Madeleine Carroll was a British actress who became an American citizen and starred in the Alfred Hitchcock thrillers "The 39 Steps" and "Secret Agent" and dozens of other films in the 1930s and 1940s.
The actress made headlines with four marriages and divorces — one to actor Sterling Hayden and another to Life magazine publisher Andrew Heiskell.
A beautiful blond known for her sophisticated manner and sometimes reserved British style, she appeared in more than 36 films, the last in 1949. Among her many film credits were "The Prisoner of Zenda" in 1937, "Cafe Society" in 1939, "One Night in Lisbon" in 1941 and "My Favorite Blonde" in 1942.
She became active in war relief during World War II, converting her French chateau into an orphanage in 1940 to which she devoted much of her time throughout the war.
Her sister was killed during the German bombing of London, and a few months later, in 1941, Carroll became the first woman in the United States to volunteer for a new Red Cross program that enlisted women as nursing aides.
She received the civilian Medal of Freedom from the United States and was inducted into the French Legion of Honor because of her work overseas during the war.
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