Jean Simmons passed away today at age 80 of lung cancer. She had a long and varied film career, beginning at age 14 in the 1944 movie, Sports Day, and ending last year with Shadows in the Sun. Other films include Great Expectations, Black Narcissus, Laurence Olivier's Hamlet (she received an Oscar nomination for her performance as Ophelia), The Actress, The Big Country, Elmer Gantry, The Happy Ending (another Oscar nomination), and Spartacus; she also had an extensive resume of television appearances, including North and South, Hotel, and The Thorn Birds. Like all film ingenues of Hollywood's golden age, Simmons was beautiful, but her beauty was lit with a sharp intelligence and wit that translated well as she aged into character roles.
She is especially remembered for her performance as Sergeant Sarah Brown in 1955's Guys and Dolls. In the clip below, Simmons' Sarah, after imbibing a few too many dolce de leches, lets loose with Marlon Brando's Sky Masterson in a Havana saloon (also worth watching for Brando's lumbering but game dance moves).
Comments
She was lovely, charming, and skillful in "Spartacus," too. But you're right, she's a pure delight as Sister Sarah, and even with her thin voice "If I Were a Bell" is a magnificent moment. (I love the choreography in the dance and fight scene and thought Brando was dashing -- even with his thin voice.) Thanks for this remembrance of those scenes and this actress.
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I left it
on when I
left the house
for the pleasure
of coming back
ten hours later to the greatness of Teddy Wilson "After You've Gone" on the piano in the corner of the bedroom as I enter in the dark
She was lovely, charming, and skillful in "Spartacus," too. But you're right, she's a pure delight as Sister Sarah, and even with her thin voice "If I Were a Bell" is a magnificent moment. (I love the choreography in the dance and fight scene and thought Brando was dashing -- even with his thin voice.) Thanks for this remembrance of those scenes and this actress.
Posted by: DL | January 24, 2010 at 06:57 PM