Dorothy Malone


Actor
Dorothy Malone

About

Also Known As
Dorothy Maloney, Dorothy Eloise Maloney, Mary Dorothy Maloney
Birth Place
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Born
January 29, 1924
Died
January 19, 2018
Cause of Death
Undisclosed Natural Causes

Biography

Dorothy Malone was a film star during Hollywood's Golden Age who was best known for her Oscar-winning performance in Douglas Sirk's "Written on the Wind" (1956). Born in Chicago, Malone and her family moved with her family to Dallas when she was six-months old. Tragedy had struck Malone's family early on when two of her sisters died from complications from polio, so Malone grew up knowin...

Photos & Videos

Artists and Models (1955) - Publicity Stills
Pillars of the Sky - Movie Posters
Pillars of the Sky - British Front-of-House Stills

Family & Companions

Jacques Bergerac
Husband
Actor. Married in 1959; divorced in 1964.

Biography

Dorothy Malone was a film star during Hollywood's Golden Age who was best known for her Oscar-winning performance in Douglas Sirk's "Written on the Wind" (1956). Born in Chicago, Malone and her family moved with her family to Dallas when she was six-months old. Tragedy had struck Malone's family early on when two of her sisters died from complications from polio, so Malone grew up knowing how fleeting life was. She decided quite early to make the most of her existence, and quickly settled on becoming a performer. She began modeling for Neiman Marcus as a teenager and after a brief stint at Southern Methodist University, where she majored in drama, Malone was offered a contract with RKO studios at the age of 18. She appeared in  a number of films during her year with RKO, most notably 1943's "Higher and Higher," which also starred Frank Sinatra. After one year, however, RKO decided not to renew Malone's contract. Undeterred, Malone signed a new contract with Warner Bros., and quickly raised her acting profile by appearing in films like "Too Young to Know" (1945) and "Frontier Days" (1945). Her first big break came in 1946 when she appeared alongside Humphrey Bogart in the Director Howard Hawks' film "The Big Sleep" (1946). Her role in "The Big Sleep" led to bigger parts in films like the musical comedy "Two Guys from Texas" (1948), which was Malone's first lead role. Malone left Warner Bros. in the late 1940s to become a freelance film actor in Hollywood. She continued nabbing a multitude of roles throughout the 1950s, including "Torpedo Alley" (1952), "Scared Stiff" (1953), and "The Fast and the Furious" (1955), the latter of which was also the first film produced by the legendary producer Roger Corman. Then in 1956 Malone appeared in a supporting role alongside Rock Hudson and Lauren Bacall in the Douglas Sirk melodrama "Written on the Wind." The film earned Malone her first and only Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Malone continued acting in films throughout the remainder of the 1950s and early 1960s, but in 1964 she gained renewed attention for her role as Constance Mackenzie on the prime time soap opera "Peyton Place" (ABC, 1964-69). Her role on "Peyton Place" ended in 1968 and Malone spent the next twenty-plus years of her acting career appearing in TV shows, made-for-TV movies, and little seen films. She appeared in only a handful of roles throughout the 1980s, with her last on-screen part being in 1992's "Basic Instinct." Malone spent the remaining years of her life in suburban Dallas, the same place she grew up. She died peacefully at a Dallas nursing facility on January 19, 2018. She was 93.

Filmography

 

Cast (Feature Film)

