Background
Darvi was born Bajla Węgier to Jewish parents Chajm Węgier, a baker, and his wife, Chaja (née Zygelbaum).
Darvi was born Bajla Węgier to Jewish parents Chajm Węgier, a baker, and his wife, Chaja (née Zygelbaum).
Robert died in a concentration camp. Jailed by the Nazis during World World War II, she was released in 1943. She was discovered in Paris by the wife of mogul Darryl F. Zanuck.
Eventually, she became Zanuck"s mistress, although she reportedly dated other men including Robert Stack and Brad Dexter.
She was Richard Widmark"s love interest in Sam Fuller"s film as well as that of Kirk Douglas in, but is probably best remembered for the role of Nefer, the seductive Babylonian courtesan, in The Egyptian (1954). She received the role because her lover, Zanuck, preferred her over Marilyn Monroe.
According to Ephraim Katz, her "three disappointing Hollywood films" were followed by a "number of undistinguished French and Italian productions". In Hollywood she was well-known for her strong and recognizable Polish accent.
Darvi later very publicly dated women, as well as mentor
Despite liaisons with extremely wealthy men, she was unable to establish a permanent relationship or to curb her gambling habit. Zanuck was still paying off her debts as late as 1970. On November 13, 1960, Darvi married Claude Rouas, a restaurant waiter, in Las Vegas.
The marriage was annulled less than a year later.
Death Darvi committed suicide, after several failed attempts, in Monte Carlo by gas. Her body remained undiscovered for more than a week.