Tall (5'10"), lovely, and slender brunette Marlene Willoughby was born on May 17, 1948 in Detroit, Michigan. Of mixed Polish and Italian descent, Willoughby was raised in a Catholic household and was an organist while growing up who played at funerals and church services. Marlene moved with her mother to New York City in 1961. Willoughby first started acting in controversial and experimental off-Broadway stage productions that include "Che" (as Fidel Castro), "Dracula Sabbat," and "Keepers of the Hippo Horn." (She was a member of such repertory theater groups as TNC (Theater for the New City), Cubiculo Theater, and Judson Poets.) Moreover, Marlene also did some modeling prior to making the leap into explicit hardcore fare in the fall of 1975. In addition, Willoughby wrote magazine columns for such adult publications as Pub, Velvet, and High Society, posed for photo layouts for assorted men's magazines that include Penthouse, Cheri, Swank, Purple, and Adult Cinema Review, organized film release parties, and spoke out about the industry whenever she had the opportunity at the height of her career in adult cinema. Outside of her work in porn, Marlene managed to secure bit roles in the occasional mainstream movie and walk-on parts in various television shows shot in the New York area. Willoughby retired from the adult entertainment industry in 1985.
