Ilona Massey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ilona Massey
Massey in 1941
Born	Ilona Hajmássy (1910-06-16)June 16, 1910 Budapest, Kingdom of Hungary (now in Hungary))
Died	August 20, 1974(1974-08-20) (aged 64) Bethesda, Maryland, US
Resting place	Arlington National Cemetery
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1935–1959
Spouse(s)	Nick Szavazd (m.1935–1936; divorced) Alan Curtis (m.1941–1942; divorced) Charles Walker (m.1952–1954; divorced) Donald Dawson (m.1955–1974; her death)

Ilona Massey (born Ilona Hajmássy) was a talented actress from Hungary. She was born on June 16, 1910, and passed away on August 20, 1974. Ilona was famous for her work in movies, on stage, and on the radio.

Becoming a Star: Ilona's Early Career

Ilona Massey was born in Budapest, which is now the capital city of Hungary. When she started acting, some people called her "the new Marlene Dietrich" because of her similar style.

She starred in three movies with the famous singer and actor Nelson Eddy. One of these popular films was Rosalie in 1937. Ilona also acted alongside Lon Chaney Jr. in the classic monster movie Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943). In this film, she played the role of Baroness Frankenstein. In 1943, she also performed in the famous stage show called the Ziegfeld Follies.

More Movies and TV Shows

In 1947, Ilona Massey worked with Nelson Eddy again in a musical movie called Northwest Outpost. The music for this film was written by Rudolf Friml.

In 1949, she appeared in the movie Love Happy with the funny Marx Brothers. Ilona played a spy named Madame Egelichi, who was a femme fatale (a charming but dangerous woman). Her performance even inspired a character in the "Steve Canyon" comic strip, Madame Lynx. The comic strip creator, Milton Caniff, even hired Ilona to pose for him!

In 1950, Ilona was one of the stars of a spy radio show on NBC called Top Secret. Later, in 1952, she started starring in a mystery-drama TV show called Rendezvous on ABC.

From November 1954 to January 1955, Ilona hosted her own weekly musical show on the DuMont channel. It was called The Ilona Massey Show. On the show, she sang songs with guests in a nightclub setting, with music played by the Irving Fields Trio.

Achievements and Recognition

Ilona Massey has a special star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This star was placed at 1623 Vine Street on February 8, 1960, to honor her contributions to entertainment.

Ilona's Views on Politics

Ilona Massey became an American citizen in 1946. She felt very strongly against communism because she believed it had harmed her home country, Hungary. She even protested outside the United Nations in 1959 when Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev visited. Ilona was a registered Republican and supported Dwight D. Eisenhower in the 1952 presidential election.

Later Life and Legacy

Ilona Massey passed away from cancer on August 20, 1974, in Bethesda, Maryland. She is buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. This is the same cemetery where her last husband, Donald Dawson, who was a major general in the United States Air Force Reserve, is also buried.

Filmography

Images for kids

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  Massey and Patric Knowles in Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943)

See also

In Spanish: Ilona Massey para niños