Deborah Kerr Overview:

Legendary actress, Deborah Kerr, was born Deborah Jane Kerr-Trimmer on Sep 30, 1921 in Helensburgh, UK. Kerr died at the age of 86 on Oct 16, 2007 in Botesdale, Suffolk .

MINI BIO:

Lovely red-haired Scottish-born leading lady whose angular beauty got her cast in gentle, ladylike roles. A star of the British cinema in only her third film, she went to Hollywood in 1947, where her struggle to break the well-bred image was unsuccessful, despite her torrid love scenes in From Here to Eternity; the vivacious, fun-loving lady of real life remained a suppressed image for the screen, although she did make some extremely good films within that restriction between 1956 and 1961. Nominated six times for the best actress Oscar but never won; perhaps her unluckiest losing performance was in The Sundowners. Special Oscar, though, in 1994.

(Source: available at Amazon Quinlan's Film Stars).

HONORS and AWARDS:

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Although Kerr was nominated for six Oscars, she never won a competitive Academy Award. However she won one Honorary Oscar Award in 1993 in appreciation for a full career's worth of elegant and beautifully crafted performances .

Academy Awards

YearAwardFilm nameRoleResult
1949Best ActressEdward, My Son (1949)Evelyn BoultNominated
1953Best ActressFrom Here to Eternity (1953)Karen HolmesNominated
1956Best ActressThe King and I (1956)AnnaNominated
1957Best ActressHeaven Knows, Mr. Allison (1957)Sister AngelaNominated
1958Best ActressSeparate Tables (1958)Sibyl Railton-BellNominated
1960Best ActressThe Sundowners (1960)Ida CarmodyNominated

Academy Awards (Honorary Oscars)

YearAwardDescription
1993Honorary Awardin appreciation for a full career's worth of elegant and beautifully crafted performances

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She was honored with one star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the category of Motion Pictures. Deborah Kerr's handprints and footprints were 'set in stone' at Grauman's Chinese Theater during imprint ceremony #112 on Mar 22, 1956.

BlogHub Articles:

AND THE OSCAR DOESN’T GO TO…

By Carol Martinheira on Aug 29, 2023 From The Old Hollywood Garden

AND THE OSCAR DOESN’T GO TO… On August 29, 2023 By CarolIn Uncategorized Image from Reel Rundown Of all the people who never won an Oscar, is one of the most surprising ones. Surely one of the most talented actresses of her gener... Read full article


leads an order of nuns in the dazzling “Black Narcissus”

By Stephen Reginald on Aug 18, 2021 From Classic Movie Man

leads an order of nuns in the dazzling “Black Narcissus” Black Narcissus (1947) is a psychological drama directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, and starring , Sabu, David Farrar, and Flora Robson. The film was written and produced by Powell and P... Read full article


David Niven Says Bonjour Tristesse to

By Rick29 on May 13, 2019 From Classic Film & TV Cafe

Jean Seberg and David Niven. Seventeen-year-old Cecile and her wealthy, widower father split their time between Paris and the French Riveria. Their goal in life is to have fun. The middle-aged Raymond (David Niven) woos young attractive women, keeps them around for a few months, and then discards t... Read full article


THE BLOGATHON: Reunion at Fairborough (1985)

on Sep 30, 2018 From Caftan Woman

Maddy Loves Her Classic Films and is celebrating on the occasion of her birthdate, September 30th, with a blogathon. Click HERE for the tributes to the actress whose name rhymes with star. There is joy in watching experts in their field. Skill and talent can be inspirational. There is ... Read full article


10 Things You May Not Know About

By Stephen Reginald on Oct 5, 2017 From Classic Movie Man

10 Things You May Not Know About (1921 – 2007) is perhaps best remembered as portraying proper British ladies on the screen, but she had quite a range as an actress. She appeared in comedies, dramas, and musicals with ease. 1. Kerr first trained to be a ballet d... Read full article


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Deborah Kerr Quotes:

Mother Dorothea: -
[With Sister Clodagh: looking at photos of the palace at Mopu]
Mother Dorothea: The house is nine thousand feet up - very cold, but good air. General Toda Rai, who has invited us to Mopu, has promised us every help. He was a little afraid when he learned that we are bound to our order only by yearly vows. I explained this rule to him.
Sister Clodagh: Yes, Reverend Mother.
Mother Dorothea: For more than a century, to serve voluntarily has been one of the glories of our Order.
Sister Clodagh: And our greatest strength.
Mother Dorothea: Exactly. He understands now. Is there anything you would like to ask?
Sister Clodagh: Who am I to take with me?


Karen Holmes: Come back here, Sergeant. I'll tell you the story; you can take it back to the barracks with you. I'd only been married to Dana two years when I found out he was cheating. And by that time I was pregnant. I thought I had something to hope for. I was almost happy the night the pains began. I remember Dana was going to an officers' conference. I told him to get home early, to bring the doctor with him. And maybe he would have... if his "conference" hadn't been with a hat-check girl! He was drunk when he came in at 5 AM. I was lying on the floor. I begged him to go for the doctor, but he fell on the couch and passed out. The baby was born about an hour later. Of course it was dead. It was a boy. But they worked over me at the hospital, they fixed me up fine, they even took my appendix out - they threw that in free.
Sergeant Milton Warden: Karen...
Karen Holmes: And one more thing: no more children. Sure I went out with men after that. And if I'd ever found one that...
Sergeant Milton Warden: Karen, listen to me, listen.
Karen Holmes: I know. Until I met you I didn't think it was possible either.


Lt. David Baynes: Where'd you get this? D'you realize you can go to prison for forging an identity card? What made you do it?
Bridie Quilty: It's nothing to do with you; it's my business.
Lt. David Baynes: It's my name! Small point, perhaps.
Bridie Quilty: Oh, isn't it like an Englishman to niggle about a thing like that?


read more quotes from Deborah Kerr...



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Deborah Kerr Facts
Born to Arthur Charles Kerr-Trimmer, a World War I veteran pilot who became a naval architect and civil engineer, and his wife Kathleen Rose Smale, she was originally trained to be a ballet dancer.

Daughter-in-law of Salka Viertel and Berthold Viertel.

Patron of the National Society of Clean Air and Enviromental Protection in Britain from 1992 until her death in 2007.

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