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{{short description|American actress (1921–1972)}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2020}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2020}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2020}}
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{{short description|American actress}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name = Marilyn Maxwell
| name = Marilyn Maxwell
| image = Marilyn Maxwell 1961.JPG
| image = Marilyn Maxwell 1961.JPG
| imagesize =
| imagesize =
| caption = Maxwell in 1961
| caption = Maxwell in 1961
| birthname = Marvel Marilyn Maxwell
| birthname = Marvel Marilyn Maxwell
| birth_date = {{birth date|1921|8|3}}
| birth_date = {{birth date|1921|8|3}}
| birth_place = [[Clarinda, Iowa]], U.S.
| birth_place = [[Clarinda, Iowa]], U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|1972|3|20|1921|8|3}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|1972|3|20|1921|8|3}}
| death_place = [[Beverly Hills, California]], U.S.
| death_place = [[Beverly Hills, California]], U.S.
| spouse = {{marriage|[[John Conte (actor)|John Conte]]|1944|1946|end=divorce}}<br>{{marriage|Anders (Andy) McIntyre|1950|1951|end=divorce}}<br>{{marriage|Jerry Davis|1954|1960|end=divorce}}
| spouse = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|[[John Conte (actor)|John Conte]]|1944|1946|end=divorce}}
* {{marriage|Anders McIntyre|1950|1951|end=divorce}}
* {{marriage|[[Jerry Davis (screenwriter)|Jerry Davis]]|1954|1960|end=divorce}}
}}
| children = 1
| yearsactive = 1942–71
| children = 1
| yearsactive = 1942–71
}}
}}


