Marcia Henderson

Marcia Anne Prestlien (née Henderson; July 22, 1929 – November 23, 1987) was an American actress. She made her Broadway debut as Wendy in the musical Peter Pan (1950), for which she won a Theatre World Award. Henderson also appeared in films such as All I Desire (1953), The Glass Web (1953), Canyon River (1956), and The Wayward Girl (1957).

Marcia Henderson
Born	Marcia Anne Henderson (1929-07-22)July 22, 1929 Andover, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	November 23, 1987(1987-11-23) (aged 58) Yakima, Washington, U.S.
Resting place	Clarksburg Cemetery, Clarksburg, Massachusetts, U.S.
Alma mater	American Academy of Dramatic Arts
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1949–1962
Spouse(s)	Robert Brodsky ​ ( m. 1950; div. 1953) Robert Ivers ​ ( m. 1961; her death 1987)
Children	2 daughters

Early years

Born in Andover, Massachusetts,[1] and raised in Williamstown, Massachusetts,[2] Henderson was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John D. Henderson. She graduated from Williamstown High School in 1947[3] and from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1949.[2] Her high school activities included cheerleading and playing basketball and soccer. She also was editor of the school's newspaper and wrote articles for two professional newspapers in her area.[1]

Stage

Henderson played Wendy in the 1950 Broadway musical version of Peter Pan, which starred Jean Arthur as Peter Pan and is a different adaption of the story than the one made famous four years later starring Mary Martin. Her co-star was Boris Karloff in the dual roles of George Darling and Captain Hook. Reviewers at The New York Times and the New York Herald Tribune praised her performance,[2] for which she won a 1949–50 Theatre World Award.[4] The show ran for 321 performances, closing on January 27, 1951.

She had the lead in the touring company of The Moon Is Blue.[1] She performed in the first play of the Williamstown Theatre Festival in 1955.[5][6]

Television

Henderson's first regular role on TV was playing Kathleen Anderson on The Aldrich Family.[1] In 1951, she co-starred in Two Girls Named Smith,[7] a 30-minute program broadcast on Saturdays on ABC.[8] She co-starred with Peter Lawford in Dear Phoebe, a situation comedy on NBC in 1954–1955.[9] Henderson had a lead guest role in a 1958 episode of The Restless Gun, with John Payne in the title role. She appeared with Steve McQueen in Wanted Dead or Alive in 1959.

Film

Henderson had featured roles in the 1953 dramas Thunder Bay starring James Stewart and All I Desire starring Barbara Stanwyck. She then had co-star billing in Back to God's Country, opposite Rock Hudson, and The Glass Web with Edward G. Robinson that same year.

In 1954, she was one of the stars of the drama Naked Alibi along with Sterling Hayden, then two years later in a western, Canyon River. One of her final films, 1962's Deadly Duo, featured Henderson playing dual roles as twins.

Personal life

Henderson married medical student Robert Brodsky October 15, 1950, in New York City.[10] They divorced in December 1953.[11] In 1961, she married actor Robert Ivers.[12] They had two daughters, Alanda and Mallory.[13]

Beginning in 1957, Henderson suffered from rheumatoid arthritis,[11] "which severely limited and eventually ended her promising acting career" in the 1960s. She was later diagnosed with lupus, an autoimmune disease.[12]

Death

Henderson died on November 23, 1987 in Yakima, Washington, aged 58.[12]

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1953	Thunder Bay	Francesca Rigaud
1953	All I Desire	Joyce Murdoch
1953	Back to God's Country	Dolores Keith
1953	The Glass Web	Louise Newell
1954	Naked Alibi	Helen Willis
1956	The Naked Hills	Julie
1956	Canyon River	Janet Hale
1957	The Wayward Girl	Judy Wingate
1959	Riot in Juvenile Prison	Grace Hartwell
1959	Timbuktu	Jeanne Marat
1959	A Dog's Best Friend	Millie Thurman
1960	The Hypnotic Eye	Marcia Blaine
1960	Natchez Trace	Ruth Henning
1962	Deadly Duo	Sabena Spence / Dara Flagg

Radio appearances

Year	Program	Episode/source
1953	Radio Theater	It Grows on Trees[14]

References

1. "Information Booth: Gal About Sports". Radio and Television Mirror. 44 (6): 14. November 1955. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
2. "Broadway Critics Laud Miss Henderson". North Adams Transcript. April 26, 1950. p. 6. Retrieved July 7, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "Marcia Henderson, Gordon West Enjoy Reunion in Nevada". North Adams Transcript. March 4, 1954. p. 18. Retrieved July 7, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Theatre World Awards". Theatre World Awards. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
5. "2015 Williamstown Theatre Festival". content.yudu.com. Retrieved 2020-02-06.
6. "Time of the Cuckoo, The". Williamstown Theatre Festival. Retrieved 2020-02-06.
7. "Marcia Henderson Now in TV Show". North Adams Transcript. October 2, 1951. p. 11. Retrieved July 7, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Fireside, Philco in Lead; Both Keep Place in Latest List Compiled by Videodex for April". Billboard. May 26, 1951. p. 7. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
9. Scheuer, Steven H. (October 16, 1954). "Marcia Henderson Helps 'Dear Phoebe' Rating Rise". Waco News-Tribune. p. 11. Retrieved July 7, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. She appeared as 'The Beautiful Psychologist' in an episode of 'Love That Bob' (Bob Cummings), broadcast in October 1956.
10. "Marcia Henderson's Father Denies Reconciliation Talk". North Adams Transcript. January 3, 1952. p. 5. Retrieved July 7, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
11. Eriksmoen, Curt (October 3, 2010). "Actress enjoyed stage, film and TV career". The Bismarck Tribune. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
12. Eriksmoen, Curt (October 27, 2010). "Actor turned broadcaster had tough life". The Bismarck Tribune. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
13. "Marcia Has Another Daughter in Hollywood". North Adams Transcript. August 15, 1963. p. 16. Retrieved July 7, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
14. Kirby, Walter (November 15, 1953). "Better Radio Programs for the Week". Decatur Daily Review. p. 50. Retrieved July 7, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.

External links

• Marcia Henderson on IMDb