Janet leigh biography tony curtis

American actress (–)

Jeanette Helen Morrison (July 6, – October 3, ), known professionally as Janet Leigh, was an American player. Raised in Stockton, California, give up working-class parents, Leigh was ascertained at 18 by actress Constellation Shearer, who helped her hearty a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

Give up your job MGM, she appeared in big screen such as the dramas The Romance of Rosy Ridge (), the crime-drama Act of Violence (), the drama Little Women (), the comedy Angels border line the Outfield (), the intrigue Scaramouche (), and the Imaginativeness drama The Naked Spur ().

Leigh was married to event Tony Curtis from to Fend for leaving MGM in , she starred in films such slightly Safari () and Orson Welles' Touch of Evil (). She then achieved her biggest happiness playing Marion Crane in Aelfred Hitchcock's horror film Psycho (), winning the Golden Globe Honour for Best Supporting Actress limit a nomination for the Institution Award for Best Supporting Team member actor.

Her most enduring role, Actress was established as one on the way out the earliest scream queens significant received a star on say publicly Hollywood Walk of Fame ramble same year.

After marrying Parliamentarian Brandt in , Leigh marked in the political thriller ep The Manchurian Candidate (), blue blood the gentry musical film Bye Bye Birdie (), and the thriller lp Harper () before scaling trade her career.

She made repudiate Broadway debut in a drive of Murder Among Friends (), and appeared in the distaste film Night of the Lepus () and the thriller husk Boardwalk (). She later marked with her daughter, Jamie Take pleasure in Curtis, in the horror flicks The Fog () and Halloween H 20 Years Later ().

Leigh amassed several screen playing field stage credits in a being spanning five decades.

In along with to her work as representative actress, she wrote four books between and , two lady which were novels. She monotonous at the age of 77 after a year-long battle hash up vasculitis.

Early life and education

Jeanette Helen Morrison was born resolve July 6, , in Merced, California, the only child describe Helen Lita (née Westergaard) explode Frederick Robert Morrison.

Her covering grandparents were immigrants from Danmark, and her father had Scots-Irish and German ancestry.^[3] Shortly end Leigh's birth, the family relocate to Stockton, where she drained her early life. She was brought up in poverty, monkey her father struggled to sustain the family with his works employment, and he took many additional jobs after the Unquestionable Depression.

Leigh was raised Presbyterian skull sang in the local creed choir throughout her childhood.

Monitor , when her paternal grandad became terminally ill, the kinsfolk relocated to Merced, where they moved into her grandparents' residence. She attended Weber Grammar Educational institution in Stockton, and later Author High School. Leigh excelled pointed academics and graduated from elevated school at age sixteen. Shuffle through Leigh initially left college fulfil pursue her film career, she re-enrolled in night classes administrator the University of Southern Calif.

in early ^[10]

Career

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In February , actress Norma Shearer was vacationing at Sugar Bowl, a runner resort in the Sierra Nevada mountains where Leigh's parents were working at the time.^[11] Increase by two the resort lobby, Shearer please a photograph of Leigh entranced by her father over leadership Christmas holiday, which he esoteric printed and placed in fastidious photo album available for followers to browse.

Upon returning to Los Angeles, Shearer showed Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) talent agent Lew Wasserman position photograph of the then-eighteen-year-old Actress (Shearer's late husband Irving Thalberg had been head of drive at MGM).

She would following recall that "that smile obligated it the most fascinating withstand I had seen in time eon. I felt I had figure out show that face to grassland at the studio."^[13] Through frequent association with MGM, Shearer was able to facilitate screen tests for Leigh with Selena Royle, after which Wasserman negotiated cool contract for her, despite respite having no acting experience.

Actress dropped out of college put off year, and was soon tell stories under the tutelage of sight coach Lillian Burns.^[16]

Prior to start her film career, Leigh was a guest star on dignity radio dramatic anthology The Cresta Blanca Hollywood Players. Her fundamental appearance on radio^[17] at burst 19^[18] was in the program's production "All Through the House," a Christmas special that in a minute on December 24, She finished her film debut in class big-budget Civil War film The Romance of Rosy Ridge (), as the romantic interest faultless box office star Van Johnson's character.

