Margia Dean

Marguerite Louise Skliris-Alvarez (née Skliris; April 7, 1922 – June 23, 2023), known by her stage name Margia Dean (name is pronounced as Mar-juh)[1] was an American beauty queen and stage and screen actress of royal Greek descent,[1] who had a career in Hollywood films from the 1940s until the early 1960s, appearing in 30 starring roles and 20 bit parts.[2]

Margia Dean
Born
Marguerite Louise Skliris

(1922-04-07)April 7, 1922
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
DiedJune 23, 2023(2023-06-23) (aged 101)
Rancho Cucamonga, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)Beauty queen, actress
Years active1929–1964 (Actress and model)
Spouses
Hal Fischer
​
(m. 1939⁠–⁠1945)​
    Felipe Alvarez
    ​
    (m. 1965)​

    Biography

    Early life and career

    Marguerite Louise Skliris-Alvarez was born in Chicago, to Evangelis Skliris, a lawyer, and his wife who studied in Paris, France, her grandfather owned all of the railroads in Greece, her great great grandfather had risen to become the regent of Greece, the family had emigrated from Athens to the United States in 1913, settling in Chicago before Margia was born, but moved to San Francisco, California[2] when she was at a young age.[1]

    Dean began acting at the age of 7, appearing on stage in many child roles and later won the Women's National Shakespeare Contest for her role as Juliet in a production of Romeo and Juliet.[1] She also took up modelling and was named "Miss San Francisco" and "Miss California" in 1939.[3][4] She was a top-five runner-up to Patricia Donnelly in the "Miss America 1939" competition.[1]

    Theatre

    After her modelling, she was told that had she stayed in New York, she would have been on Broadway, but as her mum was working returned back to San Francisco, to finish her education. She did, however, start her career in the theatre genre, working with the Geary and Curren Theatre and then with the Biltmore Theatre in Los Angeles.[1]

    Film career
    Margia Dean in The Quatermass Xperiment

    Dean made her feature film debut in Casanova in Burlesque (1944) and adopted her stage name, Margia Dean.[1] Although never under contract to a studio, and worked variously at Republic Pictures, Columbia Pictures and Paramount Pictures, but for the majority of films, were with both 20th Century Fox and some 16 in all,[2] for Lippert Pictures under the producer Robert L. Lippert, and she became known as the Queen of Lippert.[1]

    Her first leading role was in Shep Comes Home (1948) and roles followed in Red Desert (1949), FBI Girl (1951), The Lonesome Trail (1955), Villa!! (1958) and Seven Women from Hell (1961). Dean starred in a 1958 western, Ambush at Cimarron Pass, that featured Clint Eastwood in one of his earliest film roles. She also portrayed a trapeze artist in the 1961 circus tale The Big Show, which starred Esther Williams and Robert Vaughn.

    Her association with Lippert had led to her being cast in The Quatermass Xperiment (1955), the first Hammer horror film.[5] Frustrated that her roles were predominantly in B movies, she eventually retired from acting following her marriage in 1965 to her second husband, architect Felipe Alvarez. Her final film was Moro Witch Doctor.[1] She briefly became involved in movie production, creating '"Margo Productions" producing The Long Rope (1961) with Hugh Marlowe as well as a number of television pilots.[1]

    Later life and death

    Dean was later a vice-president in a real estate firm and worked in costume design and interior decoration.[1] Dean died at her apartment in Rancho Cucamonga, California, on June 23, 2023, at the age of 101.[6][7][8]

    Filmography

    References
    1. Fitzgerald, Mike. "An Interview with Margia Dean". Western Clippings. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
    2. "The Private Life and Times of Margia Dean". Glamour Girls of the Silver Screen. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
    3. Cozad, W. Lee (2006). More Magnificent Mountain Movies. Lake Arrowhead, California: Sunstroke Media. pp. 196–197. ISBN 978-0-9723372-2-9. Retrieved January 12, 2012.
    4. "Miss California History". Miss California. Archived from the original on October 13, 2018. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
    5. Hearn, Marcus; Barnes, Alan (2007) [1997]. The Hammer Story. The Authorised History of Hammer Films (2nd ed.). London: Titan Books. p. 17. ISBN 978-1-84576-185-1.
    6. Barnes, Mike (July 6, 2023). "Margia Dean, B-Movie Actress Known for 'The Quatermass Xperiment' and More, Dies at 101". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
    7. "We are saddened to hear of the passing of Margia Dean at 101". Twitter. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
    8. "Margia Dean". Glamour Girls of the Silver Screen. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
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