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Marie Windsor
1919-2000
Updated 1/27/2008 with more films available on DVD.
biography
Statuesque Marie Windsor was born Emily Marie Bertelsen in Utah in 1919. Early on she harbored an interest in acting, taking lessons while still a youth. She went to college to study drama but left Brigham Young University in 1939 for California, to study with famed Russian actress and drama coach Maria Ouspenskaya. Windsor, at 5'9", was also a Varga model. She nailed a contract with MGM in the early 1940s, but the studio never gave her the build-up she deserved, for years casting her in small, sometimes uncredited, roles. She used her time to do considerable radio and stage work; in addition, she married bandleader Ted Steele but the marriage quickly dissolved. After a three-year hiatus, she went back into films in 1947.
Glamorous 1950s shot of Marie Windsor
Her first important role came in the 1948 film noir thriller Force of Evil; Windsor's tough on-screen persona naturally lent itself to certain film genres, most notably film noir and westerns. From the late 1940s through the late 1950s, she starred in a succession of films, mostly film noir, westerns, and some sci-fi/horror, sometimes making as many as eight films a year for a variety of studios. Some of her best-known films include Cat-Women of the Moon (1953; with Sonny Tufts and Victor Jory), Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955; with Bud Abbott and Lou Costello), Swamp Women (1955; with Beverly Garland and Mike Connors), and The Killing (1956; with Sterling Hayden and Coleen Gray).
the films of marie windsor
Outpost in Morocco (1949)
With George Raft in Outpost in Morocco, one of Windsor's early starring roles
Dakota Lil (1950)
LEFT: As the title character in Dakota Lil. RIGHT: Lobby card with George Montgomery
Hurricane Island (1951)
With Jon Hall in Hurricane Island
The Sniper (1951)
From the film noir thriller The Sniper
Japanese War Bride (1952)
From the 20th Century Fox drama Japanese War Bride with Cameron Mitchell, Don Taylor, and Louise Lorimer
Cat-Women of the Moon (1953)
From the cult classic 3-D science fiction flick Cat-Women of the Moon, with Victor Jory, Sonny Tufts, and Douglas Fowley
Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955)
Windsor portrays Madame Rontru in the hilarious Universal-International release Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy with Lou Costello
No Man's Woman (1955)
Republic's No Man's Woman was another meaty 'bad girl' role for Windsor
Swamp Women (1955)
Windsor as the hard-bitten convict Josie in Swamp Women. This film aired on Mystery Science Theater 3000 as episode 503. LEFT: With Mike Connors and Susan Cummings. CENTER: With Carole Mathews, Mike Connors, and Jil Jarmyn. RIGHT: With Jil Jarmyn and Carole Mathews
The Girl in Black Stockings (1957)
With Mamie Van Doren, Lex Barker, and Anne Bancroft in the film noir serial killer thriller The Girl in Black Stockings
The Day Mars Invaded Earth (1962)
From another of Windsor's science fiction films, The Day Mars Invaded Earth
Bedtime Story (1964)
With David Niven in Bedtime Story
The Incredible Hulk (1978-1982 CBS TV Series)
With Bill Bixby in a 1980 episode of The Incredible Hulk. Windsor portrayed Belle Star in this episode, titled Sideshow
later years
Windsor remarried in 1954, this time to businessman Jack Hupp; the couple welcomed a son in early 1963. In the late 1950s, Windsor slowed her career and concentrated instead on family life, limiting her acting mostly to TV guest appearances and the occasional film. Although she made fewer films in the 1960s and 1970s, Windsor was active in Hollywood as a member of the Board of Directors of the Screen Actors Guild. Later in life, her interest in art led her to begin painting, for which she had considerable talent. She continued to work throughout the 1980s but, afflicted with arthritis, she retired in the early 1990s. Sadly, Marie Windsor passed away in December 2000, just one day shy of her 81st birthday.
Alien Attack Collection [DVD] DVD
Four-disc boxed set includes "Cat Women of the Moon," "The Brain from Planet Arous," "Missile to the Moon," and "The Day It Came to Earth."
Smart Alecks [DVD](1942) DVD
Join the East Side Kids (Huntz Hall, Leo Gorcey, Gabriel Dell and co.) in a story concerning the boys' attempt to raise funds to buy baseball uniforms. One of them finds himself in hot water with a gangster, and the rest of the gang comes to his rescue. With Maxie Rosenbloom, Gale Storm. 66 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English mono; scene access. Plays All Regions.
