard

Long Beach, California, USA

Gender

Female

Birthday

calendar1923-04-13

Popularity

star2.6

Biography

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.

Movie Credits

Son of Sinbad

Son of Sinbad‌
star4.8
calendar 1955

Abbott and Costello Go to Mars

Abbott and Costello Go to Mars‌
star5.5
calendar 1953

The Cruel Tower

The Cruel Tower‌
star5.1
calendar 1956

Twice-Told Tales

Twice-Told Tales‌
star6.2
calendar 1963

The Crooked Web

The Crooked Web‌
star5.9
calendar 1955

The Unknown Man

The Unknown Man‌
star4.8
calendar 1951

No Questions Asked

No Questions Asked‌
star6.0
calendar 1951

Machete

Machete‌
star5.9
calendar 1958

Destry

Destry‌
star6.0
calendar 1954

She Devil

She Devil‌
star5.5
calendar 1957

Stagecoach To Fury

Stagecoach To Fury‌
star5.0
calendar 1956

Jungle Heat

Jungle Heat‌
star4.3
calendar 1957

The Brigand

The Brigand‌
star5.5
calendar 1952

Rails Into Laramie

Rails Into Laramie‌
star6.3
calendar 1954

Bannerline

Bannerline‌
star6.0
calendar 1951

The Return of Jack Slade

The Return of Jack Slade‌
star6.0
calendar 1955

Don't Knock the Twist

Don't Knock the Twist‌
star4.7
calendar 1962

Back at the Front

Back at the Front‌
star0.0
calendar 1952

Basket of Mexican Tales

Basket of Mexican Tales‌
star6.8
calendar 1956

Overland Telegraph

Overland Telegraph‌
star6.7
calendar 1951

No Place to Land

No Place to Land‌
star3.0
calendar 1958

Black Horse Canyon

Black Horse Canyon‌
star5.9
calendar 1954

McLintock!

McLintock!‌
star6.5
calendar 1963

Karasu

Karasu‌
star0.0
calendar 1958

On the Riviera

On the Riviera‌
star5.9
calendar 1951

The Veils of Bagdad

The Veils of Bagdad‌
star6.0
calendar 1953

Something to Live For

Something to Live For‌
star6.8
calendar 1952

Ten Tall Men

Ten Tall Men‌
star6.2
calendar 1951

Assignment: Paris

Assignment: Paris‌
star5.5
calendar 1952

Tv Credits

77 Sunset Strip

77 Sunset Strip‌
star6.7
calendar 1958

Burke's Law

Burke's Law‌
star6.0
calendar 1963

Mr. Lucky

Mr. Lucky‌
star7.0
calendar 1959

Perry Mason

Perry Mason‌
star7.6
calendar 1957

Hawaiian Eye

Hawaiian Eye‌
star5.0
calendar 1959

Sea Hunt

Sea Hunt‌
star6.5
calendar 1958

Klondike

Klondike‌
star6.3
calendar 1960

Rawhide

Rawhide‌
star7.0
calendar 1959

The Millionaire

The Millionaire‌
star5.0
calendar 1955

The Virginian

The Virginian‌
star6.4
calendar 1962

Climax!

Climax!‌
star2.7
calendar 1954

Bronco

Bronco‌
star4.8
calendar 1958

Sugarfoot

Sugarfoot‌
star4.2
calendar 1957

The Texan

The Texan‌
star5.5
calendar 1958

The Detectives

The Detectives‌
star5.6
calendar 1959

Terry and the Pirates

Terry and the Pirates‌
star3.0
calendar 1952

Breaking Point

Breaking Point‌
star7.5
calendar 1963

The Roaring 20's

The Roaring 20's‌
star0.0
calendar 1960

Not for Hire

Not for Hire‌
star0.0
calendar 1959