Marion Marshall was an American actress and also the ex-wife of actor Robert Wagner. As an actress, she is known for I Was a Male War Bride (1949), Sailor Beware (1952) and That’s My Boy (1951). She was married to Robert Wagner, Stanley Donen, and Allen M. Davey.
Marion Marshall: Bio Summary
Full Name | Marion Marshall |
Birth Name | Marian Lepriel Tanner |
famous as | Actress and ex-wife of actor Robert Wagner |
Age | 89 years old at the time of her death |
Date of Birth | June 8, 1929 |
Place of Birth | Los Angeles, California, United States |
Date of death | September 24, 2018 |
place of death | Stevensville, Montana, USA |
Zodiac sign | Gemini |
Nationality | American |
Ethnicity | Caucasian |
Children | Katie Wagner, Peter Donen, Joshua Donen |
spouse | Robert Wagner (m. 1963–1971), Stanley Donen (m. 1952–1959), Allen M. Davey (m. 1945–1948) |
Marion Marshall was born on June 8, 1929 in Los Angeles, California, United States to her parents. Marion was born Marian Lepriel Tanner who later changes her name. In the book, “Marilyn: The Passion and the Paradox”, author Lois Banner wrote about how both Marshall and Marilyn Monroe signed contracts with Fox and as a result, changed their birth names. She adopted the name Marshall because studios thought the MM combination “had a sexy lilt.”
What happened to Marion Marshall?
Marion sadly passed away on September 24, 2018 in Stevensville, Montana, USA at the age of 89. Her family did not issue a press release to announce her passing, although Robert Wagner’s stepdaughter shared the news on her Instagram. How did marion marshall die? The cause of her death was not made public but its assumed she died of a natural cause.
Career and Education
Marion was a popular actress. Her acting career spans over 30 years before retiring. She started her career off playing smaller parts in movies, many of which were uncredited. In her prime, she played roles in over 25 films until 1967. She has featured in three Martin and Lewis comedy films, The Stooge, Sailor Beware and That’s My Boy, with stars Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. Among her television appearances, she guest-starred twice on Perry Mason in 1959.
According to her IMBD profile, her first roles was as a guest in the 1947 dramatic romance, Gentleman’s Agreement. She also played a secretary in the 1948 movie, Sitting Pretty, a singer in The Street with No Name and Myrna in the 1949 movie, Dancing in the Dark.
Marion Marshall Was Friends with Marilyn Monroe
Marion Marshall and Monroe became close friends while working as models in the film industry. In the book, “Icon: The Life, Times and Films of Marilyn Monroe Volume 1,” The author, Gary Vitacco-Robles’ described how the two friends would attend poker parties where big names in the film industries gathered and act as hostesses, “filling the men’s champagne glasses and emptying the ashtrays.” The two also starred in the movie A Ticket to Tomahawk in 1950, a Western comedy and musical.
On that same day, Marion Marshall signed her contract with Fox and as a result, changed their birth names, Monroe also adopted her famous “MM” name, although Banner wrote that she didn’t like it as much as her own name, Norma Jean Doughtery.
Who was Marion Marshall married to?
Marshall has being married three times and all of her husbands were also Hollywood stars. Her Marriage records show that Marshall married her first husband, Allen Davey Jr. on Nov. 27, 1945 who was a director. He was an Academy Award–winning American cinematographer. The couple divorced in 1948; she was 16 when they married.
After her marriage with Allen Davey Jr collapsed, Marshall tied the knot with Stanley Donen at the age of 22 on May 20, 1952, according to her marriage records. The marriage produced two children, Peter and Joshua Donen. Donen was a director, most famous for his role in directing Singin’ in the Rain. They divorced in the summer of 1959.
Marshall moved on and got married to Robert Wagner in Manhatten in 1963. They had one daughter together, Katharine Wagner. The couple divorced in 1971, divorce records show. Her ex-husband, Wagner was an actor who played several lead roles in film before transitioning to television. He landed a big role in It Takes A Thief, an espionage television show where he played alongside Fred Astaire; Wagner went on to play amateur detective Jonathan Hart in the series Hart to Hart.
How many Children did Marion Marshall had?
Marshall had three children: Peter Donen, Joshua Donen and Katharine Wagner who was the last born of the family. All of Marshall’s Children Went On To Hollywood. Marchall’s son, Donen died of a heart attack, Variety reported; a death record shows he died Jan. 5, 2004.
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