Just read that the actress Jean Simmons has died. The Washington Post describes this gifted performer as "beguiling and durable", which seems to sum her up very well. Here she is as "Young Bess"
She was an incredibly hardworking actress, making around eighty films, in a career spanning 65 years. I looked at the list and realised just how many of them I can remember. She acted alongside many great actors and was married to Stewart Granger for ten years.
Her films include...
Androcles and the Lion, The Robe, Young Bess, Guys and Dolls, The Big Country [1950s]
Elmer Gantry, Spartacus, The Grass Is Greener [1960s]
Thorn Birds, They Do It With Mirrors,Great Expectations [1980s]
How To Make An American Quilt [1990s]
[She did lots of very diverse TV appearances too - Perry Mason, Star Trek, Murder She Wrote, Xena Warrior Princess...]
In the first Great Expectations, she played young Estella - in the later remake, she was the elderly Miss Havisham. In The Blue Lagoon [the original - not the Brooke Shields remake] Jean played the 'adult' Emmeline, the 'child' Emmeline being played by Susan Stranks [who later presented 'Magpie', and married the actor Robin Ray]
Not sure which of these is my favourite film
The music is great - even if Sarah is not exactly brilliant as an evangelist!
Her "historical" pictures were enjoyable, [who can forget Kirk Douglas, and everyone saying "I am Spartacus"?!]
All good "Ironing Films" when I have a heap of laundry to tackle.
I mentioned to Bob that Jean Simmons was dead.
He said "The guitarist?"
"Does he make films that I can iron to?"
"No, darling- but he does play heavy metal!"
I always thought what a lovely person she was.
ReplyDelete