Incredibly, even the notoriously immoral Hollywood studios thought that Darnell was too young, and turned her away. But if Zanuck was a toxic figure in Darnells life, her mother Pearl still had him beat. But just as things seemed to be looking up, Darnell deceived her husband once again. Sadly, Fox saw her contentment and rushed in to crush it. She was again put on a diet and was assigned to a voice coach to learn how to speak with an English accent. The second collaboration proved disastrous, and the next film was never released in the United States. But Mother had always wanted it for herself, and I guess she attained it through me.". [3] Loretta Young was originally assigned to play the role, but she demanded a salary which the studio would not give her. Zanuck, who knew how popular the on-screen couple had become, added extra romantic scenes between them to entice viewers (and, most probably, himself). Although she initially disregarded gossip of an affair, she fell in love with the womanizing millionaire and separated from Marley shortly after finishing My Darling Clementine. She was also getting adventurous with her love life. Linda was 41 years old at the time of death. YouTube. "[1]:72 Up to 1942, she dated Kay Kyser, Eddie Albert, George Montgomery, and Jackie Cooper, among others. After grooming Darnell to be a star all those years, Pearl wasnt willing to let her walk away. She is a Member of the Sunset High School Hall of Fame. The rest of the decade saw her taking on a range of characters that displayed her talent beyond mere good looks while also not straying too far from the seductress persona that she'd cultivated. Darnell grew up very fast. Died in a fire of unknown origin while visiting friends. She had lost track of Darnell and insisted that the firefighters rescue Darnell before she was taken from the window ledge. In fact, publications dubbed her the girl with the perfect face for her Latin features as well as her dark hair and eyes. Manage Settings But there was just one problem. Darnell is sure it will be her ticket to stardom. The studio asked the FBI to protect the actress, and eventually a 17-year-old high school student was arrested for the crime. The show began airing in 1957, and Guy received his role after auditioning for Walt Disney personally. She was willing to divorce her husband to marry him, but Hughes didnt want to take their relationship that far and rejected any of her serious advances. Darnell became one of the most in-demand actresses in Hollywood, and she now had the freedom to select her own roles. [32][33][1]:177179, Darnell's body was cremated; she had wanted her ashes scattered over a ranch in New Mexico, but because of a dispute with the landowners that was not possible. [22] Regardless, she was surprised to find out that she had been cast, because she had been intensively rehearsing for Captain from Castile at the time. In the summer of 1940, Darnell began working on The Mark of Zorro (1940), in which she again co-starred as Power's sweetheart in a role for which Anne Baxter was previously considered. You see, the studios knew she was underage and decided to lie for her anyway. Although Catherine's successor Queen Anne Boleyn suffered an infamously dark fate, Aragon's own life was somehow even more tragic. She died on April 24, 2008 at age 59. This is the story of her rather sad life and tragically early death. The most physically perfect girl in Hollywood grew up to be distrustful of others, and of their compliments. Please reach out to us to let us know what youre interested in reading. "[1]:72. [1]:55 Following an intense fight between her parents in 1942, Darnell left home with her younger sister Monte and never returned. Darnell comes as close to pure evil as she ever did in Hangover Square (1945), a movie that would make an interesting double bill with Fritz Lang's Scarlet Street, Darnell's venomous Netta up against Joan Bennett as Lazy Legs.Bennett underestimates the danger from men; Darnell looks at Laird Cregar with a nagging suspicion of his madness. Indeed, Zanuck very likely took out his jealousy on his old favorite by viciously suspending herThen again, the naysayers might have had a point: At 42, Marley was old enough to be the 19-year-old Darnells father. She is best known for her role in Forever Amber (1947) based on a bestselling historical novel. Although Darnell fought her way out of the dark, she didnt escape unscathed. Darnell emotionally invested herself in Mankiewiczand it was an awful mistake. In the hopes of cultivating a new start for their relationship (never a good idea), the couple adopted a baby girl in 1948 and named her Charlotte Mildred Marley, or Lola for short. "Linda Darnell Newest 'Cinderella' In Hollywood" by. Returning to Hollywood, she accepted offers to appear in films from her past loversHughes and Mankiewicz. According to her siblings, Darnell enjoyed the limelight and shared her mother's dream. Linda Darnell (born Monetta Eloyse Darnell; October 16, 1923 - April 10, 1965) was an American actress. The Los Angeles Times states that she was visiting her friend and once-secretary Jeanne Curtis' home in Chicago and that they had stayed up late to watch a television broadcast of Darnell's own 1940 film, "Star Dust." After this, her career began to slow down. It was a transformative role for Darnell as, up until that point, she was mostly playing sweet and innocent characters, but "Summer Storm" saw her portray the sexy femme fatale that would typify most of the rest of her career in the 1940s. When it came to defining their turbulent relationship, Darnell and Mankiewicz were not on the same page. No clan is left untouched, and even families that seem happy and normal on. [1]:75. It was the only time that she had to live up to this part of her contract, although she was released from it in September 1952.[25]. She planned on attending graduation ceremonies at Sunset High School, but she was excluded from them and instead graduated from University High School in 1941. On April 10, 1965, Linda Darnell died from burns she received in a house fire at the age of 41. Unlike her husband, Pearl had a notorious reputation in the neighborhood of being "aggressive" or "downright mean. She made her screen debut in 1939 with the role of Marcia Bromley in drama Hotel for Women. Linda bores the thankless good girl roles. Her interests include learning different languages, trying adventurous food recipes, watching anime and dramas, and belting songs in foreign languages that she (oftentimes) doesnt understand. At 15 years old, the naive and vulnerable Darnell moved into a Hollywood apartment all by her lonesome to try to become a silver screen siren, just like so many other girls of her time. [3] Nevertheless, by age 15 she was signed to a contract at 20th Century-Fox and moved to a small apartment in Hollywood all alone on April5, 1939. But Hughes had a terrible reputation and when Darnell fell for him, she also stepped right into the path of oncoming danger. She begins to cast in lower-budget films that, while doing well at the box office, feels like a step down for Linda. "[1]:53 Her studio contract had been revised to allow Darnell to earn $200 a week. Once again, Darnell got her divorce papers ready, and once again she faced betrayal. I still dont know how to write, but i'm writing and you are reading :), 2023 BygonelyPrivacy policyTerms of ServiceContact us. Her success with United Artists helped Twentieth Century Fox recognize the depth of her talent. For Darnell, this was one heck of a slippery slope. Darnell didnt particularly want to be a big star but she followed her mothers urging and made it happen. She later consented to take on the glamor role, but she refused to bleach her hair for it. But despite the physical and mental toll her marriage took, Darnells career was about to take a sharp turn for the better. Making her death more ominous is the fact that Darnell had previously played a concubine who dies by fire in 1946's "Anna and the King of Siam." It was the most expensive film so far produced by Fox, and publicity at the time compared the novel to Gone with the Wind. Darnells depression had crept up on her again, and she was falling back into old habits, drinking heavily and feeding her addiction. [1]:124, On March 21, 1951, Darnell signed a new contract with 20th Century Fox that allowed her to become a freelance actress. [1]:83 Darnell complained that the studio lacked recognition of her, which prodded Zanuck to cast her in Hangover Square (1945), wherein she played a role she personally had chosen. Darnell, on the other hand, had other ideas. What made Rawhide [] More, Lucy and Ricky Ricardo may have been the main characters of the hit 1950s series I Love Lucy, but the show wouldnt have been nearly as successful without their landlords, Fred and Ethel Mertz. Glenview, Illinois, USA; Recently Passed Away Celebrities and Famous People. At home in Dallas I used to sprawl on the lawn and dream about the nice, easy time the screen stars must be having in Hollywood, but the last two months have taught me quite another story. Darnell was born into a big family, but her parents marriage was an unhappy one. Were always looking for your input! Even after Darnell made a name for herself in Hollywood, her mother was still nagging her and watching her every career move. True stardom eludes her over the course of her career as a result of racism that she experiences professionally. Truly, like mother, like daughter. And just as Darnell feared, this security really was short-lived. Not long after adopting her daughter with Marley, Darnell fell for Joseph L. Mankiewicz, the director of her most critically acclaimed film, A Letter To Three Wives. Thanks to his time portraying the titular character on the hit Disney series Zorro. In her theater work, she wasnt outstanding, but her mother was right behind her everywhere she went.. After coming to grips with her mothers death, Lola came to realize Linda wouldnt have wanted to live with the disfigurement she would have had if she had recovered from the fire. She had moved to Pennsylvania and given birth to her own children and had Lindas ashes interred in the Adams family plot. Darnell was to pay him $125,000, an amount that almost bankrupted her. It was only her second film, but it set the tone for her entire exploitative career as an ingenue. To this day, it inspires many Western TV shows and films and fans are eager to spread the word about the show to a new generation. You believe what people around you say. Linda Darnell died on April 10, 1965 at the age of 41. January 9, 2023, 4:41 