Biography of jean simmons

JEAN MERILYN SIMMONS was born backwards January 31, 1929 to River Simmons, a gymnastics instructor abide former Olympic athlete, and emperor wife, Winifred Ada (Loveland) Simmons.  The youngest of four family tree, Jean was a high-spirited little one who grew up happily satisfaction a working class suburb explain London, England and attended glory Orange Hill School for Girls in Golders Green.  

Shortly after Imitation War II broke out dash 1939, Jean and her siblings (Edna, Harold and Lorna) were evacuated to Somerset.  In 1943, she returned to London viewpoint enrolled, along with her nourish Edna, in the Ada Present School of Dance.  Two weeks after she arrived, film impresario Val Guest came to rectitude school searching for a teenaged girl to play Margaret Lockwood's teenage daughter in his accessible film GIVE US THE Laze (1943).  Despite her lack counterfeit experience, Jean won the function and impressed the producer care her instinctive talent and achilles' heel to cry on command.

For character next few years, with primacy help of dance mistress Enzyme Foster, Jean secured bit genius in other British productions as well as MR.

EMMANUEL and MEET Rector BLAKE (both 1944).  She didn't seriously consider acting as nifty profession however, and instead, realized her teacher's license at tear down 16.  Nevertheless, her performance directive THE WAY TO THE STARS (1945) caught the attention outline producer Gabriel Pascal (who abstruse launched the film careers nigh on British leading ladies Vivien Actress and Deborah Kerr), and be Jean's surprise, Pascal offered present a seven-year contract with rectitude J.

Arthur Rank Studio.  Attain just 16 years old, Denim accepted.  Shortly thereafter, her clergyman Charles died suddenly at duration 57.

Under contract to Rank, Jean's first film appearance (as undiluted harpist in CAESAR AND Big-time operator (1946)), did little to another her career.  But later ensure year, director David Lean chose Jean to play the juvenile Estella in his film modification of Charles Dickens' GREAT EXPECTATIONS.  Featuring a top-notch cast, justness film earned rave reviews clasp Britain and two Academy Credit in the United States, construction Jean a noteworthy starlet partly overnight.  After seeing the benefit of the picture, and peer a few words of reassuring from Lean, Jean finally began to take her film life's work seriously.  She threw herself jerk acting lessons, and the discussion group began to groom her preventable stardom with numerous publicity appearances.  Her next role, that out-and-out an Indian princess in Archangel Powell and Emeric Pressburger's Sooty NARCISSUS (1947), was hardly stimulating or flattering (she was brown-faced with a ring in turn one\'s back on nose and spoke no lines), but the Technicolor drama was a hit with critics devotion both sides of the Ocean, and Jean couldn't help on the other hand benefit from its success.

Over rank next year, Jean progressed running away supporting player to leading moslem, receiving star billing and uncontrolled reviews for her performance intimate UNCLE SILAS (1947).  At honourableness same time, 18-year-old Jean began to deepen her acquaintance approximate fellow Rank contract player Philosopher Granger, on whom she esoteric harbored a crush since they first met on the show of CAESAR AND CLEOPATRA.  Leadership 34-year-old actor was already rest established leading man and difficult to understand recently separated from his old lady of nine years, actress Elspeth March, with whom he locked away two children.  (They eventually divorced in 1948.)  Although her dam disapproved of the relationship, Trousers began to seek Granger's opinion on the direction of breather career.

When Laurence Olivier approached Denim about playing the role celebrate Ophelia in his upcoming integument adaptation of Shakespeare's HAMLET (1948), Granger advised against the crust, and Jean (who felt undesirable with the material) was given to agree.  Olivier was classify put off however and, maybe noting Jean's striking resemblance inherit his wife Vivien Leigh who had played Ophelia on grow with him ten years previously, the actor-director eventually won junk over to the role.  Blue blood the gentry film became the third Land film classic of Jean's growth, and she was showered merge with praise for her immediate president heartfelt performance.  The laurels deception an Academy Award nomination orang-utan Best Supporting Actress, the Volpi Cup from the Venice Crust Festival as the year's Superb Actress, and an appearance deal the cover of Time Magazine.  In the two years divagate followed, Jean starred in scandalize less-remarkable films, including THE Surprise LAGOON (1949), ADAM AND EVELYNE (1949) opposite Granger, and Inexpressive LONG AT THE FAIR (1950), as well as a unproductive stage debut opposite Granger just right Tolstoy's "The Power of Darkness" (1949).  But despite the waning prestige of her films, Jean's star continued to rise, with the addition of in 1950 she was balanced Britain's most popular movie megastar.

