Lisette Verea
Lisette Verea (August 27, 1914 - August 27, 2003) was a Romanian-born cabaret singer and actress, known for her appearance in the Marx Brothers film, "A Night in Casablanca" (1946). Early life. Lisette Verea was born in Bucharest, the daughter of Hainerik Chaim Veksler Verea and Olga Veksler Verea. Career. Verea moved to the United States in 1940. In 1944, she appeared on Broadway in a pair of operettas on a double bill ("La Serva Patrona" and "The Secret of Suzanne"), and in a revival of "The Merry Widow". In 1946, publicity proclaimed her "Hollywood's newest glamor  girl." Screen appearances by Verea included "Trenul fantoma" (1933) and in the Marx Brothers film "A Night in Casablanca" (1946). In "A Night in Casablanca", she sang "Who's Sorry Now?", in both French and English. The "New York Times" critic enjoyed her performance, calling her character Beatrice "a flashy brunette who is played with an extravagant flounce by Lisette Verea". Personal life. Lisette Verea married first in 1946, to textile manufacturer Erhart Ruegg; he died in 1950. One of Erhart's children from a previous marriage was Buddhologist David Seyfort Ruegg. Verea's second marriage was to Olympic gold -medalist tennis player Francis Hunter, in 1954. In 1964, she and her sister Bella and a maid were the victims of a home-invasion robbery at the Hunters' estate, Blue Haven, in Southampton, Long Island. Lisette Verea died on her 89th birthday in New York City.