The style of Deadly is the Female is very much inspired by many of the old Hollywood starlets. There are so many incredible women from this era that we adore, we wanted to share with you their stories and signature looks…
For today’s Deadly Inspiration we will be taking a look at Hollywood Star, fashion icon and true Princess, Grace Kelly.
Grace Patricia Kelly was born on November 12, 1929, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her father was 3 x gold winning Olympic rower and self made millionaire whilst her mother was the first coach of women’s athletic teams at the University of Pennsylvania. From a young age Grace had a passion for acting and took part in many community productions as well as working occasionally as a model. Her uncles Walter C. Kelly, a vaudevillian performer, and George Kelly, a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, both had a huge affect on her. It was George who later encouraged his niece to pursue a full-time acting career, mentoring her through her rise in Hollywood.
After High School, Grace moved to New York to pursue her acting career and enrolled in the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. As a student, she modeled part-time and appeared in ads for Old Gold cigarettes and on the covers of magazines like Cosmopolitanand Redbook. After graduating, Grace sought after a career on Broadway but struggled with criticisms from director’s that her vocals were not strong enough. In the years just following World War II, the film and television industries were both booming, and Grace soon moved to Hollywood.
Gary Cooper discovered Grace Kelly on the set of her first film, Fourteen Hours (1951), when she was 22 years old. He arranged for her to play his very young wife in High Noon (1952), an acclaimed Western that put her on the path to stardom. A year later, Kelly was offered a role in Mogambo(1953), a film set in Kenya, starring Clark Gable and Ava Gardner. Mogambo marked a turning point in Kelly’s career: She was nominated for her first Academy Award and won a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress. MGM offered her a seven-year contract, which she accepted on the condition that she live in Manhattan every other year so that she could pursue stage work. In her acting career Grace featured in 11 films and star in over 60 television productions.
By the mid 1950’s Kelly was one of the highest paid and most respected actresses in the world. In 1955, she was asked to join the United States Delegation Committee at the Cannes Film Festival in France. During a photo shoot, she met Prince Rainier III of Monaco, who happened to be seeking a bride. The press glamorized their courtship, depicting it as a fairytale romance. A year later, their wedding date was set. After marrying Prince Rainier on April 19, 1956, in a very public and ornate ceremony, Kelly abandoned her acting career in order to become Princess Consort of Monaco. She was also required to give up her American citizenship, and Prince Rainier banned her films in Monaco.
On September 14th 1982 Grace suffered a stroke whilst driving and lost control of the vehicle, which spun off the cliff’s edge and plunged down a 45-foot embankment. Princess Grace spent 24 hours in a coma before passing away at the age of 52.
“I’m basically a feminist. I think that women can do anything they decide to do.” – Grace Kelly
