Adele Mara (born Adelaide Delgado; April 28, 1923 – May 7, 2010) was an American actress, singer, and dancer, who appeared in films during the 1940s and 1950s and on television in the 1950s and 1960s.

Early years

Mara was born Adelaide Delgado in Highland Park, Michigan, to Spanish parents Angel Delgado and Eloisa. She had a brother, Luis Delgado (1925-1997), who became an actor.

Career

Dancing

Mara danced as part of bandleader

Xavier Cugat Xavier Cugat (; ; 1 January 1900 – 27 October 1990) was an American musician and bandleader who was a leading figure in the spread of Latin music. Originally from Girona, Spain, he spent his formative years in Havana, Cuba, before arriving i ...

's show as well as on two episodes of '' Maverick'' entitled " Seed of Deception" and " The Spanish Dancer".

Film

Under the professional name of Adele St. Mara, she won a contract with

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Columbia Pictures, is an American film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution company that is the flagship unit of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group ...

and gained experience in the studio's "B" features and comedy shorts. She soon shortened her name to Adele Mara. One of Mara's early roles was as a receptionist in the

Three Stooges The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy team active from 1922 until 1970, best remembered for their 190 short-subject films by Columbia Pictures. Their hallmark styles were physical, farce, and slapstick comedy. Six total ...

film ''

I Can Hardly Wait ''"I Can Hardly Wait"'' is a 1943 short subject directed by Jules White starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly Howard). It is the 73rd entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starrin ...

''. Mara and Leslie Brooks played the sisters of

Rita Hayworth Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino; October 17, 1918May 14, 1987) was an American actress, dancer, and Pin-up model, pin-up girl. She achieved fame in the 1940s as one of the top stars of the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of ...

's character in the

Fred Astaire Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz, May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, actor, singer, musician, choreographer, and presenter, whose career in stage, film, and television spanned 76 years. He is widely regarded as the "g ...

film ''

You Were Never Lovelier ''You Were Never Lovelier'' is a 1942 American musical romantic comedy film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth. The supporting cast also features Adolphe Menjou, Xavier Cugat and Adele Mara. The music ...

''. In '' Alias Boston Blackie'' (1942), she plays the leading female role, as the sister of an escaped and wrongfully accused convict. When her Columbia contract lapsed, she moved to

Republic Pictures Republic Pictures is currently an acquisition-only label owned by Paramount Pictures. Its history dates back to Republic Pictures Corporation, an American film studio that originally operated from 1935 to 1967, based in Los Angeles, California ...

, where she became a fixture in the studio's Westerns and outdoor adventures. She appeared in '' The Vampire's Ghost'', '' Wake of the Red Witch'' starring

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...

, ''

Angel in Exile ''Angel in Exile'' is a 1948 American Western (genre), western film directed by Allan Dwan and Philip Ford (film director), Philip Ford and starring John Carroll (actor), John Carroll, Adele Mara, Thomas Gomez, Barton MacLane. The film was releas ...

'' (

leading lady A leading actor, leading actress, or leading man or lady or simply lead (), plays a main role in a film, television show or play. The word ''lead'' may also refer to the largest role in the piece, and ''leading actor'' may refer to a person w ...

), ''

Sands of Iwo Jima ''Sands of Iwo Jima'' is a 1949 war film starring John Wayne that follows a group of United States Marine Corps, United States Marines from training to the Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II. The film, which also features John Agar, Adele M ...

'' with John Wayne in which she was John Agar's love interest, '' California Passage'' (leading lady), and

Don Siegel Donald Siegel ( ; October 26, 1912 – April 20, 1991) was an American film director and producer. Siegel was described by ''The New York Times'' as "a director of tough, cynical and forthright action-adventure films whose taut plots centered o ...

's '' Count the Hours'' (supporting role).

Television

In 1955 Mara appeared as Sarita on the TV Western ''

Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. The Cheyenne comprise two Native American tribes, the Só'taeo'o or Só'taétaneo'o (more commonly spelled as Suhtai or Sutaio) and the (also spelled Tsitsistas, The term for th ...

'' in the episode "Border Showdown". In 1958, Mara played Maria Costa in the ''Bat Masterson'' episode "Double Showdown" with

Gene Barry Gene Barry (born Eugene Klass; June 14, 1919 – December 9, 2009) was an American stage, screen, and television actor and singer. Barry is best remembered for his leading roles in the films '' The Atomic City'' (1952) and ''The War of the Worl ...

