Marla Landi

Marla Landi (born Marcella Teresa Scarafina in 1933, Turin, Italy) is an Italian-born British film actress.

Her major roles included Across the Bridge (1957), Dublin Nightmare (1958), First Man into Space (1959), The Murder Game (1965), and the Hammer films The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959, as Cecille Stapleton) and The Pirates of Blood River (1962). She was a Play School presenter from 1964-70. Joy Whitby, the programme's creator and earliest producer, recalled in 2013: "She spoke English with a heavy accent, but she was very loveable and children adored her." Landi also presented Parliamo Italiano. She also appeared in an episode of the TV version of Hancock's Half Hour called "The Italian Maid" in 1959 though this recording was lost.

She was also a top photographic model and had a number of magazine covers including Vogue, Harper's Bazaar and Tatler. She later became the Fashion editor for Harper's Bazaar.

She then went on to set up her own successful international wig business.

She was made a Knight of the Italian Republic for promoting the Italian language and culture in the United Kingdom.

In 1977 she married Sir Francis Dashwood, 11th Baronet. Together they lived at West Wycombe House in Buckinghamshire.

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