MICHELLE TRIOLA MARVIN - MARVIN MITCHELSON

"At first she accepted payments from him of $833 a month to support her while she tried to resume her singing and acting career. But after support checks stopped she filed suit for half of everything Marvin had earned during their years together. Her share would have been $1.8 million. Her cause was taken up by one of Hollywood's most colorful divorce lawyers, Marvin Mitchelson, who launched what was a campaign to change the law.

"The judge rejected Marvin's community property request but granted her $104,000 for "rehabilitation." The award was later overturned on appeal.

Afterward, she went to work as an agent's secretary at the William Morris talent agency, Palmer said."

Link now to this MSNBC article about Michelle and her law suit.

MARVIN versus MARVIN LEGAL BRIEF

Link here to the LEGAL brief on the PALIMONY law suit that Michelle Triola brough against actor Lee Marvin, after being his mistress for some years.

Like many women in her lifestyle, she left her career behind because she wanted to be with her man as much as possible, but this did not work out for her. She had self supported as a singer prior to Lee but she had not achieved great fame or wealth as a result.

So many women, not just mistresses, neglect or fail to develop self supporting career because they want to be available to men: this is not just an issue for mistresses. But because mistresses sometimes travel with the men who keep them, they have a difficult time being involved in a full time occupation.

MISTRESS OF THE MONTH : MICHELLE TRIOLA "MARVIN"

Nightclub singer MICHELLE TRIOLA'S "palimony" case against macho actor Lee Marvin, who remained married to his wife Pamela through the years that Michelle and he also lived together, is our Mistress of the Monthly for December 2010.

Her 1977 Palimony case was a legal precedent in the still rarely publicly explored issues of what happens to the money when a person is in fact married to more than one other person at a time... In fact the word "Palimony" was made up in the press because of her case.

Michelle was brave to take the man she loved for so long to court knowing this could ruin her.

Michelle died at 75 years old, a little more than a year ago, October 2009. She did not go without love and companionship or die alone due to the spectacle that her suit caused. She was with actor Dick Van Dyke for 30 years after Lee Marvin.

We acknowledge that Michelle was a lover not a fighter and that loyalty meant more than anything to her. With respect, we honor her as Mistress of the Month.

(Linking here to a blog called POE FORWARD that has a tribute and good picture of her and Lee...)