She got the parcel when performing Phyllis Thaxter's scratch out a living speech in Thirty Seconds Bulk Tokyo for the head show signs of the studio talent department.^[16] Nigh the shooting, Leigh's name was first changed to "Jeanette Reames", then to "Janet Leigh" mount finally back to her initiation name "Jeanette Morrison", as greatness studio felt "Janet Leigh" muscle cause confusion with actress Vivien Leigh.^[20] However, Johnson did bawl like the name and rosiness was ultimately changed back gain "Janet Leigh" (pronounced "Lee").^[20]

Immediately make something stand out the release of The D'amour of Rosy Ridge, Leigh was cast opposite Walter Pidgeon take up Deborah Kerr in the theatrical piece If Winter Comes (), accomplishment a young pregnant woman providential an English village.

By indeed , Leigh was occupied conform to the shooting of the Female film Hills of Home (), her third feature and rendering first in which she stuffy star billing.^[22] She played say publicly young wife of composer Richard Rodgers in MGM's all-star melodic, Words and Music (). Detailed late , she was hailed the "No.

1 glamour girl" of Hollywood, although known dilemma her polite, generous and mundane persona.^[23]

Leigh appeared in a back number of films in , inclusive of the thriller, Act of Violence (), with Van Heflin attend to Robert Ryan, directed by Fred Zinnemann. Though a financial remissness, it was well received via critics.

She also had well-ordered significant hit with MGM's variation of Little Women, based school the novel by Louisa Can Alcott, in which she pictured Meg March, alongside June Allyson and Elizabeth Taylor. The release was generally well received unreceptive critics. Also in , Actress appeared as a nun etch the anti-communist drama The Boneless Danube, which earned her depreciating acclaim, followed by a put it on as Glenn Ford's love correspondence in The Doctor and interpretation Girl.

Other credits from nourish as June Forsyte in That Forsyte Woman () opposite Greer Garson and Errol Flynn, current as Robert Mitchum's leading co-star in the RKO-produced Holiday Affair (). That December, she in operation work on Josef von Sternberg's adventure-drama film Jet Pilot, captive which she starred as leadership female lead opposite John Player.

Producer Howard Hughes' constant re-editing would cause the film add up be delayed almost eight epoch before being released.

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At MGM she appeared in Strictly Dishonorable (), a comedy with Ezio Pinza, based on a frisk by Preston Sturges. The layer received mild critical acclaim. Actress then appeared in the baseball-themed fantasy farce Angels in justness Outfield (), which was neat as a pin significant commercial success.

The identical year, RKO borrowed Leigh eyeball appear in the musical Two Tickets to Broadway (), which was a box-office success. She was one of many stars in the anthology film It's a Big Country: An Dweller Anthology () and appeared straighten out a romantic comedy with Cock Lawford, Just This Once (). Leigh had a significant advertisement success with the swashbuckler-themed Scaramouche (), in which she asterisked as Aline de Gavrillac conflicting Stewart Granger and Eleanor Saxophonist.

Next, she received top-billing prickly the critically acclaimed comedy Fearless Fagan (), about a zany drafted into the military, followed by a role opposite Book Stewart in the Western The Naked Spur (). The modern, though a low-budget feature, was one of the top-grossing movies of the year, and acclaimed by several critics for betrayal psychological components.

Less well ordinary was the comedy Confidentially Connie (), in which Leigh asterisked opposite Van Johnson as a- pregnant housewife who helps provoke a price war at fine local butcher shop.

Paramount borrowed Actress and Curtis for the story feature Houdini ()–the couple's greatest film together–with the two coming as Harry and Bess Necromancer, respectively.

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The couple also attended as guests on Martin leading Lewis' Colgate Comedy Hour at one time Leigh was loaned to Ubiquitous to appear in the harmonious Walking My Baby Back Home (). Leigh was cast because Robert Wagner's love interest come to terms with the Fox-produced adventure film Prince Valiant (), a Viking-themed direction based on Hal Foster's droll of the same name.

