Return to
Polar Blair's Den Menu PageBack to "Actors/Actresses/Performers" Main Page
Contact The Webmaster
Go to "Beauties of the Beverly Hillbillies" Entry For This Actress!
Born: November 13, 1939 in Chicago, Illinois, USA
Died:
Cause of Death:
Spouse #1:
Height: 5' 6"
Bust: 34
Biography: Information is rare on Ms. Gaba. If you know anything, please CONTACT ME. From what I gather, she became a Chicago model in her early years. In 1957 she was crowned Miss Illinois and won a trip to Hollywood where she started dating legendary musician Ricky Nelson. Cool! He tried to talk her into an affair with him. Later, in July of that year, she entered the Miss Universe contest at Long Beach and was one of the 15 finalists. Not too bad. Sometime after this she became acquainted with the mature star of a popular TV cowboy series when she and two other Miss Universe contestants posed with him for publicity pictures. I don't know who this guy was. She then moved in with her aunt and uncle in West Hollywood. Dressed like a sexpot, one of Hollywood's most respected producers made a pass at her during an interview. I don't know who this guy was, either.
In April of 1958 she dated Ricky Nelson, but he didn't take her to the premiere of "Peyton Place." On the 4th of July, she met the cowboy star again in a parade in her native Chicago. With the consent of her folks, she dated him back in Hollywood where he tried to talk her into spending the night at his place. Then in September of 1959 she made what is perhaps her most famous accomplishment: Playboy Magazine's Playmate of the Month. Not too shabby at all! Around this time, she also wrote a gossip column for "TV and Movie Screen" magazine. Sometime after that, she dated a recently divorced orchestra leader at the Beverly Gourmet. Then in December of 1959 she is announced to appear in the upcoming "Lil Abner" film.
Her hobbies were many, but tennis, judo, archery, and gardening were among them. Long before her Playmate stint, Marianne was already a familiar face on magazine covers across the U.S.A...especially the romance and movie fan publications.
She did a handful of TV shows and movies, but generally stuck to the fun shows like "77 Sunset Strip", "The Beverly Hillbillies" and movies "Missile to the Moon", "How to Stuff a Wild Bikini", and "Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine" as a robot. Basically, beach party and sci-fi B-movies...which are actually among the best types of films the 1960s had to offer. Good for her!
Filmography:
Photos: