BART MAVERICK- FOUR QUEENS FULL

Adele Mara was an actress who hit her stride back in the 1950's, which included marrying 'Maverick' creator Roy Huggins. She passed away in May of this year.

She appeared in a lot of TV Westerns, and calling on her Spanish heritage, many of her characters in these shows were quite similar. So much so that I think an argument could be crafted that many of these women played by Ms. Mara could have been the same character.

At the very least, we can make this claim for the characters she played on 'Maverick' over a three year period.......

"Maverick"
- The Marquessa
03 Jan 60
Guest Cast:
Adele Mara .................... Marquesa Luisa de Ruisenor
Synopsis:
Bart Maverick (Jack Kelly) wins title to the Lucky Lady Saloon in Santa Leora. But Santa Leora is confronted by the Marquesa de Ruisenor and her cohorts who claim they own the whole town.
[This was a popular confidence trick pulled back in those days. Somebody tried to fleece the Cartwrights with the same scam in an episode of 'Bonanza'.]

- The Spanish Dancer
14 Dec 58
Guest Cast:
Adele Mara .................... Elena Grande
Synopsis:
Bart, Gentleman Jack, and a Spanish dancer go after a conman who did Bart out of a mine.

- Seed of Deception
13 Apr 58
Guest Cast:
Adele Mara .................... June Mundy
Synopsis:
Bret and Bart attempt to thwart a bank robbery while the robbers keep the sheriff occupied with an attractive female.

You Can't Beat the Percentage
04 Oct 59
Guest Cast:
Adele Mara ?
Synopsis:
Bart takes a job protecting a gambling hall owner from a vengeful young cowboy.

In each of those episodes, Bart was involved, so he must have recognized that June Mundy, Elena Grande, the Marquesa, and the unnamed woman all looked alike, if not suspected that they were all one and the same. The man who claimed to be June Munday's cousin in the "Seed of Deception" episode may have been an ancestor to Alexander Mundy, which adds to her grifter reputation.

I think Bart always knew who she was, each time that he met her. But it was part of their long con together to act as if it was the first time they met with each encounter.

Of course, this theory is all blown to Hell if it turns out one of these characters played by Adele Mara died before the episode was over.....

BCnU!

PS:

Neither of these pictures have anything to do with those 'Maverick' episodes. But the first one makes for a nice portrait. And as for the second... Homina Thrice!

ADDENDUM:

I posted this and THEN went to the Paley Center for Media to see the episodes. (I never was known for restraint.) They only had the "Seed Of Deception" episode and I've made some appropriate adjustments accordingly. But I will expand on this post and present it again during August, when we really celebrate the TV Western!