biography

Faith Domergue Brunette beauty Faith Domergue was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on June 16, 1924 and was adopted a few weeks after birth. In the late 1920s, her family relocated to California, where Domergue went to school and took piano and singing lessons. When she was still in high school, Domergue was put under contract by Warner Bros., but after Howard Hughes saw the beautiful budding actress, he bought Domergue's contract. After she completed her studies and graduated from high school, she began training as an actress. In 1947, she married Hugo Fregonese, a director of Italian descent who was born in Argentina. Faith Domergue's first major film role came in Vendetta (1950; with George Dolenz and Hillary Brooke). Production of the film actually began in 1947, although the film wasn't released until 1950 due to a series of production mishaps, hirings, firings, and mismanagement by Howard Hughes, who spent nearly $4 million on the film's production. The experience filming Vendetta proved so horrendous that Domergue was no longer eager to pursue an acting career. She left the U.S. with Fregonese after shooting wrapped on the picture.

Faith DomergueFaith DomergueFaith DomergueFaith DomergueFaith Domergue

Glamorous promotional photos of Faith Domergue

Following the birth of her daughter, Domergue returned to the US in 1950 and resumed her career. She once again signed with Howard Hughes and went to work on the RKO film Where Danger Lives. Neither Vendetta nor Where Danger Lives were box-office successes, and eventually Faith Domergue asked Hughes to end her contract. In 1952, Domergue signed a two-picture-per-year deal with Universal-International where, after years of promise, she was finally showcased in a number of memorable films. Her first picture at Universal was The Duel at Silver Creek (1952; with Audie Murphy). She made the biggest splash, however, in horror and science fiction films, including Cult of the Cobra (1955; with Marshall Thompson and Richard Long), This Island Earth (1955; with Rex Reason, Jeff Morrow, and Russell Johnson), It Came from Beneath the Sea (1955; with Kenneth Tobey and Donald Curtis), and The Atomic Man (1955; with Gene Nelson).

the films of faith domergue

Vendetta (1950)

Faith DomergueFaith Domergue and George DolenzGeorge Dolenz and Faith DomergueFaith Domergue and Hillary Brooke

Images from RKO's Vendetta, directed by Mel Ferrer. LEFT: Lobby card. CENTER A and B: With co-star George Dolenz. RIGHT: With Hillary Brooke

Where Danger Lives (1950)

Faith Domergue and Robert Mitchum

From RKO's underrated film noir thriller Where Danger Lives with Robert Mitchum

The Duel at Silver Creek (1952)

Faith DomergueFaith DomergueFaith Domergue

Sultry promotional stills from the Universal-International Audie Murphy vehicle The Duel at Silver Creek

The Great Sioux Uprising (1953)

Faith Domergue and Jeff ChandlerFaith Domergue and Jeff ChandlerFaith Domergue and Jeff ChandlerFaith Domergue

LEFT: Domergue with first husband Hugo Fregonese and Jeff Chandler on the set of The Great Sioux Uprising. CENTER A and B: Promotional photos with Jeff Chandler. RIGHT: Studio still

This Is My Love (1954)

Faith Domergue and Linda Darnell

With Linda Darnell in the RKO drama This Is My Love

This Island Earth (1955)

Faith DomergueFaith DomergueJeff Morrow, Faith Domergue, and Rex Reason

Another Universal production, the science fiction classic This Island Earth is probably Domergue's best-known film. The right photo includes Jeff Morrow and Rex Reason

Cult of the Cobra (1955)

Faith Domergue, Marshall Thompson, and Richard LongFaith DomergueFaith Domergue and Kathleen HughesMarshall Thompson and Faith Domergue

From Universal's intriguing horror flick Cult of the Cobra. LEFT: With Marshall Thompson and Richard Long. CENTER A: Studio still. CENTER B: With Kathleen Hughes. RIGHT: With Marshall Thompson

It Came from Beneath the Sea (1955)

Kenneth Tobey and Faith Domergue

With Kenneth Tobey in the Columbia horror film It Came from Beneath the Sea

Santa Fe Passage (1955)

John Payne and Faith Domergue

From Republic's western release Santa Fe Passage with John Payne

Spin a Dark Web (1956)

Faith DomergueLee Patterson and Faith DomergueLee Patterson and Faith Domergue

From the British thriller Spin a Dark Web, released by Columbia. LEFT: Domergue as Bella Francesi. CENTER and RIGHT: With Lee Patterson

California (1963)

Michael Pate and Faith Domergue

Domergue is threatened by Michael Pate in the western California, released by American International Pictures

later years

During filming of Cult of the Cobra (1955), Faith Domergue's marriage to Hugo Fregonese unraveled, and the couple eventually divorced. Whereas Domergue had once been free to put her career on hold for periods of time, as a single mother with two children to support she threw herself into acting, making seven films and starring in a TV series between 1955 and 1957. Into the 1960s, Faith Domergue's film appearances became more sporadic, although she did appear often on popular television programs. After her 1966 marriage to Italian producer/director Paola Cossa, Domergue's career slowed considerably. She acted in a handful of films in Italy in the late 1960s, including One on Top of the Other (1969; with Marisa Mell), Besieged (1969; with Joan Collins and Massimo Serato), and The Man with Icy Eyes (1971; with Antonio Sabato and Barbara Bouchet). In the early 1970s, she wrapped up her career with a trio of horror films: Legacy of Blood (1971; with John Carradine, Jeff Morrow, and Merry Anders), The House of Seven Corpses (1974; with John Ireland and John Carradine), and So Evil, My Sister (1974; with Susan Strasberg and John Howard). Sadly, after a bout with cancer Faith Domergue passed away on April 4, 1999, at age 74. She was survived by a son and daughter. Her husband, Paolo Cossa, passed away in 1992 at age 62.

filmography

FILM
The House of Seven Corpses (1974) with John Ireland and John Carradine
So Evil, My Sister (1974) with Susan Strasberg, John Howard, and Sydney Chaplin
Legacy of Blood (1971) with Merry Anders, John Carradine, Jeff Morrow, John Russell, John Smith, and Richard Davalos
The Man with Icy Eyes (1971) with Victor Buono, Barbara Bouchet, and Keenan Wynn
Besieged (1969) with Joan Collins
The Gamblers (1969) with Stuart Margolin and Suzy Kendall
One on Top of the Other (1969) with Jean Sorel, Marisa Mell, and Elsa Martinelli
Track of Thunder (1968) with Tommy Kirk and Brenda Benet
Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet (1965) with Basil Rathbone
California (1963) with Jock Mahoney and Susan Seaforth Hayes
Escort West (1958) with Victor Mature and Elaine Stewart
The Sky Burns (1957)
Violent Stranger (1957) with Zachary Scott
Spin A Dark Web (1956) with Lee Patterson and Bernard Fox
The Atomic Man (1955) with Gene Nelson
It Came from Beneath the Sea (1955) with Kenneth Tobey
Santa Fe Passage (1955) with John Payne and Rod Cameron
Cult of the Cobra (1955) with Richard Long, Marshall Thompson, and Kathleen Hughes
This Island Earth (1955) with Rex Reason, Russell Johnson, Lance Fuller, and Jeff Morrow
This Is My Love (1954) with Linda Darnell and William Hopper
The Great Sioux Uprising (1953) with Jeff Chandler and Glenn Strange
The Duel at Silver Creek (1952) with Audie Murphy and Susan Cabot
Vendetta (1950) with George Dolenz, Hillary Brooke, and Hugo Haas
Where Danger Lives (1950) with Robert Mitchum
Young Widow (1946) with Jane Russell

TELEVISION SERIES
The Count of Monte Cristo, 1956 syndicated TV series, 39 episodes

TELEVISION GUEST APPEARANCES
Garrison's Gorillas, episode The Plot to Kill, originally aired February 20, 1968
Combat!, episode Cry For Help, originally aired December 20, 1966
Bonanza, episode The Companeros, originally aired April 19, 1964
Perry Mason, episode The Case of the Greek Goddess, originally aired April 18, 1963
Have Gun Will Travel, episode The Black Bull, originally aired April 13, 1963
Have Gun Will Travel, episode Beau Beste, originally aired October 13, 1962
Bonanza, episode The Lonely House, originally aired October 15, 1961
Perry Mason, episode The Case of the Guilty Clients, originally aired June 10, 1961
The Rifleman, episode Death Trap, originally aired May 9, 1961
Tales of Wells Fargo, episode The Jealous Man, originally aired April 10, 1961
The Tall Man, episode Rovin' Gambler, originally aired March 18, 1961
Bronco, episode La Rubia, originally aired May 17, 1960
Colt .45, episode Breakthrough, originally aired March 27, 1960
Cheyenne, episode The Rebellion, originally aired October 12, 1959
Sugarfoot, episode The Vultures, originally aired April 28, 1959
State Trooper, episode Pistols for Two, originally aired 1959
State Trooper, episode So Early in the Morning, originally aired 1959
The Rifleman, episode The Marshal, originally aired October 21, 1958

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Watch the trailer for Faith Domergue's 1955 horror film Cult of the Cobra

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Watch Faith Domergue's 1955 sci-fi flick The Atomic Man
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This page premiered January 17, 2001.
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