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==Career==
==Career==
[[File:Marilyn Maxwell in Stand By for Action trailer.jpg|right|thumb|From the trailer for ''[[Stand by for Action]]'' (1942)]]
[[File:Marilyn Maxwell in Stand By for Action trailer.jpg|right|thumb|upright|From the trailer for ''[[Stand by for Action]]'' (1942)]]
She started her professional entertaining career as a radio singer and a singer on stage with [[Ted Weems]]' big band while still a teenager, then she signed with [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] in 1942 as a contract player.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.redhotjazz.com/weems.html |title=Ted Weems and his Orchestra |publisher=RedHot Jazz.com |access-date=October 27, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110125003448/http://www.redhotjazz.com/weems.html |archive-date=January 25, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=IgwkAAAAIBAJ&pg=1872,2187533&dq=perry+como+marilyn+maxwell&hl=en |title=Along Amusement Row |last=Herzog |first=Buck |date=October 15, 1962 |work=[[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|The Milwaukee Journal]] |access-date=November 5, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zZBRAAAAIBAJ&pg=3129,1117850&dq=elmo+tanner&hl=en |title=On the Stage |date=October 21, 1939 |work=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]] |access-date=April 13, 2011}}</ref><ref name="fkma"/> Among the radio programs in which she appeared were ''[[Beat the Band]]''<ref name=sh>{{cite journal |title=Say Hello to ... |journal=Radio and Television Mirror |date=June 1940 |volume=14 |issue=2 |page=42 |url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Radio-Mirror/40/Mirror-1940-Jun.pdf |access-date=28 February 2015}}</ref> and ''[[The Abbott and Costello Show (radio program)|The Abbott and Costello Show]]''. [[Louis B. Mayer]], the head of MGM, insisted she change the Marvel part of her real name. She dropped her first name and kept the middle one.<ref name="Marilyn">{{cite news |last=Wilson |first=Earl |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=p-McAAAAIBAJ&pg=1956,3659688&dq=perry+como+marilyn+maxwell&hl=en |title=Another Marilyn! Are There Two? |date=September 28, 1952 |work=[[Sarasota Herald-Tribune]] |access-date=November 5, 2010}}</ref> Some of her film roles included ''[[Lost in a Harem]]'' (1944), ''[[Champion (1949 movie)|Champion]]'' (1949), ''[[The Lemon Drop Kid]]'' (1951), ''[[New York Confidential (film)|New York Confidential]]'' (1955) and ''[[Rock-A-Bye Baby (film)|Rock-A-Bye Baby]]'' (1958). The popular Christmas song "[[Silver Bells]]" made its debut in ''The Lemon Drop Kid'', sung by Maxwell and Hope.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Ukk0AAAAIBAJ&pg=5157,5588917&dq=perry+como+marilyn+maxwell&hl=en |title=People in the News-Hope Favors 'Silver Bells' |date=November 14, 1977 |work=Sarasota Herald-Tribune |access-date=November 5, 2010}}</ref>
She started her professional entertaining career as a radio singer and a singer on stage with [[Ted Weems]]' big band while still a teenager. She moved to Hollywood after being with the [[Pasadena Playhouse]]<ref name=varobit>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=March 22, 1972 |page=79 |title=Obituaries|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_variety_1972-03-22_266_6/page/79/mode/1up?view=theater|access-date=December 10, 2023|via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> and signed with [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] in 1942 as a contract player.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.redhotjazz.com/weems.html |title=Ted Weems and his Orchestra |publisher=RedHot Jazz.com |access-date=October 27, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110125003448/http://www.redhotjazz.com/weems.html |archive-date=January 25, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=IgwkAAAAIBAJ&pg=1872,2187533&dq=perry+como+marilyn+maxwell&hl=en |title=Along Amusement Row |last=Herzog |first=Buck |date=October 15, 1962 |work=[[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|The Milwaukee Journal]] |access-date=November 5, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zZBRAAAAIBAJ&pg=3129,1117850&dq=elmo+tanner&hl=en |title=On the Stage |date=October 21, 1939 |work=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]] |access-date=April 13, 2011}}</ref><ref name="fkma"/> Among the radio programs in which she appeared were ''[[Beat the Band]]''<ref name=sh>{{cite journal |title=Say Hello to ... |journal=Radio and Television Mirror |date=June 1940 |volume=14 |issue=2 |page=42 |url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Radio-Mirror/40/Mirror-1940-Jun.pdf |access-date=28 February 2015}}</ref> and ''[[The Abbott and Costello Show (radio program)|The Abbott and Costello Show]]''. [[Louis B. Mayer]], the head of MGM, insisted she change the Marvel part of her real name. She dropped her first name and kept the middle one.<ref name="Marilyn">{{cite news |last=Wilson |first=Earl |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=p-McAAAAIBAJ&pg=1956,3659688&dq=perry+como+marilyn+maxwell&hl=en |title=Another Marilyn! Are There Two? |date=September 28, 1952 |work=[[Sarasota Herald-Tribune]] |access-date=November 5, 2010}}</ref> She appeared in several [[Dr. Kildare#Films|Dr. Kildare films]] with [[Van Johnson]] - ''[[Dr. Gillespie's Criminal Case]]'' (1943); ''[[3 Men in White|Three Men in White]]'' (1944); and ''[[Between Two Women (1945 film)|Between Two Women]]'' (1945).<ref name=varobit/> Some of her other film roles included ''[[Lost in a Harem]]'' (1944) with [[Abbott and Costello]]; ''[[Champion (1949 movie)|Champion]]'' (1949) with [[Kirk Douglas]]; ''[[The Lemon Drop Kid]]'' (1951) with [[Bob Hope]]; ''[[New York Confidential (film)|New York Confidential]]'' (1955) with [[Broderick Crawford]]; and ''[[Rock-A-Bye Baby (film)|Rock-A-Bye Baby]]'' (1958) with [[Jerry Lewis]]. She received critical praise for her performance in the musical ''[[Summer Holiday (1948 film)|Summer Holiday]]'' (1948).<ref name=varobit/> The popular Christmas song "[[Silver Bells]]" made its debut in ''The Lemon Drop Kid'', sung by Maxwell and Hope.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Ukk0AAAAIBAJ&pg=5157,5588917&dq=perry+como+marilyn+maxwell&hl=en |title=People in the News-Hope Favors 'Silver Bells' |date=November 14, 1977 |work=Sarasota Herald-Tribune |access-date=November 5, 2010}}</ref>


Maxwell appeared twice as a singer in the second season (1955–1956) of ''[[Jimmy Durante#Television|The Jimmy Durante Show]]''.{{Citation needed |date=April 2021}}
Maxwell appeared twice as a singer in the second season (1955–1956) of ''[[Jimmy Durante#Television|The Jimmy Durante Show]]''.{{Citation needed |date=April 2021}} She sang at the [[Latin Quarter (nightclub)|Latin Quarter]] in New York and other top nightclubs of the time.<ref name=varobit/>

She appeared as the mystery guest of 'What's My Line ' on May 10, 1953. At one point, a blind-folded panelist asked whether or not she was [[Marilyn Monroe]].