. In 1961, Mara appeared as a nurse with

Cesar Romero César Julio Romero Jr. (February 15, 1907 – January 1, 1994) was an American actor. He was active in film, radio, and television for almost 60 years. His wide range of screen roles included Latin lover (stereotype), Latin lovers, historical ...

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

's ''

The Red Skelton Show ''The Red Skelton Show'' is an American television comedy/variety show that aired from 1951 to 1971. In the decade prior to hosting the show, Richard "Red" Skelton had a successful career as a radio and motion pictures star. Although his tele ...

'' in a sketch titled "Deadeye and The Alamo". About this time, she guest-starred on the

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

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 ...

series '' The Tall Man'' with Clu Gulager, as well as three

episodes Episodes may refer to: * Episode, a part of a dramatic work * Episodes (TV series), ''Episodes'' (TV series), a British/American television sitcom which premiered in 2011 * Episodes (journal), ''Episodes'' (journal), a geological science journal ...

of '' Maverick'' (one with

James Garner James Scott Garner (né Bumgarner; April 7, 1928 – July 19, 2014) was an American actor. He played leading roles in more than 50 theatrical films, which included ''The Great Escape (film), The Great Escape'' (1963) with Steve McQueen; Paddy Ch ...

and Jack Kelly and two with only Kelly), and episodes of '' Laramie'', ''

Tales of Wells Fargo ''Tales of Wells Fargo'' is an American Westerns on television, Western television series starring Dale Robertson in 201 episodes that aired from 1957 to 1962 on NBC. Produced by Revue Productions, the series aired in a half-hour format until i ...

'' with Dale Robertson and ''

The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp ''The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp'' is the first Western television series written for adults.Hugh O'Brian Hugh O'Brian (born Hugh Charles Krampe; April 19, 1925 – September 5, 2016) was an American actor and humanitarian, best known for his starring roles in the American Broadcasting Company, ABC Western (genre), Western television series ' ...

. In 1961 she appeared in an episode of Boris Karloff’s '' Thriller'' series called ''The Beckoning Ghost''. She also appeared in the ''

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English film director. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featu ...

Hour'' episode "House Guest" in 1962.

Personal life

Mara was married to screenwriter/series creator/producer/novelist Roy Huggins and appeared as the leading lady in three episodes of his 1957 television series '' Maverick'' starring

and Jack Kelly. They had three sons, Thomas in 1960, John in 1961, and James Patrick in 1963 and remained married until his death at age 87; the marriage had spanned half a century from 1952 to 2002. Mara's brother, Luis Delgado, played small, often uncredited roles in films and TV, especially in the projects of his close friend James Garner, for whom Delgado also worked as a personal assistant.

Death

Mara died of natural causes at age 87 on May 7, 2010.

Selected filmography

* '' Honolulu Lu'' (1941) as Debutante (uncredited) * '' Navy Blues'' (1941) * ''

'' (1942) as Lita Acuna * '' Alias Boston Blackie'' (1942) as Eve Sanders * '' Blondie Goes to College'' (1942) as Babs Connelly * '' Shut My Big Mouth'' (1942) * '' Crime Doctor'' (1943) as Nurse (uncredited) * '' Redhead from Manhattan'' (1943) as Check Girl (uncredited) * '' Riders of the Northwest Mounted'' (1943) as Gabrielle Renaud (uncredited) * '' Reveille with Beverly'' (1943) as Evelyn Ross * '' Call of the South Seas'' (1944) as Aritana * ''

Atlantic City Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Atlantic City comprises the second half of the Atlantic City- Hammonton metropolitan sta ...

'' (1944) as Adele – Barmaid * ''

The Fighting Seabees ''The Fighting Seabees'' is a 1944 American war film directed by Edward Ludwig and starring John Wayne and Susan Hayward. The supporting cast includes Dennis O'Keefe, William Frawley, Leonid Kinsky, Addison Richards and Grant Withers. ''The Fighti ...

'' (1944) as Twinkler Tucker – Jitterbugger (uncredited) * '' Faces in the Fog'' (1944) as Gertrude * ''

Thoroughbreds The Thoroughbred is a horse breed developed for horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are considered ...

