Lizabeth Scott
Lizabeth Scott, born Emma Matzo on September 29, 1922, was an American actress known for her distinctive voice, sultry beauty, and talent in film noir. She rose to prominence in the 1940s and 1950s and became one of the leading ladies of the genre.
Scott was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
After studying drama at Marywood College, she moved to New York City to pursue an acting career. Her talent caught the attention of talent scouts, leading to a contract with Paramount Pictures in 1945.
Scott's breakthrough role came in the film "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers" (1946), where she starred alongside Barbara Stanwyck and Kirk Douglas. Her performance as the mysterious and seductive Toni Marachek received critical acclaim and established her as a film noir actress.
Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, Scott appeared in several successful film noirs, including "Dead Reckoning" (1947), "Dark City" (1950), and "Pitfall" (1948). She often played femme fatale characters—enigmatic, manipulative women who enticed and ensnared the male protagonists.
Scott's on-screen persona was characterized by a unique combination of vulnerability, sensuality, and strength. She possessed a distinctive husky voice that added to her allure and made her memorable to audiences. Her performances showcased her ability to convey complex emotions and navigate the morally ambiguous worlds of film noir.
Outside of film noir, Scott also demonstrated her versatility by appearing in other genres. She starred in romantic dramas like "The Company She Keeps" (1951) and crime thrillers such as "Too Late for Tears" (1949). While she had success in these roles, it was her contributions to film noir that left a lasting impact on her career.
In the late 1950s, Scott's film career began to wane due to a combination of factors, including changes in the film industry and her decision to focus on stage and television work. She made occasional film appearances in the following decades but shifted her focus primarily to other mediums.
Lizabeth Scott's contributions to film noir solidified her status as one of the genre's iconic actresses. Her captivating performances, distinctive voice, and enigmatic screen presence continue to be celebrated by fans of classic cinema.
Scott was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
After studying drama at Marywood College, she moved to New York City to pursue an acting career. Her talent caught the attention of talent scouts, leading to a contract with Paramount Pictures in 1945.
Scott's breakthrough role came in the film "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers" (1946), where she starred alongside Barbara Stanwyck and Kirk Douglas. Her performance as the mysterious and seductive Toni Marachek received critical acclaim and established her as a film noir actress.
Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, Scott appeared in several successful film noirs, including "Dead Reckoning" (1947), "Dark City" (1950), and "Pitfall" (1948). She often played femme fatale characters—enigmatic, manipulative women who enticed and ensnared the male protagonists.
Scott's on-screen persona was characterized by a unique combination of vulnerability, sensuality, and strength. She possessed a distinctive husky voice that added to her allure and made her memorable to audiences. Her performances showcased her ability to convey complex emotions and navigate the morally ambiguous worlds of film noir.
Outside of film noir, Scott also demonstrated her versatility by appearing in other genres. She starred in romantic dramas like "The Company She Keeps" (1951) and crime thrillers such as "Too Late for Tears" (1949). While she had success in these roles, it was her contributions to film noir that left a lasting impact on her career.
In the late 1950s, Scott's film career began to wane due to a combination of factors, including changes in the film industry and her decision to focus on stage and television work. She made occasional film appearances in the following decades but shifted her focus primarily to other mediums.
Lizabeth Scott's contributions to film noir solidified her status as one of the genre's iconic actresses. Her captivating performances, distinctive voice, and enigmatic screen presence continue to be celebrated by fans of classic cinema.
quotes:
"I never thought I was pretty. I would always say, "Lizabeth, you're interesting. But you're not pretty."
"I had crushes on a number of my leading men. I mean, you just do automatically for some damn reason. You go home and you think about them."
"You know, I loved making film. There was something so exciting about it because I fell in love with the lens, and the lens fell in love with me. . . I don't know how it happened. A lot of Broadway actors would say, "I never want to work in Hollywood. . . I can't cope with it." But there was something about that lens that I adored, and it adored me back. So we were a great combination."
[on Barbara Stanwyck] "I would go on the set [of The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946)] and watch her and she was just outstanding. She was a great actress, really."
- Lizabeth Scott
trivia:
Her sultry looks won her modelling assignments as a teenager and she was understudy to Tallulah Bankhead before coming to the attention of Paramount Studios who put her under contract.
Out of all the films she appeared in she considered her favorite film to have been You Came Along (1945).
Early in her career critics claimed she was imitating Tullulah Bankhead and Lauren Bacall.
Asked in a 1996 interview why film noir had become so popular, Scott said: "The films that I had seen growing up were always, 'Boy meets girl, boy ends up marrying girl, and together, they go off into the sunset' - and suddenly in the 1940s, psychology was taking a grasp on society in America. That's when 'they' got into these psychological, emotional things that people feel. That was the feeling of film noir. ... It was a new realm, something very exiting, because you were coming closer and closer to reality".
In the 1948 film "Pitfall" - she performed in the role of a fashion model that a married man and insurance investigator, starring actor Dick Powell, could not resist. And in the 1949 film "Too Late for Tears," also starring Dan Duryea, Scott killed not one but two husbands. The film advertising poster for that movie proclaims, "She got what she wanted ... with lies ... with kisses ... with murder!".
In the mid-1950s, the tabloid magazine "Confidential" made allegations of Scott being a lesbian, which was still taboo in those days. The head of "Confidential," notorious anti-Communist Howard Rushmore, despised Scott for openly criticizing the Hollywood blacklist, and attempted to smear her with fake stories about her passionate love affairs with other women.
Out of all the films she appeared in she considered her favorite film to have been You Came Along (1945).
Early in her career critics claimed she was imitating Tullulah Bankhead and Lauren Bacall.
Asked in a 1996 interview why film noir had become so popular, Scott said: "The films that I had seen growing up were always, 'Boy meets girl, boy ends up marrying girl, and together, they go off into the sunset' - and suddenly in the 1940s, psychology was taking a grasp on society in America. That's when 'they' got into these psychological, emotional things that people feel. That was the feeling of film noir. ... It was a new realm, something very exiting, because you were coming closer and closer to reality".
In the 1948 film "Pitfall" - she performed in the role of a fashion model that a married man and insurance investigator, starring actor Dick Powell, could not resist. And in the 1949 film "Too Late for Tears," also starring Dan Duryea, Scott killed not one but two husbands. The film advertising poster for that movie proclaims, "She got what she wanted ... with lies ... with kisses ... with murder!".
In the mid-1950s, the tabloid magazine "Confidential" made allegations of Scott being a lesbian, which was still taboo in those days. The head of "Confidential," notorious anti-Communist Howard Rushmore, despised Scott for openly criticizing the Hollywood blacklist, and attempted to smear her with fake stories about her passionate love affairs with other women.
