Marilyn Pauline "
Kim"
Novak (born February 13, 1933) is a retired American film and television actress.
She began her film career in 1954 after signing with
Columbia Pictures. There she starred in a string of movies, among them the well received
Picnic (1955). She later starred in such films as
The Man with the Golden Arm (1955) and
Pal Joey (1957). However, she is perhaps
Alfred Hitchcock's thriller
Vertigo (1958) with
James Stewart. Novak enjoyed box-office success and starred opposite several prominent leading men of the era, including
Fred MacMurray,
William Holden,
Frank Sinatra,
Tyrone Power,
Kirk Douglas, and
Laurence Harvey.
best known today for her performance as Madeline Elster/Judy Barton in
Although still only in her mid-30s, Novak withdrew from acting in 1966, and has only sporadically worked in films since. She appeared in
The Mirror Crack'd (1980), and had a regular role on the primetime series
Falcon Crest (1986–87).
[2] After a disappointing experience during the filming of
Liebestraum (1991), she permanently retired from acting, stating she had no desire to return.
[3] Her contributions to world cinema have been honored with two
Golden Globe Awards, an
Honorary Golden Bear Award, and a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame among others. She works as a visual artist.
Columbia intended for Novak to be their successor to
Rita Hayworth, their biggest star of the 1940s, whose career had declined; also, the studio was hopeful that Novak would bring them the same box-office success
Marilyn Monroe brought
20th Century-Fox. Novak's first role for the studio was in the film noir
Pushover (1954), in which she received third billing below
Fred MacMurray and
Philip Carey. She then co-starred in the romantic comedy
Phffft (1954) as Janis, a character who finds Robert Tracey (
Jack Lemmon) "real cute". Both films were reasonably successful at the box office, and Novak received favorable reviews for her performances. In her third feature film,
5 Against the House (1955), a gritty crime drama, she received equal billing with
Guy Madison. It was only a minor critical and box-office success.
She then played Madge Owens in the film version of Picnic (1955), from the
William Inge play, co-starring
William Holden and
Rosalind Russell. Its director,
Joshua Logan, felt that it would be more in character for Novak to have red hair; she agreed to wear a red wig during filming.
Picnic was a resounding critical and box-office triumph, and Novak won a
Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer. She was also nominated for
BAFTA Film Award for Best Foreign Actress, but did not win. She appeared as a mystery guest on the game show
What's My Line? on February 5, 1956, to promote the film's opening at the
Radio City Music Hall. Director
Otto Preminger then cast her in
The Man with the Golden Arm (1955), in which she played
Frank Sinatra's sultry ex-girlfriend. In a cast which included
Eleanor Parker, Novak received praise for being one of the film's bright spots, and the film was a box-office hit.
Novak's next project,
The Eddy Duchin Story (1956), cast her as Marjorie Oelrichs, the wife of pianist
Eddy Duchin, played by
Tyrone Power. Because the two leads did not get along during filming, Novak nearly considered backing out of the production, but decided against it. At the time of its release, the film was a critical and box-office hit, with many suggesting that Novak's advertisements for No-Cal diet soda contributed positively to the film's success. Offered a choice for her next project, she selected the biopic
Jeanne Eagels (1957), in which she portrayed the
stage and silent-screen actress who was addicted to
heroin. Co-starring
Jeff Chandler, the film was a largely fictional account of Eagels' life. Eagels' family sued Columbia over the way Eagels had been depicted in the movie.
[17]
After appearing in a series of successful movies, Novak became one of the biggest box-office draws of 1957 and 1958. Columbia then placed her in a film adaptation of
Pal Joey (also 1957), based on the 1940 novel and
Broadway play, both written by
John O'Hara. Playing Linda English, a naive showgirl, she again co-starred opposite Frank Sinatra and Rita Hayworth. Released in October, the film received favorable reviews;
Variety called the film "strong, funny entertainment," although Novak's performance has generated a mixed reaction, partly because of noticeable lack of on-screen charisma. The movie was a box-office hit and has been considered one of Novak's better performances.
