Mara Corday

• Name — Mara Corday • Birth Name — Marilyn Joan Watts • Born — 3 January 1930 • Birthplace — Santa Monica, California, U.S. • Died — 9 February 2025 • Place of death — Valencia, California, U.S. • Occupation — * Actress • showgirl • model • Known for — * Tarantula • The Giant Claw • The Man from Bitter Ridge • Sudden Impact • The Black Scorpion • The Gauntlet • Man Without a Star • Raw Edge • Years Active — 1948–1990 • Children — 3 • Height — 5 ft 5 in • Website — http: www.Maracorday.com

Marilyn Joan Watts was born in Santa Monica, California, on January 3, 1930. Wanting a career in films, she came to Hollywood while still in her teens and found work as a showgirl at the Earl Carroll Theatre on Sunset Boulevard. Her physical beauty brought jobs as a photographer's model that led to a bit part as a showgirl in the 1951 film Two Tickets to Broadway.

One of Corday's first professional jobs was as a dancer in the Earl Carroll Revue in Hollywood. Accompanied by her mother, Corday auditioned when she was 15 years old. During the 2½ years that she was in the show, she advanced "from showgirl to actress in the sketches". This was also when she adopted the stage name Mara Corday, because it made her seem more exotic. The name Mara came from a bongo player who called her Marita when Corday was working as an usher at the Mayan Theater; the name Corday was lifted from a bottle of perfume.

Corday appeared as a pinup girl in numerous men's magazines during the 1950s and was the Playmate of the October 1958 issue of Playboy, along with model Pat Sheehan.

In 1956, Corday had a recurring role in the ABC television series Combat Sergeant. From 1959 to early 1961, Corday worked exclusively doing guest spots on various television series, such as Peter Gunn in the episode, “Keep Smiling”. She also guest starred with Steve McQueen in Wanted: Dead or Alive in April 1960.

Following the 1955 death of Suzan Ball, the first wife of actor Richard Long, Corday began dating Long, and they married in 1957. Through Long's sister Barbara, Corday was a sister-in-law of actor Marshall Thompson. In the early 1960s, Corday gave up her career to devote herself to raising a family. Widowed in 1974, she had two sons and one daughter with Long, during their 17-year marriage. Corday had also been a friend of actor Clint Eastwood, whom she met while working for Universal Pictures. Corday died from arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease at her home in Valencia, California, on February 9, 2025, at the age of 95.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1951 — Two Tickets to Broadway — Showgirl / Passerby on Sidewalk — Uncredited • 1952 — Sea Tiger — Lola, Hotel Proprietress • Son of Ali Baba — Girl on Balcony — Uncredited • Toughest Man in Arizona — Bit Role — Uncredited • 1953 — The Lady Wants Mink — Model • Problem Girls — Dorothy Childers • Tarzan and the She-Devil — Locopo Woman — Uncredited • Sweethearts on Parade — Belle • Money from Home — Waitress — Uncredited • 1954 — Yankee Pasha — Harem Girl — Uncredited • Playgirl — Pam • Drums Across the River — Sue • Francis Joins the WACS — Kate • Dawn at Socorro — Letty Diamond • 1955 — So This Is Paris — Yvonne • Man Without a Star — Moccasin Mary • The Man from Bitter Ridge — Holly Kenton • Tarantula — Stephanie 'Steve' Clayton • Foxfire — Maria - Hugh Slater's Nurse • 1956 — Raw Edge — Paca • A Day of Fury — Sharman Fulton • Naked Gun — Louisa Jackson / Morales • 1957 — The Quiet Gun — Irene • The Giant Claw — Sally Caldwell • Undersea Girl — Valerie Hudson • The Black Scorpion — Teresa Alvarez • 1958 — Girls on the Loose — Vera Parkinson • 1977 — The Gauntlet — Jail Matron • 1983 — Sudden Impact — Loretta - Coffee Shop Waitress • 1989 — Pink Cadillac — Stick Lady • 1990 — The Rookie — Interrogator #2 — Final film role

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1951 — The Adventures of Kit Carson — Lola La Vada/Janet Cronin /Juanita — 3 episodes • 1952-1953 — Craig Kennedy, Criminologist — Lucille Merrill/ Mae Gibson/ Greta Varden — 3 episodes • 1953 — The Adventures of Kit Carson — Mrs. Drake — Episode: "Ventura Feud" • Mr. and Mrs. North — Cynthia Stone — Episode: "The Third Eye" • 1959 — The Restless Gun — Della — Episode: "Shadow of a Gunfighter" • Peter Gunn — Emily - Blackmailer — Episode: "Keep Smiling" • Tales of Wells Fargo — Ruby — Episode: "The Train Robbery" • The Man from Blackhawk — Annabel — Episode: "Contraband Cargo" • 1960 — Adventures in Paradise — Angel — Episode: "Walk Through the Night" • 1961 — Surfside 6 — Bonnie Scott — Episode: "An Overdose of Justice"

Mara Corday was recorded at birth as Marilyn Joan Watts. The authorities additionally record the headings Marilyn Joan Watts and Marilyn Long. Her recorded language was English. She married Richard Long.