Biography
Marie Frye entered the world in Burgin, Kentucky, during 1923 and later adopted the professional name Marie McDonald. While still in her teens she began modeling, which soon opened the door to motion pictures; at seventeen she appeared in a minor part in the 1941 release It Started With Eve. Throughout the war years her striking silhouette supplied decorative appeal in a range of Hollywood productions, from Abbott & Costello comedies to the biographical feature Our Hearts Were Young and Gay, establishing her as a prominent visual presence onscreen. In the mold of Ann Sheridan, whose publicity tag was “the Oomph Girl,” McDonald earned her own lasting sobriquet, “the Body,” a reference to her celebrated physique.
After the conflict ended, her screen workload declined sharply. During the resulting lull she turned toward music, performing for a period with one of Tommy Dorsey’s later big-band ensembles. That experience directly led to her sole album, The Body Sings!, issued by RCA Victor in 1957 under the musical direction of Hal Borne. The label may have calculated that her widely recognized image on the cover could generate sales in the manner Liberty Records had achieved with Julie London. Regardless of such assumptions, McDonald proved herself a capable vocalist.
After the conflict ended, her screen workload declined sharply. During the resulting lull she turned toward music, performing for a period with one of Tommy Dorsey’s later big-band ensembles. That experience directly led to her sole album, The Body Sings!, issued by RCA Victor in 1957 under the musical direction of Hal Borne. The label may have calculated that her widely recognized image on the cover could generate sales in the manner Liberty Records had achieved with Julie London. Regardless of such assumptions, McDonald proved herself a capable vocalist.
Albums
