Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Happy Birthday Grace Kelly

If you have been reading my blog for a while you know that I love old actors such as Audrey Hepburn, Katherine Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, and Grace Kelly. I haven’t done one of these posts in a while but Grace Kelly is my all time favorite actress and today is her birthday so of course I had to do a Grace Kelly birthday post! Grace Kelly was so effortlessly beautiful, the epitome of grace, a kind person, style icon, and a wonderful actress. 
Named after her father’s late sister, Grace Kelly was born in Philadelphia to John and Margaret Kelly on November 12, 1929. Grace Kelly was one of four children, she had an older sister, Peggy, an older brother, John Jr., and a younger sister, Lizanne. Grace came from an otherwise athletic family; her mother was the first woman to head the Physical Education Department at the University of Pennsylvania, her father a triple Olympic-gold-medal-winning sculler, her brother followed in their father’s step, and both of her sister were always active. Two of Grace Kelly’s uncles were prominent in the arts; one being a vaudeville star and the other being a renowned dramatist, screenwriter and director. It is said that Grace Kelly was somewhat introverted as a child and could often times be found in her room inventing new plays and acting them out with her dolls. Kelly family was a close-knit one. 
Grace Kelly along with her mother and sisters modeled fashions at local social events, while attending Ravenhill Academy, a Catholic girls’ school. Dancing and Acting in school plays all through high school, she graduated from Stevens School in May 1947. To her parents dismay, due to her low mathematics scores Grace was rejected by Bennington College. Grace decided to pursue her dreams of a career in the theater. For her audition into the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York she decided to use a scene from her uncle’s play, “The Torch-Bearers”. Kelly obtained an interview with the school’s admission officer and was admitted due to her uncle George. Grace Kelly worked as a model to pay for her studies. Her early acting pursuits lead her to Broadway. 
 In 1950 John Ford first noticed Kelly in a screen test; the studio flew Kelly to LA to audition in 1952. After her screen test Kelly won the role along with a seven-year contract. Two months after signing her contract Kelly left for Nairobi to begin the production of the film Mogambo. Grace Kelly’s role in Mogambo earned her a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress and her first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Alfred Hitchcock also saw the 195s screen test and became one of Kelly’s last mentors. Kelly was cast in some of Hitchcock’s many well-known films. Dial M for Murder was one of the first movies Hitchcock and Kelly worked on together. One of my favorite movies Grace Kelly started in is Rear Window, another Hitchcock film. Kelly worked along side of Jimmy Stewart {one of my favorite actors from this time period}. Kelly was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in the film The Country Girl. Needless to say Grace Kelly had a very successful film career. 
While attending the Cannes Film Festival in April 1955 Kelly met the prince of Monaco, Prince Rainier III. After returning home Kelly started work on The Swan, in which she played a princess. Meanwhile she privately began a correspondence with Rainier. In December, Rainier came to America on a trip officially designated as a tour. While in America Rainer met the Kelly family and after three days Rainer proposed. The couple has both a civil and religious wedding in April 1956. The same year she was married Kelly’s last film, High Society, was released.




*Side note: It is believed that Prince Rainier was searching for a wife, because a 1918 treaty with France stated that if Rainier did not produce an heir Monaco would revert to France as a result of the Monaco Succession Crisis of 1918. It is also rumored that Prince Rainier was aiming to marry an American film star in order to boost tourism in Monaco; Marilyn Monroe was first approached about marrying Prince Rainier, it is said that she just laughed and called him Prince Reindeer. I prefer the more romantic version, that it was a whirlwind romance between Grace Kelly and the Prince. 
Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier had three children together, Caroline, Albert II, and Princess Stéphaine. After the wedding Prince Rainier banned the screening of Grace Kelly’s films in Monaco. In 1962 Hitchcock offered Kelly the lead in his film Mamie; she was eager to take the part, but due to her new title and status she rejected the part due to the public outcry in Monaco against her involvement in a film that portrayed her as a kleptomaniac. In 1977 Kelly returned to the arts in a series poetry readings on stage and the narration of the documentary “The Children of Theater Street”. The Princess Grace Foundation was later formed in Monaco to support local artisans. On September 13, 1982, while driving her daughter, Stéphanie, Princess Grace suffered a stroke, causing her to drive her Rover off the road down a mountainside. Grace died the following day at the Monaco Hospital. Grace Kelly was an accomplished individual who left behind an unforgettable legacy. 


