Marie Windsor (December 11, 1919 – December 10, 2000) was an American actress whose sharp wit and commanding presence earned her the enduring title “The Queen of the Bs.” Long before she became a fixture of film noir, she broke into the industry in an unconventional way: she submitted comedy gags to Jack Benny under the name “M.E. Windsor” to avoid gender bias. When Benny finally met the writer behind the jokes, he was so impressed by her beauty and talent that he helped secure her first studio contract.
After a series of bit parts, Windsor found her niche playing tough, intelligent, and often treacherous women. She delivered a breakout performance alongside John Garfield in Force of Evil (1948) and became a staple of the noir genre in classics like The Narrow Margin (1952). Perhaps her most iconic role was in Stanley Kubrick’s heist masterpiece The Killing (1956), where she played a manipulative wife plotting against her husband. Her versatility also led her into the realm of early science fiction, most notably in the cult favorite Cat-Women of the Moon (1953) and The Day Mars Invaded Earth (1963).
As the studio system evolved, Windsor transitioned effortlessly to television, becoming a prolific guest star for several decades. She portrayed the legendary outlaw Belle Starr in the series Stories of the Century and appeared in a wide array of programs ranging from Perry Mason and Maverick to The Incredible Hulk and Murder, She Wrote. Her career was characterized by incredible longevity, with Windsor remaining active on screen until the early 1990s, playing her final role at the age of 72.
Beyond her acting credits, Windsor was a respected leader in the Hollywood community. She served on the board of directors for the Screen Actors Guild and was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1983. Her talent was further recognized with a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for her stage work later in life, and she remains celebrated as one of the 500 stars nominated by the American Film Institute as a great American screen legend.
