Edythe Parker

Edythe Blanche Parker (born Edythe Blanche Cortez; June 23rd 1913) is a British-American novelist, journalist, television personality and former actress, model and singer. She is recognised as one of Britain's first actresses and one of the first to invest in the 'celebrity' lifestyle.

Born in Coventry, England in 1913, She moved to New York City with her parents and siblings in 1916, during the height of World War One. She returned to England in 1926 for school, before returning to the US in 1934, this time Los Angeles, to pursue a career in the growing Hollywood industry and testing positively in some low-budget British films the previous year. After years of bit-parts in minor films, she was cast as the lead by director and her future husband Orson Parker in Ms Wench, a role that earned her Best Actress at the 1939 Academy Awards, she married Parker the following year.

The Parker marriage was the subject to much media scrutiny in the late 40s through to the 60s. Both were accused of having extra-marital affairs with Marilyn Monroe, which they both also deny. The pair remained married until Orson Parker's death in 2008, aged 100.

1913 - 1926: Childhood
Born on June 23rd 1913 to American hotel magnate Edwin Cortez and his British wife Melissa, Edythe spent the first 3 years of her life living in the rural countryside of Coventry, England.

After the death of her grandfather, American property tycoon Gerald Cortez in 1915, Edythe's father relocated the family to New York City to take care of his father's business. Edythe spent the next 10 years living and attending school in Manhattan, before earning a prestigious spot at St. Margaret's School for Girls in Surrey, England in 1926. She relocated to England alone, her family remained in New York.

1926 - 1934: Early Career
While attending St. Margaret's, a friend introduced Edythe to photographer Mason Hentley and she posed for him in 1928. Hentley then passed her shoots on to film director Marco De Farley, who cast her in the 1929 feature ''The Black Veiled Woman. ''Edythe continued to work with De Farley until his sudden death in 1933. After De Farley's death, her contract with his studio was terminated. She graduated from St. Margaret's in the summer of 1934 with a degree in Literature and decided to relocate to Los Angeles to pursue a Hollywood acting career.