Lisa Ferraday (born Lisa Demezey; March 10, 1921 – March 22, 2004) was a Romanian-American model and actress. As an actress she appeared in theatre, radio and television, but is best known for her appearances as a leading lady in several Columbia Pictures films, during the 1950s, such as China Corsair.[1]
Lisa Ferraday | |
---|---|
![]() Ferraday in The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952) | |
Born | Lisa Demezey March 10, 1921 |
Died | March 22, 2004 Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. | (aged 83)
Other names | Elisabeth De Mezey |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1949–1956 |
Spouse(s) | E. L. Kincaid (m. 19??; div. 1951) John W. Anderson II (m. 1958; ??) |
Children | 1 |
Early years
editAn only child, Ferraday was born Lisa Demezey, daughter of Transylvanian diplomat Baron Demezey. In her childhood, she leaned to milk cows, care for chickens, and handle other responsibilities that were expected on the family's 7,000-acre (2,833-hectare) produce farm. She and her mother moved to Paris after her father died, and Ferraday began studying acting despite objections from her family. During World War II, she stopped acting and became an International Red Cross interpreter. Soviet suspicions that she was a spy led to her imprisonment and torture. She eventually escaped to northern Italy.[2]
Career
editFerraday's films included Show Boat, Snows of Kilimanjaro, and The Merry Widow. In addition to acting, she worked as a production advisor in Hollywood, as a model, and as "a late-show disc jockey for a Hollywood TV station".[2]
Personal life
editFerraday married Air Force Colonel E.L. Kincaid and came to the United States in 1948.[2] They divorced in 1951.[3] On October 17, 1958, she married industrialist John W. Anderson II in Detroit.[4] She had a daughter, Carol.[5]
In 1954, Ferraday won a New York legal case about the proceeds of a $50,000 life insurance policy designated to go to her 7-year-old daughter. Financier A. Pam Blumenthal had taken out the policy, but his widow, Emily Blumenthal, sued, with her lawyer calling Ferraday "a homewrecker".[6] The state supreme court jury awarded the money to Ferraday as guardian for her daughter.[6]
Filmography
editYear | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1949 | Sky Liner | Mariette Le Fare | |
1950 | Under My Skin | Minor Role | Uncredited |
1951 | Flame of Stamboul | Lynette Garay | |
I Was an American Spy | Dorothy Fuentes | ||
China Corsair | Tamara Liu Ming | ||
Show Boat | Renée | Uncredited | |
Too Young to Kiss | Nina Marescu | ||
1952 | The Belle of New York | Frenchie | |
Rancho Notorious | Maxine | ||
California Conquest | Helena de Gagarine | ||
Last Train from Bombay | Charlane | ||
The Merry Widow | Marcella | ||
The Snows of Kilimanjaro | Vendeuse | Uncredited | |
1955 | The Kentuckian | Gambler | |
1956 | Death of a Scoundrel | Zina Monte |
References
edit- ^ Fetrow p.78
- ^ a b c "Hungarian Actress And Detroiter Wed". Detroit Free Press. October 18, 1958. p. 2. Retrieved August 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "TV Chat Costs Her $7,775". The Miami Herald. Associated Press. January 16, 1957. p. 11. Retrieved August 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Lisa Ferraday Remarried". The New York Times. Associated Press. October 18, 1958. p. 17. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
- ^ "Trouble from TV show". Life. January 28, 1957. p. 57. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
- ^ a b "'Homewrecker' TV Actress Wins $50,000 Jury Ruling". The Des Moines Register. May 11, 1954. p. 9. Retrieved August 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
Bibliography
edit- Alan G. Fetrow. Feature Films, 1950-1959: A United States Filmography. McFarland, 1999.
External links
edit