American film and television actress Kim Novak (1933) starred in such popular successes as Picnic (1955), The Man with the Golden Arm (1955) and Pal Joey (1957). However, she is perhaps best known today for her ‘dual role’ as both Judy Barton and Madeleine Elster in Alfred Hitchcock's classic thriller Vertigo (1958). She withdrew from acting in 1966, but returned sporadically in European films.
Italian postcard by Rotalcolor, no. 4.
German postcard by Krüger, no. 902/29.
German postcard by Krüger, no. 902/26. Sent by mail in the Netherlands in 1963. Collection: Geoffrey Donaldson Institute.
Spanish postcard by Postal Oscarcolor, no. 372.
French postcard by Edition Erving, Paris, no. 757. Photo: Robert Coburn. Kim Novak and William Holden in Picnic (Joshua Logan, 1955).
West-German postcard by Universum-Aktiengesellschaft, Berlin-Tempelhof, no. CK-279. Photo: Maudial Agency.
Italian postcard by Rotalcolor / Rotalfoto, Milano, no. N. 144.
French postcard by E.D.U.G., no. 128.
Kim Novak was born as Marilyn Pauline Novak, professionally in Chicago, Illinois, in 1933. She is the daughter of history teacher Joseph Novak and factory worker Blanche (née Kral) Novak. She won two scholarships to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and during the summer break in her last semester of junior college, Novak went on a cross-country tour modelling for a refrigerator company at trade shows. While stopping by Los Angeles, Novak was crowned Miss Deepfreeze by the refrigerator company.
While there, she and two other models stood in line to be extras in The French Line (Lloyd Bacon, 1954), a film starring Jane Russell. It was here that she was discovered by an agent, who signed her to a long-term contract with Columbia Pictures. Columbia intended for Novak to be their successor to Rita Hayworth, their biggest star of the 1940s, whose career had declined. The studio also hoped that Novak would bring them the same success 20th Century-Fox was having with Marilyn Monroe.
Her first role for the studio was in the film noir Pushover (Richard Quine, 1954). She then co-starred in the romantic comedy Phffft! (Mark Robson, 1954) as Janis, a Monroe-type character who finds Jack Lemmon's character, Robert Tracey, "real cute". Both films were reasonably successful at the box office, and Novak received favourable reviews for her performances.
The film version of Picnic (Joshua Logan, 1955), co-starring William Holden, was a resounding critical and box office triumph. Novak won a Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer. She was also nominated for the BAFTA Film Award for Best Foreign Actress, but did not win. Director Otto Preminger then cast her in The Man with the Golden Arm (1955), in which she played Frank Sinatra's sultry ex-girlfriend. The film was a box office triumph.
After appearing in a series of successful movies, Novak became one of the biggest box office draws. Columbia placed her in a film adaptation of Pal Joey (George Sidney, 1957). She played Linda English, a naive showgirl, opposite Frank Sinatra and Rita Hayworth. The movie was a box office hit and has been considered one of Novak's better performances.
French postcard by Editions P.I., Paris, offered by Les Carbones Korès "Carboplane", no. 834. Photo: Browning Studio / H.P.S.
Italian postcard by Rotalfoto, Milano, no. 502.
Italian postcard by Bromofoto, Milano, no. 962. Photo: Columbia CEIAD. Kim Novak in Phffft (Mark Robson, 1954).
Italian postcard by Bromofoto, Milano, no. 1503. Photo: Paramount Films.
Italian postcard by B.F.F. Edit, no. 3464. Photo: Columbia / CEIAD.
French postcard by Editions P.I., Paris, no. FK 3287. Photo: Baron Studios / Ufa.
West German postcard by Ufa/Film-Foto, Berlin-Tempelhof, no. FK 3579. Photo: Columbia Film.
German postcard by Ufa, Berlin-Tempelhof, no. CK 280. Photo: Terb Agency.
German postcard by Krüger, no. 902/27.
French postcard by Editions P.I., Paris, offered by Les Carbones Korès 'Carboplane', no. 278. Photo: Mondial Agency.
Kim Novak is best known today for the classic thriller Vertigo (Alfred Hitchcock, 1958), opposite James Stewart. During the production, Novak was striking for more money from Columbia, and refused to show up for work on the Vertigo set to protest her salary of $1,250 a week. Novak hired new agents to represent her and demanded an adjustment in her contract. Harry Cohn of Columbia suspended her, but after a few weeks of negotiations, he relented and offered her a new contract worthy of a major star. Vertigo was poorly received at the time of its release in 1958 and failed at the box office, but has since been re-evaluated and is widely considered one of the director's best works.
Sandra Brennan at AllMovie: "In 1958, Novak appeared in her most famous role, that of enigmatic Madeleine in Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece Vertigo. It was a difficult role, but one she rose to admirably. She did have one conflict with Hitchcock on the set concerning the stiff grey suit and black shoes she would be required to wear for most of the picture. When she saw costume designer Edith Head's original plans for the suit, Novak, fearing the suit would be distracting and uncomfortable and believing that grey is seldom a blonde's best colour, voiced her concerns directly to Hitchcock, who listened patiently and then insisted she wear the prescribed garb. Novak obeyed and, to her surprise, discovered that the starchy outfit enhanced rather than hindered her ability to play Madeleine."
