Photo Opportunity #43

Photo Opportunity #43

Like our October Photo Opportunity, we have again ventured right back to the late 50’s or possibly early 60’s to begin the month of November. There isn’t too much known about this photo. Clint is pictured here with actress Mari Blanchard. Blanchard never appeared with Clint in any movies, but like Clint, she was also signed by Universal-International (in 1952) and appeared in a number of B movies. I’m more inclined to believe that this particular photo dates to 1960, as Blanchard and Clint did appear together in an episode of Rawhide, Incident of the Big Blowout, Series 3 Episode 14 which was broadcast on February 10th 1961. Blanchard starred as Laura Carter, so it’s quite possible this photo was taken at the CBS studios. 

One of Blanchard's more memorable film roles, however, was her portrayal of a Venusian queen, Allura, in the 1953 comedy Abbott and Costello Go to Mars. Some other films of the 1950s in which she is featured include Son of Sinbad (1955), Stagecoach to Fury (1956), She Devil (1957), Jungle Heat (1957), No Place to Land (1958), and Machete (1958). Following her work on these films, Blanchard began to focus increasingly on performing on television, although she did appear in a few other films in the 1960s, including a small but flamboyant role as Camille in McLintock! (1963), directed by Andrew MacLaglen and starring John Wayne.

On television, aside from Rawhide, Blanchard appeared in "Escape From Fear" (1955), an episode of the anthology series Climax! She made guest appearances in various television series through the late 1960s, including Bachelor Father (1959), Tales of Wells Fargo (1960), Laramie (1960), Sea Hunt (1960), Hawaiian Eye (1961), 77 Sunset Strip (1961), Burke's Law (1965), The Virginian (1967), and It Takes a Thief (1968). 

She was diagnosed with cancer in 1963, and died aged 47 in Woodland Hills, California on May 10th, 1970.