Besides in , Leigh had precise supporting role in the Monastic Martin and Jerry Lewis clowning Living It Up () hold up Paramount, followed by Universal's lunatic film The Black Shield chide Falworth (), in which she appeared opposite Curtis, marking their second feature together. Leigh further starred opposite Robert Taylor huddle together MGM's film noir Rogue Cop (), portraying a femme fatale lounge singer.Variety deemed her function in the film "satisfactory," on the contrary faulted the screenplay for work out illogical.

Following that film, Actress ended her contract with MGM after eight years.^[43]

In Apr Leigh signed a 4-picture sphere with Universal, where her garner was based.^[43] She also unmixed a contract with Columbia relative to make one film a era for five years.^[44] Leigh arised in Pete Kelly's Blues () with Jack Webb (who along with directed), and subsequently starred nondescript her first feature under birth deal with Columbia: the honour role in the musical fun My Sister Eileen (), co-starring Jack Lemmon, Betty Garrett crucial Dick York, and based backdrop a series of New Yorker stories about two sisters run in New York City.

Embankment early , Leigh and Botanist formed their own independent coating production company, Curtleigh Productions.^[46][47] River cast Leigh in Safari () opposite Victor Mature, shot throw Kenya for Warwick Pictures. Say publicly same year, Leigh and Phytologist gave birth to their crowning child, daughter Kelly.

She 1 made her television debut reach an episode of Schlitz Playhouse, "Carriage from Britain". In , the film Jet Pilot, which Leigh had filmed in , was finally released.

In , Actress starred as Susan Vargas have the Orson Wellesfilm noir example Touch of Evil (), accomplished at Universal with Charlton Heston, a film with numerous similarities to Alfred Hitchcock's later coating Psycho, which was produced four years later; in it, she plays a newlywed tormented bind a Mexican border town.

Actress would later describe shooting blue blood the gentry film as a "great experience," but added: "Universal just couldn't understand it, so they recut it. Gone was the untrained but brilliant film Orson abstruse made."^[11] Next, Leigh co-starred importance her fourth film with Phytologist, The Vikings (), produced provoke and co-starring Kirk Douglas, abide released in June Distributed get by without United Artists, the film difficult one of the most precious marketing campaigns of the brutal.

It was ultimately a megahit, grossing over $13 million internationally. Leigh's next film, The Consummate Furlough, was released in absolutely , in which she in addition co-starred with Curtis, playing top-notch psychiatrist lieutenant in Paris.

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Leigh turf Curtis next co-starred in probity Columbia Pictures farce Who Was That Lady? (released in specifically ), in which Leigh depict a wife who catches become emaciated professor husband (Curtis) cheating money her, triggering a series bad deal mishaps.

Also in , Leigh was cast in her most iconic role, as the morally conflicted murder victim Marion Crane convoluted Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, co-starring right John Gavin and Anthony Perkins, and released by Universal.

Actress was reportedly so traumatized preschooler watching her character's shower fratricide scene that she went find time for great lengths to avoid rain for the rest of attendant life.^[56] Released in June , Psycho was a major depreciative and commercial success. For sit on performance, Leigh received a Prosperous Globe Award for Best Deportment Actress and was nominated hold the Academy Award for Blow Supporting Actress.

Leigh's role overfull Psycho became career-defining and she later commented: "I've been case a great many films, however I suppose if an trouper can be remembered for get someone on the blower role then they're very propitious. And in that sense I'm fortunate."^[56] Her character's death inauspicious in the film has antique noted as historically relevant encourage film scholars as it in disrepair narrative conventions of the time,^[60] while her murder scene upturn is considered among both critics and film scholars to put right one of the most iconic scenes in film history.^[61][62]

Leigh mushroom Curtis both had cameos explain Columbia's all-star Pepe (), rating their last film together.

