Linda Darnell (born Monetta Eloyse Darnell, October 16, 1923 â€" April
10, 1965) was an American film actress. Darnell progressed from
modeling as a child to acting in theater and film. At the
encouragement of her mother, she made her first film in 1939, and
appeared in supporting roles in big-budget films for 20th Century Fox
throughout the 1940s. She rose to fame with co-starring roles opposite
Tyrone Power in adventure films, and established a main character
career after her role in Forever Amber (1947). She won critical
acclaim for her work in Unfaithfully Yours (1948) and A Letter to
Three Wives (1949).Darnell was born in Dallas, Texas, as one of four
children (excluding her mother's two children from an earlier
marriage) to postal clerk Calvin Roy Darnell (1888â€"1977) and the
former Margaret "Pearl" Brown (1892â€"1966). She was the younger
sister of Undeen (b. 1918) and the older sister of Monte Maloya (b.
1929) and Calvin Roy, Jr. (b. 1930). Her parents were not happily
married, and she grew up as a shy and reserved girl in a house of
domestic turmoil.:15 Starting at an early age, her mother, Pearl, had
big plans for Darnell in the entertainment industry. She believed that
Linda was her only child with potential as an actress and ignored the
rearing of her other children.According to her siblings, Darnell
enjoyed the limelight and shared her mother's dream.:19 Darnell once
said: "Mother really shoved me along, spotting me in one contest after
another. I had no great talent, and I didn't want to be a movie star
particularly. But Mother had always wanted it for herself, and I guess
she attained it through me.":26 One elocution teacher recalled:
"[Darnell] didn't stand out particularly, except that she was so sweet
and considerate. In her theater work, she wasn't outstanding, but her
mother was right behind her everywhere she went.":20Unlike her
husband, Pearl had a notorious reputation in the neighborhood of being
"aggressive" or "downright mean".:17 Despite some financial problems,
Darnell insisted that she had had a joyful childhood and loving
parents. Darnell was a model by the age of 11 and was acting on the
stage by the age of 13. She initially started modeling to earn money
for the household and performed mostly in beauty contests.
10, 1965) was an American film actress. Darnell progressed from
modeling as a child to acting in theater and film. At the
encouragement of her mother, she made her first film in 1939, and
appeared in supporting roles in big-budget films for 20th Century Fox
throughout the 1940s. She rose to fame with co-starring roles opposite
Tyrone Power in adventure films, and established a main character
career after her role in Forever Amber (1947). She won critical
acclaim for her work in Unfaithfully Yours (1948) and A Letter to
Three Wives (1949).Darnell was born in Dallas, Texas, as one of four
children (excluding her mother's two children from an earlier
marriage) to postal clerk Calvin Roy Darnell (1888â€"1977) and the
former Margaret "Pearl" Brown (1892â€"1966). She was the younger
sister of Undeen (b. 1918) and the older sister of Monte Maloya (b.
1929) and Calvin Roy, Jr. (b. 1930). Her parents were not happily
married, and she grew up as a shy and reserved girl in a house of
domestic turmoil.:15 Starting at an early age, her mother, Pearl, had
big plans for Darnell in the entertainment industry. She believed that
Linda was her only child with potential as an actress and ignored the
rearing of her other children.According to her siblings, Darnell
enjoyed the limelight and shared her mother's dream.:19 Darnell once
said: "Mother really shoved me along, spotting me in one contest after
another. I had no great talent, and I didn't want to be a movie star
particularly. But Mother had always wanted it for herself, and I guess
she attained it through me.":26 One elocution teacher recalled:
"[Darnell] didn't stand out particularly, except that she was so sweet
and considerate. In her theater work, she wasn't outstanding, but her
mother was right behind her everywhere she went.":20Unlike her
husband, Pearl had a notorious reputation in the neighborhood of being
"aggressive" or "downright mean".:17 Despite some financial problems,
Darnell insisted that she had had a joyful childhood and loving
parents. Darnell was a model by the age of 11 and was acting on the
stage by the age of 13. She initially started modeling to earn money
for the household and performed mostly in beauty contests.
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