Lizabeth Scott, born Emma Matzo on September 29, 1922, in Scranton, Pennsylvania, was an American actress, singer, and model known for her smoky voice and being the most beautiful face of film noir during the 1940s and 1950s.

She began her career by understudying the role of Sabina in the original Broadway and Boston stage productions of "The Skin of Our Teeth," and soon emerged in films such as "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers" (1946), "Dead Reckoning" (1947), "Desert Fury" (1947), and "Too Late for Tears" (1949).

Her early life was marked by her Slovak immigrant parents, Mary Penyak and John Matzo, who owned Matzo Market in Scranton. She attended Marywood Seminary and later transferred to Scranton's Central High School, where she performed in several plays.

After graduating, she spent the summer working with the Mae Desmond Players at a stock theater in Newfoundland and then worked at the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia. In 1939, with her father's help, she moved to New York City, where she stayed at the Ferguson Residence for Women and modeled for the Walter Thornton agency.

Her career took off when she was discovered by Broadway producer Michael Myerberg in 1942 and later by Warner Brothers producer Hal B. Wallis in 1943. She made her film debut in "You Came Along" (1945) and went on to appear in 21 films between 1945 and 1957.

Despite her success, she remained a private person, never marrying but becoming a companion to Texas oilman William Dugger Jr. in the 1960s. When Dugger died in 1969, he left half his fortune to Scott, though his sister eventually won the full amount in court.

Although she faced challenges, including a damaging article by Confidential magazine in 1955, Scott continued to work in television and radio until the early 1970s. She passed away on January 31, 2015, in Los Angeles, California.