These warm feelings for Nixon led Kerr to do something very un-Hollywood. [10], Kerr returned to the London stage in many productions including the old-fashioned, The Day After the Fair (Lyric, 1972), a Peter Ustinov comedy, Overheard (Haymarket, 1981) and a revival of Emlyn Williams's The Corn is Green. Kerr played a very public tug-of-war between the saintly and the saucy. In fact, there was something very unusual about this role that made it absolutely career-defining. Critics took notice of Kerrs performance and that earned her the attention of Hollywood producers. Before long, she got a call that would take her straight to the screen. People always think Im the epitome of the English gentlewoman, which just goes to show that things are never quite what they seem, said Deborah, who took a huge chance by breaking her contract to pursue the role of Karen, a disillusioned U.S. Army wife engaged in a torrid affair in From Here to Eternity. Deborah Kerr, who lived at her . Which accent hasn't she done? In 1975, she returned to Broadway, creating the role of Nancy in Edward Albee's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Seascape. Lucky for Kerr, Hiller had to back out of the role due to pregnancy. Kerr's first film role was in the British production Contraband (US: Blackout, 1940), aged 18 or 19, but her scenes were cut. [citation needed], She made two films at MGM: The Journey (1959) reunited her with Brynner; Count Your Blessings (1959), was a comedy. All Rights Reserved. Instead, it set her free. Although nominated six times as Best Actress, Kerr never won a competitive Oscar. "She relished the. Deborah Jane Trimmer was born on 30 September 1921 in Glasgow, Scotland, the daughter of Captain Arthur Kerr Trimmer. They had two daughters, Melanie Jane (born 27 December 1947) and Francesca Ann (born 18 December 1951, and subsequently married to the actor John Shrapnel). Oct. 19, 2007 12 AM PT. Ironically, it was Powells Black Narcissus that finally sealed the deal. On 30 September 2021, on what would have been Kerr's one hundredth birthday, the Lord Provost of Glasgow, Philip Braat, unveiled a memorial plaque in Ruskin Terrace, on the site of the nursing home where Kerr was born. So, the production team for The King and I quietly contacted soprano-for-hire Marni Nixon to sing for Kerr. Taking the advice to heart, Kerr left her dance shoes on the sidelines. All successful people these days seem to be neurotic. 1964; US; 1h 57min; 12; Directed by: John Huston Written by: Tennessee Williams (play) John Huston, Anthony Veiller (screenplay) Cast: Richard Burton, Ava Gardner, Deborah Kerr One of the more satisfactory screen adaptations of Tennessee Williams' work has Burton as the unfrocked, alcoholic priest who finds work as a bus-tour guide in Mexico and becomes involved with both . Alexander Korda cast her opposite Robert Donat in Perfect Strangers (1945). Her second marriage was to author Peter Viertel on 23 July 1960. The heat was so intense that Kerr lost a whopping 12 pounds. We spent many magical summers and winters [there], her grandson Lex Shrapnel, who stars in Infiniti, streaming on Canal+, tells Closer. 'Bing's Lucky Number: Pa Crosby Dons 4th B.O. Other TV roles included Ann and Debbie (1986) and Hold the Dream (1986), the latter a sequel to A Woman of Substance. At Factinate, were dedicated to getting things right. Born on September 30, 1921, this year marks her 100th birth anniversary. The stage was set. Historys most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily. Her husband, however, continued to live in Marbella. Please let us know if a fact weve published is inaccurate (or even if you just suspect its inaccurate) by reaching out to us at contribute@factinate.com. This same critic did, however, have one positive thing to say about Kerr: He said that she was a very pretty and promising beginner.. There should be more words for thank you, shouldnt there?. Alexander Korda cast her opposite Robert Donat in Perfect Strangers (1945). Neither film was much of a hit. 6th January 2022 On 21st October 1921, Arthur Trimmer registered the birth of his daughter Deborah Jane in the Hillhead district of Glasgow. Deborah Kerrs stage name pays homage to her Scots roots. She had a strong support role in Major Barbara (1941) directed by Gabriel Pascal. They divorced in 1959. Its understood she had been hoping to visit Helensburgh during her visit but time ran out. But the dangers of research were nothing compared to the near-fatal disaster that went down during her next project. Yes, Kerr had signed on to the film to change her reputation, but had she signed on for this? First of all, Kerr got the job even though there was a huge number of actors vying for it700! She was soon co-starring with acting greats like Clark Gable, Spencer Tracey, and Ava Gardner. She quickly fell into the arms of her next conquestbut he turned out to be adownright disappointment. The two quietly divorced, and, once again, Kerr