Grace Kelly

Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#5).

(October 1997) Ranked #51 in Empire magazines "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list.

Hoped to return to acting in Alfred Hitchcock s Marnie , but the people of Monaco did not want their princess playing a thief and romancing Sean Connery.

Had three children with Prince Rainier of Monaco : Princess Caroline of Monaco , Prince Albert of Monaco and Princess Stphanie of Monaco.

Her movies were banned in Monaco by order of Prince Rainier of Monaco.

The inscription at her burial site in Monacos cathedral does not refer to her as a princess. It uses the title "uxor principis" (princes wife), which is traditional in the House of Grimaldi.

Following her untimely death, she was interred at the Cathedral of St. Nicholas in Monaco.

Assisted in the pre-production status of Grace Kelly starring Cheryl Ladd as Grace Kelly.

Actress Rita Gam was among her bridesmaids.

In 1993, the United States and Monaco simultaneously released a commemorative postage stamp honoring her. However, United States federal law forbids postage stamps depicting foreign heads of state, so the United States stamp listed her as "Grace Kelly", while the Monaco stamp listed her as "Princess Grace".

Part of Prince Rainier of Monaco s attraction to marrying a movie star was to increase tourism in his tiny, cash-poor principality, and the Kelly family was turned off by his demands that a substantial dowry accompany Grace to Monaco. A figure of $2,000,000 was finally agreed upon, which was diverted from Graces inheritance so that her brother and two sisters would not be shortchanged.

Kellys wedding gown was the most expensive garment that MGM designer Helen Rose had ever made. It used twenty-five yards of silk taffeta and one hundred yards of silk net. Its 125-year-old rose point lace was purchased from a museum and thousands of tiny pearls were sewn on the veil.

She was considered for the role of Maggie the Cat in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof , which eventually went to Elizabeth Taylor.

The so-called "wealthy" family Grace was born into was actually an immigrant family of bricklayers who had barely a generation of newfound business success. Graces father and brother were both Olympic gold-medal scullers. Graces cousin, former US Secy of Navy John Lehman, Jr. now chairs the Princess Grace Foundation, which supports young performing talent.

Attended and graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Manhattan, New York City.

The Country Girl , the film that won Kelly an Oscar, was first offered to Jennifer Jones , who had to turn down because of pregnancy.

When she left Hollywood, several roles she was slated to play were eventually filled by Lauren Bacall ( Designing Woman and The Cobweb ). Director George Stevens also wanted her for Giant .

Niece of playwright George Kelly.

Kelly was the daughter of John Brendan Kelly, Sr. (1889-1960), the son of Irish immigrants, and his wife Margaret Katherine (Majer), whose parents were German. She had three siblings: Peggy, John Jr. and Lizzane.

In January 1959, the Austrian government awarded her a medal of merit for aid to Hungarian refugees escaping Russian invasion, given through Monacos Red Cross.

She was one of many famous tenants of the Barbizon Hotel for Women when she lived in New York. Other tenants included Candice Bergen , Liza Minnelli , Cloris Leachman , Ali MacGraw , and Edith Little Edie Bouvier Beale.

She was voted the 27th Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly.

Referenced in the songs "Grace Kelly" by Die rzte; "Grace Kelly Blues" by Eels (Mark Oliver Everett ),"Grace Kelly with Wings" by Piebald; and "Grace Kelly" by Mika.

(8 February 1960) She was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6329 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.

Hedda Hopper reported that Judy Garland s loss of the Academy Award to Grace for The Country Girl was the result of the closest Oscar vote up till that time that did not end in a tie, with just six votes separating the two. In any event, it was such a heartbreak from which Judy Garland never recovered from, mentally. Judy Garland was nominated for her role in A Star Is Born and which has remained a matter of some controversy.

Summoned Sydney Guilaroff , the chief hairstylist at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, to style her hair for her marriage to Prince Rainier of Monaco in 1956.

She was voted the 12th Greatest Movie Star of all time by Premiere magazine.

Was named #13 Actress on The American Film Institutes 50 Greatest Screen Legends

The road accident which led to her death was apparently caused by a stroke she suffered while driving.

Was romantically involved with fashion designer Oleg Cassini.

Is portrayed by Christina Applegate and Cheryl Ladd in Grace Kelly .

Is one of the many movie stars mentioned in Madonna s song "Vogue".

Broke off her engagement to Oleg Cassini to marry Prince Rainier of Monaco.

Bought a silver frame as a wedding gift to Prince Charles and Princess Diana in 1981.

While pregnant with Princess Caroline of Monaco , Grace often used her Herms bag to shield her belly from prying paparazzi. The company nicknamed that purse "the Kelly bag".

Her favorite flowers were roses. After her death, Prince Rainier of Monaco opened a public rose garden in Monaco.

Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume One, 1981-1985, pages 447-450. New York: Charles Scribners Sons, 1998.

In Italy, a vast number of her films were dubbed by Fiorella Betti. She was also dubbed by Miranda Bonansea , Dhia Cristiani and Rina Morelli , respectively in High Noon (1952) , Dial M for Murder and To Catch a Thief .

Was offered to do a role in 11-time Oscar-nominated The Turning Point .

In her youth, her favorite actors were Joseph Cotten and Ingrid Bergman.

