Biography
Celebrated by her devoted fans as "Belita, the Ice Maiden," this Hollywood figure, a contemporary of Sonja Henie, was born Maria Belita Jepson-Turner in Hampshire, England, on October 21, 1923. She began dance training shortly after learning to walk (at age 2) and later studied ballet under Sir Anton Dolin. Her father was a military officer, and her mother descended from a royal physician to King Edward VII. With a strong-willed mother intent on molding her into a star ballerina, Belita used skating to enhance her strength, poise, and endurance, eventually dedicating herself fully to ice skating. A remarkably agile and graceful athlete, she competed in the 1936 Olympic Games at just 12 years old and turned professional two years later, maintaining her prominence through talent and reputation. She was also fluent in four languages and played the violin.
Following Norwegian Sonja Henie's rise as a Hollywood sensation centered on her skating prowess, England's own counterpart naturally pursued a similar path. Belita made her film debut as an ice dancer in the Republic Pictures movie Ice-Capades (1941), alongside ice stars like Lois Dworshak, Megan Taylor, and future Republic star Vera Ralston. Her next film, Silver Skates (1943), though a modest ice-musical drama with some flaws, featured her prominently as a co-star. She then took a leading role in the low-budget Monogram Pictures film Lady, Let's Dance (1944), playing herself as a war refugee, waitress, and dancer who replaces the prima donna at the last moment, sparking a romantic storyline. The film showcased her full range of dance skills—ballet, ballroom, and ice skating. This was her final ice-skating film vehicle; unlike Henie, who enjoyed Fox’s big studio backing, Belita had only modest “Poverty Row” support—there was no contest.
Determined to continue her post-war acting career, Belita shifted to purely dramatic roles. Her first was the suspense film Suspense (1946), starring Barry Sullivan and Albert Dekker. Although the noir film featured an ice-skating backdrop and included Belita skating, the focus was on the dramatic plot. She retired from skating on screen while appearing again with Sullivan in The Gangster (1947), and later in The Hunted (1948) with Preston Foster. She held supporting roles in notable films such as the mystery The Man on the Eiffel Tower (1949), starring Charles Laughton, and the adventure drama Never Let Me Go (1953) with Clark Gable. Laughton also cast her on stage in his popular 1950 revival of The Cherry Orchard. She went on to perform in theater productions including Twelfth Night, Ulysses in Nighttown, and Damn Yankees.
Belita’s career began to decline in the 1950s, though she remained a captivating ice performer in Ice Capades shows worldwide, especially in London. After more than two decades, she retired from skating in 1956 and soon left Hollywood behind. She appeared in the second segment of Gene Kelly’s experimental film Invitation to the Dance (1956) and had a minor, uncredited role in Silk Stockings (1957) before retiring. Unexpectedly, she returned briefly in 1964 to star in the Argentine film The Terrace (1963), then disappeared from the public eye once more.
Divorced from actor Joel McGinnis in 1956, Belita spent much time in England before marrying Irish-born actor James Berwick (born James Kenny) in 1967. She opened a garden center in West London and eventually retired mostly to the south of France, living out of the spotlight. Her second husband died of natural causes in London in 2000. She had no children from either marriage and passed away in France on December 18, 2005, at age 82.