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40 comments:

  1. Aww I love grace Kelly! She's so classy, and all around an inspiring person :)

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    1. She really is such an inspiring person!

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  2. It was nice to know more about her! thanks for sharing.

    noradulce.blogspot.com

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    1. Happy to hear you enjoyed this post!

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  3. Love this post. She's really inspiring! I also love old actors

    xoxo Zoe
    http://thatszoe.blogspot.com

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    1. I love old actors too, I think they were just so glamorous and elegant!

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  5. It was enjoyable reading this post. She is one of my favourite actress (fashion icon and role model) as well :) xx

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    1. She is my favorite actress and just favorite everything, she really was such a beautiful and inspiring person!

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  6. Great post! Wanna follow each other? Let me know! I follow you now on GFC - now it's your turn :)

    www.confassion.blogspot.com

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    1. Thank you for the follow! I will definitely stop by your blog later on! :)

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  7. Brilliant post. I adore old style Hollywood, I think there is nothing as glamorous. Thanks x

    Linzylabellevie

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    1. I think old Hollywood was so glamorous! I love how they dressed!

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  8. Aww it's so nice for you to share about something like this with us (: , it's really great to know more about stuff like this. She seems like a very beautiful and elegant lady (: x

    http://birdiethgirl.blogspot.com

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    1. She really was such a beautiful and elegant person.

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  9. such a nice blog.)
    would you like to follow each other?via GFC and on Facebook too:) just let us know, we always follow back <3

    kisses,

    The Scarlet Diaries
    Find us on Facebook

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    1. I would love to follow each other!

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  10. What a classic beauty!!! Love To Catch A Thief , with Cary Grant she was just stunning!
    Stop by for Giveaway today!!!
    Karolyn
    The Relished Roost

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    1. I love Cary Grant! I haven't seen To Catch A Thief, but it is on my list of movies to watch!

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  11. This is so cool! I never really knew much about Grace Kelly until I read this; old hollywood actresses were so classy and glamorous :-)

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    1. I love old actresses! Grace Kelly is my favorite actress, she was such a beautiful person.

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  12. There will be many copycat but one true Grace Kelly. have you ever seen the series with Cheryl Ladd. One of the best portrayals of Grace.

    Marie Angelique

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    1. Very true, there will ever only be one Grace Kelly.

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  13. This is the cutest idea! I have always loved this classy actresses too...especially Audrey Hepburn. Cute blog too!

    Nat,
    http://www.stylestun.com/

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    1. I love Audrey Hepburn as well. There were some wonderful actors from that time period!

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  14. SHE WAS SUCH AN ELEGANT AND GRACEFUL LADY AND ALSO A GREAT ACTRESS. REALLY LOVED HER IN 'REAR WINDOW'. THANKS FOR THIS BEAUTIFUL POST. :)

    Sadia Malik's Blog

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    1. Rear Window is one of my favorite movies!

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  15. Grace Kelly was the definition of class. Very lovely tribute to her!
    -Alex
    http://www.monstermisa.blogspot.com/

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  16. I absolutely love old actresses, and Grace Kelly was a definitely stunner! I am obsessed with her wedding dress!
    xo TJ

    http://www.hislittlelady.com

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    1. I love her wedding dress! I think Helen Rose designed her dress.

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  18. I absolutely adore Grace Kelly! She's one of my favorites, bar none, especially in Rear Window and How to Catch a Thief. Great post!
    xo
    Tara
    shoesillneverhave.blogspot.com

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    1. I love her in rear window! She really was such an amazing person!

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  19. Gone too soon. She was awesome. I adore Rear Window too.

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    1. I agree, she was gone too soon but she made such an impact while she was here.

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  20. i adore grace kelly! her style is like no other, such an inspiration!

    lindsey louise

    hellomrrabbitblog.com

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    1. Grace Kelly's style is so timeless! She was such a fashion icon!

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