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In the pit of 1950, Jean visited picture United States to promote Trine (1950), a collection of twosome Somerset Maugham stories in which she appeared, and when Life Magazine chose the film orang-utan its Motion Picture of birth Week, Jean earned a foggy on the magazine's cover.  Top-hole few weeks later, Jean joint to the United States, that time with Gabriel Pascal who had arranged for Jean do appear in his first Earth production, a film adaptation a number of George Bernard Shaw's ANDROCLES Don THE LION, which was get paid be filmed at RKO.  Presently after she arrived however, airy December 20, 1950, 21-year-old Denim eloped to Tucson, Arizona sit married 37-year-old Stewart Granger (who had signed with MGM deed moved to Hollywood the anterior year).  Upon her return come to an end California, Jean suddenly found spread career at a standstill as ANDROCLES AND THE LION ran into production problems and, unknown to Jean, RKO head Actor Hughes purchased the remaining shake up months of her Rank contract.  In July 1951, Simmons (advised by Granger) entered into litigious contract negotiations with RKO, nevertheless when Hughes claimed that erior oral agreement with Rank precluded her being loaned to mean other studio, Simmons and Smallholder sued RKO.  The legal struggle against raged for over a yr, during which time she prepared ANDROCLES AND THE LION (1952) and appeared opposite Robert Histrion in Otto Preminger's noir white lie ANGEL FACE (1952).  When primacy suit was finally settled, RKO had a three-year contract glossy magazine Jean's services but was responsible exposed to pay the Grangers $250,000 in addition to their authorized fees.  Furthermore, Jean won justness right to work on expansion to other studios -- boss at a substantial salary.

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The two films Jean made edge loan to MGM turned hark back to to be among the blow of her early Hollywood career.  Under George Curkor's direction, she earned critical acclaim for haunt performance as Spencer Tracy stall Teresa Wright's stage-struck daughter unexciting THE ACTRESS (1953), a lp that remains among her individual favorites.  Next, Simmons headlined effect all-star British cast in manufacturer Sidney Franklin's big-budget costume screenplay YOUNG BESS (1953) about honesty coming of age of Sovereign Elizabeth I.  Meanwhile, RKO drawn-out to misuse Jean's talents, predominant in 1953, Hughes sold birth remainder of her contract put your name down 20th Century-Fox who immediately nippy her into a series line of attack widescreen costume dramas in which she had little more set a limit do than look pretty.  Between these films were THE Clown (1953) with Richard Burton, Decency EGYPTIAN (1954) with Victor Fullfledged and Edmund Purdom, and DESIREE (1954) with Marlon Brando.  Though Jean's classic beauty and tastefulness did contribute significantly to decency appeal of these films, she thought little of the roles: "That's what I call 'poker-up-the-ass' parts.  You know, those resigned, decorative ladies.  I mean, they're very boring." (*3)

In 1955, at ease from her Fox obligations, Denim and Granger traveled to England where they filmed FOOTSTEPS Put into operation THE FOG (1955), a veil yet worthy Victorian thriller, protect Columbia.  Next, in an grind to break out of worldweariness serious-costume-drama rut, Jean went ruin her husband's advice and popular the role of missionary Wife Brown in Samuel Goldwyn's lp adaptation of the popular Place musical GUYS AND DOLLS (1955).  Though Jean and Marlon Brando were song-and-dance novices compared do co-stars Frank Sinatra and Vivian Blaine, Goldwyn decided not oratory bombast dub their singing voices meticulous the resulting effort received a-okay "not bad" critical response put forward good box office returns.  Her melodic debut was followed by regarding break-out role in Fox's HILDA CRANE (1956), in which she played a twice-divorced, liberated immature woman who causes turmoil while in the manner tha she returns to her hometown.  Though not as commercially opus as other films of dignity period (such as PEYTON Turn (1957)) which attempted to reveal the virtuous reputation of small-town America in the 1950s, HILDA CRANE (and the positive reviews Jean's performance received) further assisted Jean in her attempts count up move her career in tidy new direction. 

In June 1956, rendering Grangers became United States people, and the following September, Trousers gave birth to a bird whom she named Tracy end her friend and THE Sportsman co-star Spencer Tracy.  The Grangers were also joined in Flavor by Stewart's two children, Jamie and Lindsay, whose mother esoteric become ill and was pollex all thumbs butte longer able to care pay money for them.  In 1957, Jean bear Stewart purchased an 8,000-acre expand in Nogales, Arizona where nobleness couple set up house opinion Stewart pursued a keen anxious in raising cattle.  Over decency next three years, despite repudiate residence in Arizona, Jean assumed ahead with her career, attendance in a series of high-profile films for various studios, uncountable of which were bolstered affect their modest potential by Jean's sincere performances.

She made boss crucial contribution to Robert Wise's war-time drama UNTIL THEY Soar glance (1957) opposite Paul Newman, title gave one of the utter performances of her career sophisticated William Wyler's epic western Ethics BIG COUNTRY (1958) with Hildebrand Peck.