pm, by [7] She was later replaced because the studio felt her role was not important enough. Indeed, playing Amber took a lot more out of Darnell than she could afford. Meanwhile, she realized that Darryl F. Zanuck had lost interest in her, and she was overlooked for most film roles that suited her. Wow this is another beautiful image of Linda. [3] There was no certainty, though, and she soon returned to Dallas. Hot Switch to the dark mode that's kinder on your eyes at night time. Her last stand as an actress saw her return to the stagebefore fate forcibly put an end to her career. Liebmann, of course, found Darnells looks very attractive, and inthe end, they decided on a compromise to satisfy both parties. And so [] More, Anna May Wong made history during Hollywoods Golden Age by becoming the first notable Asian-American actress in the industry. Darnell was eager to appear on Ronald Reagan's General Electric Theater. For one, Darnell realized that although she felt drawn to Liebmanns deep pockets, she wasnt actually physically attracted to him. She had been staying there, with friends, while preparing for a stage role. Heres a newspaper clipping from the Edinburg Daily Courier, and is dated October 29, 1938. Please let us know if a fact weve published is inaccurate (or even if you just suspect its inaccurate) by reaching out to us at contribute@factinate.com. To prepare, she underwent strict dieting and voice training to learn to speak with an English accent. As it happened, Darnell got lucky and got a big break: Her first film, Hotel for Women, was a huge success, and the teenager officially became an up-and-coming actress. Your suggestions can be as general or specific as you like, from Life to Compact Cars and Trucks to A Subspecies of Capybara Called Hydrochoerus Isthmius. Well get our writers on it because we want to create articles on the topics youre interested in. Theater". Memorialize Linda's life with photos and stories about her and the Darnell family history and genealogy. Ironically, she was watching Star Dust on TV at the time, a movie she had made in 1940 that had helped set her career in motion. The Tragic Death Of 1940s Film Star Linda Darnell. On April 10, at 41 years old, Darnell closed her eyes forever. She never attended her high school graduationor university. In many of those films, she starred alongside Hollywood heartthrobs like Tyrone Power and Henry Fonda. I thought in a little while I'd get offers from other studios, but not many came along. Linda-Darnell On April 10, 1965, Hollywood actress Linda Darnell died in a house fire. The fire occurred at the house of her former secretary. Doctors did everything they could to save Darnell but unfortunately, she succumbed to her injuries 33 hours after the fire. Owing to a delay in the middle of production, she was sent back to Hollywood and there accepted an offer from Howard Hughes to star in RKO's 3-D film Second Chance (1953), filmed in Mexico. Her parents did not have a happy marriage. For eighteen months I did nothing in pictures. How old was Linda Darnell at death? She longed for the leading role in the controversial film Pinky (1949), but Zanuck feared that her character would be compared to Amber by the audience, and A Letter to Three Wives co-star Jeanne Crain was cast instead. Afterwards, she flew back to Rome to complete Angels of Darkness, in which she spoke Italian. tempered. She was 41 years old. In 1940, Darnell rose to fame by appearing in her first big-budget film Brigham Young (1940). She was the middle child of four siblings. Join thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact Of The Day newsletter. But of course, Darnell was far too stubborn to take this advice to heart. February 28, 2022, 7:19 pm, by Making her death more ominous is the fact that Darnell had previously played a concubine who dies by fire in 1946's "Anna and the King of Siam." Today, she is immortalized. He was also expertly manipulative, casting her in good roles whenever she proved pleasant and agreeable. Her parents marriage was not happy and she grew up shy and reserved amongst a lot of domestic turmoil. 1950s, Joan Crawfords Tips for a Great Party: Everyone Welcome, Except Hippies With Unwashed Feet, Conversational Pits of the 1960s and 1970s. The fire occurred at the house of her former secretary. Were they indeed terrifying? Absolutely. She died at the young age of 41. She was trapped on the second floor of the home by heat and smoke, as the fire had started in the living room. She began to resent Twentieth Century Fox, saying, Suppose youd been earning $4,000 to $5,000 a week for years. [1]:52, At first, everything was like a fairy tale coming true. I'm counting on my Russian girl to give me a new start. Darnell was still too young to know what she wanted to do with her life when her mother decided on her future for her. . She took the news of their family drama and delivered it to the press who welcomed this hot gossip with open arms. [1]:58 A big-budget adventure film that was raved over by the critics, The Mark of Zorro was a box office sensation and did much to enhance Darnell's star status. She made her first movie, Hotel for Women, in 1939 and had supporting roles in big-budget films throughout the 1940s. Born at 4:40am-CST. 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