Beauty will save

English actress Dame Judith Olivia Dench
Perhaps the earliest work of Dench is the role of Juliet in the production of the Shakespeare Royal Company. In 1960, Miss Dench only began her theatrical career, which earned her a reputation of the best and beloved by the audience actress of her generation. But even then, at the beginning of her theatrical path, her Juliet turned out to be a bright personality, possessing features that distinguished the artistic skill of the actress.

However, Judy Dench’s career began in 1957, when fate presented her with the gift that all the actresses dream of. She was 22 years old, had just graduated from the London School of Theatrical Art and came to audition for the famous Old Vic Theater, which was truly a Shakespearean shrine. Judy was stunned when she was immediately offered the role of Ophelia in Hamlet … For the next 4 years she played 10 different roles in Shakespeare’s plays.

Noteworthy, for the first time she became a member of the Shakespeare Royal Company in 1961 and many of her successful roles she created precisely in this theater.

Despite the role of the tragic actress, many theatergoers associate her with the genre of comedy. The actress has a sharp, somewhat hoarse voice, her quick mind and killing wit.

In 1980, the actress won the most prestigious for the British actress theatrical prize. And the Evening Standard newspaper proclaimed her the best actress of the year for the role of the main character of the play Juno and the peacock. According to critics, her work shook the audience with realism.

English actress Dame Judith Olivia Dench

Based on the article in the magazine “Anglia”, February 1984

Melodrama Queen, beautiful actress Sara Montiel
Who is she, this favorite of the public, who has won fame on two continents, the notorious “Chauntecleer Queen”? One of the stars of not the first magnitude on the horizon of the commercial screen? A beautiful woman who demonstrates her exotic charm in bright outfits against the backdrop of gilded interiors and oleographic landscapes? An actress, whose talent may seem problematic if you confine yourself to the criteria worked out in contacts with high-quality cinematography.

Biographical information about Sara Montiel is contradictory and confusing: serious movies almost never mentioned her, and mass magazines took little care about reliability. The date of birth was 10 March 1929. Place of birth – Spain, Campo de Criptana.

Severe poverty of the Spanish village. Gloomy atmosphere of the Catholic family, where the daughter since childhood was prepared for the monastery. Early musicality (aged three she sang folk songs, at seven – learned all parts of three operas by heart). The flight of an eleven-year-old schoolgirl to Madrid for a children’s song contest and a victory in this contest. For the first time she became known as a singer. She studied at the music academy, played in the theater, and sang on the radio.

When film director Vicente Kasanova began to look for young talents, she was among the few lucky ones. No wonder, she played in fims since the age of fifteen. “I never had to study my profession anywhere,” – we read in one of Sarita’s interviews.

Sara Montiel – pseudonym of María Antonia Alejandra Vicenta Elpidia Isidora Abad Fernández. Why she abandoned her real name, it is clear: in the Spanish language, Fernandez meets too often. Anyway, Alexandra Fernandez appeared on the screen only once, giving way to the victorious Sara Montiel.

Of the first films of Sarita worthy of mention is the serial historical insurgent “Madness of Love” (directed by Hias de Orduña, 1948), stands out for its spectacular grandeur.

“My fame came to Spain from Mexico,” says Montiel. In Mexico, Sarita sang and danced in countless films. And according to the classification of the magazine “Films and Filming” she was a “quickie”, which means hastily made art production.

In the pipeline stream of more or less professionally worked “Why do not you love me, dark-skinned?”, “I do not believe men”, “Violet seller”, “The last song” and so on, there was an uncomplicated formula of “film with Sarah Montiel”. In particular, at least four – five songs, and around in various combinations all the same elements of the same melodrama, with a particular set of features. Among them – honest poverty, a small loving heart, jealousy by mistake, fidelity against temptations, broken hopes, realized dreams, fatal accident and rewarded virtue.

She also starred in Hollywood: Aldrich (Vera Cruz, 1954), Fuller (The Flight of the Arrow, 1957), Serenade by Anthony Mann (1955). Most notably, her appearance in the western Aldrich, where she was in a good company with Gary Cooper and Bert Lancaster; but here she did not manage to break out of the stereotypes foreseen by the genre of “passionate fatal Spanish”.

Hollywood polished her screen image, giving it the corresponding Spanish-Mexican charm. In the Hollywood period, Sarita earned well, then married (for director Anthony Mann); but on Hollywood soil, she still did not get accustomed, rushing from there to Mexico, “where the audience understands the words of her songs.”

Again Mexico, again on the screen in various versions of “violetera”, a saleswoman of violets, a girl who, as a result, gets the fabulous congenial “happy end” as a prize for kindness, a pleasant voice and beauty.

