From the Broadway stage to Hollywood, this actress was once hailed as one of the most promising stars of her generation. But what makes her story remarkable isn’t just her early success. It’s the way she overcame a decade-long exile to shape an extraordinary legacy in film and beyond.
The McCarthy-era blacklist of the late 1940s and 1950s left countless careers in shambles, including that of a young actress who had just begun to make her mark in Hollywood. At the height of her success, she was cast aside, not for her actions, but for her association with the man she loved.
Undated picture of the popular actress | Source: Getty Images
Her name was unwelcome in the film and TV industries for over a decade, but she refused to fade into obscurity. When she finally returned to Hollywood, she rebuilt her career and reached new heights. Along the way, she found love with a man who has been her devoted partner for decades.
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The Hollywood Blacklist: 12 Years of Silence
In 1951, her breakout role in “Detective Story” earned her critical acclaim and positioned her as one of Hollywood’s most promising talents.
However, her association with her husband, Arnold Manoff — a screenwriter blacklisted for alleged Communist ties — would derail her career just as it began.
Refusing to cooperate with investigators or provide names, she faced the harsh consequences of standing by her principles. For 12 years, she was denied roles in film and television. Offers dried up, and her budding career was left in ruins.
Reflecting on that time decades later, she remained unapologetic about her decision, stating, “I certainly was not going to give names in order to work in film or television.” Her challenges during this period extended to a personal level.
Manoff, whom she had married young in 1951, was controlling and dismissive of her ambitions. He viewed her more as a caregiver for his two children from a previous marriage than a partner. He belittled her and demanded she remain at home.
Despite the restrictions placed on her career by the blacklist, she refused to be constrained at home as well. When she found a small acting job in upstate New York after their daughter’s birth, he threatened to leave her if she took it.
Determined to stand up for herself, she accepted the threat, choosing her independence over staying in a suffocating relationship. The couple divorced in 1960 and years later in an interview, the actress revealed why she didn’t leave the marriage sooner.
“I’ll tell you the truth. I’d be in a sanitarium for the rest of my life if I hadn’t had that order of, ‘Either you do this or we’re through.’ Because I’d never have left him,” she admitted. “If he hadn’t said, ‘You can’t take this job,’ I would never have gotten up the courage to leave.”
The actress knew that she had to make a living and raise her child. With her marriage behind her and the blacklist slowly losing its grip on Hollywood, she seized the opportunity to return to the spotlight.
A Resilient Comeback and Hollywood Success
In 1965, she reclaimed her place in the limelight with a role in the popular television series “Peyton Place.” Her portrayal of Stella Chernak was so compelling that it earned her an Emmy Award and announced her triumphant comeback to Hollywood.
Her success in the role reignited her career, leading to a string of notable roles in films. She delivered critically acclaimed performances in “The Landlord” (1970) and “Voyage of the Damned” (1976), earning Academy Award nominations for both.