Greta Thyssen

Greta Thyssen (born Grethe Karen Thygesen; 30 March 1927 – 6 January 2018) was a Danish film actress and former model, long-resident in the United States.

Born in Hareskovby, Denmark, she appeared in films and television series between 1956 and 1967.

Career

Thyssen arrived in the United States after winning the Miss Denmark crown in 1951. She attempted to follow in the footsteps of the reigning blonde sex symbols Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield by forging a movie career. She was Monroe's double in Bus Stop, and appeared in Accused of Murder, Terror Is a Man, Three Blondes in His Life and Journey to the Seventh Planet.

In addition to her appearances on the television series Dragnet and Bachelor Father, she appeared as Roxy Howard, the title character in the Perry Mason episode, "The Case of the Nervous Accomplice". Thyssen also appeared on Broadway in Pajama Tops as a replacement for June Wilkinson.

Thyssen is probably best remembered for her appearances in the Three Stooges films Quiz Whizz, Pies and Guys and Sappy Bull Fighters. In her brief stint with the Stooges, she endured a cream pie to the face in the second film. From 1956 to 1958, Thyssen was the original Pirate Girl on the game show Treasure Hunt, assisting host Jan Murray with presenting prizes hidden in miniature treasure chests. After appearing in the musical comedy Cottonpickin' Chickenpickers (1967), she retired from acting.

Legal problem

On October 5, 1953, Thyssen was ordered deported from the U.S. for having violated her visitor's permit in two ways: the permit had expired in March 1953, and despite her status as a visitor, she worked in films and television.

Personal life

Regarding her family:She was married four times, and all sources indicate she had only one child.

Husbands:

1. Al Trilla (married May 28, 1952 – divorced 1953) — a brief early marriage.
2. Ralph Padula (married February 26, 1953 – divorced around 1955) — businessman.
3. George Ronald Starr (married January 8, 1959 – divorced January 2, 1961) — actor.
4. Theodore Roy "Ted" Guenther (married July 19, 1963 – his death on July 11, 2000) — mining engineer. This was her longest and final marriage; she retired from acting around 1967 to focus on family life with him.

Children:

• Her only child was a daughter, Genevieve Juliette Guenther, born February 14, 1969 (with Theodore Guenther).
• No children are documented from her previous marriages.
• Later in life, she became a grandmother (to at least one grandchild).

After retiring from acting, Thyssen lived privately in New York City, where she pursued painting successfully. She passed away in 2018 at age 90.

Thyssen was married four times. Her fourth marriage was to Theodore Guenther, with whom she had a daughter, Genevieve Juliette Guenther.

On 6 January 2018, Thyssen died of pneumonia at her home in Manhattan, aged 90.

Filmography

Feature Films

• Bus Stop (1956) Monroe double
• Accused of Murder (1956)
• The Beast of Budapest (1958)
• Catch Me If You Can (1959)
• Shadows (1959)
• Terror Is a Man (1959)
• Three Blondes in His Life (1961)
• Journey to the Seventh Planet (1962)
• The Double-Barrelled Detective Story (1965)
• Cottonpickin' Chickenpickers (1967)

Short Films

• Quiz Whizz (1958)
• Pies and Guys (1958)
• Sappy Bull Fighters (1959)