Mara Lane

Mara Lane

Born: August 1, 1930
Died: August 1, 2014
in Wien, Austria
This glamorous, sultry Anglo-Austrian leading lady and model was born Dorothy Lane Bolton in Vienna to British oil company executive John Bolton and Russian-born pianist Olga Mironova. Mara studied dance with the Viennese ballet before her family took her to America, travelling via Denmark. She had a sister, Jocelyn Lane (aka Jackie), who was eventually to follow in her older sibling's footsteps to become a successful cover model and starlet in her own right.

Mara was educated in New York and later attended the Centre de services scolaire Marguerite-Bourgeoys in the Saint Laurent borough of Montreal. While only in her teens, she began working part-time as a model for teenage fashion magazines. Aged 18, she moved to London to study costume design. Talent-scouted in a restaurant, with some modelling experience already under her belt, Mara appeared two years later in her first motion picture, the independently-produced post-war drama Hell Is Sold Out (1951). At this time, she was touted in the press as the 'British Marilyn Monroe', though she might have been more accurately described as an Elizabeth Taylor-lookalike. Mara herself disliked being compared to other actresses, calling it 'a disadvantage'. Nonetheless, she followed the advice of studio bosses to "get around and be seen". As the cameras adored her, celebrity status quickly followed, if not on the silver screen, then on the cover of glossy magazines.

Mara had several undemanding supporting roles in British films before being signed by Howard Hughes for a small part in his RKO comedy Susan Slept Here (1954), starring Dick Powell and Debbie Reynolds. Thereafter, having spurned further offers from Hollywood, she forged a minor (but, ultimately, desultory) career as star of European B-grade movies, ranging from spy thrillers (Uomini ombra (1954)) to films noir (cast as a femme fatale in Angela (1954), co-starring opposite Dennis O'Keefe) and from romantic period comedy (Le avventure di Giacomo Casanova (1955)) to peplum (Anno 79: La distruzione di Ercolano (1962)). She made several films in Germany, arguably her best being the melancholic love story Monpti (1957), filmed on location in Paris with Romy Schneider and Horst Buchholz early in their careers.

In 1961, Mara married San Antonio oil executive William Lafayette Dugger Jr., but divorced him after just three years. Dugger was later briefly engaged to Hollywood star Lizabeth Scott. He died unexpectedly in 1969. Mara left show business in 1964 and disappeared from the limelight, having always craved privacy in her personal life. She died in relative obscurity in Marbella, Spain, in 2014.

Movies for Mara Lane...