In 1958, Novak again worked with Stewart in Richard Quine's Bell, Book and Candle, a comedy tale of modern-day witchcraft, which proved to be a box office success. The following year, she starred opposite Fredric March in the acclaimed drama Middle of the Night (Delbert Mann, 1959), and opposite Kirk Douglas in Strangers When We Meet (Richard Quine, 1960).
Although still young, her career declined in the early 1960s, and after several years in a series of lacklustre films, she withdrew from acting in 1966. She has only sporadically returned since. She returned to the screen in the West-German film Schöner Gigolo, armer Gigolo / Just a Gigolo (David Hemmings, 1978), starring David Bowie, and the British mystery The Mirror Crack'd (Guy Hamilton, 1980), based on the story by Agatha Christie. She also had a regular role on the prime time TV series Falcon Crest (1986–1987).
After a disappointing experience during the filming of the mystery Liebestraum (Mike Figgis, 1991), Kim Novak permanently retired from acting, citing that she had no desire to return. In 2013, she attended the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, where she introduced a new restored version of Vertigo. Audiences gave Novak a standing ovation. Denny Jackson at IMDb: "Today she lives in Eagle Point, Oregon, with her husband Bob, on a ranch where they raise horses and llamas. Kim is also an accomplished artist and has exhibited her paintings in galleries around the country."
Italian postcard by Rotalcolor / Rotalfoto, Milano, no. N. 50.
Italian postcard by Rotalcolor / Rotalfoto, Milano, no. N. 55.
German postcard by Krüger. Sent by mail in the Netherlands in 1961. Collection: Geoffrey Donaldson Institute.
French postcard by EDUG, no. 118.
French postcard by Edition P.I., Paris, licence holder for France for UFA postcards, no. CK 99. Photo: UFA.
West-German postcard by Universum-Aktiengesellschaft, Berlin-Tempelhof, no. CK-21. Photo: Baron Studios / UFA.
Romanian postcard by Casa Filmului Acin.
Trailer Picnic (Joshua Logan, 1955). Sources: Craig Steves (YouTube).
Trailer Vertigo (Alfred Hitchcock, 1958). Sources: Universal Pictues UK (YouTube).
Trailer The Mirror Crack'd (Guy Hamilton, 1980). Source: Mr 80s Movies (YouTube).
Sources: Denny Jackson (IMDb), Sandra Brennan (AllMovie - Page now defunct), Wikipedia and IMDb.
Italian postcard by Rotalcolor, no. 4.
German postcard by Krüger, no. 902/29.
German postcard by Krüger, no. 902/26. Sent by mail in the Netherlands in 1963. Collection: Geoffrey Donaldson Institute.
Spanish postcard by Postal Oscarcolor, no. 372.
French postcard by Edition Erving, Paris, no. 757. Photo: Robert Coburn. Kim Novak and William Holden in Picnic (Joshua Logan, 1955).
West-German postcard by Universum-Aktiengesellschaft, Berlin-Tempelhof, no. CK-279. Photo: Maudial Agency.
Italian postcard by Rotalcolor / Rotalfoto, Milano, no. N. 144.
French postcard by E.D.U.G., no. 128.
Miss Deepfreeze
Kim Novak was born as Marilyn Pauline Novak, professionally in Chicago, Illinois, in 1933. She is the daughter of history teacher Joseph Novak and factory worker Blanche (née Kral) Novak. She won two scholarships to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and during the summer break in her last semester of junior college, Novak went on a cross-country tour modelling for a refrigerator company at trade shows. While stopping by Los Angeles, Novak was crowned Miss Deepfreeze by the refrigerator company.
While there, she and two other models stood in line to be extras in The French Line (Lloyd Bacon, 1954), a film starring Jane Russell. It was here that she was discovered by an agent, who signed her to a long-term contract with Columbia Pictures. Columbia intended for Novak to be their successor to Rita Hayworth, their biggest star of the 1940s, whose career had declined. The studio also hoped that Novak would bring them the same success 20th Century-Fox was having with Marilyn Monroe.
Her first role for the studio was in the film noir Pushover (Richard Quine, 1954). She then co-starred in the romantic comedy Phffft! (Mark Robson, 1954) as Janis, a Monroe-type character who finds Jack Lemmon's character, Robert Tracey, "real cute". Both films were reasonably successful at the box office, and Novak received favourable reviews for her performances.
The film version of Picnic (Joshua Logan, 1955), co-starring William Holden, was a resounding critical and box office triumph. Novak won a Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer. She was also nominated for the BAFTA Film Award for Best Foreign Actress, but did not win. Director Otto Preminger then cast her in The Man with the Golden Arm (1955), in which she played Frank Sinatra's sultry ex-girlfriend. The film was a box office triumph.
