Lizabeth Scott, who was an actress in the 40’s and 50’s in the dark film noir genre, died of heart failure on January 31st in Los Angeles.
She was 92.
Lizabeth Scott was actually born Emma Matzo on Sept. 29, 1922, in Scranton, Pa., where her father owned a store.
Throughout her childhood Lizabeth Scott studied music until she graduated high school. She then moved to New York and changed her name to Elizabeth Scott.
Lizabeth Scott had a prolific film career. She appeared in over 20 films, most of them being film noir.
With her sultry voice and classic beauty, Lizabeth Scott was almost always the lead female.
She also later appeared on many TV shows, and made guest appearances on some variety shows.
Lizabeth Scott starred opposite some of Hollywood’s most legendary male actors like Humphrey Bogart, Burt Lancaster, Robert Mitchum and Kirk Douglas.
She also shared the screen with some of the most famous ladies of her time such as Mary Astor, Jane Greer and Barbara Stanwyck.
Lizabeth Scott loved doing film noir, and she was amazing. Her looks and voice, coupled with natural hints of danger and betrayal, made her absolutely perfect for the genre.
Lizabeth Scott once said of film noir, that it touched on “the psychological, emotional things that people feel and people do.”
She added, “It was a new realm, and it was very exciting, because suddenly you were coming closer and closer to reality.”
Lizabeth Scott never married, but she did become a companion to Texas oilman William Dugger, Jr. in the 60’s.
When he died in 1969 he left half his fortune to Lizabeth Scott and the other half to his sister, who went to court and eventually won the full amount.
Lizabeth pretty much retired from acting after her 1965 run on a TV show, The Third Man, until she made an appearance in the 1972 movie Pulp.
Lizabeth Scott enjoyed her long retirement.
“I love not having the eyes of the world on me,” she said in 1987. “I never understood adulation from strangers when I was making movies. Basically I’m shy and always have been.”
Do you enjoy Lizabeth Scott’s work in film noir?