In 1961 she starred in the TV series ''[[Bus Stop (TV series)|Bus Stop]]'' but withdrew midway through the season.<ref name=varobit/>


==Personal life==
==Personal life==
Maxwell married three times; each ended in divorce. In September 1944, she married actor [[John Conte (actor)|John Conte]]; the relationship was dissolved in June 1946. Her second marriage to restaurateur Anders McIntyre lasted just over a year from January 1, 1950<ref>{{cite news |title=Marilyn Maxwell Seeking Divorce |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3217076/the_oregon_statesman/ |work=[[Statesman Journal|The Oregon Statesman]] |date=February 17, 1951 |page=1 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=September 13, 2015 |location=Hazelton, Penn}} {{Open access}}</ref> until March 23, 1951.<ref name=ps>{{cite news |title=Actress Gets Freedom |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3217013/the_plain_speaker/ |work=The Plain Speaker |date=March 23, 1951 |page=12 |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |access-date=September 13, 2015 |location=Hazleton, Penn}} {{Open access}}</ref> Maxwell's six-year marriage to writer/producer Jerry Davis ended in 1960. Her only child, Matthew, was born to Maxwell and Davis in 1956.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hagen |first1=Ray |title=Killer Tomatoes: Fifteen Tough Film Dames |date=January 28, 2015 |publisher=McFarland |pages=130 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W63KwX1QtBAC&pg=PA130 |isbn=978-0-78-648073-9}}</ref>
Maxwell married three times; each ended in divorce. In September 1944, she married actor [[John Conte (actor)|John Conte]]; the relationship was dissolved in June 1946. Her second marriage to restaurateur Anders McIntyre lasted just over a year from January 1, 1950<ref>{{cite news |title=Marilyn Maxwell Seeking Divorce |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3217076/the_oregon_statesman/ |work=[[Statesman Journal|The Oregon Statesman]] |date=February 17, 1951 |page=1 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=September 13, 2015 |location=Hazelton, Penn}} {{Open access}}</ref> until March 23, 1951.<ref name=ps>{{cite news |title=Actress Gets Freedom |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3217013/the_plain_speaker/ |work=The Plain Speaker |date=March 23, 1951 |page=12 |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |access-date=September 13, 2015 |location=Hazleton, Penn}} {{Open access}}</ref> Maxwell's six-year marriage to writer/producer Jerry Davis ended in 1960. Her only child, Matthew, was born to Maxwell and Davis in 1956.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hagen |first1=Ray |title=Killer Tomatoes: Fifteen Tough Film Dames |year=2015 |publisher=McFarland |pages=130 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W63KwX1QtBAC&pg=PA130 |isbn=978-0-78-648073-9}}</ref>