'' (1944) as Sally Crandall * '' Girls of the Big House'' (1945) as Harriett * '' Song of Mexico'' (1945) as Carol Adams * '' The Tiger Woman'' (1945) as Sharon Winslow * '' Bells of Rosarita'' (1945) as Patty Phillips * '' Flame of Barbary Coast'' (1945) as Marie (uncredited) * '' The Vampire's Ghost'' (1945) as Lisa * '' Earl Carroll Vanities'' (1945) as Chorine (uncredited) * '' Grissly's Millions'' (1945) as Maribelle * '' The Inner Circle'' (1946) as Geraldine Travis alias Gerry Smith * '' I've Always Loved You'' (1946) as Senorita Fortalega * '' The Magnificent Rogue'' (1946) as Sugar Lee * '' The Invisible Informer'' (1946) as Marie Ravelle * '' The Last Crooked Mile'' (1946) as Bonnie * '' Night Train to Memphis'' (1946) as Constance Stephenson * '' Traffic in Crime'' (1946) as Silk Cantrell * '' Passkey to Danger'' (1946) as Renee Beauchamps * '' The Catman of Paris'' (1946) as Marguerite Duval * ''

A Guy Could Change ''A Guy Could Change'' is a 1946 American drama film starring Allan Lane and Jane Frazee. The supporting cast features 13-year-old Robert Blake (billed as "Bobby Blake"), Wallace Ford, Adele Mara and Gerald Mohr. ''A Guy Could Change'' was th ...

'' (1946) as Bernice * ''

Exposed Expose, exposé, or exposed may refer to: News sources * Exposé (journalism), a form of investigative journalism * '' The Exposé'', a British conspiracist website * '' Exeposé'', a student-run newspaper of the University of Exeter Film and TV ...

'' (1947) as Belinda Prentice * ''

Blackmail Blackmail is a criminal act of coercion using a threat. As a criminal offense, blackmail is defined in various ways in common law jurisdictions. In the United States, blackmail is generally defined as a crime of information, involving a thr ...

'' (1947) as Sylvia Duane * '' Robin Hood of Texas'' (1947) as Julie * ''

The Trespasser Trespasser is, in the law of tort, property law and criminal law, a person who commits the crime of trespassing on a property. Trespasser or ''variant'' may refer to: * Trespasser (video game), ''Trespasser'' (video game), a 1998 computer game ma ...

'' (1947) as Deedee * '' Web of Danger'' (1947) as Peg Mallory * '' Twilight on the Rio Grande'' (1947) as Elena Del Rio * '' Wake of the Red Witch'' (1948) as Teleia Van Schreeven * '' Night Time in Nevada'' (1948) as Joan Andrews * ''

'' (1948) as Raquel Chavez * '' I, Jane Doe'' (1948) as Marga–Jane Hastings * '' The Gallant Legion'' (1948) as Catalina * '' Campus Honeymoon'' (1948) as Bessie Ormsbee * '' The Main Street Kid'' (1948) as Gloria * ''

'' (1949) as Allison Bromley * '' Rock Island Trail'' (1950) as Constance Strong * '' California Passage'' (1950) as Beth Martin * '' The Avengers'' (1950) as Maria Moreno * '' The Sea Hornet'' (1951) as Suntan Radford aka Golbraid * '' Count the Hours'' (1953) as Gracie Sager – Max Verne's girlfriend * '' The Black Whip'' (1956) as Ruthie Dawson * ''

Back from Eternity ''Back from Eternity'' is a 1956 American Drama (film and television), drama film about a planeload of people stranded in the South American jungle and subsequently menaced by Headhunting, headhunters. The film stars Robert Ryan, Rod Steiger, An ...

'' (1956) as Maria Alvarez, an airplane

stewardess A flight attendant is a member of the aircrew whose primary responsibility is ensure the safety of passengers in the cabin of an aircraft across all stages of flight. Their secondary duty is to see to the comfort of passengers. Flight attenda ...

* '' Curse of the Faceless Man'' (1958) as Maria Fiorillo * ''

The Big Circus ''The Big Circus'' is a 1959 American drama film directed by Joseph M. Newman and starring Victor Mature as a circus owner struggling with financial trouble and a murderous unknown saboteur. It was produced and cowritten by Irwin Allen, later kno ...

'' (1959) as Maria 'Mama' Colino * ''

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, airing on CBS and NBC, alternately, between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. Between 1962 a ...

'' (1962) (Season 1 Episode 8: "House Guest") as Eve Sherston

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mara, Adele 1923 births 2010 deaths American film actresses 20th-century American actresses American people of Spanish descent Fordson High School alumni Actresses from Michigan People from Highland Park, Michigan 21st-century American women