(April 19, 1956) Her weddings church ceremony at Monacos Saint Nicholas Cathedral was exclusively filmed by MGM and made into the documentary The Wedding in Monaco . The 600 guests included David Niven , Gloria Swanson , Ava Gardner and Conrad Hilton.

On the day she perished in an automobile accident, she was allegedly driving a British Rover 3500.

Cary Grant named her as his favorite co-star. His friends and family said Kellys death hit him much harder than the deaths of Louis Mountbatten , Alfred Hitchcock and even Ingrid Bergman.

She and her husband Prince Rainier of Monaco , were at the opening of Expo 58 in Brussels.

Grandmother of: Andrea, Charlotte, and Pierre Casiraghi, Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra of Hanover, Louis and Pauline Ducruet, Camille Gottlieb, Jazmin Grace Grimaldi and Alexandre Coste.

She was considered for the role of Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls , however Jean Simmons was cast instead.

Was allegedly romantically involved with all of her leading men apart from James Stewart. She was also linked to Marlon Brando , David Niven and Jean-Pierre Aumont.

Her father built a beach house at the corner of 26th and Wesley in Ocean City, New Jersey in 1929. It became a popular family vacation destination, and hosted celebrity guests such as Frank Sinatra , Dean Martin , Jerry Lewis , Bob Hope and Bing Crosby. Graces sister, Lizanne, lived in the house until it was sold in 2001.

All of her leading men were old enough to be her father (with the exception of William Holden , who was 11 years older than her and Louis Jourdan, who was only 8 years older).

Former mother-in-law of Stefano Casiraghi (1983-1990) and mother-in-law of Daniel Ducruet (1995-1996). She was also the future mother-in-law of Princess Charlene of Monaco.

Was good friends with actress Maureen OHara.

Had an abortion in 1955 and had two miscarriages in 1962.

Ranked #86 in Mens Health magazines 100 Hottest Women of all Time .

She was the very first actress to appear on a postage stamp.

She graduated from Stevens School in Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on June 5, 1947; her classmates predicted, in her senior yearbook, that she was certain "to become a stage and screen star".

Her first date, Harper Davis, died in 1953 after contracting multiple sclerosis when he returned from World War II and whose funeral was attended by Grace Kelly.

She was a registered Democrat and her family was close friends with Franklin D. Roosevelt during his administration.

Was a Girl Scout.

Was the 42nd actress to receive an Academy Award; she won the Best Actress Oscar for The Country Girl at The 27th Annual Academy Awards on March 30, 1955.

She turned down the female lead in On the Waterfront in order to make Rear Window instead. The role went to Eva Marie Saint.

Had appeared in three films directed by Alfred Hitchcock : Rear Window , Dial M for Murder and To Catch a Thief .

Grace Kelly passed away on September 14, 1982, two months away from what would have been her 53rd birthday on November 12.

Portrayed by Nicole Kidman in the fictionalized and critically ravished Grace of Monaco . However, Kidman was nominated for a SAG Award for her performance.

It has been alleged that as member of the Twentieth Century Fox board of directors, Kelly was responsible for closing down Russ Meyer s uncompleted "Who Killed Bambi?".

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios offered $70,000 dollars for the wedding of Grace Kelly, in gowns and bonus.

She is brought up in Billy Joels "We Didnt Start The Fire.".

Hollywood amuses me. Holier-than-thou for the public and,unholier-than-the-devil in reality.

Mogambo (1953) had three things that interested me.

At times, I think I actually hate Hollywood. I have many acquaintances,there, but few friends.

I came to success very quickly. Perhaps too quickly to value its,importance.

I would like to be remembered as someone who accomplished useful deeds,and who was a kind and loving person. I would like to leave the memory,of a human being with a correct attitude and who did her best to help,others.

My real difficulty was to become a normal person again, after having,been a movie actress for so long. For me, at the time I was living in,New York and Hollywood, a normal person was someone who made movies.

Mr. Hitchcock taught me everything about cinema. It was thanks to him,that I understood that murder scenes should be shot like love scenes,and love scenes like murder scenes.

My parents, despite their serious attitude toward life in general, and,that of their children in particular, were very broadminded people.

There was no such thing as a bad profession for them. As I was their,daughter, they knew that, whatever profession I chose, I would do it,well. That was enough for them. There was always trust among the,Kellys.

When I married Prince Rainier, I married the man and not what he,represented or what he was. I fell in love with him without giving a,thought to anything else.

I would like to say to my future fellow citizens that the Prince, my,fiance, has taught me to love them. I already know a lot about them,from the way he has described them to me, and my dearest desire today,is to find a little place in their hearts.

If there is one thing that is foreign to me it is shopping for pleasure.

On the other hand, I believe that it is right to honour all those who,create beautiful things and give satisfaction to those who see me,wearing them.

It would be very sad if children had no memories before those of school.

What they need most is the love and attention of their mother.

I avoid looking back. I prefer good memories to regrets.

The studios are tenacious. When they want someone or something, they,always get it in the end. I ended up signing a contract with MGM. I,signed because they offered me the chance of shooting in Africa, but I,signed it at the desk of the airport, when the engines of the plane,were already turning.

Emancipation of women has made them lose their mystery.