Born in Santa Monica, California, Corday pursued a career in Hollywood during her teenage years. She initially worked as a showgirl at the Earl Carroll Theatre on Sunset Boulevard, where her physical attractiveness opened doors to modeling opportunities and a small role as a showgirl in the 1951 film “Two Tickets to Broadway.” One of Corday’s early professional experiences involved dancing in the Earl Carroll Revue in Hollywood. Over a span of two years, she transitioned from being a showgirl to an actress in the show’s sketches. During this period, she adopted the stage name “Mara Corday” for added allure. The name “Mara” was inspired by a bongo player who called her “Marita” while she was working as an usher at the Mayan Theater, while “Corday” was borrowed from a perfume bottle label, marking the beginning of her distinctive stage identity. Corday’s cinematic legacy is notably intertwined with the realm of science fiction and horror, particularly during the mid-1950s. One of her most memorable roles was in the 1955 film “Tarantula,” where she played the female lead opposite John Agar. In this classic science fiction movie, Corday portrayed the role of Dr. Matt Hastings’ (John Agar) love interest, Linda. The film revolved around the horrifying consequences of a scientific experiment gone awry, resulting in a giant tarantula terrorizing a desert town. Her performance in “Tarantula” showcased her ability to capture the essence of a strong, supportive female character in a genre known for its fantastical and suspenseful narratives. Following her success in “Tarantula,” Mara Corday continued to leave her mark in the science fiction genre. In 1957, she starred in “The Black Scorpion,” where she portrayed a geologist investigating the presence of colossal scorpions in Mexico. The film, directed by Edward Ludwig, presented Corday as a resilient and intelligent scientist, a role that further solidified her association with the genre. In 1956, she appeared in “Raw Edge,” a Western film set in the 1840s that featured her in a lead role. Additionally, she played the female lead in “The Quiet Gun” (1957), a Western centered around a sheriff seeking justice in a lawless town. In addition to her acting pursuits, Mara Corday gained popularity as a pin-up model during the 1950s. Her striking beauty and photogenic qualities made her a sought-after subject for various men’s magazines of the era, further contributing to her status as a recognizable figure in popular culture. Mara Corday’s career in Hollywood may have been relatively brief, but her contributions to the realms of science fiction, Westerns, and as a pin-up model left an enduring mark. Following the 1955 death of Suzan Ball, the first wife of actor Richard Long, Corday began dating Long, and they married in 1957. Through Long’s sister Barbara, Corday was a sister-in-law of actor Marshall Thompson. In the early 1960s, Corday gave up her career to devote herself to raising a family. Widowed in 1974, she had three children with Long during their 17-year marriage.
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