The Complete Thin Man Collection [DVD] DVD
All six films from the popular MGM series starring William Powell and Myrna Loy as Dashiell Hammett's sophisticated crimesolvers, Nick and Nora Charles, are featured in a seven-disc boxed set. The duo's search for a missing inventor leads to a deadly whodunit in "The Thin Man" (1934), with Maureen O'Sullivan, Nat Pendleton, and Edward Ellis in the title role. Nick and Nora then return to solve a murder among San Francisco's bluebloods in "After the Thin Man" (1936), co-starring Elissa Landi and a young James Stewart. Baby Nick Charles, Jr. makes his debut in "Another Thin Man" (1939), as mom and pop aid an old friend who fears for his life. C. Aubrey Smith and Virginia Grey co-star. Then, it's murder among the "horsey set" in "Shadow of the Thin Man" (1941), with Barry Nelson and Donna Reed. And "The Thin Man Goes Home" (1944), only to find crime has followed him there; co-stars Gloria De Haven and Lucile Watson. Finally, New York's jazz joints provide the backdrop for "Song of the Thin Man" (1947), with Keenan Wynn and Gloria Grahame. 10 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; documentaries; radio broadcasts; TV pilot; interviews; bonus shorts; more.
Force Of Evil [DVD](1949) DVD
John Garfield stars in this dark drama of an attorney working for an underworld kingpin who must choose between his security and helping his brother fight the gangsters. Thomas Gomez, Roy Roberts, Marie Windsor co-star. 82 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono.
Outpost In Morocco [DVD](1949) DVD
Blazing sands and blazing guns meet in this gritty desert action drama, with George Raft as the defender in love with enemy agent Marie Windsor. Akim Tamiroff also stars. 89 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono.
The Fighting Kentuckian [DVD](1950) DVD
After helping Andy Jackson take care of the British at the Battle of New Orleans, Kentucky frontiersman John Wayne and sidekick Oliver Hardy head back home by of Alabama, where the Duke comes to the aid of French-born settlers against landgrabbers. With Vera Ralston, Hugo Haas. 100 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English mono; scene access.
Little Big Horn (1951)/Rimfire [DVD](1949) DVD
Twin bill of dark frontier dramas open with "Little Big Horn," in which a Cavalry unit trying to intercept Custer's forces and warn them of the awaiting Sioux ambush are being killed one by one by an unseen enemy. Lloyd Bridges, John Ireland, Jim Davis, Hugh O'Brian, Marie Windsor star. Next, a gambler hanged for a crime he didn't commit and an undercover agent searching for stolen gold are the intertwining elements of "Rimfire," with James Millican, Mary Beth Hughes, Reed Hadley, and Henry Hull. 150 min. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono.
Two Dollar Bettor [DVD](1951) DVD
Story about a young man's addiction to gambling, and how the innocent placing of small bets eventually leads to excessive wagering and the ruin of his life. John Litel, Marie Windsor, Steve Brodie, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer and Barbara Billingsley star. 73 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English mono. Plays All Regions.
The Narrow Margin [DVD](1952) DVD
This crackerjack thriller was the basis for the 1990 Gene Hackman suspenser. Charles McGraw plays a tough detective trying to outsmart three vicious hoods while escorting a mobster's widow on a train headed for the West Coast, where she is set to give grand jury testimony. Marie Windsor and Jacqueline White also star; Richard Fleischer directs. 71 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French; audio commentary; interview; theatrical trailer.
King Dinosaur 50s Sci-Fi Double Feature [DVD] DVD
The first film from schlockmeister Bert I. Gordon, "King Dinosaur" (1955) follows a co-ed astronaut quartet who land on a mysterious rogue planet are confronted by huge dinosaurs (or at least lizards posing as same). Bill Bryant, Wanda Curtis, and Little Joe the lemur star. Next, when elephant raids threaten villages in India, an expedition ventures deep into "The Jungle" (1952) and finds that the pesky pachyderms in question are really prehistoric wooly mammoths! Rod Cameron, Marie Windsor and Cesar Romero star. 132 min. total. Widescreen (Enhanced)/Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; deleted scenes; photo gallery; biographies; theatrical trailers; more.
Trouble Along The Way [DVD](1953) DVD
In this winning comedy-drama, John Wayne plays a trouble-making football coach who is hired by a New York Catholic college to get their terrible team into shape. The school is having problems meeting their bills, and Wayne must prep the team for a big gridiron match. Donna Reed, Charles Coburn, Tom Tully co-star. 110 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, French; bonus shorts "So You Think You Can't Sleep" (1953), "Muscle Tussle" (1953); theatrical trailer.