Title: Gut gefragt ist halb gewonnen
Character: Self
Released: September 26, 1964
Type: TV
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Jetzt dreht die Welt sich nur um dich
Title: Jetzt dreht die Welt sich nur um dich
Character: Baby Bird
Released: September 10, 1964
Type: Movie
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The Old Testament
Title: The Old Testament
Character: Diotima
Released: April 10, 1963
Type: Movie
The Jews of Jerusalem are driven out by their Syrian rulers. They gather their forces, and return to drive out their oppressors.
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79 A.D.
Title: 79 A.D.
Character: Diomira
Released: December 23, 1962
Type: Movie
Intrigue at the Roman Emperor's court prior to its destruction by Vesuvius.
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Was macht Papa denn in Italien?
Title: Was macht Papa denn in Italien?
Character: Nadja Lamar
Released: September 7, 1961
Type: Movie
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Mal drunter – mal drüber
Title: Mal drunter – mal drüber
Character: Daisy
Released: October 12, 1960
Type: Movie
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Paradies der Matrosen
Title: Paradies der Matrosen
Character: Jenny, Barbaras Zofe
Released: November 26, 1959
Type: Movie
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Ich bin kein Casanova
Title: Ich bin kein Casanova
Character: Barbara Ardot
Released: September 23, 1959
Type: Movie
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Bobby Dodd intervenes
Title: Bobby Dodd intervenes
Character: Lilli
Released: July 22, 1959
Type: Movie
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Schlag auf Schlag
Title: Schlag auf Schlag
Character: Mary
Released: January 29, 1959
Type: Movie
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Peter Voss, der Millionendieb
Title: Peter Voss, der Millionendieb
Character: Monique
Released: October 15, 1958
Type: Movie
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Ooh... diese Ferien
Title: Ooh... diese Ferien
Character: Baby die 'Baronin'
Released: August 5, 1958
Type: Movie
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Der Elefant im Porzellanladen
Title: Der Elefant im Porzellanladen
Character: Ilona
Released: June 19, 1958
Type: Movie
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Historias de la feria
Title: Historias de la feria
Character: Teresa
Released: March 13, 1958
Type: Movie
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Der Page vom Palast-Hotel
Title: Der Page vom Palast-Hotel
Character: Juanita
Released: January 24, 1958
Type: Movie
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Monpti
Title: Monpti
Character: Nadine
Released: September 12, 1957
Type: Movie
A poor 22 years old Hungarian man who's recently arrived in Paris meets a seemingly wealthy 17 years old Parisian girl. They fall in love, but tragedy ensues when the truth behind the girl is revealed.
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Der Fremdenführer von Lissabon
Title: Der Fremdenführer von Lissabon
Character: Mercedes Gonzales
Released: December 28, 1956
Type: Movie
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Good Evening Paris
Title: Good Evening Paris
Character: Maryse
Released: December 14, 1956
Type: Movie
A foreign pianist who comes to visit Paris is ripped off by a young man and his sister. But he soon falls in love with this one.
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Pulverschnee nach Übersee
Title: Pulverschnee nach Übersee
Character: Helen Jones
Released: July 20, 1956
Type: Movie
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Torna piccina mia!
Title: Torna piccina mia!
Released: March 30, 1955
Type: Movie
A family of wanderers adopts a girl who is left alone after getting lost. Meanwhile, his father adopts an orphan. Some time later, as an adult, the girl becomes the main attraction of the Luna Park where the wanderers work, and falls in love with the adopted son of the missing father. This arouses envy and spite from a barker from the Luna Park, secretly in love with the girl, who begins to spread slander on their behalf.
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Sins of Casanova
Title: Sins of Casanova
Character: Barbara
Released: December 22, 1954
Type: Movie
1760 Spain provides the setting for Giacomo Casanova's romantic escapades, every woman he encounters unable to resist his disarming charm, be they single, engaged, or even married.
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Uomini ombra
Title: Uomini ombra
Character: Magda
Released: November 26, 1954
Type: Movie
Italian naval secret agents acquire a British codebook and the Italian counter-espionage agents start tracking enemy agents working undercover in Italy and providing false information.
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Angela
Title: Angela
Character: Angela Towne
Released: November 16, 1954
Type: Movie
Dennis O'Keefe plays a GI who falls in love with Mara Lane in postwar Rome. Lane kills her boss, forcing her to flee the law. O'Keefe goes along for the ride so that he won't be knocked off by Lane's husband. Just when it looks as though O'Keefe is willing to go to any lengths to protect the woman he loves, he discovers that she frankly isn't worth it.
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Susan Slept Here
Title: Susan Slept Here
Character: Marilyn
Released: July 28, 1954
Type: Movie
On Christmas Eve, suffering from a case of writer's block, screenwriter Mark Christopher and his gofer Virgil get an unexpected visit from Sergeant Maizel. Knowing Christopher is working on a juvenile delinquent script, the sergeant brings by delinquent Susan thinking she will inspire Christopher while providing a place for her to spend the holidays outside of juvenile hall.
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Decameron Nights
Title: Decameron Nights
Character: Girl in Villa
Released: January 13, 1953
Type: Movie
Italian poet Boccaccio (Louis Jourdan) hides in the court of Fiammetta (Joan Fontaine) and tells three tales of love and lust.
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24 Hours of a Woman's Life
Title: 24 Hours of a Woman's Life
Character: Alice Brown
Released: September 10, 1952
Type: Movie
A compulsive gambler stumbles towards losing everything when Merle Oberon decides to save him from himself.
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Treasure Hunt
Title: Treasure Hunt
Character: Yvonne
Released: June 1, 1952
Type: Movie
Short of money the owners of Ballyroden Hall must attempt to run it as a guest house, but not everyone is happy about the plan.