Maggie McNamara on AllMovie

A former teen fashion model, Maggie McNamara first appeared on Broadway in 1951 when she took over Barbara Bel Geddes' role in The Moon Is Blue. She played the same role in the 1953 film version and became a star, earning an Oscar nomination in the process. With such an auspicious start, McNamara's prospects looked bright. She then signed to Fox but only starred in two films during the mid-'50s and then inexplicably disappeared until 1963, when she popped up in a supporting role in The Cardinal. The year before she had appeared in a Broadway play. McNamara was not heard of again until early 1978 when she died of a drug overdose.