The Tall Texan [DVD](1953) DVD
Led by escaped murderer Lloyd Bridges, a group of gold-seekers uncovers a deposit while mining in Indian territory. The Indians discover that someone in the group has broken an agreement and soon seek vengeance for their actions. Marie Windsor, Lee J. Cobb and Luther Adler also star in this western, noted for its unusual psychological approach to its subject. 82 min. Soundtrack: English; audio commentary; featurette; theatrical trailer.
Cat Women Of The Moon [DVD](1954) DVD
The unforgettable Sonny Tufts leads an expedition to the lunar surface. Once they get there, they find an underground civilization of futuristic feline femmes in leotards, a giant spider filled with sawdust and a threat to the planet Earth. Unintentional hilarity. AKA: "Rocket to the Moon." 64 min. Not in 3-D. Standard; Soundtrack: English mono; scene access.
Alien Attack Collection [DVD] DVD
Four-disc boxed set includes "Cat Women of the Moon," "The Brain from Planet Arous," "Missile to the Moon," and "The Day It Came to Earth."
The Best Of Bud Abbott And Lou Costello, Vol. 4 [DVD] DVD
Two American cops are sent to London where they find themselves in the throes of terror when they become mixed up with the menacing mad doc (Boris Karloff) with the split personality in "Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" (1953); the boys are duped into purchasing a ramshackle silent film studio and head from Hollywood to New York to catch the culprit in "Abbott and Costello Meet the Keystone Kops" (1955); Bud and Lou get wrapped up in riotous comedy when they head to Egypt in search of hidden treasure in "Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy" (1955); "The World of Abbott and Costello" (1965) is a collection of the pair's greatest movie bits, including the classic "Who's on First?"; "Abbott and Costello Meet Jerry Seinfeld" (1994) in this clip-laden tribute, hosted by Seinfeld, to the duo that served as one of his early influences; and the documentary "Abbott and Costello Meet the Monsters" (2000) features interviews with Chris Costello and Bela Lugosi, Jr., as well as rare outtakes, production stills and a poster slideshow. 6 1/2 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English (SDH), Spanish, French.
Swamp Women [DVD](1955) DVD
Rough and tumble bayou actioner directed by Roger Corman about an undercover policewoman tagging along with trashy escapees from a woman's prison to track down a fortune in stolen jewels. Mike "Touch" Connors, Beverly Garland and Marie Windsor star. AKA: "Swamp Diamonds." 70 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English. Plays All Regions.
The Lonesome Trail (1955)/The Silver Star [DVD](1955) DVD
First, Johnny Rush (John Agar) is made to walk "The Lonesome Trail" when he returns from the Indian Wars to find his home taken over by a cattle baron who also has designs on his beloved. Wayne Morris, Margia Dean also star. Next, a sheriff (Earle Lyon) must overcome his fears and live up to "The Silver Star" when three brutal outlaws demand he leave town. Marie Windsor, Lon Chaney, Jr. also star. 146 min. total. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo.
Critic's Choice [DVD](1963) DVD
Spirited theatrical farce featuring Bob Hope as a drama critic who faces a professional crisis when wife Lucille Ball writes a play and he must decide whether or not to review it. The dilemma sends Bob to a psychiatrist and his ex-wife for help. Marilyn Maxwell and Rip Torn also star. Based on the play by Ira Levin. 100 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, French; bonus shorts "Calling All Tars" (1935), "Now Hear This" (1962); theatrical trailer.
A Countess From Hong Kong [DVD](1967) DVD
Charlie Chaplin's final directorial effort stars Marlon Brando as a wealthy American diplomat, en route to New York from the Far East on an ocean liner, who falls in love with beautiful Russian countess stowaway Sophia Loren. Romantic comedy features Sydney Chaplin, Tippi Hedren, Margaret Rutherford and, in a cameo playing an elderly steward, Charlie himself. 108 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: French, Spanish; theatrical trailer.
The Good Guys And The Bad Guys [DVD](1969) DVD
Lighthearted western stars Robert Mitchum as a retired lawman who finds that old nemesis George Kennedy and his gang are planning a train robbery in his neck of the woods. Mitchum is targeted to be killed by Kennedy, but a change of heart brings the two enemies together to stop the crime. David Carradine, Tina Louise and John Carradine also star. 90 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital mono, French Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English; featurette; theatrical trailer.
