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Mara Corday

Mara Corday

Actor · Died February 9, 2025, aged 95 · Santa Monica, California, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Mara Corday, born Marilyn Joan Watts (January 3, 1930 — February 9, 2025) was an American showgirl, model, actress, Playboy Playmate and a 1950s cult figure. Wanting a career in films, Corday came to Hollywood while still in her teens and found work as a showgirl at the Earl Carroll Theatre on Sunset Boulevard. Her physical beauty brought jobs as a photographer's model that led to a bit part as a showgirl in the 1951 film Two Tickets to Broadway. She signed on as a Universal International Pictures (UI) contract player where she met actor Clint Eastwood with whom she would remain lifelong friends. With UI, Corday was given small roles in various B-movies and television series. In 1954, on the set of Playgirl, she met actor Richard Long. Following the death of Long's wife, the two began dating and wed in 1957. Her roles were small until 1955 when she was cast opposite John Agar in Tarantula, a Sci-Fi B-movie that proved a modest success. She had another successful co-starring role in that genre (The Black Scorpion) as well as in a number of Western films. Respected film critic Leonard Maltin said that Corday had "more acting ability than she was permitted to exhibit." Corday appeared as a pin-up girl in numerous men's magazines during the 1950s and was the Playmate of the October 1958 issue of Playboy, together with famous model and showgirl Pat Sheehan. In 1956, she had a recurring role in the ABC television series Combat Sergeant. From 1959 to early 1961, Corday worked exclusively doing guest spots on various television series. She then gave up her career to devote her time to raising a family. During her seventeen-year marriage to Long, she had three children. A few years after her husband's passing in 1974, Corday's friend Clint Eastwood offered her a chance to return to filmmaking with a role in The Gauntlet (1977). She acted with him again in Sudden Impact (1983), Pink Cadillac (1989), and in her last film, The Rookie (1990). Description above from the Wikipedia article Mara Corday,licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
January 3, 1930
Died
February 9, 2025 (aged 95)
From
Santa Monica, California, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
21 on MovieCove · 34 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Down 24% in 30 days

What are Mara Corday's films like?

Across their 15 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Survival.

Genres

Drama6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 51st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Action3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 31st percentile
: browse their Action movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 53rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Horror2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 42nd percentile
: browse their Horror movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
33%
Survival
20%
Bonds
17%
Society
15%
Power
7%
Self
5%
Ideas
4%
Justice6 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption3 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty2 titles, browse their movies with this themeGreed2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 15 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 8 · Serious 5 · Dark 2

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 11 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 3 · Charged 10 · Intense 2

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 10 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 11 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 1

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 12 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 10 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 12 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

4 analyzed roles

Usually the Ally: 4 of 4 analyzed roles.

Ally
4 of 4

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
13
Thrilling
7
Dread
3
Contemplative
4
Joyful
2
Other
7

How their films linger

Fun7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy10
  • Bittersweet5

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Mara Corday's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 5 of their 21 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (4).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Mara Corday's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

34 credits, 21 with a MovieCove page; 3 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Rookie(1990)

    as Interrogator #2

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Pink Cadillac(1989)

    as Stick Lady

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Sudden Impact(1983)

    as Loretta - Coffee Shop Waitress

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • The Gauntlet(1977)

    as Jail Matron

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Surfside 6 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Adventures in Paradise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Angel

  • Peter Gunn(1958)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • Wanted: Dead or Alive (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Show 1 episode · as Lucinda Lorenz

  • Girls on the Loose (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    as Vera Parkinson

  • Undersea Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Valerie Hudson

  • The Black Scorpion(1957)

    as Teresa Alvarez

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • The Quiet Gun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Irene

  • The Giant Claw(1957)

    as Sally Caldwell

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Naked Gun(1956)

    as Louisa Jackson / Morales

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • A Day of Fury(1956)

    as Sharman Fulton

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Raw Edge(1956)

    as Paca

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Tarantula(1955)

    as Stephanie 'Steve' Clayton

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Foxfire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Maria

  • The Man from Bitter Ridge(1955)

    as Holly Kenton

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Man Without a Star(1955)

    as Moccasin Mary

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • So This Is Paris(1954)

    as Yvonne

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Dawn at Socorro(1954)

    as Letty Diamond

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Francis Joins the WACS(1954)

    as Kate

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Drums Across the River(1954)

    as Sue Randolph

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Playgirl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Pam

  • Sweethearts on Parade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Belle

  • Tarzan and the She-Devil(1953)

    as Locopo Woman

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Problem Girls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Dorothy Childers

  • Toughest Man in Arizona (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Actor

  • Mr. & Mrs. North(1952)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all shows

  • Son of Ali Baba(1952)

    as Girl on Balcony (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Sea Tiger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Lola, Hotel Proprietress

  • Tall, Dark and Dead (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Greta Varden

  • The Adventures of Kit Carson(1951)

    Show 4 episodes · Actor

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all shows

Career shape

Star power in the 91st percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 34 titles from 1951 to 1990; peak year 1990.

Biggest box office

The Gauntlet (1977)

$26M worldwide

Highest rated

Man Without a Star (1955)

Midcredits 75th

Most popular right now

The Rookie (1990)

Film career

19511990

Peak 1990 · steadily prominent in film for years. Top draw in 1 MovieCove title. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting34 of 34: 34 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score50th

By decade

1950s29 · acting1960s1 · acting1970s1 · acting1980s2 · acting1990s1 · acting

Billing

usually 8th · top billed in 0% of 8 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Mara Corday's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 51st percentile, the median of all 18; across their 15 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 52nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

52ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Approval · how many liked their films

49thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Reach · how many have seen their films

40thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Midcredits score across 21 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up2
  • 50th to 74th9
  • 25th to 49th7
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

11 of their 21 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Crowd Pleaser11
  • Broadly Agreed5
  • Mixed5

Most divisive · actor

The Giant Claw (1957)

64th percentile spread · 48% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Man Without a Star (1955)

Midcredits 75th · 68% liked

Reviewers score the acting 61/100 in their films, across 14 reviewed titles; fans 69, detractors 43. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Mara Corday's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 73 · intenseMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity4 titlesmedian 28 · mildMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 75 · intenseMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 53 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 58 · moderateMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Mara Corday work with?

People who share at least 2 of Mara Corday's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Henry Mancini shares the most, 6.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers