Faith Domergue

Faith Domergue

Born: June 16, 1924
Died: April 4, 1999 (at age 74)
Birthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Popularity:
Biography

Faith Domergue (June 16, 1924 - April 4, 1999) was an American television and film actress.

Early life and career

Born in New Orleans, Domergue was adopted by Adabelle Wemet when she was six weeks old. When Faith was 18 months old (in 1926), Adabelle married Leo Domergue. The family moved to California in 1928 where Domergue attended Beverly Hills Catholic School and St. Monica's Convent School. While still at University High School, she was signed to a Warner Brothers contract, and made her first on-screen appearance in Blues in the Night (1941).

After graduating in 1942, Domergue continued to pursue a career in acting, but after sustaining injuries in a near-fatal car accident, her plans were put on hold. While recuperating from the accident, she attended a party aboard Howard Hughes' yacht. Hughes was 'taken' by her, buying out her contract with Warner, and signed her to a three-picture deal with RKO. After an unsuccessful, long-delayed premiere in the film Vendetta (1950), Domergue left Hughes. She later freelanced in a number of films, including film noir Where Danger Lives (as a femme fatale opposite Robert Mitchum), westerns (Santa Fe Passage) and in 1955, three sci-fi/monster films (It Came from Beneath the Sea, This Island Earth and Cult of the Cobra).

She later made films in the United Kingdom and Italy, and a last sci-fi foray in Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet (1965), an American version of a Russian film. In the late 1950s and 1960s she made many appearances on popular television series, including Sugarfoot, Have Gun Will Travel, Bonanza, and The Rifleman. She appeared in two episodes of Perry Mason, starring Raymond Burr. In 1961 she played murderer Conception O'Higgins in "The Case of the Guilty Clients," and in 1963 she played murder victim Cleo Grammas in "The Case of the Greek Goddess." By the late 1960s, Domergue had lost interest in acting as a career; her last acting appearances were mainly in low-budget 'B' horror movies. She began traveling to Rome, Italy, in 1952, and lived there for extended periods. She moved there permanently in 1968, and remained an expatriate in Rome, Geneva, Switzerland, and Marbella, Spain, until the death of her Roman husband, Paolo in 1991. She then moved to Santa Barbara where she resided until her death in 1999.

Personal life and death

In 1941, Domergue began an on-off relationship with Howard Hughes. After she discovered that Hughes was also seeing Ava Gardner, Rita Hayworth, and Lana Turner, the couple broke up in 1943. She later wrote a book about her relationship with Hughes entitled My Life with Howard Hughes (1972).

In 1946, Domergue married bandleader Teddy Stauffer. The marriage lasted six months, ending in 1947. That same year, she married director Hugo Fregonese with whom she had two children, Diana Maria and John Anthony. The couple divorced in 1958. In 1966, she married Paolo Cossa, with whom she remained until his death in 1992.

On April 4, 1999, Domergue died from cancer, aged 74.

In the 2004 Howard Hughes biopic film The Aviator, Domergue was played by Kelli Garner.

Filmography

Film credits
Year Title Role Notes
1941 Blues in the Night Jitterbug Uncredited
1946 Young Widow Gerry Taylor Alternative title: The Naughty Widow
1949 Hardly a Criminal
  • Uncredited
  • Alternative title: Apenas un delincuente
1950 Where Danger Lives Margo Lannington
1950 Vendetta Colomba della Rabia
1952 Duel at Silver Creek, TheThe Duel at Silver Creek Opal Lacy Alternative title: Claim Jumpers
1953 Great Sioux Uprising, TheThe Great Sioux Uprising Joan Britton
1954 This Is My Love Evelyn Myer
1955 Santa Fe Passage Aurelie St. Clair
1955 Cult of the Cobra Lisa Moya
1955 This Island Earth Dr. Ruth Adams
1955 It Came from Beneath the Sea Professor Lesley Joyce Alternative title: Monster from Beneath the Sea
1955 The Atomic Man Jill Rabowski Alternative title: Timeslip
1956 Soho Incident Bella Francesi Alternative title: Spin a Dark Web
1957 Man in the Shadow Barbara Peters Alternative title: Violent Stranger
1958 The Sky Burns Anna Alternative title: Il Cielo brucia
1958 Escort West Martha Drury
1963 California Carlotta Torres
1965 Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet Dr. Marsha Evans Additional material only, dubbed version of the Soviet film Planeta Bur (1962)
1967 Track of Thunder Mrs. Goodwin
1969 Besieged Lorenzo's mother Alternative title: L'Amore breve
1969 One on Top of the Other Marta Alternative titles: Una sull'altra, Perversion Story
1970 Gamblers, TheThe Gamblers Signora Del Isolla
1971 Blood Legacy Veronica Dean Alternative title: Legacy of Blood
1971 The Man with Icy Eyes Mrs. Valdes Alternative title: L'Uomo dagli occhi di ghiaccio
1974 So Evil, My Sister Millie Alternative titles: Psycho Sisters
The Siblings
1974 The House of Seven Corpses Gayle Dorian

Television

Television credits
Year(s) Title Role Notes
1953 Revlon Mirror Theater, TheThe Revlon Mirror Theater Laurie Rogers 1 episode
1953-1954 Lux Video Theatre 2 episodes
1954 Fireside Theater
  • Mariana
  • Jenny
2 episodes
1954 Ford Theatre 1 episode
1954-1958 Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
  • Marcella
  • Mrs. Vialez
2 episodes
1955 Celebrity Playhouse 1 episode
1956 Count of Monte Cristo, TheThe Count of Monte Cristo Renee Morrell 1 episode
1957 Overseas Press Club - Exclusive! Helen Zotos 1 episode
1959 Sugarfoot Isabel Starkey 1 episode
1959 State Trooper
  • Elaine Kendall
  • Janice Kendall
2 episodes
1959 Bourbon Street Beat Susan Wood 1 episode
1959 Cheyenne Maria 1 episode
1959-1961 Hawaiian Eye
  • Onori
  • Rosa Martell
2 episodes
1960 Colt .45 Suzanne Tremaine 1 episode
1960 Bronco Catalina 1 episode
1960 Michael Shayne Kara 1 episode
1961 77 Sunset Strip Gretchen Jervis 1 episode
1961 Tall Man, TheThe Tall Man Kate Elder 1 episode
1961 Lock-Up Marianne 1 episode
1961-1963 Perry Mason
  • Conception O'Higgins
  • Cleo Grammas
2 episodes
1961-1964 Bonanza
  • Lee Bolden
  • Carla Ibara
2 episodes
1962-1963 Have Gun - Will Travel
  • Ria
  • Elena Ybarra
2 episodes
1966 Combat! Madame Fouchet 1 episode
1968 Garrison's Gorillas Carla 1 episode

[ Source: Wikipedia ]


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