Lisette Verea (August 27, 1914 – August 27, 2003) was a Romanian-born cabaret singer and actress, best-known for her appearance in the

Marx Brothers The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act known for their anarchic humor, rapid-fire wordplay, and visual gags. They achieved success in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in 14 motion pictures. The core group consisted of brothers Chi ...

film ''

A Night in Casablanca ''A Night in Casablanca'' is a 1946 American comedy film directed by Archie Mayo and starring the Marx Brothers ( Groucho, Harpo, and Chico). The screenplay was written by Joseph Fields and Roland Kibbee. It was an independent production relea ...

'' (1946).

Early life

Lisette Verea was born in Bucharest, the daughter of Hainerik Chaim Veksler Verea and Olga Veksler Verea.

Career

Verea moved to the United States in 1941. Her name appears on the passenger list on President Grant liner, which arrived in New York on October 3, 1941. In 1944, she appeared on Broadway in a pair of operettas on a double bill (''La Serva Patrona'' and ''The Secret of Suzanne''), and in a revival of ''

The Merry Widow ''The Merry Widow'' ( ) is an operetta by the Austria-Hungary, Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehár. The Libretto, librettists, Viktor Léon and Leo Stein (writer), Leo Stein, based the story – concerning a rich widow, and her countrymen's ...

''. In 1946, publicity proclaimed her "Hollywood's newest glamor girl." Screen appearances by Verea included ''Trenul fantoma'' (1933) and in the Marx Brothers film ''A Night in Casablanca'' (1946). In ''A Night in Casablanca'', she sang " Who's Sorry Now?" in French and English. The ''New York Times'' critic enjoyed her performance, calling her character Beatrice "a flashy brunette who is played with an extravagant flounce by Lisette Verea".

Personal life

Verea married first in 1946, to textile manufacturer Erhart Ruegg; he died in 1950. One of Erhart's children from a previous marriage was Buddhologist David Seyfort Ruegg. Verea's second marriage was in 1954 to Olympic gold-medalist tennis player Francis Hunter. In 1964, she, her sister Bella, and a maid were the victims of a home-invasion robbery at the Hunters' estate in Southampton, Long Island. Verea died in New York City on August 27, 2003, her 89th birthday."Paid Notice: Deaths: Lisette Verea Hunter"
''New York Times'' (August 28, 2003).

Filmography

References

External links

*
Lisette Verea's listing on IBDB

A still from ''A Night in Casablanca'' (1946)
featuring Lisette Verea and

Groucho Marx Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx (; October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977) was an American comedian, actor, writer, and singer who performed in films and vaudeville on television, radio, and the stage. He is considered one of America's greatest comed ...

, from Getty Images {{DEFAULTSORT:Verea, Lisette 1914 births 2003 deaths American actresses Actresses from Bucharest Romanian emigrants to the United States 20th-century American women 20th-century American actors