| Merle Oberon Quick Info | |
|---|---|
| Height | 5 ft 2 in |
| Weight | 48 kg |
| Date of Birth | February 19, 1911 |
| Zodiac Sign | Pisces |
| Date of Death | November 23, 1979 |
Merle Oberon was an Indian-born British actor, writer, and producer whose career started in British films. She went on to appear in several movies like The Dark Angel, Wuthering Heights, The Private Life of Henry VIII, Wedding Rehearsal, That Uncertain Feeling, The Cowboy and the Lady, Men of Tomorrow, The Broken Melody, The Battle, The Private Life of Don Juan, The Lion Has Wings, Over the Moon, Temptation, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Folies Bergère de Paris, Hotel, The Divorce of Lady X, Night Song, Forever and a Day, This Love of Ours, Dans la vie tout s’arrange, 24 Hours of a Woman’s Life, Of Love and Desire, Deep in My Heart, All Is Possible in Granada, and I, Claudius. For her performance in The Dark Angel (1935), she was nominated for the Academy Award for “Best Actress”.
Born Name
Estelle Merle O’Brien Thompson
Nick Names
Merle, Obie, Queenie
Age
She was born on February 19, 1911.
Died
On November 23, 1979, she died at 68 after suffering a stroke in Malibu, California, United States.
Sun Sign
Pisces
Born Place
Bombay, British India
Nationality
Education
Merle Oberon attended La Martiniere Calcutta for Girls, one of the best private schools in Calcutta, India.
Occupation
Actor, Writer, Producer
Family
- Mother – Constance
- Siblings – Edna (Younger Half-Sister), Douglas (Younger Half-Brother), Harry (Younger Half-Brother), Stanislaus (Stan) (Younger Half-Brother)
- Others – Henry Alfred Selby (Biological Maternal Grandfather) (Anglo-Irish foreman of a tea plantation), Charlotte Selby (Biological Maternal Grandmother), Alexander Soares (Stepfather), Shelley Conn (Niece) (Actor, Producer)
Net Worth
According to CelebrityNetWorth.com, her net worth was $4 Million at the time of her death.
Build
Slim
Height
5 ft 2 in or 157.5 cm
Weight
48 kg or 106 lbs
Boyfriend / Spouse
Merle Oberon had dated –
- Leslie ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson
- Prince Philip
- Eddie Fisher – RUMOR
- Stewart Granger
- Joseph M. Schenck
- James Cagney
- David Niven (1930) – She was in a serious relationship with actor and memoirist David Niven and she wanted them to get married. However, he was unfaithful to her.
- Prince Aly Khan (1930-1934)
- Maurice Chevalier (1931-1932)
- Robert Donat (1932-1933)
- Frank Sinatra (1933)
- Darryl F. Zanuck (1934)
- Leslie Howard (1934-1935)
- Brian Aherne (1936)
- Clark Gable (1936-1938)
- Miles Mander (1938)
- Gary Cooper (1938)
- Alexander Korda (1939-1945) – She married director Alexander Korda in 1939 and became Lady Korda when her husband was knighted in 1942 by George VI for his contribution to the war effort. They divorced in 1945.
- George Brent (1939)
- Rex Harrison (1939-1941)
- Greg Bautzer (1940)
- Richard Harris (1941-1955)
- Richard Hillary (1941) – She had a fling with Richard Hillary, an Anglo-Australian Royal Air Force fighter pilot during the Second World War, in 1941.
- Ronald Colman (1942)
- Lucien Ballard (1945-1949) – Merle was married to American cinematographer Lucien Ballard from 1945 to 1949.
- Turhan Bey (1945)
- Robert Ryan (1947)
- Giorgio Cini (1948-1949)
- David Beatty (1950)
- Paul Henreid (1951)
- Marlon Brando (1954)
- Rex Ross (1955)
- Bruno Pagliai (1957-1973) – She tied the knot with Italian-born industrialist Bruno Pagliai in 1957 and they adopted 2 children – Francesca and Bruno Jr. The marriage ended in divorce in 1973.
- Richard Rush (1963)
- Steve Cochran (1963)
- Rod Taylor (1966)
- Robert Wolders (1973-1979) – She met Dutch television actor Robert Wolders in 1973 and they married in 1975. He was 25 years her junior and the couple remained together until her death in 1979.
Race / Ethnicity
Mixed (White and Asian)
Merle Oberon was of English, Irish, Indian, and Māori descent.
Hair Color
Dark Brown
Eye Color
Green
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
Petite stature
Merle Oberon Facts
- Her mother was just 12 years old when she gave birth to Merle and she was raised by her maternal grandmother as her daughter.
- Merle Oberon was 17 years old when she arrived in England for the first time in 1928.
- She had sensitive skin and suffered damage to her complexion in 1940 from a combination of cosmetic poisoning and an allergic reaction to sulfa drugs.
- For her contributions to Motion Pictures, Oberon was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (at 6250 Hollywood Boulevard) on February 8, 1960.
Featured Image by Studio / eBay / Public Domain