Maxwell met and became friends with [[Frank Sinatra]] when they crossed paths, both of them in separate nationally renowned big bands in the late 1930s. Their friendship continued after Marilyn gave up singing for acting and moved to Hollywood and Frank had moved from New Jersey to Beverly Hills in the early 1940s. By 1945, the friendship had progressed into an extra-marital affair. Frank's then wife Nancy saw Marilyn wearing an expensive diamond bracelet Nancy had earlier seen in Frank's car and assumed was for her. Taking this as evidence of Frank's infidelity, Nancy ordered Marilyn and husband [[John Conte (actor)|John Conte]] to immediately leave the Sinatra family Christmas gala of 1945. Confronted after the party by Nancy, Frank admitted to the affair but claimed it was only casual not serious. Soon after, Marilyn and Frank ended their sexual liaison.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hagen |first1=Ray |title=Killer Tomatoes: Fifteen Tough Film Dames |date=2015 |publisher=McFarland |page=123 |isbn=9780786480739 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W63KwX1QtBAC&pg=PA123}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Taraborrelli |first1=J. Randy |title=Sinatra: Behind the Legend |date=August 11, 2015 |publisher=Grand Central Publishing |edition=e-book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tzHABQAAQBAJ&pg=PT100 |quote=Soon he was telling people that he and Marilyn belonged together and that he was going to -again- ask Nancy for a divorce. |isbn=978-1-455-53058-8}}</ref><ref name="fkma">[https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10762387-frank Frank The Voice"], James Kaplan published by Anchor Books Nov. 2011.</ref>
Maxwell met and became friends with [[Frank Sinatra]] when they crossed paths, both of them in separate nationally renowned big bands in the late 1930s. Their friendship continued after Maxwell gave up singing for acting and moved to Hollywood and Sinatra had moved from New Jersey to Beverly Hills in the early 1940s. By 1945, the friendship had progressed into an extra-marital affair. Sinatra’s wife Nancy saw Maxwell wearing a diamond bracelet she had earlier seen in Sinatra’s car which she assumed was for her. Taking this as evidence of Sinatra’s infidelity, Nancy ordered Maxwell and the husband [[John Conte (actor)|John Conte]] to immediately leave the Sinatra family Christmas gala of 1945. Confronted after the party, Sinatra admitted the affair to his wife, but claimed it was only casual. Soon after, Maxwell and Sinatra ended their sexual liaison.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hagen |first1=Ray |title=Killer Tomatoes: Fifteen Tough Film Dames |date=2015 |publisher=McFarland |page=123 |isbn=978-0786480739 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W63KwX1QtBAC&pg=PA123}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Taraborrelli |first1=J. Randy |title=Sinatra: Behind the Legend |year=2015 |publisher=Grand Central Publishing |edition=e-book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tzHABQAAQBAJ&pg=PT100 |quote=Soon he was telling people that he and Marilyn belonged together and that he was going to – again – ask Nancy for a divorce. |isbn=978-1-455-53058-8}}</ref><ref name="fkma">[https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10762387-frank Frank The Voice"], James Kaplan published by Anchor Books Nov. 2011.</ref>


[[File:Marilyn Maxwell in High Barbaree trailer.jpg|thumb|left|125px|Trailer for ''High Barbaree'']]
Between 1950 and 1954, Marilyn had an ongoing affair with actor/comedian [[Bob Hope]]. Although he was married at the time to singer Dolores Reade Hope, Bob and Marilyn's relationship was so open that many in Hollywood referred to her as Mrs. Bob Hope.<ref name="lou">[https://nypost.com/2014/10/31/bob-hope-sex-machine-often-cheated-during-his-69-year-marriage-new-bio/ Lou Lumenick, "Bob Hope Often Cheated During 69 Year Marriage?"], NY Post, 31 October 2014.</ref>
From 1950 to 1954, Maxwell had an affair with actor/comedian [[Bob Hope]] who was married to singer Dolores (Reade) Hope. Hope and Maxwell’s relationship was so open that many in Hollywood referred to her as Mrs. Bob Hope.{{cn|date=March 2024}}


During the 1950s, Marilyn became good friends with fellow actor [[Rock Hudson]]. After her marriage to Jerry Davis ended in 1960 at the arrangement of Hudson's agent [[Henry Willson]], Marilyn became one of several women Hudson publicly "dated" to counter rumors (admitted true by him later in life) of the actor's homosexuality. No real romance between Maxwell and Hudson existed.<ref name="nyt">[https://www.nytimes.com/1990/01/08/arts/review-television-the-life-death-and-secrets-of-rock-hudson.html John J O'Connor, "The Life, Death and Secrets of Rock Hudson"], New York Times, 8 January 1990.</ref>
During the 1950s, Maxwell became good friends with fellow actor [[Rock Hudson]]. After her marriage to Jerry Davis ended in 1960, Hudson's agent [[Henry Willson]] arranged for Maxwell to become one of several women Hudson publicly "dated" to counter rumors of the actor's homosexuality.<ref name="nyt">[https://www.nytimes.com/1990/01/08/arts/review-television-the-life-death-and-secrets-of-rock-hudson.html John J O'Connor, "The Life, Death and Secrets of Rock Hudson"], New York Times, 8 January 1990.</ref>