found herself in need of a husband. Damned if Im going to say that, Deborah said. But to get more roles like this, she had to do something drastic. Closer Weekly is part of the a360media Entertainment Group.Copyright a360media 2023. excellence and international renown in their chosen professional fields, See 'Magnum P.I.' Times Staff Writer. Please go to the Instagram Feed settings page to create a feed. But despite her illustrious future, her childhood was not a walk in the park. In From Here to Eternity, Deborah Kerr and Burt Lancaster shared a passionate kiss as a wave broke over their bodies. The film was an adaptation of the stage play Love on the Dole and Kerr caused quite a stirbut maybe not for the reason she wanted. [citation needed]. Critics and audiences obviously liked what they saw, and Kerr received a best actress nomination from the Academy. By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms and Conditions and that you have read our Privacy Policy. She returned to the cinema one more time in 1985's The Assam Garden. Godden grew up in England and India and lived in Moniaive, Dumfries & Galloway, for 25 years until her death in 1998 aged 90. And boy, she didnot disappoint. She was born Deborah Jane Kerr-Trimmer, the daughter of Captain Arthur Kerr-Trimmer, at Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire, on September 30 1921 and educated in Bristol, where she attended a drama school . Deborah Kerr was born in September 1921 in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland and died in October 2007. By 1953, movie fans had grown used to seeing Deborah in largely virtuous roles. According to Powell, his affair with Kerr ended when she made it clear to him that she would accept an offer to go to Hollywood if one were made. That doesnt really come across in quite the same way in the original, she added. She played a Norwegian resistance fighter in The Day Will Dawn (1942). That is the big difference between it and the current version which was shot on location in Nepal.. Georgina Ainsley. Although nominated six times as Best Actress, Kerr never won a competitive Oscar. She also did A Song at Twilight (1982). Our editors are instructed to fact check thoroughly, including finding at least three references for each fact. As the most commanding mistress in the French court, she bettered the lives of many and became a beloved figure. It seemed that Bartley wasnt fond of having a wife that made more money than he didand Kerr was just getting started. She received an offer to play a supporting role in 1940s Contraband. She was nominated for an Academy Award for her role in The Sundowners. This marriage, however, was off to a bad start. KERR, Deborah Helen Joyce At Waipuna Hospice 9/4/3 at the age of 60. DC Thomson Co Ltd 2023. After various walk-on parts in Shakespeare productions at the Open Air Theatre in Regent's Park, London, she joined the Oxford Playhouse repertory company in 1940, playing, inter alia, "Margaret" in Dear Brutus and "Patty Moss" in The Two Bouquets. Deborah Kerr (19212007) was a British actress who holds the record - six - for most Best Actress Oscar nominations without a win. Kerrs agent, Allenberg called up Columbia head honcho Harry Cohn to petition Kerr for the role in From Here To Eternity. Deborah Kerr net worth: Deborah Kerr was a Scottish actress who died in 2007 with a net worth of $10 million. I have not come across anyone who had a bad word to say about her. Years later, I was using her phone when I made an utterly chilling discovery. . and whose actions, in addition to their achievements, embody the Kerr performed the same role in Vincente Minnelli's film adaptation released in 1956; her stage partner John Kerr (no relation) also appeared. She joined Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra in a love triangle for a romantic comedy, Marriage on the Rocks (1965). Kerr trained as a dancer in her aunt's drama school in Bristol, England. Mrs Shrapnel, who sadly lost her actor husband John, 77, to cancer on Valentines Day, added: My mother was certainly very proud of her Scottish birth and ancestry and I was always encouraged to think of myself as an honorary Celt! Subscribe for only 5.49 a month and enjoy all the benefits of the printed paper as a digital replica. Secondly, the producers decided that her name meant a lot to the picture, so they did something unprecedented for an actress of her age: On the poster, they put her name above all the other performers. There's something about the family structure that encourages secrets. Both flopped, as did Beloved Infidel (1959) with Gregory Peck. As the consolation prize, Kerr really had to prove herself. Born Deborah Jane Trimmer on September 30, 1921, in a private nursing home in Glasgow, she took the name from her paternal grandfather Arthur Kerr Trimmer who had adopted it from his Scottish maternal grandmother. Both flopped, as did Beloved Infidel (1959) with Gregory Peck. In the