Marianne Bengtsson(1937-2005)

Marianne Bengtsson, born on January 15, 1937 in Västervik, Sweden, was an actress during the 1950's. She was born and brought up in the pretty little town of Västervik. At fifteen she moved to Stockholm to broaden her horizons. In 1954 she answered an ad for a movie role, and without any theatrical training or experience, she got the part. Between 1955-1959 she appeared in major roles in eight feature films. She was considered to be the next Swedish actress in Hollywood. At the Venice Film Festival 1958 she met an Italian journalist, Marino de Medici. They married, Marianne became Marianne de Medici, and the couple moved to Washington DC, because Marino was now the foreign correspondent for several Italian Newspapers. Marianne de Medici was introduced to several US presidents. Lyndon B. Johnson and his wife, Lady Bird, were among her personal friends. In 1981 the couple divorced and Marianne de Medici moved back to Sweden and Västervik. She passed away on April 30, 2005.