Donna Martell

Donna Martell (born Irene Palma de Maria, December 24, 1927) is an American former actress in film and television.

Donna Martell
Donna Martell in The Lineup
Born (1927-12-24) December 24, 1927
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma materLos Angeles City College
OccupationFilm actress
Years active1947–1983
Spouse(s)Gene Corso (1953–1996) (his death)
Children3[1]

Early years

Born on December 24, 1927 in Los Angeles, California, to Louis and Margaret de Maria,[2] Martell was active in athletics in high school and attended Los Angeles City College.[3]

Career

Martell began her film career in 1947 when she was cast in the Republic Pictures western Apache Rose, starring Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. She continued making appearances throughout the late 1940s, signing a contract with Universal Studios.[4] In 1951, Columbia Pictures signed her to play the female lead opposite Gene Autry in Hills of Utah.[5]

By the time the 1950s arrived, Martell's career shifted towards television. She portrayed Marie DiPaolo in The Bob Cummings Show[6] and appeared in shows such as Shotgun Slade,[3] Cavalcade of America, The Range Rider, Bat Masterson and Cheyenne.[7]

She was also in Project Moonbase (also known as Project Moon Base), a 1953 black-and-white science-fiction film directed by Richard Talmadge. The film is unusual for its time in both attempting to portray space travel in a "realistic" manner, and for depicting a future in which women hold positions of authority and responsibility equal to men; in the script Martell's character, Briteis (pronounced bright-eyes), is a colonel that has made the first orbital flight around the Earth four years earlier and outranks her fellow male astronaut, who is a major. Colonel Briteis' given name is never stated.

Donna Martell's acting career officially ended in 1963; but made a brief comeback in the 1983 TV movie Grace Kelly, playing the part of Mrs. Edie Austin, a friend of the Kelly family who, along with her husband Russell Austin, was instrumental in advancing the real-life relationship between Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III of Monaco.[8][9] Donna Martell appeared in a television episode of “Hopalong Cassidy” as a Mexican sister trying to save her wrongfully accused brother.

Awards

She was presented one of the 2002 Golden Boot Awards for her contributions to western television and cinema.[10]

Personal life

Donna Martell married professional football player[3] Gene Edgar Corso on June 27, 1953,[11] and they are parents to three children.

Selected filmography

Films:

Television:

References
  1. Parla, Paul; Mitchell, Charles P. (2000). Screen Sirens Scream!: Interviews with 20 Actresses from Science Fiction, Horror, Film Noir, and Mystery Movies, 1930s to 1960s. ISBN 9780786407019.
  2. "1930 U.S. Census". Familysearch.org. Retrieved May 29, 2016.
  3. "Not Only is Donna Martell Good Actress But She's an Expert at Handling Horses". The Miami Herald. Florida, Miami. June 12, 1960. p. 173. Retrieved May 27, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Interview with Donna Martell". Western Clippings. Retrieved November 21, 2013.
  5. "Donna Martell Wins Autry Lead". Valley Times. California, North Hollywood. April 16, 1951. p. 10. Retrieved May 27, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. pp. 630–631. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.
  7. "Donna Martell". Republic Pictures. Archived from the original on December 2, 2013. Retrieved November 21, 2013.
  8. Wilkerson, Tichi; Borie, Marcia (1984). The Hollywood Reporter: The Golden Years. New York City, NY: Coward-McCann. p. 290. ISBN 0698112504.
  9. Taraborrelli, J. Randy (John Randall Anthony) (2003). Once Upon a Time: Behind the Fairy Tale of Princess Grace and Prince Rainier. New York City, NY: Grand Central Publishing. ISBN 0759527903.
  10. "The Golden Boot Awards". b-westerns.com. Archived from the original on May 27, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  11. "Certificate of Registry of Marriage". Familysearch.org. Retrieved May 29, 2016.
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