Meanwhile, in 1959, Sarita went to Spain to shoot in the film “My Last Tango”. This is her final return to her homeland, and the return was triumphant. In Spain, with her Mexican films, she defeated all the favorites of the audience, including Carmen Sevilla and Marisol. The press speaks of her as an idol, comparing her to Brigitte Bardot. According to press, Montiel’s popularity in Spain is difficult to imagine: she is a “national Sarita”, a spoiled child of spectators of various categories. The Spaniards are grateful to her for exporting national rhythms with her color films, reminding Europe of the existence of the country turned by the Francoists into the backwoods. Noteworthy, films with Sarita in Spain provided the highest box office.

Sarita appeared next to Mario Lanza and Joan Fontaine in “Serenade”, with Rod Steiger in “The Flight of the Arrow”, with Mark Michel in “The Sin of Love”. Also, with Frank Willard, Fernand Grave, Magoli Noel and Gabriel Ferzetti in “Lovely Lola”, and with Raf Vallone in “The Saleswoman of Violets.” In addition, three times her partner was Maurice Ronet (“Carmen from the Main Square”, “My Last Tango”, and “The Nights of Casablanca”).

The desire to become a star of international scale led to the need for equalization with world standards. Besides, now she does not need to obey the absolute power of the producers – she is the producer herself. The actress invested her money into the production of films – and turned out to be a good business woman.

She made a film about the main “pop street” in Spain – “Tuset Street”. There she plays with Patrick Bosho, portraying the “star” of the stage Violetta, the character is more “European” and “authentic” than her previous Martha or Charito. Her ideal is Claude Lelouch.

Actress, producer. Well, what is Sarah Montiel – not a screen Sarita, but a woman? Do not try to get an idea of ​​her personality based on the impressions of journalists and the interviews she gives. A Bulgarian journalist writes that she is “intelligent, serious and well-versed in classical Spanish literature”. And French – that from this typical inhabitant of the Iberian peninsula “hears the sin of Andalusia”. According to some sources, she would like to play in the film without songs, for how to tell about the deep emotions of the heroine, if so many have to sing? While another source states that she can not live without the songs in which her soul is poured …

Most likely, Sara-Sarita says what they want to hear, while retouching and modifying her image. But the ability to catch the expectations of the interlocutor and the viewer – isn’t it a talent?

Queen of melodrama, beautiful actress Sara Montiel

Based on the article in the magazine ‘Actors of Foreign cinema’, 8-1973.

Beauty Icon Italian actress Lucia Bose
First, her film career lasted seven years: beginning at nineteen, she left the movie at twenty-six. And when Lucia Bose announced her intention to resume film career, the general reaction of the press was bewilderment.
Thirteen years given to the family, and how she decided to return to the set after such a break? To start all over again – not a young prize-winner of beauty contests, but on the eve of her forties?

Since 1955, Bose has ceased to act. Newspapers that have married “Miss Italy” with the “great torero” Miguel Luis Domingin as a sensation of medium caliber, have since firmly forgotten about the actress. Her name only rarely flashed in the columns of the society chronicle – until, after the divorce, she decided to return to the cinema. The surging wave of a new interest in the former celebrity also brought out some realities, together with the inevitable husk of gossip and speculation in such cases.

On one of her photographs of 1969 – Bose with her three children. They are very similar to the mother, beautiful, dark-haired – sixteen-year-old Miguel, twelve-year-old Lucia, and ten-year-old Paola. It is difficult to recognize in the new Bose, a soft, happy mother, that star of the Italian screen of the fifties, which fascinated us with her refined, slightly chilly beauty, proud manner and enigmatic detachment …

But a year later the Italian magazine Epoca wrote: “Despite the thirteen-year break, Lucia Bose managed to occupy a leading position in the cinema.” The question that varied criticism in connection with Bose’s new appearance was resolved. She is a professional, an actress, and not just an asterisk, a model entirely dependent on appearance, a passive object for a movie camera.

The actress returned to the cinema. Among the works of Bose are variously diverse roles in the Felini’s Satirecone, in the adaptation of Pratolini’s novel Metello (directed by Bolognini), and in the Taviani Brothers’ Parable film “Under the Sign of Scorpio”. Also, in “The Morning Star” (“Winter in Mallorca”) – a biographical film about Chopin, in a pair with the English actor Christopher Sandford. There, she played George Sand. Finally, one more thing: Bose will be Emma Bovary. A happy event, luck, recognition? After all, she received a proposal flattering for any first-class actress.

To say that Bose “played”, it is possible only conditionally. Not having received a professional education, minimally armed with skills of acting technique, she, finding support in her intuition, lived in each film, pieces of time, pieces of life. Bose sought victory, where her appearance, her psychophysical nature, and her human being naturally fit into the film.

