Seductive Facts About Marilyn Maxwell, Hollywood’s Most Elite Mistress
Marilyn Maxwell enjoyed a stellar run as a classic Hollywood actress, but her life behind the scenes was much more shocking, dramatic, and downright provocative than any film or tv show she ever starred in.
1. She Started Young
Though born in the unglamorous countryside of Iowa, Maxwell showed signs of star quality early. In fact, her parents found her so promising that they put her in dance class around the age of three. Perhaps she caught the entertainment bug while learning to keep perfect form, considering how she spent her time as she grew up.
![American actress Marilyn Maxwell wearing a green dress, circa 1950](https://wsrv.nl/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.factinate.com%2Fstorage%2Fapp%2Fmedia%2Ffactinate%2F2024%2F5%2F28%2Fgettyimages-1506542653-1.jpg&w=800)
2. She Found An In
Still in her early teens at the time, Maxwell found a job at a theater. She couldn’t get on the stage just yet, but she definitely found herself “stage-adjacent” in her role as an usher. It was a reasonable start for a teenager interested in working in entertainment, but as it turns out, Maxwell would never settle on being reasonable.
![Marilyn Maxwell wearing jewels](https://wsrv.nl/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.factinate.com%2Fstorage%2Fapp%2Fmedia%2Ffactinate%2F2024%2F5%2F28%2F27431362415fdb0be4309o-2.jpg&w=800)
3. She Struck Out Early
While working at the theater, Maxwell attended high school. Or, at least, she showed up—until she found a more glamorous option. Before she completed her sophomore year, she got connected to a band and decided to drop out to be one of their singers.
She made a risky move, but in this case, it turned out to be just the right one.
![Marilyn Maxwell in black dress](https://wsrv.nl/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.factinate.com%2Fstorage%2Fapp%2Fmedia%2Ffactinate%2F2024%2F5%2F28%2F20423543555_440587acc0_o.jpg&w=800)
4. She Got Her Shot
Maxwell made her nationwide debut while still in her teens. She got a gig singing on the radio, and quickly turned it into a successful career. This might be a solid job for any other teenager. But if her next move is any evidence of her feelings, being a songbird didn’t satisfy her.
![A publicity photograph of Marilyn Maxwell, an American actress who was a contract player for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1946.](https://wsrv.nl/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.factinate.com%2Fstorage%2Fapp%2Fmedia%2Ffactinate%2F2024%2F5%2F28%2Fgettyimages-509565288-1.jpg&w=800)