Grace Kelly, the 1950s actress who rose to Hollywood royalty and gave it all up to become a princess, appeared while she lived to lead the fairytale life about which movies are made.
Vote Now: Which Actress Is Your All-Time Favorite?
Even her tragic death in a horrific car crash in 1982 left the world captivated. “Admirers recognise her as the embodiment of royalty in any sense – a critically-acclaimed actress and the elegant consort of Monaco, as well as a loyal friend, loving mother, and stunning style icon,”
The Daily Mail wrote of Kelly.
Just what skyrocketed her to icon status in her early twenties? Starring roles in 11 motion pictures in five years put her in the spotlight.
These are seven of the roles that defined Kelly’s career:
1. Amy Fowler, “High Noon” (1952)
A year after Gary Cooper discovered her on the set of her first film, “Fourteen Hours,” he chose her to play his young wife in this acclaimed Western.
2. Linda Nordley, “Mogambo” (1953)
The next year, she was offered a role in this movie that would take her to Kenya to star in a love triangle with Clark Gable and Ava Gardner. Her romance with Gable off camera,
The Daily Express reported, is said to have led her to comment: “What else is there to do if you’re alone in a tent in Africa with Clark Gable?”
Tell Us: Who Is Your Favorite Actor of All Time?
3. Georgie Elgin, “The Country Girl” (1954)
Kelly won an Oscar for Best Actress – beating out Judy Garland in “A Star Is Born” – in this melodrama that downplayed her sexy beauty.
4. Margot Wendice, “Dial M for Murder” (1954)
But her looks were part of her appeal, making her a Hitchcock “it” girl in films like “Dial M for Murder,” “Rear Window” and “To Catch a Thief.”
5. Lisa Fremont, “Rear Window” (1954)
Kelly might be best known for this thriller. In it, the hero (James Stewart) is trapped in a wheelchair and passes his time watching neighbors through his window. Kelly plays his fiancée, who urges him to look inside himself rather than outside his window.
6. Frances Stevens, “To Catch a Thief” (1955)
In Hitchcock’s “To Catch a Thief,” Kelly plays a socialite who falls for a retired jewel thief (Cary Grant). Her ice-blond style highlighted in the film may reflect the way Hitchcock himself described her,
according to ABC Central Victoria: as “a snow-covered volcano.”
7. Tracy Lord, “High Society” (1956)
Kelly lived the high-society life and she played it on the big screen. In this comedy, co-starring Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra, she played an ice queen trying to be accepted into Philadelphia society.
Vote Now: Which of These Actresses Stands the Test of Time?
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.