After appearing in a series of successful movies, Novak became one of the biggest box office draws. Columbia placed her in a film adaptation of Pal Joey (George Sidney, 1957). She played Linda English, a naive showgirl, opposite Frank Sinatra and Rita Hayworth. The movie was a box office hit and has been considered one of Novak's better performances.
French postcard by Editions P.I., Paris, offered by Les Carbones Korès "Carboplane", no. 834. Photo: Browning Studio / H.P.S.
Italian postcard by Rotalfoto, Milano, no. 502.
Italian postcard by Bromofoto, Milano, no. 962. Photo: Columbia CEIAD. Kim Novak in Phffft (Mark Robson, 1954).
Italian postcard by Bromofoto, Milano, no. 1503. Photo: Paramount Films.
Italian postcard by B.F.F. Edit, no. 3464. Photo: Columbia / CEIAD.
French postcard by Editions P.I., Paris, no. FK 3287. Photo: Baron Studios / Ufa.
West German postcard by Ufa/Film-Foto, Berlin-Tempelhof, no. FK 3579. Photo: Columbia Film.
German postcard by Ufa, Berlin-Tempelhof, no. CK 280. Photo: Terb Agency.
German postcard by Krüger, no. 902/27.
French postcard by Editions P.I., Paris, offered by Les Carbones Korès 'Carboplane', no. 278. Photo: Mondial Agency.
Vertigo
Kim Novak is best known today for the classic thriller Vertigo (Alfred Hitchcock, 1958), opposite James Stewart. During the production, Novak was striking for more money from Columbia, and refused to show up for work on the Vertigo set to protest her salary of $1,250 a week. Novak hired new agents to represent her and demanded an adjustment in her contract. Harry Cohn of Columbia suspended her, but after a few weeks of negotiations, he relented and offered her a new contract worthy of a major star. Vertigo was poorly received at the time of its release in 1958 and failed at the box office, but has since been re-evaluated and is widely considered one of the director's best works.
Sandra Brennan at AllMovie: "In 1958, Novak appeared in her most famous role, that of enigmatic Madeleine in Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece Vertigo. It was a difficult role, but one she rose to admirably. She did have one conflict with Hitchcock on the set concerning the stiff grey suit and black shoes she would be required to wear for most of the picture. When she saw costume designer Edith Head's original plans for the suit, Novak, fearing the suit would be distracting and uncomfortable and believing that grey is seldom a blonde's best colour, voiced her concerns directly to Hitchcock, who listened patiently and then insisted she wear the prescribed garb. Novak obeyed and, to her surprise, discovered that the starchy outfit enhanced rather than hindered her ability to play Madeleine."
In 1958, Novak again worked with Stewart in Richard Quine's Bell, Book and Candle, a comedy tale of modern-day witchcraft, which proved to be a box office success. The following year, she starred opposite Fredric March in the acclaimed drama Middle of the Night (Delbert Mann, 1959), and opposite Kirk Douglas in Strangers When We Meet (Richard Quine, 1960).
Although still young, her career declined in the early 1960s, and after several years in a series of lacklustre films, she withdrew from acting in 1966. She has only sporadically returned since. She returned to the screen in the West-German film Schöner Gigolo, armer Gigolo / Just a Gigolo (David Hemmings, 1978), starring David Bowie, and the British mystery The Mirror Crack'd (Guy Hamilton, 1980), based on the story by Agatha Christie. She also had a regular role on the prime time TV series Falcon Crest (1986–1987).
After a disappointing experience during the filming of the mystery Liebestraum (Mike Figgis, 1991), Kim Novak permanently retired from acting, citing that she had no desire to return. In 2013, she attended the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, where she introduced a new restored version of Vertigo. Audiences gave Novak a standing ovation. Denny Jackson at IMDb: "Today she lives in Eagle Point, Oregon, with her husband Bob, on a ranch where they raise horses and llamas. Kim is also an accomplished artist and has exhibited her paintings in galleries around the country."
Italian postcard by Rotalcolor / Rotalfoto, Milano, no. N. 50.
Italian postcard by Rotalcolor / Rotalfoto, Milano, no. N. 55.
German postcard by Krüger. Sent by mail in the Netherlands in 1961. Collection: Geoffrey Donaldson Institute.
French postcard by EDUG, no. 118.
French postcard by Edition P.I., Paris, licence holder for France for UFA postcards, no. CK 99. Photo: UFA.
West-German postcard by Universum-Aktiengesellschaft, Berlin-Tempelhof, no. CK-21. Photo: Baron Studios / UFA.
Romanian postcard by Casa Filmului Acin.
Trailer Picnic (Joshua Logan, 1955). Sources: Craig Steves (YouTube).
Trailer Vertigo (Alfred Hitchcock, 1958). Sources: Universal Pictues UK (YouTube).
Trailer The Mirror Crack'd (Guy Hamilton, 1980). Source: Mr 80s Movies (YouTube).
Sources: Denny Jackson (IMDb), Sandra Brennan (AllMovie - Page now defunct), Wikipedia and IMDb.
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