Marlene Clark

Lovely, sultry and charismatic Marlene Clark was born December 19, 1949, in Los Angeles, California. Her father was a bus driver and her mother worked in a factory. Marlene grew up in New York City’s Harlem area, and went to junior college in Tennessee. She was a speech major at the City College of New York. She first started acting in plays in college. She was working as a fashion model before making her film debut with a small part in For Love of Ivy (1968). Marlene has had minor uncredited bit roles in Midnight Cowboy (1969) and Putney Swope (1969). She gave an outstanding performance as the enticing but dangerous Ganja in Ganja & Hess (1973). Other memorable parts include pesky government agent Kim in Slaughter (1972). the ill-fated Mariane Hargis in Beware! The Blob (1972), the very sexy titular reptilian demonic seductress in Night of the Cobra Woman (1972), the foxy Caroline in The Beast Must Die (1974) and the affluent Caroline in The Baron (1977). She had a recurring role as Lamont Sanford’s fiancé Janet Lawson on the hit sitcom Sanford and Son (1972). In addition, she has made guest appearances on episodes of such TV shows as Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969), Bonanza (1959), Mod Squad (1968), Highway to Heaven (1984) and Head of the Class (1986). Clark was married to Billy Dee Williams from 1968 to 1971. More recently she has done interviews and commentaries on DVD releases of the films “Ganja & Hess” and “The Baron.”