Mara Corday's Vintage Allure: Iconic and Glamorous Photos from the 1950s

Mara Corday, originally named Marilyn Joan Watts and born on January 3, 1930, is a versatile American personality, best known for her roles as a showgirl, model, actress, Playboy Playmate, and a cultural icon during the 1950s. Known for.

Born in Santa Monica, California, Cordae pursued a career in Hollywood during her teenage years.

She initially worked as a showgirl at the Earl Carroll Theater on Sunset Boulevard, where her physical attractiveness opened the door to modeling opportunities and landed a small role as a showgirl in the 1951 film "Two Tickets to Broadway."

One of Corday's early professional experiences included dancing in the Earl Carroll Revue in Hollywood. Over a period of two years, she went from being a showgirl to an actress in sketch shows.

During this period, she adopted the stage name "Mara Cordé" for added allure. The name "Mara" was inspired by a bongo player who called her "Marita" when she was working as an usher in a Mayan theater, while "Corde" was borrowed from the label of a perfume bottle. , which marked the beginning of her distinct stage identity.

Corday's cinematic legacy is particularly associated with the world of science fiction and horror of the mid-1950s.

One of her most memorable roles was in the 1955 film "Tarantula", where she played the female lead opposite John Agar.

In this classic science fiction film, Corday played Linda, the girlfriend of Dr. Matt Hastings (John Eager).

The film revolves around the dire consequences of a scientific experiment gone wrong, resulting in a giant tarantula terrorizing a desert town.

Her performance in "Tarantula" demonstrated her ability to capture the essence of a strong, supportive female character in a genre known for its fantasy and suspense stories.

In 1957, he starred in "The Black Scorpion", where he played a geologist investigating the presence of giant scorpions in Mexico.

The film, directed by Edward Ludwig, presented Corday as a flexible and intelligent scientist, a role that further cemented his association with the genre.

In 1956, she appeared in "Raw Age", a Western film set in the 1840s, in which she played the lead role.

Additionally, she played the lead female role in "The Quiet Gun" (1957), a Western film centered around a sheriff seeking justice in a lawless town.

Her striking beauty and photogenic qualities made her a favorite subject for various men's magazines of the era, contributing to her status as a recognizable figure in popular culture.

Mara Corday's career in Hollywood may have been relatively brief, but her contributions to science fiction, westerns, and as a pin-up model left a lasting impression.

Following the death of actor Richard Long's first wife, Suzanne Ball, in 1955, Corday began dating Long, and they married in 1957.

Through Long's sister Barbara, Corday was the sister-in-law of actor Marshall Thompson. In the early 1960s, Corday left her career to devote herself to raising a family.

Widowed in 1974, she had three children with Long during their 17-year marriage.