Bell, Book and Candle in the Night

Was there any greater beauty than Kim Novak in the '50s and '60s? With her short blonde hair and "come hither" eyes, she embodied the beautiful, the strong and the mysterious all in one. If one were to examine her film career in great detail, one would see that her movies in the '50s and '60s were astonishingly successful and well-received. Take "Picnic", "Pal Joey", "Jeanne Eagles", "The Eddy Duchin Story", "The Man with the Golden Arm" and, of course, the extraordinary "Vertigo".

What a body of work to have left of a career. Kim decided Hollywood was not where she wanted to cast her entire life. So she wisely, after the '60s, semi-retired and came out for her good friend Alfred Hitchcock, and she appeared on "Falcon Crest" in her later years. Kim’s great love was for animals, and how lucky these animals were, to have someone as lovely as she is fight for them and protect them as she’s gone through life.

Whenever I think of actresses who’ve had great careers whom I admire, she’s always at the top of my list. She reached the pinnacle and she did it her way. Kim, wherever you are today, your fans out there still love you and appreciate your contribution to film history.