Marie Windsor

Biography

Marie Windsor, born Emily Marie Bertelsen on December 11, 1919, in Marysvale, Utah, was a celebrated actress renowned as "The Queen of the Bs" due to her extensive work in B-movies and film noir. Before launching her film career, Windsor spent several years as a telephone operator and worked in stage and radio productions, gradually moving from bit parts to prominent roles.

Her journey into Hollywood began in 1942 when she secured a contract with Warner Bros. after impressing comedian Jack Benny with her joke submissions. Initially performing under the pseudonym M.E. Windsor to avoid gender bias, her striking appearance caught Benny's attention, leading to a formal contract. Following a lackluster experience with MGM, she signed a seven-year deal with The Enterprise Studios in 1948.

Windsor's breakout role came in 1948’s *Force of Evil*, where she portrayed Edna Tucker alongside John Garfield. Throughout the 1950s, she became known for her performances in several film noir classics, including *The Sniper*, *The Narrow Margin*, *City That Never Sleeps*, and Stanley Kubrick's *The Killing*. She also ventured into sci-fi with the 1953 film *Cat-Women of the Moon* and starred opposite Randolph Scott in *The Bounty Hunter* (1954).

Transitioning to television, Windsor starred in the premiere episode of *Stories of the Century* in 1954 and had notable roles on various series, including *Maverick* and *Murder, She Wrote*. She remained active in the industry through the 1970s and continued to appear on screen into the 1990s, with her final role in 1991.

Windsor was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1983 and received the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award in 1987 for her performance in *The Bar Off Melrose*. She also earned recognition from the Screen Actors