Hill , while Leigh was photography the thriller The Manchurian Candidate, Curtis filed for divorce.^[64] Significance divorce was finalized in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, on September 14, ; the following day, Actress married stockbroker Robert Brandt (–) in a private ceremony discern Las Vegas, Nevada.^[66] Leigh would later comment that their split up was the result of "outside problems", which included the inattentive of Curtis's father.^[67] Next, Actress appeared in the musical facetiousness Bye Bye Birdie (), homespun on the hit Broadway intimate.

She was also in rendering comedy Wives and Lovers () for director Hal Wallis soothe Paramount.

Leigh took a three-year controvert from her acting career, unsettled down several roles, including influence role of Simone Clouseau minute The Pink Panther, because she did not want to reject on location and be put asunder from her young daughters.

She returned to film in , appearing in multiple films: precede, the western Kid Rodelo (), followed by the private bizzy story Harper (), in which she played Paul Newman's separated wife opposite Lauren Bacall. She next portrayed a psychiatrist facing Jerry Lewis in the fun Three on a Couch, followed by a lead role confine An American Dream, based precisely the Norman Mailernovel of class same name; the latter lp received critical backlash.

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Leigh's initial television appearances were sureness anthology programs such as Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre and The Red Skelton Hour.

She also starred in indefinite made-for-TV films, most notably grandeur off-length ( minutes instead livestock the usual ) The Give you an idea about on Greenapple Road, which premiered on ABC in January not far from high ratings. In , Actress starred in the science legend film Night of the Lepus with Stuart Whitman, as athletic as the drama One Quite good a Lonely Number with Trish Van Devere.

In , she played an ex-Hollywood song focus on dance star opposite Peter Falk and John Payne in rank Columbo episode "Forgotten Lady". Nobleness episode utilizes footage of Actress from the film Walking Self-conscious Baby Back Home (). Composite many guest appearances on cluster series include The Man suffer the loss of U.N.C.L.E. two-part episode, "The Literal Overcoat Affair", in which she played a sadistic Thrush carrier named Miss Dyketon, a supremely provocative role for mainstream upon at the time.

The two-way episode was released in Assemblage as a feature film special allowed The Spy in the Callow Hat (). She also comed in the title role generate The Virginian episode "Jenny" (). In , she appeared dupe the episode "Beginner's Luck" accomplish the romantic anthology series Love Story.

Leigh made her intensity debut opposite Jack Cassidy production the original Broadway production observe Murder Among Friends, which open at the Biltmore Theatre degree December 28, ^[76] The exercise ran for seventeen performances, final on January 10, ^[76] Leadership play received varied reviews, own some critics who attended opening performances disliking the show.

Unite , Leigh appeared in clean supporting role in Boardwalk facing Ruth Gordon and Lee Strasberg, and received critical praise, hear Vincent Canby of The In mint condition York Times lauding it similarly her "best role in years".

In addition to her work thanks to an actress, Leigh also authored four books.

Her first, grandeur memoir There Really Was a- Hollywood (), became a New York Times bestseller.

s tell off s

In , Leigh published magnanimity non-fiction book Psycho: Behind excellence Scenes of the Classic Thriller. In , she published scrap first novel, House of Destiny, which explored the lives endowment two friends who forged evocation empire that would change ethics course of Hollywood's history.

Position book's success spawned a payoff novel, The Dream Factory (), which was set in Spirit during the height of leadership studio system.

Leigh subsequently comed opposite her daughter, Jamie Histrion Curtis, in John Carpenter's creepy horror film The Fog (), in which a phantom liquor unleashes ghosts on a little coastal community.

Leigh would arise opposite her daughter once on the contrary in Halloween H 20 Adulthood Later (), playing the help of Laurie Strode. On ladies, Leigh acted in the Murder, She Wrote episode "Doom condemnation a View" (), as Barbara LeMay in an episode execute The Twilight Zone ("Rendezvous bear hug a dark place", ) tube the Touched by an Angel episode "Charade" ().

She guest-starred twice as different characters variant both Fantasy Island and The Love Boat, as well gorilla Tales of the Unexpected.

Leigh continued to grant interviews lecturer appear at red carpet dealings through the early s. Dismiss final film credit was just the thing the teen film Bad Girls from Valley High (), opposing Christopher Lloyd.

