Zena Marshall
Birth nameZena Moyra Marshall
Birth date1 January 1926
Birth placeNairobi, Kenya
Death date10 July 2009 (aged 83)
Death placeLondon, England
Years active1945–1967
OccupationActress
Spouse
  • Paul Adam (m. 1947; div. 1953)
  • Alexander Ward (m. 1967; div. 1969)
  • Ivan Foxwell (m. 1991; died 2002)

Zena Moyra Marshall (1 January 1926 – 10 July 2009) was a British actress of film and television, best known for her appearances as Miss Taro in Dr. No (1962) and as Countess Ponticelli in Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (1965).

Early life and education

Marshall was born in Nairobi, Kenya, to parents of English, Irish and French descent.[1] After her father's death and her mother's remarriage, she was brought up in Leicestershire, England. Marshall attended St Mary's, Ascot, and trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA).[2]

Career

Marshall worked with the Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA) during the Second World War.[2][3] Marshall first acted on stage.[1] Her film career began with a small role in Caesar and Cleopatra (1945), with Claude Rains and Vivien Leigh.[4][5] Her exotic looks resulted in her being cast in "ethnic" roles, such as Asian women, including her role as the Chinese character Miss Taro, in the first James Bond film, Dr. No (1962).[2][6] She also appeared in Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (1965) as the Countess Ponticelli, and made numerous television appearances.[4] Her last film performance was in The Terrornauts in 1967.[7]

Personal life and death

Marshall married bandleader Paul Adam in January 1946;[1][8] they divorced in 1953, owing to his "misconduct" with a woman referred to only as "Miss X".[9][10] She later wed and divorced Alexander "Reggie" Ward,[9][11][12] before her final marriage to film producer Ivan Foxwell. He died in 2002. Marshall died of cancer on 10 July 2009, aged 83. Her gravesite is in St Thomas a Becket churchyard, Skeffington, Leicestershire.[1][13]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1945Caesar and CleopatraLady-in-WaitingUncredited [5]
1947The End of the RiverSante[3]
1948So Evil My LoveLisette[3]
SnowboundItalian Girl[3]
MirandaSecretary[3]
Good-Time GirlAnnie Farrell[3]
Sleeping Car to TriesteSuzanne[14]
1949The Bad Lord ByronAn Italian WomanUncredited
Marry Me!Marcelle Duclos
Helter SkelterGiselle[3]
The Lost PeopleAnna
Meet Simon CherryLisa Colville
1950Operation DisasterThe Wren
So Long at the FairNina
Soho ConspiracyDora Scala
Dark IntervalSonia Jordan
1951Hell Is Sold OutHoneychild
1952Blind Man's BluffChristine Stevens
The Caretaker's DaughterFritzi Villiers
1953Deadly NightshadeAnn Farrington
Men Against the SunElizabeth[15]
1954The Scarlet WebLaura Vane
The EmbezzlerMrs. Forrest
1955Three Cases of MurderBeautiful Blonde(segment "Lord Mountdrago"), Uncredited
1956Bermuda AffairChris Walters
My Wife's FamilyHilda
1957Let's Be HappyHelene
1958Dial 999 (TV series) ('Fashions in Crime', episode)Laura Harris
1960A Story of David: The HuntedNaomi
1962CrosstrapRina
Dr. NoMiss Taro
Backfire!Pauline LoganEdgar Wallace Mysteries
1963The Scales of Justice' The Guilty Party ' episode|Thelma Sinclair
1964The VerdictCarolaEdgar Wallace Mysteries
1965Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying MachinesCountess Sofia Ponticelli
1967The TerrornautsSandy Lund(final film role)

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1950The Adventures of Sir Percy HowseyMargueritteTV short
1952The Inch ManHelen AnastiadiEpisode: "The Quiet Voice"
Sunday Night TheatreCatherineEpisode: "The Portugal Lady"
1953Your Favorite StoryEpisode: "Work of Art"
1954LiebeleiMitzi SchlagerTV film
1955Saber of LondonAudrey LiptonEpisode: "The Serpent Beneath"
1956Colonel March of Scotland YardMadeleineEpisode: "The Silent Vow"
1957O.S.S.Lucille GenetEpisode: "Operation Flint Axe"
1958African PatrolStella StevensEpisode: "No Place to Hide"
The Invisible ManTaniaEpisode: "The Locked Room"
1960–1964Danger ManDr. LeClair, Mrs. Ramfi, NadiaEpisodes: "The Leak", "Find and Return", "Fish on the Hook"
1962Sir Francis DrakeMariaEpisode: "The Bridge"
Richard the LionheartZaraEpisode: "The Challenge"
Man of the WorldMadame ThiboeufEpisode: "Death of a Conference"
1963The Human JungleVera BarclayEpisode: "Over and Out"
The Sentimental AgentMelina, RitaEpisodes: "A Little Sweetness and Light", "A Box of Tricks"
1964Ghost SquadYvonneEpisode: "Dead Men Don't Drive"
1965Dixon of Dock GreenCarol WrightEpisode: "Find the Lady"
Public EyeJean LawfordEpisode: "You Have to Draw the Line Somewhere"
1966Court MartialMaraEpisode: "Let Slip the Dogs of War"

References

  1. ^ "Zena Marshall". The Herald. 17 July 2009. Archived 10 June 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
  2. ^ Gaughan, Gavin (26 July 2009). "Zena Marshall Obituary". The Guardian. Archived 22 December 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  3. ^ "The Silver Screen; The Week's Personality". The Clydebank Press. 18 February 1949. p. 3. Retrieved 3 July 2025. – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Zena Marshall". BFI. Archived from the original on 20 June 2016.
  5. ^ "Over 700 at Film Ball". Evening Sentinel. 10 October 1947. p. 1. Retrieved 3 July 2025. – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ McFarlane, Brian & Slide, Anthony (16 May 2016). The Encyclopedia of British Film: Fourth edition. Manchester University Press. ISBN 978-1-5261-1196-8. – via Google Books.
  7. ^ "Zena Marshall | Movies and Filmography". AllMovie
  8. ^ "Bundle from Britain Arrives to Tune of Admiring Whistles". Newsday (Suffolk Edition). 22 October 1951. p. 4. Retrieved 3 July 2025. – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ Helliwell, Arthur (26 January 1969). "Zena talks of her £50,000 nightmare". The Sunday People. p. 15. Retrieved 3 July 2025. – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Zena Marshall wins decree; And Miss X remains a mystery". Evening Standard. 25 June 1953. p. 3. Retrieved 3 July 2025. – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Actress Accuses a Duchess". The Kansas City Times. 29 April 1968. p. 2. Retrieved 10 June 2017. – via Newspapers.com
  12. ^ "Divorce plea by Zena Marshall". Liverpool Daily Post (Merseyside ed.). 26 March 1968. p. 5. Retrieved 3 July 2025. – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Zena Marshall". The Herald. 18 July 2009. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  14. ^ "Sleeping Car to Trieste". The Cessnock Eagle and South Maitland Recorder. 10 July 1951. p. 5. Retrieved 3 July 2025. – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Beacon". Walsall Observer. 27 November 1953. p. 13. Retrieved 3 July 2025. – via Newspapers.com.