Florence Marly was a talented and beautiful actress who starred in several films in Europe, Argentina, and Hollywood. She was best known for her roles in The Damned, Tokyo Joe, and Queen of Blood. However, her life and career were not without challenges and controversies. She faced the horrors of World War II, the blacklist of the House Un-American Activities Committee, and the decline of her film opportunities. She died at the age of 59 of a heart attack in Glendale, California. This article will explore the causes and circumstances of her death, as well as her legacy and achievements.
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Early Life and Career
Florence Marly was born Hana Smékalová on June 2, 1919, in Obrnice, Czechoslovakia. She studied French and dreamed of becoming an opera singer. At the age of 18, she went to Paris to study art, literature, and philosophy at Sorbonne. There she met her future husband Pierre Chenal, a renowned French film director who cast her in his film The Alibi in 1937. They married the following year and she continued to appear in many of his films, such as The Lafarge Case, Sirocco, and The Last Turning.
Escape from Nazi Occupation
During World War II, Marly and Chenal fled Paris before the Nazi occupation. They moved to neutral Argentina in 1944, where she appeared in several films, such as La piel de Zapa and El fin de la noche. She also acted in two of Chenal’s films while they were in Chile: Viaje sin regreso and El ídolo.
Hollywood Breakthrough and Blacklist
In 1949, Marly signed a contract with Paramount and moved to Hollywood. She acted opposite Ray Milland in Sealed Verdict and Humphrey Bogart in Tokyo Joe. She also received top billing in Tokyo File 212, the first Hollywood feature film to be shot entirely in Japan. She entertained American troops in Korea and appeared in a Czech film Krakatit.
However, her American career was cut short when she was branded a Communist and blacklisted by the House Un-American Activities Committee. It turned out that her name was confused with Anna Marly, a Russian-born singer and songwriter who was on the “subversive” list. Even after she was cleared from the blacklist, she faced hostility from some Hollywood figures, such as Jack L. Warner who “turned his back on [her]” at a party.
Later Years and Personal Life
Marly’s film career never recovered from the blacklist. She appeared in some low-budget films, such as Undersea Girl, Queen of Blood, Doctor Death: Seeker of Souls, The Astrologer, and Space Boy! (which she also wrote and composed). She also worked occasionally on TV shows, such as The Millionaire, Dragnet, 77 Sunset Strip, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and Love, American Style.
Marly’s personal life was also turbulent. She divorced Chenal in 1955 after a long separation. She married an Austrian count Degenhart von Wurmbrand-Stuppach in 1956 but divorced him the same year. She had no children.
Cause of Death
Marly died on November 9, 1978, at the age of 59 in Glendale, California. According to Dead or Kicking, her cause of death was a heart attack. She was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale.
Legacy and Achievements
Marly left behind a legacy of more than 40 films in various languages and genres. She was nominated for a Cannes Film Festival award for her performance in The Damned, a film about Nazi refugees that is considered a masterpiece by some critics. She gave a “convincing” performance as a vampire queen in Queen of Blood, a cult classic science fiction horror film directed by Curtis Harrington. She was praised by Robert J. Lentz for her acting in Tokyo File 212, a film that showcased Japan’s culture and scenery. She was admired by Noël Coward who called her a “rather sweet” “beautiful Czech lady”.
Marly was also a courageous and adventurous woman who faced many challenges and dangers in her life. She escaped from Nazi occupation with her Jewish husband, entertained American soldiers during the Korean War, endured the blacklist and discrimination in Hollywood, and experimented with different roles and media. She was also bitten by Fritz Lang at a dinner, which may or may not be considered an achievement.
Marly was a talented and beautiful actress who starred in several films in Europe, Argentina, and Hollywood. She died at the age of 59 of a heart attack in Glendale, California. This article explored the causes and circumstances of her death, as well as her legacy and achievements.