On March 20, 1972, at age 50, Maxwell was found dead in her home by her 15-year-old son, who had arrived home from school. The cause was an apparent heart attack; she had been treated for [[hypertension]] and [[respiratory disease|pulmonary disease]]. [[Bob Hope]], [[Bing Crosby]], [[Frank Sinatra]], and [[Jack Benny]] were honorary pallbearers at her funeral.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Eickemeyer Funeral Chapel |url=http://www.efc.cc/obituaries/prominent/marilyn_maxwell.htm |title=Marilyn Maxwell Obituary |access-date=January 25, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090123161749/http://efc.cc/obituaries/prominent/marilyn_maxwell.htm |archive-date=January 23, 2009 }}</ref>
On March 20, 1972, at age 50, Maxwell was found dead in her home by her 15-year-old son, who had arrived home from school. The cause was an apparent heart attack; she had been treated for [[hypertension]] and [[respiratory disease|pulmonary disease]].<ref name=varobit/> [[Bob Hope]], [[Bing Crosby]], [[Frank Sinatra]], and [[Jack Benny]] were honorary pallbearers at her funeral.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Eickemeyer Funeral Chapel |url=http://www.efc.cc/obituaries/prominent/marilyn_maxwell.htm |title=Marilyn Maxwell Obituary |access-date=January 25, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090123161749/http://efc.cc/obituaries/prominent/marilyn_maxwell.htm |archive-date=January 23, 2009 }}</ref>


==Radio appearances==
==Radio appearances==
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|-
|-
| 1946|| ''[[Stars over Hollywood]]'' || ''A Woman's Touch''<ref>{{cite news |title=Marilyn Maxwell Stars On WHP in "Stars Over Hollywood" Original |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3216855/harrisburg_telegraph/ |work=Harrisburg Telegraph |date=November 23, 1946 |page=19 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=September 13, 2015}} {{Open access}}</ref>
| 1946|| ''[[Stars over Hollywood]]'' || ''A Woman's Touch''<ref>{{cite news |title=Marilyn Maxwell Stars On WHP in "Stars Over Hollywood" Original |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3216855/harrisburg_telegraph/ |work=Harrisburg Telegraph |date=November 23, 1946 |page=19 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=September 13, 2015}} {{Open access}}</ref>

