Web Quotableonline.com Frasescelebres.org Greatbookscollection.org

Mala Powers (born Mary Ellen Powers December 20,
1931) was an United States|American film actress.

She was born in San Francisco, California. In 1940
her family moved to Los Angeles. Her father was an
executive with United Press. The summer of her
relocation, Mala attended the Max Reinhardt Junior
Workshop where she enjoyed her first role in a
play before a live audience. She continued with
her drama lessons, and a year later at the age of
11 she auditioned and won a part in the 1942 Dead
End Kids film Tough as They Come.

At the age of 16 she began working in radio drama,
before becoming a film actress in 1950. Her first
roles were in Outrage and Edge of Doom in 1950.
That same year, Stanley Kramer signed Powers to
star opposite Jose Ferrer in what may be her most
remebered role as Roxanne in Cyrano de Bergerac.
She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her
part in this movie.

While on a holiday USO entertainment tour in Korea
in 1951, she acquired a blood disease and almost
died. She was treated with chloromycetin, but a
severe allergic reaction resulted in the loss of
much of her bone marrow. Mala barely survived the
experience, and her recovery took nearly nine
months.

As a result of her sickness she had difficulty
finding movie roles. She did begin working again
in 1952 and 1953, including a part in City Beneath
the Sea, although she was still taking medication.
Following her recovery she appeared in a series of
B-movie westerns and sci-fi films. Among these
were The Colossus of New York, Flight of the Lost
Balloon, and Doomsday Machine.

She has appeared on over 100 TV shows, including
an episode of Wild Wild West and Perry Mason. She
co-starred opposite Anthony Quinn in the TV movie
The Man and the City.

She was married to Monte Vanton in 1954, but they
later divorced. In 1970 she married a book
publisher, M. Hughes Miller. She has had one child
named Taren. Recently she has been on the lecture
tour at universities.

She has been honored a star on the Hollywood Walk
of Fame.

==Bibliography==
* Michael Chekhov on Theatre and the Art of
Acting: The Five-Hour Master Class, Applause
Books, 2004, ISBN 1557835314.

==References==
* Tom Weaver, Science Fiction Stars and Horror
Heroes, 1991, McFarland & Company, Inc., ISBN
0-89950-594-5.

==External links==
* imdb name|id=0694580|name=Mala Powers
* http://www.michaelchekhov.org/powers.html MICHA
Advisory Board Member