May 25, 2010

TV Tuesday: Kim Novak in 1956 and 1985

I found a pair of interesting Kim Novak interviews--filmed decades apart from each other. The first is on a British television program, filmed in 1956. Novak attempts to be soft-spoken and gracious, but some of the questions seem to raise her ire. She especially seems to struggle to find something kind to say about Tyronne Power. This woman was obviously too strong to be destroyed by the sex symbol label, as so many actresses were.

 

In this 1985 clip from Entertainment Tonight, the interviewer visits her at her Carmel, California property. It's striking how much more secure she seems here. It appears that her self-imposed exile from Hollywood had exactly the effect she had hoped for.

 

Novak would go on to a guest run on Falcon Crest and supporting roles a couple of independent features, but I don't think she found the plum role she was hoping for. However, I hear she is still living a lovely life in rural Oregon.

3 comments:

  1. KC

    I first remember Kim in “Five against the House” and as then as Molly O in “The Man with the Golden Arm”. I just watched “Vertigo” again a few weeks ago in the North Atlantic. The hundredth time perhaps? Likely more. Never the interest wanes in the film or in Kim Novak.

    Maybe it is the Rashomon effect, but I did not sense any difficulty in her being kind in her remarks on Tyrone Power. Except the hesitancy that of a star struck fan, perhaps, looking into the eyes of an idol. But there is Rashomon isn’t there?

    Kim was special (still is apparently). Hitchcock was dead wrong in his assessment of her on the Hitchcock Tapes (on Vertigo): “I had a terrible actress.” David Thompson I think has the best (or at least the most articulate) read on her. It borders on profound understanding.

    Thank you for the clips. Gerald

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  2. Ha--yeah Gordon, I think I brought with me a faint memory of her biography, where I remember there being some on-set trouble with Power. It's been so long since I've read it, but of course, you always remember the controversial details the best.

    I thought Pushover was another great early role. She was pretty good right out of the gate.

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  3. KC

    You are absolutely right. Pushover was excellent. For some reason I never saw it when I was young. Only caught up with it a few years back when TCM featured Kim in Summer of the Stars. I think I have seen all of hers now except Liebestraum which I have in my Netflix queue. Thank you again.

    Gerald

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