|-
| 1947||The Abbott and Costello Show|| ''Who's On 1st'', 17 April 1947


|-
|-
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===Features===
===Features===
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
*''[[Stand by for Action]]'' (1942) - Audrey Carr
*''[[Stand by for Action]]'' (1942) – Audrey Carr
*''[[Dr. Kildare|Dr. Gillespie's Criminal Case]]'' (1943) - Ruth Edly
*''[[Dr. Gillespie's Criminal Case]]'' (1943) – Ruth Edly
*''[[Salute to the Marines]]'' (1943) - Helen Bailey
*''[[Salute to the Marines]]'' (1943) – Helen Bailey
*''[[Thousands Cheer]]'' (1943) - Drug Store Clerk in Red Skelton Skit
*''[[Thousands Cheer]]'' (1943) – Drug Store Clerk in Red Skelton Skit
*''[[Swing Fever]]'' (1943) - Ginger Gray
*''[[Swing Fever]]'' (1943) – Ginger Gray
*''[[3 Men in White|Three Men in White]]'' (1944) - Ruth Edley
*''[[3 Men in White|Three Men in White]]'' (1944) – Ruth Edley
*''[[Lost in a Harem]]'' (1944) - Hazel Moon
*''[[Lost in a Harem]]'' (1944) – Hazel Moon
*''[[Between Two Women (1945 film)|Between Two Women]]'' (1945) - Ruth Edley
*''[[Between Two Women (1945 film)|Between Two Women]]'' (1945) – Ruth Edley
*''[[The Show-Off (1946 film)|The Show-Off]]'' (1946) - Amy Fisher Piper
*''[[The Show-Off (1946 film)|The Show-Off]]'' (1946) – Amy Fisher Piper
*''[[High Barbaree (film)|High Barbaree]]'' (1947) - Diana Case
*''[[High Barbaree (film)|High Barbaree]]'' (1947) – Diana Case
*''[[Summer Holiday (1948 film)|Summer Holiday]]'' (1948) - Belle
*''[[Summer Holiday (1948 film)|Summer Holiday]]'' (1948) – Belle
*''[[Race Street]]'' (1948) - Robbie Lawrence
*''[[Race Street]]'' (1948) – Robbie Lawrence
*''[[Champion (1949 film)|Champion]]'' (1949) - Grace
*''[[Champion (1949 film)|Champion]]'' (1949) – Grace
*''[[Key to the City (film)|Key to the City]]'' (1950) - Sheila
*''[[Key to the City (film)|Key to the City]]'' (1950) – Sheila
*''[[Outside the Wall (film)|Outside the Wall]]'' (1950) - Charlotte Maynard
*''[[Outside the Wall (film)|Outside the Wall]]'' (1950) – Charlotte Maynard
*''[[The Lemon Drop Kid]]'' (1951) - 'Brainey' Baxter
*''[[The Lemon Drop Kid]]'' (1951) – 'Brainey' Baxter
*''[[New Mexico (film)|New Mexico]]'' (1951) - Cherry
*''[[New Mexico (film)|New Mexico]]'' (1951) – Cherry
*''[[Off Limits (1953 film)|Off Limits]]'' (1952) - Connie Curtis
*''[[Off Limits (1953 film)|Off Limits]]'' (1952) – Connie Curtis
*''[[East of Sumatra]]'' (1953) - Lory Hale
*''[[East of Sumatra]]'' (1953) – Lory Hale
*''[[Paris Model]]'' (1953) - Marion Parmalee
*''[[Paris Model]]'' (1953) – Marion Parmalee
*''[[New York Confidential (film)|New York Confidential]]'' (1955) - Iris Palmer
*''[[New York Confidential (film)|New York Confidential]]'' (1955) – Iris Palmer
*''[[Rock-A-Bye Baby (film)|Rock-A-Bye Baby]]'' (1958) - Carla Naples
*''[[Rock-A-Bye Baby (film)|Rock-A-Bye Baby]]'' (1958) – Carla Naples
*''[[Critic's Choice (1963 film)|Critic's Choice]]'' (1963) - Ivy London
*''[[Critic's Choice (1963 film)|Critic's Choice]]'' (1963) – Ivy London
*''[[Stage to Thunder Rock]]'' (1964) - Leah Parker
*''[[Stage to Thunder Rock]]'' (1964) – Leah Parker
*''[[The Lively Set]]'' (1964) - Marge Owens
*''[[The Lively Set]]'' (1964) – Marge Owens
*''[[Arizona Bushwhackers]]'' (1968) - Molly
*''[[Arizona Bushwhackers]]'' (1968) – Molly
*''From Nashville with Music'' (1969) - Mabel
*''From Nashville with Music'' (1969) – Mabel
*''[[The Phynx]]'' (1970) - Herself
*''[[The Phynx]]'' (1970) – Herself
{{div col end}}
{{div col end}}


===Short subjects===
===Short subjects===
*''Screen Snapshots: Hollywood Goes to Bat'' (1950) - Herself
*''Screen Snapshots: Hollywood Goes to Bat'' (1950) – Herself
*''Brooklyn Goes to Las Vegas'' (1956) - Herself
*''Brooklyn Goes to Las Vegas'' (1956) – Herself


==References==
==References==
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* {{IMDb name}}
* {{IMDb name}}
* {{AllMovie name}}
* {{AllMovie name}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20180630110755/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b9f8ab5f2 Marilyn Maxwell] at the [[British Film Institute]]{{better source needed|reason=Help request: a live link can be searched for at https://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web/search/expert - if available, replace the archive URL with the live link. Or if none found, remove this 'better source needed' template. | date=October 2023}}
* {{BFI}}
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*[https://web.archive.org/web/20140101043818/http://otrrlibrary.org/OTRRLib/Library%20Files/B%20Series/Beat%20the%20Band/Beat%20the%20Band%2040-04-07%20(011)%20You%20Little%20Heartbreaker%20You.mp3 Audio of ''Beat the Band'' April 7, 1940 episode] Maxwell appears as Marvel Maxwell.
* {{Find a Grave}}
⚫
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20140101043818/http://otrrlibrary.org/OTRRLib/Library%20Files/B%20Series/Beat%20the%20Band/Beat%20the%20Band%2040-04-07%20(011)%20You%20Little%20Heartbreaker%20You.mp3 ''Beat the Band'' April 7, 1940 episode] Maxwell appears as Marvel Maxwell.


