Marie Windsor

Marie Windsor, born Emily Marie Bertelsen on December 11, 1919 in Marysvale, Utah, rose from a modest frontier town to become one of classic Hollywood’s most recognizable femme fatale figures. After graduating from Marysvale High School in 1934 she attended Brigham Young University, where she excelled in drama and athletics, later winning the unofficial title of Miss Utah of 1939 and training under celebrated acting coach Maria Ouspenskaya. Her striking height of 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) set her apart in an era that favored petite starlets, and while it created casting challenges she turned it into a trademark, famously noting she had to bend her knees to meet co‑stars of average stature. Windsor’s early career blended radio work in Salt Lake City, modeling for photographer Paul Hesse, and a succession of bit parts as a telephone operator and extra before she secured her first feature‑film contract with Warner Bros. in 1942, thanks to a clever joke submission to Jack Benny under the pseudonym M.E. Windsor. Her breakthrough came with the 1948 noir Force of Evil opposite John Garfield, launching a prolific run in B‑movies that earned her the nickname “Queen of the genre” and solidified her reputation for delivering icy, seductive femme fatale performances in titles such as The Narrow Margin, The Killing and the sci‑fi cult classic Cat‑Women of the Moon. By the 1950s she was a staple of film noir, yet she seamlessly transitioned to television, appearing in dozens of series including Cheyenne, Maverick, Perry Mason and later The Incredible Hulk, maintaining a steady screen presence into the 1990s before retiring in 1991. In addition to her acting legacy, Windsor earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award, and a Ralph Morgan Award from SAG for her board service; after her onscreen career she pursued painting and sculpture, remained a lifelong member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‑day Saints, and passed away on December 10, 2000, a day shy of her 81st birthday.