Rosemarie Bowe Stack (born Rose Marie Bowe; September 17, 1932 – January 20, 2019) was an American
model, best known for her appearances in several films in the 1950s.
Born in
Butte, Montana
Butte ( ) is a consolidated city-county and the county seat of Silver Bow County, Montana, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. The city covers , and, according to th ...
, Bowe was primarily raised in
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, Washington, Olympia, and northwest of Mount ...
. She began her career modeling in Los Angeles, California, before being cast in uncredited bit parts. Her first major role was a supporting part in the 1954 adventure film ''
The Adventures of Hajji Baba
''The Adventures of Hajji Baba'' is a 1954 American CinemaScope adventure film directed by Don Weis and starring John Derek and Elaine Stewart. Made in Southern California, it was released on October 1, 1954. In the credits it states that the f ...
''. She would have several lead roles before officially retiring from acting following her appearance in
John Cassavetes
John Nicholas Cassavetes ( ; December 9, 1929 – February 3, 1989) was an American actor, film director, and screenwriter. First known as a television and film actor, Cassavetes also helped pioneer American independent cinema, writing and direc ...
' ''
Big Trouble'' (1986).
She was married to actor
Robert Stack
Robert Stack (born Charles Langford Modini Stack; January 13, 1919 – May 14, 2003) was an American actor. Known for his deep voice and commanding presence, he appeared in over forty feature films. He starred in the highly successful ABC tele ...
from 1956 until his death in 2003.
Early life
Bowe was born Rose Marie Bowe on September 17, 1932, in
Butte, Montana
Butte ( ) is a consolidated city-county and the county seat of Silver Bow County, Montana, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. The city covers , and, according to th ...
, the youngest child of Dennis and Ruby Bowe.
Bowe's father was a building contractor and her mother was a dress designer.
[ She had an older sister, Claire (maternal grandmother of actor ]Taran Killam
Taran Hourie Killam (born April 1, 1982) is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He is known for his television work on ''The Amanda Show'', ''How I Met Your Mother'', ''MADtv'', '' New Girl'', ''Saturday Night Live'', and '' Single Parents'' ...
), and a brother, Sidney.[ The family moved to ]Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, Washington, Olympia, and northwest of Mount ...
, when Bowe was a child. She was raised Lutheran
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...
.
As a teenager, she worked as a model in Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...
.[ She attended ]Stadium High School
Stadium High School is a public high school in Tacoma, Washington, and a historic landmark. It is part of Tacoma Public Schools, or Tacoma School District No. 10 and is located in the Stadium District, near downtown Tacoma. The original building ...
in Tacoma, Washington,[ In 1951, she was one of six finalists in competition for queen of the Home Show and Building Exposition in Los Angeles, California.
Bowe briefly attended Tacoma Community College before moving to Los Angeles.][
]
Career
Modeling work
She was crowned Miss Tacoma and Miss Montana in 1950. In May 1951, Bowe competed in a contest to choose the queen of the sixth annual Home Show and Building Exposition. Along with Mary Ellen Nichols, she was a