Marta Victoria Moya Peggo Burges (23 February 1931 – 27 June 2020Passenger list: "In 1947 she was 16 years old".
/ref>), known professionally as Linda Cristal (), was an Argentinian actress. She appeared in a number of

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

films during the 1950s, before winning a

Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of ...

for her performance in the 1958 comedy film ''

The Perfect Furlough ''The Perfect Furlough'' is a 1958 American CinemaScope Eastmancolor romantic comedy film directed by Blake Edwards and written by Stanley Shapiro. Edwards and Shapiro would re-team the following year for another Tony Curtis service comedy, '' O ...

''. From 1967 to 1971, Cristal starred as Victoria Cannon in the NBC series ''

The High Chaparral ''The High Chaparral'' television series, which was broadcast on NBC from 1967 to 1971, is an American Western action adventure drama set in the 1870s. It stars Leif Erickson and Cameron Mitchell. The series was made by Xanadu Productions ...

''. For her performance she won the

Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama The Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama is a Golden Globe Award presented annually by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). The award honors the best performance by an actress in a drama television series. ...

in 1970, and received two

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

nominations.

Early years

Rumored to be the daughter of a French father and an Italian mother (however, documents indicate they were Spanish: Antonio Moya and Rosario P.), Cristal was born in

Rosario, Santa Fe Rosario () is the largest city in the central Argentine province of Santa Fe. The city is located northwest of Buenos Aires, on the west bank of the Paraná River. Rosario is the third-most populous city in the country, and is also the most p ...

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest ...

on 23 February 1931. Her father was a publisher who moved the family to

Montevideo Montevideo () is the capital and largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2011 census, the city proper has a population of 1,319,108 (about one-third of the country's total population) in an area of . Montevideo is situated on the southern co ...

Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...

due to political issues. She was educated at the Conservatorio Franklin in Uruguay.

Career

Leif Erickson Linda Cristal High Chaparral 1970

Cristal appeared in films in Argentina and Mexico before taking on her first English-language role as Margarita in the 1956 Western film ''

Comanche The Comanche or Nʉmʉnʉʉ ( com, Nʉmʉnʉʉ, "the people") are a Native American tribe from the Southern Plains of the present-day United States. Comanche people today belong to the federally recognized Comanche Nation, headquartered in ...

''. Following her

for New Star of the Year in ''

'' (1958), Cristal went on to roles in '' Cry Tough'' (1959), ''

Legions of the Nile ''Legions of the Nile'' ( it, Le legioni di Cleopatra, french: Les légions de Cléopâtre, es, Las legiones de Cleopatra) is an Eastmancolor 1959 Italian-French-Spanish historical epic adventure film written and directed by Vittorio Cottafav ...

'' (1959), '' The Pharaohs' Woman'' (1960), and was asked by

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Go ...

to play the part of Flaca in his epic ''

The Alamo The Battle of the Alamo (February 23 – March 6, 1836) was a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution. Following a 13-day siege, Mexican troops under President General Antonio López de Santa Anna reclaimed the Alamo Mission near San Ant ...

'' (1960). In 1961 she had a key role in the western ''

Two Rode Together ''Two Rode Together'' is a 1961 American Western film directed by John Ford and starring James Stewart, Richard Widmark, and Shirley Jones. The supporting cast includes Linda Cristal, Andy Devine, and John McIntire. The film was based upon th ...

''. Along with these and other film roles, Cristal appeared in episodes of network television series. She played a kidnapped Countess opposite Eric Fleming and

Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western TV series '' Rawhide'', he rose to international fame with his role as the " Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's "'' Do ...

in a 1959 episode of '' Rawhide''. She also had a role as a female

matador A bullfighter (or matador) is a performer in the activity of bullfighting. ''Torero'' () or ''toureiro'' (), both from Latin ''taurarius'', are the Spanish and Portuguese words for bullfighter and describe all the performers in the activit ...

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

's '' The Tab Hunter Show''. She also appeared in a 1964 episode, "City Beneath the Sea", on ''

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea ''Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea'' is a 1961 American science fiction disaster film, produced and directed by Irwin Allen, and starring Walter Pidgeon and Robert Sterling. The supporting cast includes Peter Lorre, Joan Fontaine, Barbara Eden, M ...

'' and numerous other television episodes. Cristal semi-retired in 1964 to raise her two children. She was coaxed out of retirement when she became the last cast member to be added as a regular on the NBC series ''

'' (1967-1971). Her performance in the series, as Victoria Cannon, earned her two more Golden Globe nominations (winning Best Actress - Television Drama in 1968) and two

nominations. Cristal worked sparingly after ''The High Chaparral'', with a few television and film roles, such as the film '' Mr. Majestyk'' (1974) and the television miniseries ''

Condominium A condominium (or condo for short) is an ownership structure whereby a building is divided into several units that are each separately owned, surrounded by common areas that are jointly owned. The term can be applied to the building or complex ...

'' (1980). She last appeared in the starring role of Victoria "Rossé" Wilson on the Argentine television series ''Rossé'' (1985).

Personal life

Cristal's 1950 marriage was annulled after five days. On 24 April 1958, in

Pomona, California Pomona is a city in Los Angeles County, California. Pomona is located in the Pomona Valley, between the Inland Empire and the San Gabriel Valley. At the 2020 census, the city's population was 151,713. The main campus of California State Polyt ...

, she married Robert Champion, a businessman. They divorced on 9 December 1959. In 1960, she married Yale Wexler, a former actor who worked in real estate. They divorced in December 1966. Cristal died at her home in

Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. ...

on 27 June 2020, aged 89.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cristal, Linda 1931 births 2020 deaths Actresses from Rosario, Santa Fe Argentine film actresses Argentine emigrants to the United States Argentine people of French descent Argentine people of Italian descent Western (genre) film actresses Best Drama Actress Golden Globe (television) winners New Star of the Year (Actress) Golden Globe winners 20th-century Argentine actresses Expatriate actresses in the United States Western (genre) television actors