Basic Instinct (1991)
Peyton Place: The Next Generation (1985)
He's Not Your Son (1984)
Dr Sullivan
The Being (1983)
Marge Smith
Abduction (1981)
Mrs Prescott
The Day Time Ended (1980)
Ana Williams
Winter Kills (1979)
Emma Kegan
Good Luck, Miss Wyckoff (1979)
Mildred
Katie: Portrait of Centerfold (1978)
Murder in Peyton Place (1977)
Constance Mackenzie
Little Ladies of the Night (1977)
Maggie
Golden Rendezvous (1977)
The November Plan (1976)
The Man Who Would Not Die (1975)
Fate Is the Hunter (1964)
Lisa Bond
Beach Party (1963)
Marianne
The Last Sunset (1961)
Belle Breckenridge
The Last Voyage (1960)
Laurie Henderson
Warlock (1959)
Lily Dollar
The Tarnished Angels (1958)
LaVerne Shumann
Too Much, Too Soon (1958)
Diana Barrymore
Man of a Thousand Faces (1957)
Cleva Creighton Chaney
Quantez (1957)
Chaney
Written on the Wind (1957)
Marylee Hadley
Tip on a Dead Jockey (1957)
Phyllis Tredman
Pillars of the Sky (1956)
Calla Gaxton
Artists and Models (1956)
Abigail Parker
Tension at Table Rock (1956)
Lorna Miller
Five Guns West (1955)
Shalee
Tall Man Riding (1955)
Corinna Ordway
Battle Cry (1955)
Elaine Yarborough
At Gunpoint (1955)
Martha Wright
Sincerely Yours (1955)
Linda Curtis
Private Hell 36 (1954)
Francey Farnham
Pushover (1954)
Ann Stewart
The Lone Gun (1954)
Charlotte Downing
Security Risk (1954)
Donna Weeks
Loophole (1954)
Ruthie Donovan
Young at Heart (1954)
Fran Tuttle
The Fast and the Furious (1954)
Connie Adair
Scared Stiff (1953)
Rosie
Law and Order (1953)
Jeannie
Torpedo Alley (1953)
Susan Peabody
Jack Slade (1953)
Virginia Dale
The Bushwackers (1952)
The Bushwhackers (1951)
Cathy Sharpe
Saddle Legion (1951)
Dr. Ann F. Rollins
Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Malone (1950)
Lola Gillway
The Nevadan (1950)
Karen Galt
Convicted (1950)
Kay Knowland
The Killer That Stalked New York (1950)
Alice Lorie
Flaxy Martin (1949)
Nora Carson
Colorado Territory (1949)
Julie Ann Winslow
One Sunday Afternoon (1949)
Amy Lind
South of St. Louis (1949)
Deborah Miller
Two Guys from Texas (1948)
Joan Winston
To the Victor (1948)
Miriam
Night and Day (1946)
Nancy
Janie Gets Married (1946)
Spud
The Big Sleep (1946)
Bookstore proprietress
Too Young to Know (1945)
Mary
Youth Runs Wild (1944)
Girl in booth
Seven Days Ashore (1944)
Betty
Show Business (1944)
One Mysterious Night (1944)
Eileen Daley
Step Lively (1944)
Telephone operator
The Falcon and the Co-eds (1943)
Co-ed
Higher and Higher (1943)
Bridesmaid
Gildersleeve on Broadway (1943)

Cast (Special)

Bob Hope Special: Bob Hope's Women I Love - Beautiful but Funny (1982)

Cast (Short)

Frontier Days (1945)

Cast (TV Mini-Series)

Condominium (1980)
Rich Man, Poor Man (1975)

Life Events

1943

Made her feature debut as Dorothy Maloney in "Falcon and the Co-Eds"

1945

Joined Warner Bros. and changed billing to Dorothy Malone

1946

Had her first impact as a brunette nymphomaniac who lets down her hair and entertains Humphrey Bogart one thundery afternoon in "The Big Sleep"

1955

Played one of three sisters (with Doris Day and Elizabeth Fraser) in "Young at Heart", starring Frank Sinatra

1955

Undressed in an armchair for Raoul Walsh's "Battle Cry"

1957

Won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar as Robert Stack's nymphomaniac sister in "Written on the Wind", directed by Douglas Sirk; also first film with Rock Hudson

1957

Portrayed Lon Chaney's lackadaisical first wife in "Man of a Thousand Faces", starring James Cagney

1958

Reunited with director Douglas Sirk and co-stars Rock Hudson and Robert Stack for "The Tarnished Angels"; portrayed Stack's promiscuous parachutist wife

1960

Was again cast as Stack's wife in the engrossing drama of a luxury ship going down at sea, "The Last Voyage"

1961

Made her third movie with Rock Hudson, Robert Aldrich's "The Last Sunset"

1963

Had a regular role as an aerialist on the ABC series "The Greatest Show on Earth"

1964

Had top billing as Constance Mackenzie in ABC primetime soap opera "Peyton Place"

1976

Appeared in ABC's popular miniseries "Rich Man, Poor Man"

1977

Reprised Constance Mackenzie role for NBC movie "Murder in Peyton Place"

1985

Again played Constance Mackenzie in NBC movie "Peyton Place: The Next Generation"

1992

Made her final screen appearance as Hazel Dobkins in "Basic Instinct"

