The Tragic Life and Death of Bella Darvi

Today's letter made me read up on Bella Darvi, an actress I had not heard of before. She had a very brief Hollywood career in the 1950s. This is her (tragic) story.

Bella Darvi was born Bajla Węgier in Poland in 1928. Her parents were Jewish and immigrated to France in the 1930s. As a teenager during WWII Darvi was interned in a concentration camp for several years. She survived, but her brother Robert who was also in a camp died there. In 1950, Darvi married businessman Alban Cavalcade and moved with him to Monaco, where she became addicted to gambling. A year later, she met 20th Century-Fox studio boss Darryl Zanuck and his wife Virginia in Paris. The couple took her under their wing, paid off her gambling debts and eventually brought her to the States.

In 1952, Darvi divorced her husband and went to live with the Zanucks at their house in Santa Monica. She was encouraged to pursue an acting career and, at the suggestion of Mrs Zanuck, changed her last name from Węgier to Darvi (derived from Darryl and Virginia). Darvi took acting lessons and in 1953 signed a long-term contract with 20th Century-Fox. Hedda Hopper called the aspiring actress "an exciting new personality" and predicted that she would not only "make a splash" in her first film but also that she would be one of the "stars of 1954".

Hopper's predictions proved wrong, however. Darvi's debut performance in Samuel Fuller's Hell and High Water (1954) opposite Richard Widmark was poorly received by both the public and critics, with the New York Times stating that she "does not succeed convincingly". Her second role —the part of the courtesan Nefer in Michael Curtiz's The Egyptian (1954)— was not received any better. Darvi "smiles and postures without magnetism or charm", said the NY Times while Variety commented: "A weak spot in the talent line-up is Bella Darvi who contributes little more than an attractive figure". Co-star Jean Simmons was also unimpressed with Darvi, reportedly joking with other cast members that Darvi was "an actress who 'nefer' was". Criticised also for being very difficult to understand due to her heavy accent, Darvi would only make one more film in Hollywood —Henry Hathaway's The Racers (1955) with Kirk Douglas— before moving back to France at the end of 1954.

Darvi's lack of acting talent was not the reason why she eventually left Hollywood. While she was living with the Zanucks, Darvi and Zanuck had an affair and when Mrs Zanuck found out she kicked Darvi out of the house. Totally besotted with his protégé, Zanuck separated from his wife and followed Darvi to Europe. It was when he discovered that she was bisexual that he ended the affair.

In Europe Darvi continued her acting career but only appeared in mediocre French and Italian productions. She also kept gambling, losing huge amounts of money and increasing her debts (as late as 1970, Zanuck was still paying them off). In 1960, Darvi married restaurant waiter Claude Rouas, only to divorce him less than a year later. Suffering from depression, Darvi took an overdose of barbiturates in 1962 and 1968 but recovered. Then on 11 September 1971, she tried to kill herself again by turning on the gas stove in her Monte Carlo apartment. This time the attempt was successful. Darvi died, only 42 years old. Her body was not discovered until ten days later. 

Richard Widmark and Bella Darvi in Hell and High Water (above) and Darvi with co-star Victor Mature on the set of The Egyptian (below). Marilyn Monroe had lobbied to get the part of Nefer in The Egyptian which eventually went to Darvi.

Here is one of the many letters Darvi wrote to Darryl Zanuck during their affair (click on the source beneath the image for more letters, and some of her telegrams to Zanuck can be seen here). She reportedly never recovered from the affair, which may have led or contributed to her suicide.

Source: Heritage Auctions

Transcript:

Darling,

I really didn't think I would ever come to write you such a letter! but I am positive now that this is the right thing to do.

This letter won't be long, and what I will say won't be said in anger! I was angry at you but you know I won't be angry at you for a long time, I love you with all my heart but I realize I can not make you happy and neither can you! It is sad and I am sad too! but I thought it over and over and I want you to agree with me and to call it off!

I don't know what else to say, I only wish you would understand and not go crazy! If I only could write exactly how I feel! Oh sure I wrote you many letters but this one is a tough one and I want it to be so clear!

I am sorry if it makes you unhappy, this is a decision but don't think it makes me happy - I wish I was dead!

It is finished! Please don't answer and tell me things that will upset me, I know you and also know it will be one of your reactions!

Good bye my love -

B.

Above: Darryl Zanuck and his wife Virginia Fox photographed in June 1953; although they separated following Zanuck's affair with Darvi, the couple never legally divorced. Below: Zanuck and Darvi at a party in Ciros, Hollywood in January 1954, held in honour of Zanuck's daughter.