The Brief, Madcap Life of Kay Kendall" Comedic film actress Kay Kendall, born to a theatrical family in Northern England, came of age in London during the Blitz. After starring in Britain's biggest cinematic disaster, she found stardom in 1953 with her brilliant performance in the low-budget film, Genevieve. She scored success after success with her light comic style in movies such as Doctor in the House, The Reluctant Debutante, and the Gene Kelly musical Les Girls. Kendall's private life was even more colorful than the plots of her films as she embarked on a series of affairs with minor royalty, costars, directors, producers, and married men. In 1954 she fell in love with her married Constant Husband costar Rex Harrison and accompanied him to New York, where he was starring on Broadway in My Fair Lady. It was there that Kendall was diagnosed with myelocytic leukemia. Her life took a romantic and tragic turn as Harrison divorced his wife and married Kendall. He agreed with their doctor that she was never to know of her diagnosis, and for the next two years the couple lived a hectic, glamorous life together as Kendall's health failed. She died in London at the age of 32, shortly after completing the filming of Once More with Feeling!, her husband by her side. The Brief, Madcap Life of Kay Kendall was written with the cooperation of Kendall's sister Kim and includes interviews with many of her costars, relatives and friends. A complete filmography and numerous rare photographs complete this first-ever biography of Britain's most glamorous comic star. Eve Golden is the author of several biographies of actresses, Anna Held and the Birth of Ziegfeld's Broadway, as well as a collection of essays on silent film stars. |
Contents
If anyone suggested anything she was game for it | 7 |
Of course there was nobody in London | 12 |
Thats Kay Kendall and shes supposed to be in the chorus | 12 |
Were going to take a chance with you | 22 |
You have no talent Find some nice man and get married | 29 |
I need someone to look after me wifey | 37 |
We made ourselves ill with laughter | 42 |
People think Im the gayest thing on two legs but I get awfully depressed at times | 47 |
I wont be any good at it She needs a strong person | 99 |
It is Kay Kendall who shines brightest a constant pleasure and surprise | 104 |
I just wanted that sense of being at home my first real home | 112 |
They were just lost they were so deeply in love with each other | 117 |
Diggy I think Im dying and they wont tell me | 127 |
If you think Im coming here to die youre wrong | 135 |
No one was ever born into the world with such a bright genius for living | 146 |
Filmography | 153 |
Come on come on getcher autographs here | 53 |
I have two hired killers looking for you at this very moment | 60 |
You stupid longnosed English actor | 67 |
Its about the worst case I know | 74 |
I am not thinking of matrimony either with Mr Harrison or anybody else | 82 |
My career is still important but its not that important | 89 |
Notes | 163 |
Bibliography | 177 |
Acknowledgements | 179 |
Index | 181 |