MovieChat Forums > Invisible Agent (1942) Discussion > Ilona Massey a real beauty

Ilona Massey a real beauty

posted 8 years ago by korevette
4 replies | jump to latest

She never go the break that her pre Hollywood career room mate got...Hedy Lamarr. They were thrown together by the MGM to learn English. Hedy decided that they were not making headway in that department and moved, dough they remained friends. Hedy's first American film in 1938 "Algiers" made her a star, whereas, Ilona was thrown into a musical, she had a lovely voice, with Nelson Eddy, which was a flop and her career went the "B" movie route. She is seen in one musical with Jane Powell and the technicolor camera really showed a close up of a very beautiful woman. The title was 'Holiday in Mexico", I believe. Coincidentally, Hedy was first offered the role and turned it down, wisely. But check it out if you can, she was a stunner. She was a staunch activist for Hungary, where she came from, and died rather young.

[–] Skye_Reynolds 7 years ago

She was gorgeous and probably the strongest female lead of the Universal Horror films. It's a shame that her career didn't take off. She had the look. She had the presence. She had the potential.

She definitely should have been better recognized.

[–] korevette 7 years ago

Yes, exactly..down to the badly made horror movie gendre...that was her downfall..I believe it was her strong Hungarian accent that made it difficult to cast her.

[–] Skye_Reynolds 7 years ago

Horror in general seemed like a one way ticket for most actors at the time.

[–] korevette 7 years ago

That is true for some big stars who have faded, but she was never considered a big star, as Hedy Lamarr. I mention Hedy, cause they were room mates before either one got a break. They both had difficulty with the English language at that time, and yet Hedy became a super star at that time and Ilona was merely 'forgotten". Her one big break came when MGM cast her opposite Nelson Eddy in a musical that turned out to be a flop, and MGM released her from her contract. I believe the next movie she made was a Western for a "B" company, maybe Republic, and her career went downhill all the more, until those Horror movies came along. She really didn't belong in them, miscast altogether...sad, but true.