Mari Aldon

Mari Aldon (born Marija Aldona Pauliutė; 17 November 1925 – 31 October 2004) was a Lithuanian-born American actress.

Mari Aldon
Aldon at the Florida premiere of Distant Drums (1951)
Born
Aldona Pauliutė

(1925-11-17)17 November 1925
Tauragė, Lithuania
Died31 October 2004(2004-10-31) (aged 78)
Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Citizenship
  • Lithuanian
  • American
OccupationActress
Years active1946–1968
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1953; died 1977)​
Children1[1]

Early life

Mari Aldon was born in Tauragė, Lithuania. Her father Antanas Paulius was a policeman, mother Antanina (Antosė) Paulienė was a nurse. Father moved to America looking for a job. Soon after, when Mari was three years old, her mother also moved to Toronto, Canada with her daughter.[2] There, she attended Givens Public School and Central High School.[3] She studied ballet, drama, piano, and singing. Her early performances were noticed in Lithuanian newspapers of America. She had a sister.[4]

Career

Before Aldon began working in films, she acted for 11 months in a road company of A Streetcar Named Desire[5] and danced with the Canadian Ballet. She also appeared on radio with Alan Young and on The Great Gildersleeve.[3]

Aldon with Richard Webb at the Florida premiere of Distant Drums (1951)
Aldon and Governor Warren at the premiere of Distant Drums in Saint Augustine, Florida, 1951

After making her screen debut in a minor role in The Locket (1946) she gradually evolved to playing supporting or lead roles. Her most notable performance was starring opposite Gary Cooper in the 1951 Western Distant Drums. By the mid-1950s she was appearing either in B Pictures like the British thriller Mask of Dust (1954) or in supporting roles in more expensive films such as David Lean's Summertime (1955).

After this point she worked largely in television, such as on the TV Western Wagon Train in 1959 as Freda Johnson in "The Vivian Carter Story" (S2E23) and in 1960 as Hester Millikan in "The Jeremy Dow Story" (S4E14). She guest-starred in a 1961 episode of Ichabod and Me.[6]

Personal life

Aldon married Tay Garnett in London, England on 13 August 1953.[7] Their daughter, Tiela Aldon Garnett (later Daniels), was born in Los Angeles, California on 25 October 1955.[8] [9]

On 17 January 1958, Aldon became a US citizen. In August 1970, Aldon filed for divorce from Garnett in Los Angeles, she was widowed seven years later. Aldon and Garnett had a ranch, near King Vidor in Paso Robles, California.[10][11] Close relatives still live in her hometown of Tauragė, Lithuania, with whom she kept in touch.

Death

Aldon died on 31 October 2004 in Las Vegas, aged 78, of cancer.[12][13]

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
1946The LocketMaryUncredited
1947Forever AmberBessScenes deleted
1948A Woman's VengeanceGirlUncredited
1951Inside the Walls of Folsom PrisonMrs. DanielsUncredited
1951Tomorrow Is Another DayDance Hall HostessUncredited
1951The Tanks Are ComingPatricia Kane
1951Distant DrumsJudy Beckett
1952This Woman Is DangerousAnn Jackson
1953Tangier IncidentMillicent
1954The Barefoot ContessaMyrna
1954Mask of DustPatricia Wells
1955SummertimePhyl Yaeger
1968Live a Little, Love a LittleMinor RoleUncredited, (final film role)

References
  1. "The Private Life and Times of Mari Aldon". glamourgirlsofthesilverscreen.com. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  2. Jancevičius, Alvidas. "Mari Aldon – Holivudo gražuolė iš Žemaitijos". 15min.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 16 October 2019.
  3. "Mari Aldon Was Dragged Off Stage By Father". The Ottawa Citizen. Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. 19 May 1951. p. 41. Retrieved 9 October 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Lietuviai pasaulio ekranuose (XIII): apie gražuolę iš Žemaitijos ir tai, kaip lietuviai Holivude komunistų ieškojo". Bernardinai.lt (in Lithuanian). 29 September 2022. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  5. Padgitt, James (11 April 1951). "2 Weeks Ago She Sought Bit Job, Now Mari Aldon Is Leading Lady". Press and Sun-Bulletin. New York, Binghamton. International News Service. p. 44. Retrieved 8 October 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. Ichabod and Me, Classic TV Archive Accessed March 8, 2022
  7. Aaker p. 85
  8. Shepard, Richard F. (19 October 1977). "Tay Garnett, Film Director for Half Century, Dies". The New York Times.
  9. "Movie Director Tay Garnett and his Canadian-born actress wife. Mari Aldon, last night became parents of a baby girl", newspapers.com; accessed 21 October 2021.
  10. "The Pittsburgh Press from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania". 4 January 1946.
  11. "Journey to Galveston: An Interview with Catherine Berge on King Vidor – Senses of Cinema". Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  12. Biodata, cineartistes.com; accessed 21 October 2021.
  13. "The Private Life and Times of Mari Aldon". Retrieved 21 October 2021.

Bibliography
  • Aaker, Everett. George Raft: The Films. McFarland, 2013.
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