Photo Collections

Artists and Models (1955) - Publicity Stills
Artists and Models (1955) - Publicity Stills
Pillars of the Sky - Movie Posters
Pillars of the Sky - Movie Posters
Pillars of the Sky - British Front-of-House Stills
Pillars of the Sky - British Front-of-House Stills
Convicted - Movie Posters
Convicted - Movie Posters
Convicted - Lobby Cards
Convicted - Lobby Cards
Convicted - Behind-the-Scenes Photos
Convicted - Behind-the-Scenes Photos
Convicted - Publicity Stills
Convicted - Publicity Stills
Convicted - Scene Stills
Convicted - Scene Stills
The Last Sunset - Movie Poster
The Last Sunset - Movie Poster
Gentleman's Agreement - Movie Poster
Gentleman's Agreement - Movie Poster
The Big Sleep - Lobby Card Set
Here is a set of Lobby Cards from The Big Sleep (1946). Lobby Cards were 11" x 14" posters that came in sets of 8. As the name implies, they were most often displayed in movie theater lobbies, to advertise current or coming attractions. Warner Bros. sets during this period were printed in duotone rather than full color.
Beach Party - Movie Poster
Here is the American one-sheet movie poster for Beach Party (1963). One-sheets measured 27x41 inches, and were the poster style most commonly used in theaters.
The Tarnished Angels - Lobby Cards
Here are a few Lobby Cards from The Tarnished Angels (1957), directed by Douglas Sirk and starring Rock Hudson, Robert Stack, and Dorothy Malone. Lobby Cards were 11" x 14" posters that came in sets of 8. As the name implies, they were most often displayed in movie theater lobbies, to advertise current or coming attractions.
The Tarnished Angels - Publicity Stills
Here are a few Publicity Stills from Universal Pictures' The Tarnished Angels (1957), starring Rock Hudson, Dorothy Malone, and Robert Stack. Publicity stills were specially-posed photos, taken for purposes of publicity or reference for promotional artwork.
The Tarnished Angels - Behind-the-Scenes Stills
Here are some photos taken behind-the-scenes during production of Universal Pictures' The Tarnished Angels (1957), directed by Douglas Sirk and starring Rock Hudson, Robert Stack, and Dorothy Malone.
The Tarnished Angels - Movie Posters
Here are several original-release movie posters from Universal Pictures' The Tarnished Angels (1957), directed by Douglas Sirk and starring Rock Hudson, Robert Stack, and Dorothy Malone.

Videos

Movie Clip

Last Voyage, The (1960) -- (Movie Clip) Open, Fire In The Engine Room Opening narration, the real name of the ship rented (and partially sunk) by Andrew and Virginia Stone, who produced together, as he wrote and directed and she edited, was the Ile de France, as we meet George Sanders as the captain, Joel Marston his 3rd officer, and briefly Woody Strode and Edmond O’Brien, in The Last Voyage, 1960.
Last Voyage, The (1960) -- (Movie Clip) Get Me A Crowbar! The first encounter for the captain (George Sanders), whose priority so far has been to preserve calm despite the fire on board, with the Hendersons (Robert Stack, Dorothy Malone and Tammy Marihugh as Jill), then Woody Strode, Jack Kruschen and Richard Norris in the engine room, in independent producer Andrew L. Stone’s The Last Voyage, 1960.
Last Voyage, The (1960) -- (Movie Clip) There's No Danger Resourceful father Henderson (Robert Stack) assures his wife (Dorothy Malone) and their already rescued daughter (Tammy Marihugh) that he’ll be able to find a torch to free her from the wreckage, encountering Edmond O’Brien and Woody Strode tending to other emergencies, in director Andrew L. Stone’s luxury-liner disaster drama, The Last Voyage, 1960.
Last Voyage, The (1960) -- (Movie Clip) That's My Brave Girl! With mom (Dorothy Malone) pinned in the wreckage of their cabin after an on-board explosion, pleasure cruiser Henderson (Robert Stack) must rescue his daughter Jill (Tammy Marihugh) from certain death, while the ship’s captain (George Sanders) on the bridge attempts to organize, in the early disaster epic The Last Voyage, 1960.
Two Guys From Texas (1948) -- (Movie Clip) Every Day I Love You Both the leading men will get a private musical interlude with Dorothy Malone as decorative dude rancher Joan, first Dennis Morgan (later Jack Carson) as Steve with a Sammy Cahn-Jule Styne original, later recorded by both Frank Sinatra and Vaughn Monroe, in Warner Bros., in Two Guys From Texas, 1948.
Written On The Wind (1957) -- (Movie Clip) Thank You, Sir Galahad First appearance of trampy oil heiress Marylee (Dorothy Malone), with grabby Roy (John Larch) and barkeeper Dan (Robert J. Wilke), who has called her newly-wedded and sober brother Kyle (Robert Stack) and his wing man Mitch (Rock Hudson), in Douglas Sirk's Written On The Wind, 1957.
Convicted (1950) -- (Movie Clip) Murder Was Not Your Intent Glenn Ford as Joe who accidentally killed a big-shot’s son in a bar fight, gets sentenced as his lame employer-hired lawyer (Roland Winters) gets chewed out by the compassionate D-A Knowland (Broderick Crawford), Griff Barnett his sad father, Dorothy Malone, 13 years Crawford’s junior, as his daughter, Millard Mitchell the other convict on the train, in Convicted, 1950.
Convicted (1950) -- (Movie Clip) I Said Prosecute Not Persecute Glenn Ford as Joe, sent up for accidentally killing a guy in a bar fight, now in trouble for slugging a guard, with Broderick Crawford as Knowland, the D-A who prosecuted him, now warden of the prison, consoling him about his father’s death and introducing his fetching daughter-assistant (Dorothy Malone), in Convicted, 1950
Two Guys From Texas (1948) -- (Movie Clip) That's What The Dudes Want First shot of Dorothy Malone as Joan, Texas dude ranch proprietor, with aide Pete (Monte Blue) then joined by the stars Dennis Morgan and Jack Carson, as an un-booked night club act, who turn out to be old pals of employee Maggie (Penny Edwards), in Warner Bros. Two Guys From Texas, 1948.
Two Guys From Texas (1948) -- (Movie Clip) Ever Watch That Guy Operate? Dennis Morgan as visiting Steve has just finished serenading dude ranch owner Joan (Dorothy Malone) and they retire to join roommates (Jack Carson as animal-phobic Danny, Penny Edwards as Maggie), for a clever bit directed by David Butler from the script by I.A.L Diamond and Allan Boretz for Warner Bros., in Two Guys From Texas, 1948.
Two Guys From Texas (1948) -- (Movie Clip) Hankerin' Dorothy Malone as dude ranch owner Joan, in blue this time, having encouraged Jack Carson as traveling entertainer Danny in his pursuit, despite earlier efforts by his more suave buddy (Dennis Morgan), also with a Sammy Cahn-Jule Styne tune, on the very same set, in Warner Bros., in Two Guys From Texas, 1948.
Written On The Wind (1957) -- (Movie Clip) You're My Girl As Douglas Sirk-ian as scenes get, Texas oil heiress Marylee (Dorothy Malone) remembering brother Kyle and friend Mitch, who grew up to be Rock Hudson, himself love-lorn, and her target behind the scenes at a family party, in Written On The Wind, 1957.

Trailer

Tension at Table Rock - (Original Trailer) When the owner of a stagecoach station is killed, a gunman takes his place in Tension at Table Rock (1956) starring Richard Egan.
Big Sleep, The - (Original Trailer) Private eye Philip Marlowe (Humphrey Bogart) investigates a society girl's involvement in the murder of a pornographer in The Big Sleep.
One Sunday Afternoon (1948) -- (Original Trailer) A dentist in turn-of-the-century New York thinks he may have married the wrong girl in Raoul Walsh's musical version of the stage hit One Sunday Afternoon (1948).
Artists And Models (1955) -- Original Trailer Original trailer for Paramount’s Martin & Lewis hit Artists And Models 1955, the third-to-last feature starring Jerry and Dean, featuring Shirley MacLaine, Dorothy Malone and Eva Gabor, directed by Frank Tashlin.
Night and Day - (Original Trailer) Fanciful biography of songwriter Cole Porter (Cary Grant), who rose from high society to find success on Tin Pan Alley.
Flaxy Martin - (Original Trailer) Messing with a mobster's girlfriend gets a lawyer framed for murder in Flaxy Martin (1949) starring Virginia Mayo, Zachary Scott, Dorothy Malone and Elisha Cook, Jr.
Last Sunset, The - (Original Trailer) A sheriff (Rock Hudson) finds the outlaw (Kirk Douglas) he's hunting leading a cattle drive and decides to help him before arresting him in Robert Aldrich's The Last Sunset (1961).
Tarnished Angels, The - (Original Trailer) A newsman falls for the wife of a barnstorming pilot whose work he's covering in Douglas Sirk's The Tarnished Angels (1958) starring Rock Hudson.
Young At Heart - (Original Trailer) Frank Sinatra and Doris Day are among the very Young At Heart (1955) in this musical version of Four Daughters.
Two Guys From Texas - (Original Trailer) Two vaudevillians on the run from crooks try to pass themselves off as cowboys in Two Guys From Texas (1948) starring Dennis Morgan and Jack Carson.
Colorado Territory - (Original Trailer) An outlaw just released from prison is sucked back into a life of crime in Colorado Territory (1949), starring Joel McCrea.
Battle Cry - (Original Trailer) A group of Marines eagerly await deployment during World War II in Battle Cry (1955).

Companions

Jacques Bergerac
Husband
Actor. Married in 1959; divorced in 1964.

Bibliography