Today on another encore episode of the Rarified Heir Podcast, we are talking to Valerie Long, daughter of actors Richard Long and Mara Corday. It took some time for Valerie to come around to the idea of being on the podcast and frankly, we get it. As you will hear, her recollections about her father’s passing at an early age and her difficulties with that loss play a part in this conversation.
For many of us, Richard Long is best known from either television shows The Big Valley or Nanny and the Professor. We discuss those shows as well as The Twilight Zone, 77 Sunset Strip, Maverick as well as his films – he made his debut on the silver screen with Orson Wells and Claudette Colbert, in Tomorrow is Forever. I mean….. We also discuss her actress, dancer, model mother Mara Corday who passed away after this episode was recorded. In fact, we got a call from the New York Times regarding her career when they wrote her obituary as they wanted to confirm a few things we discussed on the podcast with Valerie. It’s almost unfathomable to know that the New York Times would site our podcast when talking about the life and career of Mara Corday. Thanks to Valerie for being so open and honest about everything and for being on the podcast to tell her story.
Along the way, we discuss family friends like Clint Eastwood, Roddy McDowell, Dan Rowan, Peter Marshall and many others. Additionally we discuss a story we frankly never knew about prior to this episode. Prior to her parents’ marriage, Richard was married to an up-and-coming actress named Suzan Ball who died shortly after their wedding at age 22, when Richard was only 23. It’s a tragic story that we uncover talking to Valerie who gives us the details about how this likely affected her father. The Rarified Heir Podcast, everyone has a story.
