- Born
- Died
- Nicknames
- Margie
- Margie Stapp
- Marjorie Stapp was born on September 17, 1921 in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA. She was an actress, known for The Adventures of Sir Galahad (1949), Kronos (1957) and The Blazing Trail (1949). She was married to Robert Alan Browne. She died on June 2, 2014 in Laguna Woods, California, USA.
- SpouseRobert Alan Browne(? - June 2, 2014) (her death, 1 child)
- Prior to her acting career, she had been a receptionist for notorious mobster Bugsy Siegel, sitting in a "big plush office" on Sunset Boulevard, getting bored with little to do. In an interview, she added, "But I didn't know it, until he was murdered and I recognized his picture in the paper!". She also noted, "He was just like George Raft, he had bodyguards--just like in the movies!".
- Blond supporting actress and occasional lead of second-feature westerns and horror films, under contract with 20th Century-Fox from the late 1940s. Much on television from the 1950s. Retired from acting in 1991.
- [on working as a receptionist for Bugsy Siegel] I didn't know it [that he was a gangster] until he was murdered and I recognized his picture in the paper! The Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas had an office on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. They had four phones - which never rang--and I was to take reservations. All the filing cabinets had nothing in them. But it was a big plush office. I got so bored doing nothing, I started going on interviews. I'd take two, three hours or more for lunch. One day the man who hired me had to wait on me for two hours, then he fired me! Earlier he'd introduced me to Mr. Siegel--no first name or nickname was given. He was just like George Raft - he had bodyguards, just like in the movies!
- Most directors would tell me, "OK, bring it up or bring it down", but normally, I didn't need direction.
- I changed agents frequently--I was impatient. With each new agent we'd make the rounds of the casting people. In those days there were 5,000 actors and only a few casting people--the studios all had their own. Now it's 100,000 actors and so many hassles. You even have to read and get callbacks on tiny parts these days, which is ridiculous.
- [asked which star impressed her the most\ The biggest star that DID impress me was Burt Lancaster. I was in Elmer Gantry (1960). When they shoot things, they do the master shot, the two shot, then the close-up. Well, we did the master, the two shot, and Burt did his close-up. When it came time for my close-up, Burt stood there and gave me my lines! Big stars don't do that--usually it's the script girl who gives you bad readings that aren't helpful. But Burt did it; what a guy! The director, Richard Brooks, was a nut. He'd only give you your scene--not the whole script! I never had that happen before--or since!
- [asked why her role in The Kid from Brooklyn (1946) is so small] I wanted to go to the University of Chicago, so I wanted out of the picture. Samuel Goldwyn was furious with me, so I was cut out of the opening number and other parts, although you can still spot me at the train station, greeting Danny [Danny Kaye]. I told Goldwyn he'd already fired two other girls, and was getting along fine without them, so he could get along without me . . . but he was not happy. I only stayed at the university six weeks--then I returned to California!
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