Merle Oberon

Estelle Merle Thompson was born in India on February 19, 1911 of Welsh and Ceylonese (now Sri Lankan) descent. She was educated in that country until the age of 17, when she left for London. She began her career in British films with mostly forgettable roles or bit parts.

Most early biographies of her credited Service for Ladies (1927) as her first Alexander Korda film, but she was not in it nor Never Trouble Trouble (1931), another film in which is is often incorrectly included.

She appeared in an uncredited role in Alf's Button (1930), a pattern that would unfortunately repeat itself regularly over the next three years. However, movie moguls eventually saw an untapped talent in their midst and began grooming Oberon for something bigger.

Finally she landed a part with substance: the role of Ysobel d'Aunay in Men of Tomorrow (1932). That was quickly followed by The Private Life of Henry VIII.

(1933).

After her portrayal of Lady Marguerite Blakeney in The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934), Hollywood beckoned and she left to try her hand in US films.

American movie executives already had some idea of her talent due to her role in Vagabond Violinist (1934) (US title: Vagabond Violinist) was a success in that country.

With her nomination for an Academy Award for Best Actress as Kitty Vane in The Dark Angel (1935), Oberon became a star in both the UK and the USA.

Her work in that film resulted in offers for more quality pictures, and she appeared in several well received films, such as These Three (1936), Over the Moon (1939) and The Divorce of Lady X (1938).

Because of facial scars she sustained in a London car crash in 1937, her future husband, cinematographer Lucien Ballard, designed a compact spotlight that he coined the "Obie" (Oberon's nickname). Mounted on the side of the camera, it lights the subject head-on, thus reducing the incidence of unflattering facial lines and shadows.

Her most critically acclaimed performance--hailed by some critics as "masterful" -- was as Cathy Linton in Wuthering Heights (1939).

The 1940s proved to be a very busy decade for her, as she appeared in no less than 15 films.

After her role in Berlin Express (1948) she would not be seen on the screen again until four years later, as Elizabeth Rockwell in Pardon My French (1951).

In 1949, 12 years after her mother's death, she commissioned a painting of her from an old photograph, instructing the painter to lighten her mother's complexion to hide the fact that she was part-Indian.

She was off the screen again for more than a year, returning in Désirée (1954). Unfortunately, Oberon began appearing in fewer and fewer films over the ensuing years.

There were no films for her in 1955, only one in 1956 and then none until Of Love and Desire (1963).

In between she did appear on television to host Assignment Foreign Legion (1956).

Awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6274 Hollywood Blvd. on February 8, 1960.

Oberon made a cameo appearance as herself in the film The Oscar (1966) in the scene in which she presents the Academy Award for Best Actor.

Her final film was Interval (1973).

Passed away on November 23, 1979, three months away from what would have been her 69th birthday on February 19, 1980.

According to an interview with her in the February 1982 edition of "Films in Review", Samuel Goldwyn owed her over a million dollars for a series of pictures. He allegedly cried to her that he did not have the money. According to her, she told him to forget about it even though she still owed agent's fees to Myrom Selznick. Some years later Oberon asked Mrs. Goldwyn if she could buy a print of Wuthering Heights (1939) to complete her collection of films for her children but was refused.

The miniseries Queenie (1987) starring Mia Sara is based on a book by Merle's nephew, loosely based on her life.

To date (2016), she is the only Asia-born actress to be nominated for a Best Actress Oscar.