Her fortunes grew on the basis of some special naturalness of existence in front of the camera, “which sees everything”. … One of the most exquisite beauties of the European screen came to the cinema from the counter of the Milan bakery. The beginning of the way promised Bose a classic Hollywood version of the star.
One fine morning, Lucia wakes up the most beautiful and, accordingly, the happiest girl in Italy. Noteworthy, in the same national competition in 1947, Gina Lollobrigida also took the third place. The rest was taken for granted: a certain cinematic Santa Claus, the producer (director), would see her and skyrocketing, to triumphs and fabulous fees. Bose recalls the beginning of her career: indeed, soon after the contest a famous director approached her and said: “Listen, why not to try your hand at the cinema?”

For the first time the “beauty queen” appeared on the screen by no means in the royal guise: in a worn skirt, an old sweater, and rough homemade shepherd shoes. The debut of Bose was the role of a peasant girl in the film by De Santis “No peace under the olive trees.” Lucia Bose naturally becomes one with Anna Magnani, Silvan Mangano, Raf Vallone, and Massimo Girotti.

Later criticism will say that it was Antonioni who discovered Bose’s dramatic talent, in the film “The Chronicle of One Love”, where she starred in the 1950’s. Immediately after the movie appeared, the Avanti magazine wrote that Antonioni “made from the charming Lucia Bose an excellent actress who far outscored all the” femme fatale “of Hollywood.”

She starred in Antonioni’s films again, playing in the “Lady Without Camellias” (1953) drama girl, a former saleswoman, who got into the cinema by chance, but dreams of creativity. All her efforts are vain, hopes are illusory.

Acting “texture” of Bose, naturally, attracted directors of “hard style” – from Bardem, Bunuel (“Lovers of Tomorrow”, 1955) to Francesco Mazelli (“Defeated”, 1955). But, surprisingly enough, she was often invited to comedy roles in simple films about “beautiful but poor,” “poor, but happy,” and a small dream to marry a good guy. We saw her once in a similar film by Luciano Emmer “Girls with the Spaces of Spain” (1952). However, her comedy roles didn’t bring her real success.

Bose was the first to express the Antonionian theme of “total loneliness” of a person in a bourgeois environment. But if Bose’s meeting with neo-realism was too late, then the meeting with Antonioni was too early. And the worldwide success of this director, who came a decade later, he had to share with another actress – Monica Vitti.

Meanwhile, in 1956, when the “Death of a Bicyclist” made a triumphant march across the screens of Italy, the magazine “Cinema Nuovo”, citing the movie stars, noted that the national cinema obviously does not really need Lucia Bose. By this time Italian cinema began to become more and more frankly commercial. Its symbol became the “star for export” – Gina Lollobrigida. She was the head of the list of “Cinema Nuovo”, ahead of even Sophia Loren and Alberto Sordi.

Bose could not compete with Gina, although she was neither more talented, nor younger, nor more beautiful. And remember at the contest “Miss Italy”, where both actresses participated, Bose was the winner and Gina took 3rd place. Unfortunately, Bose didn’t fit the idols of commercial cinema: her peculiar, too serious, and human nature, apparently, was not too malleable. In fact, in the mid-fifties, “demand” for Bose was already small.

In 1999, in the city of Segovia, under Madrid, Lucia Bose, along with her daughter Paola and her son, the famous singer and actor Miguel Bose opened the Museum of Angels. The exposition of the museum is successfully demonstrated all over the world. Currently Lucia Bose lives in Spain.

Beauty Icon Italian actress Lucia Bose

Actors of foreign cinema, 8-1973.

Ideal of intellectual femininity actress Jeanne Moreau

As a star, a woman, and a national figure, Jeanne Moreau exemplified the ideal of the French film actress in the post–New Wave era. According to film critic Ginetta Vincando, “while Brigitte Bardot symbolized sensuality, and Catherine Deneuve – elegance, Jeanne Moreau embodied in the movie the ideal of intellectual femininity.” And Orson Welles called her the best actress of our time.

In fact, Moreau asked the audience and critics a riddle. Awarded, honored, and loved, Uncrowned “Queen Moreau” – la reine Moreau, “great Moro” – la grande Moreau, she rose to the heights of popularity. But the secret mystery of Moreau stubbornly escapes from the daring to comprehend it. The roles she played are full-blooded characters given a wealth of feelings, a sharp thought, and whimsical surprises of female psychology. Like all living things, they are obstinate to rational analysis. These roles outlined by a sharp, sometimes paradoxical drawing. In them there is no vagueness and uncertainty. At the name of Moreau, often appears an image of the most mysterious heroine of the screen – Greta Garbo.
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Charming English fashion models
Perhaps, it will be interesting to look at the magazine “England”, devoted to modern life in the UK, and published by the British government quarterly from 1962 to 1993. Distributed in the Soviet Union in accordance with the terms of the agreement between the governments of Great Britain and the USSR, the magazine was published in Russian. Well illustrated and informative, it was highly popular in the Soviet Union.

