Margaret Blye, 'Italian Job' actress, dies at 73

<p>Margaret "Maggie" Blye, who starred opposite Michael Caine and Noel Coward in the 1969 British heist movie <em>The Italian Job</em>, died March 24 at her home in West Hollywood after a two-year battle with cancer. She was 73.</p> <p>Her agent Kristin Nava confirmed the news to EW.</p> <p>Blye played Lorna in <em>The Italian Job</em>, the groovy girlfriend and partner in crime to Caine's lovable criminal Charlie Croker.</p> <p>Born in Houston, Blye studied at the University of Texas and UCLA. After being spotted by an agent in Los Angeles, she landed her first role in <em>Summer and Smoke</em>.</p> <p>She also appeared in <em>Hombre</em> with Paul Newman, <em>Hard Times</em> with James Coburn and Charles Bronson, <em>Waterhole #3</em> with Coburn and Carroll O'Connor, <em>The Entity</em> with Barbara Hershey and Ron Silver, <em>Diamonds for Breakfast</em> with Marcello Mastroianni, and <em>Man in the Chair</em> with Christopher Plummer.</p> <p>Her TV credits included <em>Perry Mason</em>, <em>Gunsmoke</em>, <em>The Rockford Files</em>, <em>Hart to Hart</em>, and <em>In the Heat of the Night</em>.</p> <p>Blye is survived by her sister, casting director Judy Blye Wilson; her brother, Richard Blye; and many nieces and nephews.</p>