Florence Marly (2 June 1919 – 9 November 1978) was a Czech-born French film actress. During World War II, Marly moved to neutral Argentina with her Jewish husband, film director

Pierre Chenal Pierre Chenal (; 5 December 1904 – 23 December 1990) was a French director and screenwriter who flourished in the 1930s. He was married to Czech-born French film actress Florence Marly from 1937 to 1955. Work Chenal was best known for film no ...

, where she appeared in several films. She also acted in two of her husband's films while they were in Chile.

Career

Marly was born Hana Smékalová in

Obrnice Obrnice (german: Obernitz) is a municipality and village in Most District in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 2,000 inhabitants. Obrnice lies approximately east of Most, south-west of Ústí nad Labem, and north-w ...

Czechoslovakia , rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי, , common_name = Czechoslovakia , life_span = 1918–19391945–1992 , p1 = Austria-Hungary , image_p1 ...

. 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 Sorbonne may refer to: * Sorbonne (building), historic building in Paris, which housed the University of Paris and is now shared among multiple universities. *the University of Paris (c. 1150 – 1970) *one of its components or linked institution, ...

. She met her future husband

who cast her in his film ''

The Alibi ''The Alibi'' is a 2006 American film directed by Kurt Mattila and Matt Checkowski and written by Noah Hawley. It stars Steve Coogan, Rebecca Romijn, and Selma Blair. The film was shown at 2006 CineVegas. The film was released to DVD on December ...

''. She played a major role in

René Clément René Clément (; 18 March 1913 – 17 March 1996) was a French film director and screenwriter. Life and career Clément studied architecture at the École des Beaux-Arts where he developed an interest in filmmaking. In 1936, he directed hi ...

's ''

Les Maudits ''The Damned'' (french: Les Maudits) is a 1947 French drama war film directed by René Clément. It was entered into the 1947 Cannes Film Festival. The film is notable for its depiction of the interior of a wartime submarine and for its tracking ...

'', a fictionalized account showing the fate of Nazi refugees. After moving to

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

, she acted in Paramount's film ''

Sealed Verdict ''Sealed Verdict'' is a 1948 American adventure drama war film directed by Lewis Allen and starring Ray Milland and Florence Marly. Plot Maj. Robert Lawson ( Ray Milland), a lawyer working in Germany as part of the American Army's tribunal f ...

'' opposite

Ray Milland Ray Milland (born Alfred Reginald Jones; 3 January 1907 – 10 March 1986) was a Welsh-American actor and film director. His screen career ran from 1929 to 1985. He is remembered for his Academy Award and Cannes Film Festival Award-winning ...

. Next year, she starred in

Stuart Heisler Stuart Heisler (December 5, 1896 – August 21, 1979) was an American film and television director. He was a son of Luther Albert Heisler (1855–1916), a carpenter, and Frances Baldwin Heisler (1857–1935). He worked as a motion picture editor ...

's '' Tokyo Joe'' (1949) alongside

Humphrey Bogart Humphrey DeForest Bogart (; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American film and stage actor. His performances in Classical Hollywood cinema films made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film In ...

. In it she played Bogart's wife, who divorces him after he moves to the United States from Japan before Peal Harbor brought the United States into World War II. The film met with mixed responses from critics.

Clive Hirschhorn Clive Hirschhorn (born February 20, 1940) is a South African writer and critic known for his long tenure as film and theater critic for the British ''Sunday Express'' newspaper and as the author of several books. Early life and journalism Born i ...

wrote in his book, ''The Columbia Story'', that it was "a little more than a Bogart parody". Marly's acting in the espionage film ''

Tokyo File 212 ''Tokyo File 212'' (Japanese: ) is a 1951 spy film directed by and . George Breakston wrote the film's script and co-produced it with Dorrell McGowan jointly under the banner of their newly formed Breakston–McGowan Productions and Japanese ...

'' brought her appreciations. Robert J. Lentz wrote in ''Korean War Filmography'' that she had given the best performance in the film. It was Hollywood's first

feature film A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...

to be shot entirely in Japan. In 1962 she appeared in a small role as a gangster's girlfriend in the Twilight Zone episode ''Dead Man's Shoes''. She had the eponymous role of a blood-thirsty vampire queen in

Curtis Harrington Gene Curtis Harrington (September 17, 1926 – May 6, 2007) was an American film and television director whose work included experimental films, horror films and episodic television. He is considered one of the forerunners of New Queer Cinema. ...

-directed science fiction horror film ''

Queen of Blood ''Queen of Blood'' (a.k.a. ''Planet of Blood'') is a 1966 science fiction horror film produced by George Edwards and Samuel Z. Arkoff, directed by Curtis Harrington, that stars John Saxon, Basil Rathbone, Dennis Hopper, and Judi Meredith. ...