Traditionally, the magazine published articles on various topics, including politics, economics, science, education, music, art, learning English, cookery, etc. Besides, some pages of the magazine were given to short stories and poetry. In addition, the magazine gave short glimpses on the history of England, traditions and Royal family. Noteworthy, “England” covered the events in the fashion world, the emergence of new synthetic fabrics, trends in the design of clothing and hairstyle. Of course, it’s this section, which attracted me with the opportunity to make a journey into the past, and specifically 50 years back. Let’s look at the beautiful models, design solutions, and views on fashion in the late 1960’s – early 1970’s.
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Divinely beautiful Polish actress Ewa Szykulska

Born 11 September 1949 in Warsaw, Ewa Szykulska made her debut in cinema in 1966, at the age of 17. In 1971 she graduated from the State Higher Theatrical School in Warsaw, and in 1973 she made her debut in the theater. She worked in theaters in Warsaw, Wroclaw and Poznan, played in many films.

The debut of the 17-year-old actress in the movie was the role in Stanislav Kokezh’s film “Tandem.” A year later, in 1967, the great Polish director Jerzy Hoffmann npticed a young talent and invited to his film “Father”. A few years later, in 1974, their paths once again crossed – Ewa Szykulska played one of the central roles in the famous film “The Flood”, a screen version of the famous novel by Henry Sienkiewicz.
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Tap Dance Queen Beautiful Actress Ann Miller
Born Johnnie Lucille Collier April 12, 1923, Ann Miller became especially popular in 1940s-1950s, American dancer, singer and actress. Famed for her speed in tap dance and called Tap Dance Queen, she could tap 500 times per minute!

Little Johnnie Lucille (real name of the actress) was ill with rickets, so at least somehow to reduce this ailment, the parents gave their daughter to dance classes. Ann fulfilled her childhood dream and played several performances on Broadway. Noteworthy, in the late 1940s, Ann Miller introduced pantyhose into everyday life. Thus, she solved the problem of constantly tearing stockings during the dance performance. Traditionally, stockings were sewn to the underwear of a dancer, and if even one stocking torn, the dancer had to completely change the whole design. That’s why Miller asked for herself to make pantyhose, which could easily be replaced with another pair, if torn.
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1940s Hollywood star beautiful actress Ann Blyth
Born 16 February 1928 in a provincial town of New York state, Ann Blyth was the second child in the family of Harry and Nan. Unfortunately, her parents divorced soon after her birth. As a result, the mother with her two daughters had to survive. Besides, this was the peak of the worst economic crisis, known as the Great Depression. Father never provided any assistance to his family and appeared only when Ann had already become a famous actress.

Raised by her mother in Catholic traditions, Ann, however, has shown great singing and acting talents since childhood. Noteworthy, 13-year-old Annd debuted on Broadway, and at the age of 15 she became a Hollywood actress! When Ann was 18, her mother died (June 1946).

And the peak of her popularity in Hollywood was in the middle of the last century. In fact, nature has endowed Ann in full – she had an attractive appearance, and innate acting talent. And most importantly, she sang beautifully, having a soprano professionally delivered voice. Thus, she had everything to achieve success in the world of show business. The actress successfully starred both in musicals and in films of other genres – dramas, noir, comedy, westerns, adventure and historical.
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Beauty Icon and New Woman Raquel Welch
“I am Myra Breckenridge, and no man will possess me … I’m a New Woman … a creation of imagination, a dream that embodied the eternal desire of all women to regain the dominant position they had lost in the Bronze Age …”
This self-characterization belongs to Myra Breckinridge, the heroine of the eponymous novel by American writer Gore Vidal. Written in the now popular genre of satire with elements of fiction, Vidal’s novel tells of the transformation of a man named Myron into a woman named Myra. And the cinematic career of this super-woman who set herself the goal of winning Hollywood and through it the whole male half of the human race.

The book was a success and, of course, Hollywood immediately bought it. Then, a curious thing happened. Hardly had the film been put into production, as it became the subject of scandalous gossip on the pages of cinematographic and general press. The Time Magazine wrote: “Since the days of Cleopatra, not a single film has caused so much gossip, speculation, and expectations – up to backstage skirmishes …”

Gossip and skirmishes in many ways related to the choice of the performer of the title role. At first, it was assumed that Elizabeth Taylor would play the role of Myra. Reports about this have already appeared in the press, and journalists have speculated how the superstar of Hollywood will handle with the role of superwoman…. However, filmmakers announced: they invited one of the rising stars of modern cinema, Raquel Welch to play Myra.
In addition, the author of the article in Time magazine called Raquel Welch “America’s response to Ursula Andress.”
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