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Biography
On November 12, 1929, Grace Patricia Kelly was born in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to wealthy parents. Her girlhood was
uneventful for the most part, but one of the things she desired was
to become an actress which she had decided on at an early age.
After her high school graduation in 1947, Grace struck out on her
own, heading to New York's bright lights to try her luck there.
Grace worked some as a model and made her debut on Broadway in
1949. She also made a brief foray into the infant medium of
television. Not content with the work in New York, Grace moved to
Southern California for the more prestigious part of acting --
motion pictures. In 1951, she appeared in her first film entitled
FOURTEEN HOURS when she was 22. It was a small part, but a start
nonetheless. The following year she landed the role of Amy Kane in
HIGH NOON, a western starring Gary Cooper and Lloyd Bridges which
turned out to be very popular. In 1953, Grace appeared in only one
film, but it was another popular one. The film was MOGAMBO where
Grace played Linda Nordley. The film was a jungle drama in which
fellow cast members, Clark Gable and Ava Gardner turned in
masterful performances. It was also one of the best films ever
released by MGM. Although she had come into prominence with HIGH
NOON, it was the 1954 film, REAR WINDOW that really made her stand
out. As Lisa Fremont she was cast opposite Jimmy Stewart who played
a crippled, photographer who witnesses a murder in the next
apartment from his wheel-chair. It was the first time Grace was
teamed up with the world famous director, Alfred Hitchcock. The
film made her a bona fide star. Grace stayed busy in 1954 appearing
in five films. After GREEN FIRE, Grace appeared in DIAL "M" FOR
MURDER, another thriller directed by Hitchcock. With her next film
THE COUNTRY GIRL, Grace would forever be immortalized by winning
the Oscar for Best Actress for her portrayal of Georgie Elgin
opposite Bing Crosby. Her final film that year was THE BRIDGES AT
TOKO-RI with Fredric March, William Holden, and Mickey Rooney. In
1955, Grace was once again teamed up with Alfred Hitchcock in TO
CATCH A THIEF co-starring Cary Grant. In 1956, she played Tracy
Lord in the musical comedy HIGH SOCIETY which also starred Frank
Sinatra and Bing Crosby. The whimsical tale ended with her
re-marrying her former husband, played by Crosby. The film was well
received. It also turned out to be her final acting performance.
Grace had recently met and married Prince Rainier III of the little
principality of Monaco. By becoming a princess, she gave up her
career. For the rest of her life, she was to remain in the news
with her marriage and her three children. On September 14, 1982,
Grace was killed in an automobile accident in her adoptive home
country. She was just 52 years old.
Biography courtesy of the Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com).
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Grace Kelly
