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Shivah Stars

by
Marc Tracy
June 30, 2011
From the cover of the March 23, 1953 Life.(Life)
From the cover of the March 23, 1953 Life.(Life)

Each week, we select the most interesting Jewish obituary. This week, it’s that of Elaine Stewart, who died Monday at 81, an actress at one point known as the “dark-haired Marilyn Monroe,” although she never achieved remotely that level of fame. “Elaine Stewart” seems a bit too perfect of a name, of course, and indeed it is: She was born Elsy Steinberg in Montclair, New Jersey.

She got her start in an extremely brief role in a Kirk Douglas film, “barefoot onto a staircase, martini in hand, in a skintight evening gown.” Later in her career, she was a game show hostess.

Marc Tracy is a staff writer at The New Republic, and was previously a staff writer at Tablet. He tweets @marcatracy.