Maria Menado
Maria Menado (born Liesbet Dotulong; 2 February 1932), also known as Liesje Mandagi, is an Indonesian-born Malay actress, model, and producer who is known for her contributions to Malaysian cinema in the 1950s and 1960s. At the height of her fame she was voted “Malaya’s Most Beautiful” by Times Magazine and the “Best Dressed Woman in South East Asia” by publisher United Press International. In addition to acting, she also sang and went on to direct and produce films under her own production company, Maria Menado Productions. Menado is Minahasan and was born in Manado, Dutch East Indies (present Indonesia). Life and career Maria Menado was born Liesbet Dotulong on 2 February 1932 at Tonsea Lama in North Tondano, Dutch East Indies, to Abdullah Dotulong. When she was seven years old, her parents died, and she was sent to live with her aunt and uncle in Makassar. They eventually moved to Jakarta to escape fighting between the Dutch and Indonesian nationalists. By the time Liesbet was seventeen, she was known locally for her beauty, and appeared as a fashion model in magazines and newspapers. In 1950, she travelled from Bandung to Singapore in a group led by Fifi Young, who