'' (1966), based on a novel by Charles Nuetzel. It met with positive reviews. Paul Meehan wrote in ''Saucer Movies'' that she gave a "convincing" performance. Marly made a 16 mm sequel to ''Queen of Blood'' titled ''Space Boy!'' (1973).

Personal life

At a dinner, director

Fritz Lang Friedrich Christian Anton Lang (; December 5, 1890 – August 2, 1976), known as Fritz Lang, was an Austrian film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in Germany and later the United States.Obituary ''Variety'', August 4, 1976, p. 6 ...

bit Marly's hand. 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 Anna Marly (russian: Анна Юрьевна Смирнова-Марли, Anna Yurievna Smirnova-Marli), (30 October 1917 – 15 February 2006) was a Russian-born French singer-songwriter. Born into a wealthy Russian noble family, Marly came to F ...

, and she was subsequently blacklisted in Hollywood by the

House Un-American Activities Committee The House Committee on Un-American Activities (HCUA), popularly dubbed the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), was an investigative committee of the United States House of Representatives, created in 1938 to investigate alleged disloy ...

. Even after she was cleared from the blacklist, at a Hollywood party

Jack L. Warner Jack Leonard Warner (born Jacob Warner; August 2, 1892 – September 9, 1978) was a Canadian-American film executive, who was the president and driving force behind the Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California. Warner's career spanned some ...

"turned his back on er.

Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time'' magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and ...

, in a letter, called her a "rather sweet" "beautiful Czech lady". She was married to Chenal from 1937 to 1955. In 1956 she married the Austrian Count Degenhart von Wurmbrand-Stuppach (1893-1965) but divorced him the same year.

Filmography

* ''

'' (1937) - La maitresse de Gordon * ''

The Lafarge Case ''The Lafarge Case'' (French: ''L'Affaire Lafarge'') is a 1938 French historical crime film directed by Pierre Chenal and starring Pierre Renoir, Marcelle Chantal and Raymond Rouleau. It recalls a famous nineteenth century case, and is mostly por ...

'' (1938) - Emma Pontier * ''

Café de Paris Café de Paris may refer to: Establishments *Café de Paris (London), a London nightclub * Café de Paris, Chicago, a Chicago nightclub * Café de Paris (restaurant), Geneva * Café de Paris (Rome), a bar in Rome, Italy * Café de Paris (Cubzac-les ...

'' (1938) - Estelle * ''Sirocco'' (1938) - Diana * ''

Savage Brigade ''Savage Brigade'' (French: ''La Brigade sauvage'') is a 1939 French drama film directed by Marcel L'Herbier and starring Véra Korène, Charles Vanel and Florence Marly. The film was completed by Jean Dréville. - Isa Ostrowski * ''

Le Dernier Tournant ''The Last Turning'' (French: ''Le Dernier tournant'') is a 1939 French drama film directed by Pierre Chenal, written by Charles Spaak and Henri Torrès, based on the 1934 novel '' The Postman Always Rings Twice'' by James M. Cain. Cast * Fernan ...

'' (1939) - Madge, la dompteuse * ''La piel de Zapa'' (1943) - Fedora * ''

End of the Night "End of the Night" is a song by the American psychedelic rock band the Doors. It was featured on the band's debut album and then released as the B-side to the album's first single, " Break On Through (To the Other Side)" in January 1967. After ...

'' (1944) * '' Viaje sin regreso'' (1946) * '' The Damned'' (1947) - Hilde Garosi * ''

Krakatit ''Krakatit'' is a 1948 Czechoslovak science fiction mystery film directed by Otakar Vávra, starring Karel Höger as a chemist who suffers from delirium and regret after inventing a powerful explosive. The film is based on Karel Čapek's novel wi ...

'' (1948) - Princess Wilhelmina Hagen * ''

'' (1948) - Themis DeLisle * '' Tokyo Joe'' (1949) - Trina Pechinkov Landis * ''

'' (1951) - Steffi Novak * ''

Gobs and Gals ''Gobs and Gals'' is a 1952 American comedy film directed by R. G. Springsteen and written by Arthur T. Horman. The film stars George Bernard, Bert Bernard, Robert Hutton, Cathy Downs, Gordon Jones and Florence Marly. The film was released o ...

'' (1952) - Soyna DuBois * ''El ídolo'' (1952) - Cristina Arnaud * ''Confession at Dawn'' (1954) * '' Undersea Girl'' (1957) - Leila Graham - Gang Moll * ''

'' (1966) - Alien Queen * ''

Games A game is a structured form of play, usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or games) or art (such ...

'' (1967) - Baroness, Party Guest * '' Doctor Death: Seeker of Souls'' (1973) - Tana * ''Space Boy'' (1973, Short) * ''The Astrologer'' (1975) - Diana Blair (final film role)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Marly, Florence 1919 births 1978 deaths French film actresses Czech film actresses 20th-century French actresses People from Most District Czechoslovak emigrants to France French expatriates in Argentina French expatriates in Chile French expatriates in the United States