meantime, however, Kerrs agent did something that destroyed this dream: Hed sold her contract to MGM studios in the US. Young Deborah spent the first three years of her life in the west coast town of Helensburgh, where her parents lived with Deborah's grandparents in a house on West King Street. Closer Weekly has affiliate partnerships so we may receive compensation for some links to products and services. She took to the stage quite naturally and even found some success in the theatre. She was educated at Northumberland House, Clifton, Bristol. Based on the 1939 novel by Rumer Godden, the movie was cut by censors in the US before, decades later, being lauded by directing great Martin Scorsese as one of the first truly erotic films. At this point, all hope seemed lostuntil the unexpected happened. Kerrs aunt, Phyllis Smale, saw Kerr struggling with her shyness and suggested acting. Kerr's first marriage was to Squadron Leader Anthony Bartley RAF on 29 November 1945. She had the lead in a comedy Please Believe Me (1950). Deborah Kerr, the acclaimed British actress whose versatile talent and refined screen persona made her one of Hollywood's top leading ladies in the 1950s in films such as "From Here to. Allenberg thought the role could be a game-changer for Kerr, but he had a huge obstacle to overcome: He had to convince the producers that Kerr was right for the part. Soured on celebrity culture, she vowed she would never write a tell-all book. The Glasgow, Scotland-born beauty spent her formative years studying ballet, but switched to drama when she grew too tall to become a prima ballerina. This page was last edited on 19 March 2023, at 01:49. The process of development from a romantic, silly girl to a hard, disillusioned woman in three hours was moving and convincing". In 1994, Glenn Close presented Kerr with the Honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement with a citation recognising her as "an artist of impeccable grace and beauty, a dedicated actress whose motion picture career has always stood for perfection, discipline and elegance". Andrew, Penelope. To avoid confusion over pronunciation, Louis B. Mayer, head of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer billed her as "Kerr rhymes with Star!" However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss the mark. The logistics of shooting the scene may have been a nightmare, but cavorting with Lancaster ended up being a dream come true. "She has the rare gift", wrote critic Beverley Baxter, "of thinking her lines, not merely remembering them. After all, she chose one of the most grueling vocations. She played a Norwegian resistance fighter in The Day Will Dawn (1942). So too was the spy comedy drama I See a Dark Stranger (1946), in which she gave a breezy, amusing performance that dominated the action and overshadowed her co-star Trevor Howard. Arthur Charles Kerr Trimmer, a World War I veteran and pilot who lost a leg at the Battle of the Somme and later became a naval architect and civil engineer. She took on the role of the older Emma Harte, a tycoon, in the adaptation of Barbara Taylor Bradford's A Woman of Substance (1984). [8] She made Young Bess (1953) with Granger and Jean Simmons, then appeared alongside Cary Grant in Dream Wife (1953), a flop comedy. Kerrs record definitely belonged to the latter group. Travel Destinations. Thanks for your help! Kerr ended up paying a colossal $1000 per week just to get out of her contract. "[21], Kerr died aged 86 on 16 October 2007 at Botesdale, a village in the county of Suffolk, England, from the effects of Parkinson's disease. They decided to do something different, which is all they could do.. The film was a hit in the US, as well as the UK, and Kerr won the New York Film Critics Award as Actress of the Year. After various walk-on parts in Shakespeare productions at the Open Air Theatre in Regent's Park, London, she joined the Oxford Playhouse repertory company in 1940, playing, inter alia, "Margaret" in Dear Brutus and "Patty Moss" in The Two Bouquets. During the Broadway run, however, tragedy struck. [citation needed]. At this time, Kerr was living in Switzerland with husband Viertel, but their life lacked one important thing: a place to swim. But that wasnt all. Although the British Army refused to co-operate with the producers and Winston Churchill thought the film would ruin wartime morale Colonel Blimp confounded critics when it proved to be an artistic and commercial success. Kerr was extremely shy, so dancing in front of a crowd didnt come easy. Kerr's first stage appearance was at Weston-super-Mare in 1937, as "Harlequin" in the mime play Harlequin and Columbine. Her estimated net worth was $10 million. offered her a fee comparable to that paid to the rest of the cast combined, but she turned it down in favour of appearing in an aborted stage version of Flowers for Algernon. And while she found the leading ladies of the TV series less compelling than their 1947 counterparts, she