Tuesday, January 26, 2010
As Pretty as Her Pictures
We lost another great one, folks. And, yeah, this time the pain is overwhelming. Jean Simmons, that extraordinarily beautiful/talented British actress from the 40s, 50s, and 60s died this week. Simmons starred in such great/seminal works as "Elmer Gantry", "The Big Country", "Spartacus", "The Robe", "Hamlet", "Great Expectations", "Until They Sail", "Desiree", "The Happy Ending", and, yes, even "Guys and Dolls". Her co-stars included Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum, Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglass, Richard Burton, Frank Sinatra, Marlon Brando, Laurence Olivier, Alec Guiness, and Paul Newman. To say that this woman was a huge star back then is far, FAR, from hyperbole. But, unlike Audrey Hepburn (a contemporary), who, to this day, is still a luminary, Ms. Simmons has inexplicably fallen between the cracks. Oh well, at least Jennifer Jones'll have somebody to commiserate with in heaven now. That might be a positive side.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
My favorite movie of hers was "Spartacus"; Kirk was great but the look of hopelessness Ms. Simmons gave as a slave early in the movie and the look of hers at the end looking at her crucified husband while holding her child always blows me away.
She was a giant.
Great scene, great movie, great performance.
Post a Comment