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Lili Damita
(1904–94)

Other names: Liliane Marie Madeleine Carre

Biographical

A French actress and singer, Lili Damita began her career as a dancer at 16 before transitioning to film, gaining early experience in Germany and later attracting Hollywood’s attention in the late 1920s. Despite initial opportunities, her strong accent and the influx of European stars limited her prospects, and her candour about high-profile romances did not help her standing with studios. She pursued roles in Hollywood and Europe but struggled to maintain a lasting career, often finding herself overshadowed by newer stars. Her tumultuous marriage to Errol Flynn, which began impulsively, was marked by jealousy, infidelity, and public drama. After an unsuccessful attempt to revive her career in France, she focused on family life, giving birth to a son before initiating divorce proceedings. The process was hastened by Flynn’s legal troubles, and she secured a favourable settlement, including half his assets and financial support.

Place of birth: Blaye, France
Place of first marriage: Yuma, Arizona
Place of death: Palm Beach, Florida

She was married firstly to Errol Flynn in 1935 (with issue; divorced 1942), and secondly to Allen Loomis in 1962 (divorced).

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