#7 Mara Corday

Ava Gardner look-alike Mara Corday is pretty much forgotten today. The brunette sexpot was quite active during the ‘50s though – as pin-up; Playboy playmate; and star of sci-fi and exploitation flicks, as well as two-bit TV shows (The Man from Blackhawk, anyone?). She pretty much gave up acting at age 30 to raise her family.

Embarrassing Real Name:  Marilyn Watts (Mara’s from Marilyn, Corday came from a perfume ad she saw in a magazine)

Cheesy Pageant Titles

• Go Girl
• Ich Bon Girl
• Honorary Fire Chief, Universal City, CA

Embarrassing Movies

• Undersea Girl
• Girls on the Loose
• Problem Girls
• Tarzan and the She-Devil
• The Giant Claw *

* - author has seen

Embarrassing Taglines

• The daring and startling story of wild young love!
• Nothing can tame them, scandal can't shame them!
• The hideous inhuman being that defied every law of nature
• More terrifying than any horror known to man comes a creeping, crawling monster whose towering fury no one can escape!

Embarrassing Characters

• Nono
• Paca
• Stick Lady
• Moccasin Mary

Unlikely Spouses & Boyfriends

• Lex Barker (former Tarzan)
• Audie Murphy 
• John Wayne

Quite possibly, my favorite cheesecake pic of all time

Whiffs of Scandal

• Worked as an underage showgirl
• Appeared in mags such as Cover Girl Models, Modern Man, He, and The Male Point
• Appeared in Playboy (though times were so innocent she managed to keep her clothes on and still be Playmate of the Month)

Interesting Tidbits

• Fascinated by movies from an early age, was an autograph hound and an usherette
• Was once the most photographed woman in the world, posing for over 10,000 pictures
• Shared top billing once with a mule (Francis Joins the WACS)
• Still does bit parts for friend Clint Eastwood

Where can I learn more?

• Glamour Girls of the Silver Screen
• IMDb
• The Incredible B Monster
• Fan site
• Wikipedia
• Brian's Drive-In Theatre
• Java’s Bachelor Pad

And you call that cheesecake?

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