Girl of angelic beauty: Linda Darnell and her tragic departure (10 photos + 1 video)

The name of this actress will mean little to most modern moviegoers. But in the 40s she was one of the brightest stars of the screen.





Monetta Eloise Darnell was born on October 16, 1923 in Dallas, Texas. The family had many children. In addition to the four children they had in common, Calvin and Pearl raised two more children of the woman from her first marriage.



But it was in little Monette that the mother was sure: her daughter was talented and literally born for fame. The woman’s hopes came true, and long visits to castings from a young age yielded results. The girl tried herself as a model at the age of 11. Quite successfully, because she actually became the main breadwinner of the family: the model’s fee was significantly higher compared to the salary of the postal employee her father worked for.





And from the age of 13, the girl began to play in the theater, while simultaneously working hard on her speech. A Hollywood agent saw the young talent. But the first contract fell through when the truth about her age was revealed (a 14-year-old girl lied that she was already 17).

But in 1939, Darnell made her film debut, starring in the film “Hotel for Women.” The mother strictly controlled her daughter’s spending, taking the lion’s share of the fees for the needs of the family.



In an attempt to leave the care of her parent, the girl got married. But the chosen one turned out to be domineering and despotic. Family life did not work out, but the actress’s career developed rapidly. The most fruitful period was the period from 1940 to 1950. During this time, she starred in such films as “Blood and Sand”, “The Song of Bernadette”, “Buffalo Bill”, “Forever Amber”, “Only Yours”, “A Letter to Three Wives” .



"Blood and Sand"



"Buffalo Bill"



"Letter to Three Wives"



All three of the woman's marriages were unsuccessful. The only bright ray was the adopted daughter Charlotte. Despite her obvious success, Darnell was not awarded any awards and was never even nominated for them.

The woman became depressed, began to indulge in alcohol, and gained excess weight. A complex of factors led to Linda's early death.



On April 10, 1965, she watched a film with her daughter and a friend who had previously worked as Darnell’s secretary. Both women were heavy smokers and did not notice how the ash that fell on the carpet began to smolder. When they realized it, it was too late: the room had become a fire trap with smoke billowing in it. We groped our way to the window and helped Charlotte jump.

Arriving firefighters helped the owner of the house down from the second floor. And Darnell was found unconscious in the room. The actress was taken to a Chicago hospital, but it was too late: 80% of the burns on her body left her no chance.



"Star dust"

In a strange, tragic accident, Darnell died while watching the film Stardust, one of those that became the impetus for her film career.

Linda Darnell - I Like The Way You Talk