Lisa Ferraday

Lisa Ferraday (born Lisa Demezey; March 10, 1921 – March 22, 2004) was a Romanian-American model and actress. As an actress she appeared in theatre, radio and television but is best known for her appearances as a leading lady in several Columbia Pictures films during the 1950s such as China Corsair.[1]

Lisa Ferraday
Ferraday in The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952)
Born
Lisa Demezey

(1921-03-10)March 10, 1921
Arad, Romania
DiedMarch 22, 2004(2004-03-22) (aged 83)
Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.
Other namesElisabeth De Mezey
OccupationActress
Years active1949–1956
Spouse(s)E. L. Kincaid
(m. 19??; div. 1951)
John W. Anderson II
(m. 1958;  ??)
Children1

Early years

An only child, Ferraday was born Lisa Demezey, daughter of Transylvanian diplomat Baron Demezey. In her childhood, she leaned to milk cows, care for chickens, and handle other responsibilities that were expected on the family's 7000-acre produce farm. She and her mother moved to Paris after her father died, and Ferraday began studying acting despite objections from her family. During World War II, she stopped acting and became an International Red Cross interpreter. Russian suspicions that she was a spy led to her imprisonment and torture. She eventually escaped to northern Italy.[2]

Career

Ferraday's films included Show Boat, Snows of Kilimanjaro, and The Merry Widow. In addition to acting, she worked as a production advisor in Hollywood, as a model, and as "a late-show disc jockey for a Hollywood TV station".[2]

Personal life

Ferraday married Air Force Colonel E. L. Kincaid and came to the United States in 1948.[2] They divorced in 1951.[3] On October 17, 1958, she married industrialist John W. Anderson II in Detroit.[4] She had a daughter, Carol.[5]

In 1954, Ferraday won a New York legal case about the proceeds of a $50,000 life insurance policy designated to go to her 7-year-old daughter. Financier A. Pam Blumenthal had taken out the policy, but his widow, Emily Blumenthal, sued, with her lawyer calling Ferraday "a homewrecker".[6] The state supreme court jury awarded the money to Ferraday as guardian for her daughter.[6]

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
1949Sky LinerMariette Le Fare
1950Under My SkinMinor RoleUncredited
1951Flame of StamboulLynette Garay
1951I Was an American SpyDorothy Fuentes
1951China CorsairTamara Liu Ming
1951Show BoatReneeUncredited
1951Too Young to KissNina MarescuUncredited
1952The Belle of New YorkFrenchieUncredited
1952Rancho NotoriousMaxine
1952California ConquestHelena de Gagarine
1952Last Train from BombayCharlane
1952The Merry WidowMarcella
1952The Snows of KilimanjaroVendeuseUncredited
1955The KentuckianGamblerUncredited
1956Death of a ScoundrelZina Monte

References
  1. Fetrow p.78
  2. "Hungarian Actress And Detroiter Wed". Detroit Free Press. October 18, 1958. p. 2. Retrieved August 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "TV Chat Costs Her $7,775". The Miami Herald. Associated Press. January 16, 1957. p. 11. Retrieved August 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Lisa Ferraday Remarried". The New York Times. Associated Press. October 18, 1958. p. 17. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
  5. "Trouble from TV show". Life. January 28, 1957. p. 57. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
  6. "'Homewrecker' TV Actress Wins $50,000 Jury Ruling". The Des Moines Register. May 11, 1954. p. 9. Retrieved August 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.

Bibliography
  • Alan G. Fetrow. Feature Films, 1950-1959: A United States Filmography. McFarland, 1999.
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