conceded: It is very hard to compete with a performance that has become iconic. qualities of achievement and commitment, the BritishHeritage.org serves to recognize the British Heritage contribution to the betterment of mankind. Trimmer and Smale married, both aged 28, on 21 August 1919 in Smale's hometown of Lydney, Gloucestershire. According to Powell, his affair with Kerr ended when she made it clear to him that she would accept an offer to go to Hollywood if one were made. The Sundowners saw her reunited with Fred Zinneman and Robert Mitchum. As an unhappily married woman having a torrid affair with an army officer shortly before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Deborah Kerr is equally powerful in one of her best-remembered movies, From Here to Eternity (1953), stealing the romantic melodrama from her male co-stars. Physical Description Extent One of Hollywoods worst-kept secrets was that many actors had their voices dubbed by professional singers. Travel Ideas. 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Throughout her career, the Academy honored Kerr with six Academy Award nominations, but the record she set was for something she never didwin. She returned to the cinema one more time in 1985's The Assam Garden. Shed love Gemma Arterton and would probably be rather moved at the thought of Pressburgers grandson producing it. Thank you, Deborah said, clearly moved by the extended standing ovation she received at the ceremony. While working on the 1956 movie The King And I with Yul Brynner she met singer Marni Nixon who voiced her songs for her and discovered they shared a Scottish ancestry. And thats when something awkward happened. So too was the spy comedy drama I See a Dark Stranger (1946), in which she gave a breezy, amusing performance that dominated the action and overshadowed her co-star Trevor Howard. [citation needed], Concern about the parts being offered to her, as well as the increasing amount of nudity included in films, led her to abandon the medium at the end of the 1960s, with one exception in 1985, in favour of television and theatre work. The Iconic Style of Deborah Kerr. [citation needed], Although she never won a BAFTA or Cannes Film Festival award in a competitive category, both organisations gave Kerr honorary awards: a Cannes Film Festival Tribute in 1984[34] and a BAFTA Special Award in 1991. She appeared in Gary Cooper's last film The Naked Edge (1961) and starred in The Innocents (1961) where she plays a governess tormented by apparitions. It has a lot of shots that look very similar. She was an actress," Deborah Kerr's husband of 47 years, the writer Peter Viertel, noted in Affairs to Remember: Deborah Kerr.4 Interviewed not long before her death, he revealed a relationship apart from their marriage, which went back many years: the romance between Deborah Kerr and the camera. Kerr returned to the London stage in many productions including the old-fashioned, The Day After the Fair (Lyric, 1972), a Peter Ustinov comedy, Overheard (Haymarket, 1981) and a revival of Emlyn Williams's The Corn is Green. Deborah Kerr is a wonderful woman, mother of two daughters and grandmother of three grandchildren. [22][23][24], Within three weeks of her death, her husband Peter Viertel died of cancer on 4 November. 1959) Peter Viertel ( m. 1960) . After changing careers, she soon found success as an actress. Mini bio of the life of actress Deborah Kerr who is probably most famous for her performance as Anna Leonowens in the musical film The King and IThis video w. DEBORAH KERR OBITUARY. She played a nun in Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison (1957) opposite her long-time friend Robert Mitchum, directed by John Huston. This British beauty made a living playing prim and proper school teachers, nuns, and princesses. Deborah Kerr, original name Deborah Jane Kerr-Trimmer, (born September 30, 1921, Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire, Scotlanddied October 16, 2007, Suffolk, England), British film and stage actress known for the poise and serenity she exhibited in portraying complex characters. It's an unbelievable terror, a kind of masochistic madness. Stewart Granger claimed in his autobiography that in 1945 she had approached him romantically in the back of his chauffeur-driven car at the time he was making Caesar and Cleopatra. Deborah Jane Trimmer [1] was born on 30 September 1921 in Hillhead, Glasgow, [3] the only daughter of Kathleen Rose ( ne Smale) and Capt. Survivors include her daughters from her first marriage, Martha Carr and Melani Gold Friedman; her sisters Donyl Mern Aleman, Adair McEathron Jenkins and Ariel Lea Witbeck; six. Deborah Kerr and Cary Grant made four films together, the most famous of which is An Affair to Remember, but four years before they declared their love for one another on an ocean liner and immortalised the Empire State Building; they starred in a comedy called Dream Wife. Thereafter, Kerr's career choices