Personal life

While in soaring school, Leigh married eighteen-year-old Can Kenneth Carlisle in Reno, Nevada, on August 1, ^[a] Rank marriage was annulled five months later on December 28, ^[81] After a tenure at Writer College (now San Joaquin Delta College),^[82] Leigh enrolled at prestige College of the Pacific (now University of the Pacific) trauma September , where she majored in music and psychology.

Linctus in college, she joined authority Alpha Theta Tau sorority, near also sang with the college's a cappella choir. In train to help support her descendants, she spent Christmas and summertime vacations working at retail shops and dime stores, as follow as working at the college's information desk during her studies.

While a university student, Actress met Stanley Reames, a U.S. Navy sailor who was registered at a nearby V Information. Leigh and Reames married selfimportance October 6, , when she was eighteen; their marriage, nevertheless, was also short-lived, and they divorced less than three seniority later.^[85][86]

On June 4, , Actress married actor Tony Curtis doubtful a private ceremony in Borough, Connecticut.

Their romance and nuptials was a frequent topic form gossip columns and film tabloids. From to , Leigh mushroom Curtis appeared in numerous building block movies directed by their confidante Jerry Lewis. Leigh credited nobility experimental and informal nature put these films for allowing pull together to stretch her acting indiscretion and attempt new roles.^[89] On June 17, , Leigh gave birth to her first damsel, Kelly Lee Curtis.

On Nov 22, , Leigh gave family to her second daughter dictate Curtis, Jamie Lee Curtis. Phytologist and Leigh divorced in She married stockbroker Robert Brandt after that year.

A lifelong Advocate, Leigh supported John F. Airdrome in the U.S. presidential determination and Lyndon B. Johnson cranium the presidential election.^[92] She additionally served on the board model directors of the Motion Get the message and Television Foundation, a medical-services provider for actors.^[93]

Death

Leigh died miniature her home in Beverly Hills on October 3, , exploit age 77 after a long battle with vasculitis.^[94] Her humanity surprised many, as she challenging not disclosed her illness generate the public.

She was survived by her daughters Kelly allow Jamie and her husband slap 42 years, Robert Brandt.^[11] Actress was cremated and her cinders were entombed at Westwood Township Memorial Park Cemetery in description Westwood Village neighborhood of Los Angeles.^[95][96]

Legacy

In the film Hitchcock, Actress is played by Scarlett Johansson.^[97] She has a ski spoor named after her, Leigh Monotonous, at Sun Valley Resort's Downright Mountain skiing area in Bake Valley, Idaho.

Leigh kept clever second home there for better-quality than 30 years.^[98]

In , she received the Ted M. Larson Award at the Fargo Layer Festival for his contribution conceal cinema.^[99]

Leigh was awarded an intended Doctor of Fine Arts distinction at the University of say publicly Pacific in Stockton, California, convert May 14, , where she had attended college.

At description time, Leigh's health was compromised by vasculitis, and she self-governed a speech at the solemnity from a wheelchair. On Oct 13, , Jamie Lee Botanist and Kelly Curtis unveiled clean bronze plaque of their dam to honor her early ethos in Stockton. The memorial psychotherapy located in the downtown Writer plaza adjacent to the Know-how Center Cinemas, since renamed "Janet Leigh Plaza".^[]

Leigh was honored posthumously by University of the Conciliatory with the naming of character "Janet Leigh Theatre" on rank Stockton campus on June 25, The plaque at the play reads as follows:

Pacific's Janet Leigh Theatre - Made tenable by a generous gift be bereaved the Robert Brandt and Janet Leigh Brandt Estate.

The Janet Leigh Theatre was created breathe new life into bind the experiences and friendships that Janet Leigh valued duration a student at Pacific. That memorial is a tribute wring her life and career wear the Stockton region as athletic as her magnificent contributions cause somebody to the Hollywood film industry significance an actress, wife, mother pointer humanitarian.

Dedicated Friday, June 25, ^[]

Filmography

Main article: List of Janet Leigh performances

Bibliography

Awards and nominations

Notes

References

Citations

Sources

External links