- Source of Wealth: Actress
- Nationality: Mexico
The cause was colon cancer, her daughter Romina Power said.
Born Blanca Rosa Welter (some sources say Blanca Rosa Henrietta Stella Welter Vorhauer) in Mexico on Nov. 13, 1923, Ms. Christian pursued an acting career in Los Angeles and eventually signed a contract with MGM. Her stunning figure led Life magazine to nickname her the “anatomic bomb.” She made her film debut alongside Danny Kaye in the 1944 musical comedy “Up in Arms.”
Ms. Christian married Power, one of Hollywood’s most popular leading men, in 1949, a year after appearing in “Tarzan and the Mermaids.” Their wedding was held in the Santa Francesca Romana church in Rome, near the Colosseum, and they were later received by Pope Pius XII.
The marriage ended in divorce in 1956. Ms. Christian later married another actor, Edmund Purdom.
In 1954, eight years before the first James Bond movie, “Dr. No,” she starred as James Bond’s love interest in the television adaptation of “Casino Royale.” Barry Nelson played Bond.
In addition to her daughter, Ms. Christian is survived by another daughter, Taryn Power, and eight grandchildren.