{{Ted Weems}}
{{Ted Weems}}

Latest revision as of 01:56, 15 August 2024

Marilyn Maxwell
Maxwell in 1961
Born
Marvel Marilyn Maxwell

(1921-08-03)August 3, 1921
Clarinda, Iowa, U.S.
DiedMarch 20, 1972(1972-03-20) (aged 50)
Beverly Hills, California, U.S.
Years active1942–71
Spouses
​
​
(m. 1944; div. 1946)​
Anders McIntyre
​
​
(m. 1950; div. 1951)​
​
​
(m. 1954; div. 1960)​
Children1

Marvel Marilyn Maxwell[1] (August 3, 1921 – March 20, 1972) was an American actress and entertainer. In a career that spanned the 1940s and 1950s,[2] she appeared in several films and radio programs, and entertained the troops during World War II and the Korean War on USO tours with Bob Hope.[3]

Early years

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Maxwell was a native of Clarinda, Iowa.[4] During the 1930s, she worked as an usher in Fort Wayne, Indiana at the Rialto Theater located at 2616 South Calhoun Street.[5] In Fort Wayne, she attended Central High School. She dropped out of school in her sophomore year to join an Indianapolis band as a singer.[6]

Career

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From the trailer for Stand by for Action (1942)

She started her professional entertaining career as a radio singer and a singer on stage with Ted Weems' big band while still a teenager. She moved to Hollywood after being with the Pasadena Playhouse[7] and signed with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1942 as a contract player.[8][9][10][11] Among the radio programs in which she appeared were Beat the Band[12] and The Abbott and Costello Show. Louis B. Mayer, the head of MGM, insisted she change the Marvel part of her real name. She dropped her first name and kept the middle one.[3] She appeared in several Dr. Kildare films with Van Johnson - Dr. Gillespie's Criminal Case (1943); Three Men in White (1944); and Between Two Women (1945).[7] Some of her other film roles included Lost in a Harem (1944) with Abbott and Costello; Champion (1949) with Kirk Douglas; The Lemon Drop Kid (1951) with Bob Hope; New York Confidential (1955) with Broderick Crawford; and Rock-A-Bye Baby (1958) with Jerry Lewis. She received critical praise for her performance in the musical Summer Holiday (1948).[7] The popular Christmas song "Silver Bells" made its debut in The Lemon Drop Kid, sung by Maxwell and Hope.[13]

Maxwell appeared twice as a singer in the second season (1955–1956) of The Jimmy Durante Show.[citation needed] She sang at the Latin Quarter in New York and other top nightclubs of the time.[7]

She appeared as the mystery guest of 'What's My Line ' on May 10, 1953. At one point, a blind-folded panelist asked whether or not she was Marilyn Monroe.

In 1961 she starred in the TV series Bus Stop but withdrew midway through the season.[7]

Personal life

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Maxwell married three times; each ended in divorce. In September 1944, she married actor John Conte; the relationship was dissolved in June 1946. Her second marriage to restaurateur Anders McIntyre lasted just over a year from January 1, 1950[14] until March 23, 1951.[1] Maxwell's six-year marriage to writer/producer Jerry Davis ended in 1960. Her only child, Matthew, was born to Maxwell and Davis in 1956.[15]

Maxwell met and became friends with Frank Sinatra when they crossed paths, both of them in separate nationally renowned big bands in the late 1930s. Their friendship continued after Maxwell gave up singing for acting and moved to Hollywood and Sinatra had moved from New Jersey to Beverly Hills in the early 1940s. By 1945, the friendship had progressed into an extra-marital affair. Sinatra’s wife Nancy saw Maxwell wearing a diamond bracelet she had earlier seen in Sinatra’s car which she assumed was for her. Taking this as evidence of Sinatra’s infidelity, Nancy ordered Maxwell and the husband John Conte to immediately leave the Sinatra family Christmas gala of 1945. Confronted after the party, Sinatra admitted the affair to his wife, but claimed it was only casual. Soon after, Maxwell and Sinatra ended their sexual liaison.[16][17][11]

Trailer for High Barbaree

From 1950 to 1954, Maxwell had an affair with actor/comedian Bob Hope who was married to singer Dolores (Reade) Hope. Hope and Maxwell’s relationship was so open that many in Hollywood referred to her as Mrs. Bob Hope.[citation needed]