Support Your Local Gunfighter [DVD](1971) DVD
Pseudo-sequel to "Support Your Local Sheriff!" finds James Garner as a con man mistaken for a gunslinger in a Western town and making the best out of the situation. Laughs and shoot-outs abound in this fun-filled comic western. With Suzanne Pleshette, Jack Elam and Harry Morgan. 93 min. Widescreen; Soundtracks: English, Spanish, French; Subtitles: Spanish, French; theatrical trailer; scene access.
Cahill: United States Marshal [DVD](1973) DVD
John Wayne is a devoted lawman who goes head on against a vicious gang of robbers. The trouble is, two of them are his sons! Gary Grimes, Neville Brand, George Kennedy co-star. 102 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital mono, French Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese.
Freaky Friday [DVD](1977) DVD
Daughter Jodie Foster and mother Barbara Harris get a new look at each other's lives when they magically switch bodies in this lighthearted comedy from the Disney studio. John Astin, Patsy Kelly, Dick Van Patten, Sorrell Booke, Ruth Buzzi co-star. 95 min.
Salem's Lot: The Miniseries [DVD](1979) DVD
A writer returns to the small New England town where he grew up and soon finds the people there are threatened by a sinister undead presence that has claimed the town as its own. Stephen King's chilling novel is effectively brought to life by director Tobe Hooper. David Soul, Bonnie Bedelia, Lance Kerwin, Ed Flanders and James Mason star. 185 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, French; theatrical trailer.
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marie windsor original and reproduction photos and posters available from movie goods
filmography
FILMS
Commando Squad (1987) with William Smith, Sid Haig, Robert Quarry, Mel Welles, Ross Hagen, and Russ Tamblyn
Humanoid Defender (1985) with Terence Knox
Lovely But Deadly (1981) with John Randolph
The Perfect Woman (1981) with Cameron Mitchell, Rudy Vallee, and
Fred Willard
Salem's Lot (1979) with David Soul, James Mason, Lance Kerwin, Bonnie Bedelia, Lew Ayres, Elisha Cook Jr., Geoffrey Lewis, and Fred Willard
Freaky Friday (1976) with Jodie Foster, Barbara Harris, John Astin, Patsy Kelly, Dick Van Patten, Sorrell Booke, Ruth Buzzi, and Kaye Ballard
Hearts of the West (1975) with Jeff Bridges, Donald Pleasence, Andy Griffith, Blythe Danner, Alan Arkin, Herb Edelman, Alex Rocco, Frank Cady, and Candy Azzara
Manhunter (1974) with Ken Howard, Gary Lockwood, Tim O'Connor, Stefanie Powers, L.Q. Jones, Ford Rainey, Robert Hogan, and R.G. Armstrong
The Outfit (1973) with Karen Black, Robert Duvall, Joe Don Baker, Robert Ryan, Timothy Carey, Richard Jaeckel, Sheree North, Elisha Cook Jr., and Bill McKinney
Cahill U.S. Marshal (1973) with John Wayne, Neville Brand, and Dan Vadis
Support Your Local Gunfighter (1971) with James Garner and Suzanne Pleshette
One More Train to Rob (1971) with George Peppard, Diana Muldaur, John Vernon, France Nuyen, and Robert Donner
Wild Women (1970) with Hugh O'Brian and Anne Francis
The Good Guys and the Bad Guys (1969) with Robert Mitchum, Tina Louise, and John Carradine
Chamber of Horrors (1966) with Cesare Danova, Suzy Parker, Jeanette Nolan, and Wayne Rogers
Bedtime Story (1964) with Marlon Brando, Shirley Jones, David Niven, Dody Goodman, Parley Baer, and Francine York
Mail Order Bride (1964) with Buddy Ebsen, Keir Dullea, William Smith, Lois Nettleton, Warren Oates, BarBara Luna, and Denver Pyle
Critic's Choice (1963) with Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, Marilyn Maxwell, Rip Torn, Jessie Royce Landis, Jim Backus, Richard Deacon, and Jerome Cowan
The Day Mars Invaded Earth (1962) with Kent Taylor
Paradise Alley (1962) with Hugo Haas, Don Sullivan, Corinne Griffith, Billy Gilbert, Chester Conklin, Margaret Hamilton, and William Schallert
Island Woman (1958) with Vince Edwards
Day of the Bad Man (1958) with Fred MacMurray, John Ericson, and Lee Van Cleef
The Parson and the Outlaw (1957) with Anthony Dexter and Sonny Tufts
The Girl in Black Stockings (1957) with Lex Barker, Mamie Van Doren, Anne Bancroft, and Stuart Whitman
The Story of Mankind (1957) with Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, and Virginia Mayo
The Lady and the Prowler (1957) with Diana Dors, Tom Tryon, and Rod Steiger
Two-Gun Lady (1956) with Peggie Castle and Robert Lowery
The Killing (1956) with Sterling Hayden, Coleen Gray, Vince Edwards, and Elisha Cook Jr.