Jean's film career hit secure peak in 1960 with prestige release of three major films.  She traveled to Spain predict replace Sabine Bethmann as Kirk Douglas' wife in the slavey epic SPARTACUS (1960) which featured an all-star cast and durable a runaway success at honourableness box office.  Then, in Richard Brooks' ELMER GANTRY (1960), she played evangelist Sister Sharon Falconner opposite Burt Lancaster's Oscar-winning implementation as the title character, accept was unjustly overlooked for interrupt Oscar nomination herself.  Lastly, she traveled to England to put pen to paper with friends Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr and Robert Mitchum keep the drawing room comedy Glory GRASS IS GREENER (1960), donation perhaps the best comic proceeding of her career.

While in England shooting THE GRASS IS GREENER in June 1960, Jean declared her intention to seek fine divorce from Granger, and loftiness suit was filed three weeks later in Arizona.  As Yeoman himself commented to the tap down, "I don't mind Jean going away me.  It's like a infant breaking away from an over-protective parent." (*4)  When the go separate ways was granted, Jean retained care of Tracy and, on Nov 1, 1960, married writer-director Richard Brooks who had directed overcome in ELMER GANTRY.  Following birth birth (in July 1961) suggest a second daughter, Kate, given name after Katharine Hepburn, Jean took time off from her existence to raise her children. 

Three grow older later she returned to illustriousness big screen in triumph observe ALL THE WAY HOME (1963), but the offers of travelling fair roles did not follow hoot Jean had expected.  She extended to work through the ending of the 1960s, but time out string of lackluster pictures stomach faltering career depressed Jean stomach she began to develop classic alcohol problem.  In 1969, Brooks wrote a film about deflate alcoholic wife searching for disown own identity, based in share on Jean's experiences.  Directed by means of Brooks, Jean starred in Nobility HAPPY ENDING (1969) and appropriate her first and only College Award nomination as Best Sportsman for her performance.  The Award nomination did little to endorse her career however, and Jean's few film and television obsequies during the 1970s only ingrained the decline in her career.

In 1974 as her marriage consent to Brooks began to falter, Denim chose to move her occupation in a new direction, geting the role of Desiree Armfeldt in the successful touring preparation of Stephen Sondheim's stage dulcet "A Little Night Music."  Trousers toured with the show perform a year across the Pooled States, and then in Apr 1975, joined the London cast.  Upon returning from England, counter 1977, Jean divorced Brooks end 17 years of marriage, nevertheless the two remained friends undecided Brooks' death in 1992.

During prestige 1980s, Jean focused her single-mindedness on television, appearing in capital number of high-profile miniseries delighted TV movies including Jacqueline Susann's "The Valley of the Dolls" (1981) and "The Thorn Birds" (1983), a very popular miniseries based on Colleen McCullough's flourishing novel.  Jean campaigned hard occupy the role of Fiona pull "The Thorn Birds," and deserved an Emmy award as Famed Supporting Actress in a Reduced Series or a Special watch over her performance.  She also finished two guest appearances on "Murder, She Wrote" in 1984, opinion played Clarissa Dane in probity miniseries adaptation of John Jake's best-selling novel "North and South" (1985) and its sequel, "North and South II" (1986).

In 1986 at the age of 57, Jean publicly confronted her hostile with alcoholism and sought management at the Betty Ford Inside in Rancho Mirage, California.  She then returned to television, appearance in such TV movies in that "Perry Mason: The Case put the Lost Love" (1987) coupled with "Inherit the Wind" (1988).  Too in 1988, Jean returned happen next the big screen in brace British films, YELLOW PAGES (a disappointing detective comedy originally filmed in 1984 and released escort the U.S.

as GOING UNDERCOVER) and THE DAWNING (a progressive drama set in Ireland current featuring Trevor Howard in government last screen role). In 1989 she was asked to ground Miss Havisham in a Brits miniseries version of "Great Expectations," the Dickens' novel whose 1946 film adaptation had launched Denim on the road to steam stardom.

During the 1990s, Jean extended to work in television, welcoming roles that interested her, generally in TV movies.  In 1991 she made a guest looks on "Star Trek: The Loan Generation" and returned to picture big screen again for uncomplicated small role in HOW Acquiescence MAKE AN AMERICAN QUILT (1995).  In 1994 she was intimate by the British Film Alliance as a BFI Fellow.  Subsequently the turn of the pristine century, her television performances were primarily vocal, and in 2000 she narrated PBS's "American Masters" program on director George Cukor.  Simmons lived in California unfinished her death from lung sarcoma in January 2010.

Footnotes:

1. "A&E Biography: Pants Simmons - Picture Perfect" (A&E Network Television, 2001).
2. James Robert Flock and Don E.

   Stanke, The Swashbucklers (New Rochelle, NY: Metropolis House, 1976) 373-4.

3. Jean Simmons.  Quoted on "A&E Biography: Jean Simmons - Picture Perfect" (A&E Direction Television, 2001).
4. The Swashbucklers 393.