During the 1950s, Maxwell became good friends with fellow actor Rock Hudson. After her marriage to Jerry Davis ended in 1960, Hudson's agent Henry Willson arranged for Maxwell to become one of several women Hudson publicly "dated" to counter rumors of the actor's homosexuality.[18]

On March 20, 1972, at age 50, Maxwell was found dead in her home by her 15-year-old son, who had arrived home from school. The cause was an apparent heart attack; she had been treated for hypertension and pulmonary disease.[7] Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and Jack Benny were honorary pallbearers at her funeral.[19]

Radio appearances

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Year Program Episode/source
1946 Stars over Hollywood A Woman's Touch[20]
1947 The Abbott and Costello Show Who's On 1st, 17 April 1947
1949 The Martin and Lewis Show episode 10

Filmography

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Features

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Short subjects

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  • Screen Snapshots: Hollywood Goes to Bat (1950) – Herself
  • Brooklyn Goes to Las Vegas (1956) – Herself

References

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  1. ^ a b "Actress Gets Freedom". The Plain Speaker. Hazleton, Penn. March 23, 1951. p. 12. Retrieved September 13, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  2. ^ Hyams, Joe (March 1991). Flight of the Avenger: George Bush at War. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. p. 128. ISBN 978-0-15-131469-0.
  3. ^ a b Wilson, Earl (September 28, 1952). "Another Marilyn! Are There Two?". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Retrieved November 5, 2010.
  4. ^ "Actress Marilyn Maxwell Dies". La Crosse Tribune. March 21, 1972. p. 14. Retrieved September 13, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  5. ^ Ankenbruck, John (1975). Twentieth Century History of Fort Wayne. Fort Wayne: Twentieth Century Historical Fort Wayne, Inc. p. 308.
  6. ^ Harter, Randolph (2015). Legendary Locals of Fort Wayne. Arcadia Publishing. p. 101. ISBN 9781439653067.
  7. ^ a b c d e f "Obituaries". Variety. March 22, 1972. p. 79. Retrieved December 10, 2023 – via Internet Archive.
  8. ^ "Ted Weems and his Orchestra". RedHot Jazz.com. Archived from the original on January 25, 2011. Retrieved October 27, 2010.
  9. ^ Herzog, Buck (October 15, 1962). "Along Amusement Row". The Milwaukee Journal. Retrieved November 5, 2010.
  10. ^ "On the Stage". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. October 21, 1939. Retrieved April 13, 2011.
  11. ^ a b Frank The Voice", James Kaplan published by Anchor Books Nov. 2011.
  12. ^ "Say Hello to ..." (PDF). Radio and Television Mirror. 14 (2): 42. June 1940. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
  13. ^ "People in the News-Hope Favors 'Silver Bells'". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. November 14, 1977. Retrieved November 5, 2010.
  14. ^ "Marilyn Maxwell Seeking Divorce". The Oregon Statesman. Hazelton, Penn. February 17, 1951. p. 1. Retrieved September 13, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  15. ^ Hagen, Ray (2015). Killer Tomatoes: Fifteen Tough Film Dames. McFarland. p. 130. ISBN 978-0-78-648073-9.
  16. ^ Hagen, Ray (2015). Killer Tomatoes: Fifteen Tough Film Dames. McFarland. p. 123. ISBN 978-0786480739.
  17. ^ Taraborrelli, J. Randy (2015). Sinatra: Behind the Legend (e-book ed.). Grand Central Publishing. ISBN 978-1-455-53058-8. Soon he was telling people that he and Marilyn belonged together and that he was going to – again – ask Nancy for a divorce.
  18. ^ John J O'Connor, "The Life, Death and Secrets of Rock Hudson", New York Times, 8 January 1990.
  19. ^ "Marilyn Maxwell Obituary". Eickemeyer Funeral Chapel. Archived from the original on January 23, 2009. Retrieved January 25, 2009.
  20. ^ "Marilyn Maxwell Stars On WHP in "Stars Over Hollywood" Original". Harrisburg Telegraph. November 23, 1946. p. 19. Retrieved September 13, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon

Further reading

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  • Terrace, Vincent (1999). Radio Programs, 1924–1984. McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-0351-9.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Marilyn Maxwell.
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