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Biography
Kim Novak was born in Chicago, Illinois on February 13, 1933 with
the birth name of Marilyn Pauline Novak, she was the daughter of a
former teacher turned transit clerk and his wife, also a former
teacher. Throughout elementary and high school, Kim did not get
along well with teachers. She even admitted that she didn't like
being told what to do and when to do it. Her first job, after high
school, was modeling teen fashions for a local department store.
Kim, later, won a scholarship in a modeling school and continued to
model part time. Kim later worked odd jobs as an elevator operator,
sales clerk, and a dental assistant. The jobs never seemed to work
out so she fell back on modeling, the one job she did well. After a
stint on the road as a spokesperson for an appliance company, Kim
decided to go to Los Angeles and try her luck at modeling there.
Ultimately, her modeling landed her an uncredited role in the RKO
production of THE FRENCH LINE (1954). The role encompassed nothing
more than being seen on a set of stairs. Later a talent agent
arranged for a screen test with Columbia Pictures and won a small
six month contract. In truth, some of the studio hierarchy thought
that Kim was Columbia's answer to Marilyn Monroe. Kim, who was
still going by her own name of Marilyn, was originally going to be
called Kit Marlowe. She wanted to at least keep her family name of
Novak, so the young actress and studio personnel settled on Kim
Novak. After taking some acting lessons, which the studio declined
to pay for, Kim appeared in her first film opposite Fred MacMurray
in 1954's PUSHOVER. Though her role as Lona McLane wasn't exactly a
great one, it was her beautiful looks that seemed to capture the
eyes of the critics. Later that year, Kim appeared in the film,
PHFFFT! with Jack Lemmon and Judy Holliday. Now more and more fans
were eager to see this bright new star. These two films set the
tone for her career with a lot of fan mail coming her way. Her next
film was as Kay Greylek in 1955's FIVE AGAINST THE HOUSE. The film
was well-received, but it was her next one for that year that was
her best to date. The film was PICNIC. Although Kim did a superb
job of acting in the film as did her costars, the film did win two
Oscars for editing and set decoration. Kim's next film was with
United Artist's on a loan out in THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM. Her
performance was flawless, but it was was Kim's beauty that carried
the day. The film was a big hit. In 1957, Kim played Linda English
in the hit movie PAL JOEY with Frank Sinatra and Rita Hayworth. The
film did very well at the box-office, but was crucified by the
critics. Kim really didn't seem that interested in the role. She
even said she couldn't stand people such as her character. In 1958,
Kim appeared in a dual role of Judy Barton and Madeleine Elster in
Alfred Hitchcock's, now classic, VERTIGO with Jimmy Stewart. This
film's plot was one that thoroughly entertained the theater patrons
wherever it played. The film was one in which Stewart's character,
a detective, is hired to tail a friend's wife (Kim) and witnesses
her "suicide". In the end Stewart finds that he has been duped in
an elaborate scheme. Her next film was BELL, BOOK AND CANDLE which
didn't fare as well at the box-office. By the early, 1960's Kim's
star was beginning to fall especially with the rise of new stars or
stars that were remodeling their status within the film community.
With a few more non-descript films between 1960 and 1964, she
landed the role of Mildred Rogers in OF HUMAN BONDAGE. The film
debuted to good reviews. After 1965's THE AMOROUS ADVENTURES OF
MOLL FLANDERS, Kim stepped away from the cameras for a while,
returning in 1968 to star in THE LEGEND OF LYLAH CLARE. It flopped.
After that, Kim, basically, was able to pick what projects she
wanted. After THE GREAT BANK ROBBERY in 1969, Kim was away for
another four years until she was seen in a television movie called
THE THIRD GIRL FROM THE LEFT. Subsequent films were not the type to
get the critics to sit up and take notice. In 1981, Kim played, of
all people, Kit Marlowe in the TV series Falcon Crest. Her last
film, on the silver screen, was LIEBESTRAUM in 1991.
Biography courtesy of the Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com).
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Kim Novak
