Martha Vickers

About Martha Vickers

Born Martha MacVicar in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on May 28, 1925, Martha Vickers, blessed with lovely auburn hair, was the daughter of James S. and Frances MacVicar. Her childhood saw her attending schools across Florida, Texas, and California before her family ultimately settled on the West Coast. Possessing striking beauty, she launched her career in entertainment as a model for photographer William Mortenson. This led to a contract offer from David O. Selznick, though no projects materialized from it. Universal Studios then acquired her contract, where she was given minor roles in less prominent films like Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943) as a corpse, Captive Wild Woman (1943), and The Mummy's Ghost (1944). During this time, Martha also gained notice as a WWII pin-up in publications such as "Yank: The Army Weekly." RKO offered her slightly more substantial roles in Marine Raiders (1944) and The Falcon in Mexico (1944), but it was Warner Bros. that truly propelled her into the spotlight. Her electrifying portrayal of Carmen, the wild, thumb-sucking sister to Lauren Bacall's character in the iconic film noir The Big Sleep (1946), alongside Humphrey Bogart, solidified her star status and earned her a new stage name. This significant success paved the way for further roles, often as a "bad girl," though not exclusively. She proved highly appealing as the secondary female lead in the enjoyable musical The Time, the Place and the Girl (1946), looking radiant but not quite securing bigger opportunities. Martha continued to make an impression, notably in the atmospheric film noir The Man I Love (1946) with Ida Lupino, and eventually secured leading lady status in That Way with Women (1947) opposite Dane Clark. A prominent figure on the Hollywood social scene, her dating history included actor James Stewart and director Frederick De Cordova. Martha's first marriage was to producer A.C. Lyles in March 1948, but it ended within two months. Her post-war filmography included Love and Learn (1947), the film noir Ruthless (1948), and the melodrama Bad Boy (1949), which marked Audie Murphy's initial starring role. She concluded the decade by headlining the "Poverty-Row" drama Alimony (1949). Her second marriage in 1949 to film star Mickey Rooney, her third wife, surprisingly did not boost her career, and she was absent from films during this period. Despite the birth of their son, Teddy Rooney, the following year (1950), Rooney's career had declined, and he struggled with alcohol. Her marriage to Rooney was also brief. Martha married for a third time in 1