The Silver Star (1955) with Lon Chaney Jr., Edgar Buchanan, Barton MacLane, and Morris Ankrum
Swamp Women (1955) with Beverly Garland, Mike Connors, Carole Mathews, Jil Jarmyn, Susan Cummings, and Jonathan Haze
No Man's Woman (1955) with John Archer, Patric Knowles, Nancy Gates, Jil Jarmyn, Richard Crane, and Morris Ankrum
Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955) with Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Michael Ansara, Richard Deacon, and Mel Welles
The Bounty Hunter (1954) with Randolph Scott, Ernest Borgnine, and Dub Taylor
Hell's Half Acre (1954) with Wendell Corey and Evelyn Keyes
The Eddie Cantor Story (1953) with Keefe Brasselle and Gerald Mohr
So This Is Love (1953) with Merv Griffin, Kathryn Grayson, Joan Weldon, Rosemary DeCamp, Jeff Donnell, Ann Doran, Margaret Field, Mabel Albertson, and Noreen Corcoran
Cat-Women of the Moon (1953) with Sonny Tufts and Victor Jory
City That Never Sleeps (1953) with Gig Young, Mala Powers, and Paula Raymond
USSR Today (1953) with Donna Reed
Trouble Along the Way (1953) with John Wayne, Donna Reed, and Chuck Connors
The Tall Texan (1953) with Lloyd Bridges and Lee J. Cobb
Japanese War Bride (1952) with Cameron Mitchell and Don Taylor
The Narrow Margin (1952) with Charles McGraw
The Sniper (1952) with Arthur Franz, Gerald Mohr, and Adolphe Menjou
The Jungle (1952) with Rod Cameron and Cesar Romero
Outlaw Women (1952) with Allan Nixon, Jackie Coogan, Tom Tyler, and Dolores Fuller
Hurricane Island (1951) with Jon Hall and Lyle Talbot
Little Big Horn (1951) with Lloyd Bridges, John Ireland, Hugh O'Brian, Reed Hadley, Jim Davis, King Donovan, and Sheb Wooley
Two Dollar Bettor (1951) with Steve Brodie, Barbara Billingsley, John Litel, Barbara Bestar, and Carl 'Alfalfa' Switzer
Double Deal (1950) with Richard Denning
Frenchie (1950) with Joel McCrea, Shelley Winters, and John Russell
The Showdown (1950) with Bill Elliot, Walter Brennan, Harry Morgan, Jim Davis, Leif Erickson, and Yakima Canutt
Dakota Lil (1950) with George Montgomery and Rod Cameron
Outpost in Morocco (1949) with George Raft
The Fighting Kentuckian (1949) with John Wayne, Vera Ralston, Philip Dorn, Oliver Hardy, John Howard, Hugo Haas, Grant Withers, and Mae Marsh
Hellfire (1949) with Bill Elliot, Forrest Tucker, Jim Davis, H.B. Warner, Grant Withers, Denver Pyle, and Dewey Robinson
Force of Evil (1948) with John Garfield
Song of the Thin Man (1947) with William Powell, Myrna Loy, Gloria Grahame, Keenan Wynn, Dean Stockwell, Patricia Morison, and Jayne Meadows
Follow the Leader (1944) with Leo Gorcey and Huntz Hall
Smart Alecks (1942) with Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, and Gale Storm
All American Co-Ed (1941) with Frances Langford
TELEVISION SERIES
Supercarrier, 1988 TV series. Windsor portrayed Billie Costello
General Hospital, 1963-present daytime ABC TV series. Windsor portrayed Dr. Vivian Collins during the 1982 season
Additionally, Windsor made guest appearances on popular TV shows, including Batman, Adam-12, Mannix, Perry Mason, and countless others.
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This page premiered August 30, 2002.
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