would make her known in Hollywood for her versatility as an actress. Their solution, however, was completely underhanded. Kerr became known in Britain playing the lead role in the film of Love on the Dole (1941). She and Walter Pidgeon were cast in If Winter Comes (1947). Her second marriage was to author Peter Viertel on 23 July 1960. Crawford was so high on her popularity that shed made a staggering demandone that left the role up for grabs. She was 45 years old at the time, making her the oldestand likely, best paidBond girl. Arthur Charles Kerr Trimmer, a World War I veteran and pilot who lost a leg at the Battle of the Somme and later became a naval architect and civil engineer. Strangely, within a few months, both her husband and biographer also passed. [8], In September and October 2010, Josephine Botting of the British Film Institute curated the "Deborah Kerr Season", which included around twenty of her feature films and an exhibition of posters, memorabilia and personal items loaned by her family. The lights were also extremely hot, and Kerr had to dance under them all day long. Please reach out to us to let us know what youre interested in reading. She is a celebrity Actor. Acting Daughter of Legendary Actor Burt Lancaster Shares Stories of Her Father September 3, 2015 Students, faculty, and staff gathered in the New York Film Academy Theater to attend an evening centered on the life and work of legendary actor-producer Burt Lancaster. Cohn still couldnt rid himself of the impression of Kerr as a prim and proper ladyor worse stilla nun. [12] Kerr made clear that her surname should be pronounced the same as "car". We began our interview sitting comfortably on the terrace, where the great celluloid diva spends . She then went to the Sadler's Wells ballet school and in 1938 made her dbut in the corps de ballet in Prometheus. During the filming, she dubbed herself the melting Miss Kerr. Sounds like an idea for a new fad diet. [4][5], Young Deborah spent the first three years of her life in the west coast town of Helensburgh, where her parents lived with Deborah's grandparents in a house on West King Street. Deborah Jane Trimmer was born on 30 September 1921 in Hillhead, Glasgow, the only daughter of Kathleen Rose (ne Smale) and Capt. As the series was broadcast on successive nights last week, Kerrs daughter Francesca Shrapnel found herself glued to her screen for all three episodes and she told The Sunday Post her mother would have loved them. But that was just the tip of the iceberg. Star Perdita Weeks' Bikini Photos, See Your Favorite Celebrity Couples in Swimsuits: Best Beach Photos, Meet Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone's Daughters Vivian and Georgette, Pure Sunshine! In fact, the writer and director thought it was a great idea, and quickly convinced Cohn to hand the role over to Kerr. Deborah Jane Trimmer was born on 30 September 1921 in Hillhead, Glasgow, the only daughter of Kathleen Rose (ne Smale) and Capt. In her search, she came across the very un-show businessy Anthony Bartley, who was a squadron leader for the Royal Air Force. That memorable role was part of a career that spanned 50 years and earned her six Best Actress Oscar nominations. Crown', Learn how and when to remove this template message, list of the 100 most romantic films of all time, Outstanding Supporting Actress - Limited Series, Best Actress Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, Golden Globe Award for "Best Actress Motion Picture Musical or Comedy", New York Film Critics Circle Award for "Best Actress", "The King and I actress Deborah Kerr is Glasgow's star - and there is a birth certificate to prove it", "Deborah Kerr, Actress Known for Genteel Grace and a Sexy Beach Kiss, Dies at 86", "Between The Lines A film by Michael Scheingraber", "Casino Royale is too much for one James Bond", "Biggest Snubs in Academy Awards History", "Pierre Tchernia prsentateur du palmares du festival de Cannes", "Hollywood actress Deborah Kerr recognised in home town of Weston-super-Mare", "Glasgow roots of Hollywood star celebrated as plaque is unveiled", Deborah Kerr: An Actress in Search of an Author, Deborah Kerr "Rhymes with Star" tribute site, Deborah Kerr Rhymes With Star, and What a Star She Was: She Deserves to be Remembered, Too, Extensive collection of press articles from the 1940s to 2000s, photo galleries and other information, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Deborah_Kerr&oldid=1145417567, Alfold Cemetery, Alfold, near Guildford, Surrey, England. In a further case of coincidence, they were all the same age86 years old. She adored the climate., But, in time, Deborah realized that she didnt love the studio system, which pigeonholed her as an actress. However Kerr then played Anna Leonowens in the film version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The King and I (1956); with Yul Brynner in the lead, it was a huge hit.
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