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Kay Kendall

Kay Kendall

Highest Rated: 89% Les Girls (1957)

Lowest Rated: 50% The Reluctant Debutante (1958)

Birthday: May 21, 1926

Birthplace: Withernsea, Yorkshire, England, UK

Effervescent British leading lady of the 1950s who epitomized screwball elegance in a handful of films, most unworthy of her talents. Kendall was born into a theatrical environment, her grandmother Marie had been a music hall great and other members of her family were also performers. She and her sister Kim formed an act during WWII, and Kendall began appearing in film and television productions in the late 1940s. After one disaster ("London Town," 1946), she worked her way up in supporting parts, including "Lady Godiva Rides Again" (1951), "It Started in Paradise" (1952), and her first big break, "Genevieve" (1953), in which her character tussled with a huge dog named Suzy and displayed unexpected talent as a trumpeter.

Highest rated movies

89% Les Girls
88% Genevieve
86% Doctor in the House
50% The Reluctant Debutante

Photos

SIMON AND LAURA, from left: Peter Finch, Kay Kendall, 1955 SIMON AND LAURA, front from left: Maurice Denham Ian Carmichael, Peter Finch, standing center from left: Muriel Pavlow, Kay Kendall, 1955 THE ADVENTURES OF QUENTIN DURWARD, Robert Taylor, Kay Kendall, 1955 THE ADVENTURES OF QUENTIN DURWARD, Kay Kendall, Robert Taylor, Duncan Lamont, 1955 SIMON AND LAURA, from left, Peter Finch, Kay Kendall, Ian Carmichael, 1955 LES GIRLS, Gene Kelly, Taina Elg, Kay Kendall, Mitzi Gaynor, 1957. LES GIRLS, Gene Kelly, Taina Elg, Kay Kendall, Mitzi Gaynor, 1957. WINGS OF DANGER, Zachary Scott, Kay Kendall, 1952 CURTAIN UP, Kay Kendall, Margaret Rutherford, Robert Morley, 1953 LES GIRLS, Kay Kendall, Taina Elg, Mitzi Gaynor, 1957 THE ADVENTURES OF QUENTIN DURWARD, Kay Kendall, Robert Taylor, 1955 CURTAIN UP, Liam Gaffney, Kay Kendall, 1953 THE ADVENTURES OF QUENTIN DURWARD, Kay Kendall, Robert Taylor, 1955 HAPPY GO LOVELY, Cesar Romero, Kay Kendall, 1951 CURTAIN UP, Kay Kendall, 1953 IT STARTED IN PARADISE, from left, Jack Allen, Kay Kendall, 1952 LONDON TOWN, (aka MY HEART GOES CRAZY), Kay Kendall, 1946 (US release 1953) LONDON TOWN, (aka MY HEART GOES CRAZY), Sid Field, Kay Kendall, 1946 (US release 1953) STREET OF SHADOWS, Kay Kendall, 1953 STREET OF SHADOWS, Kay kendall, 1953
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Filmography

Movies

Credit
No Score Yet 33% Once More, With Feeling! Dolly Fabian (Character) - 1960
50% 73% The Reluctant Debutante Sheila Broadbent (Character) - 1958
89% 72% Les Girls Lady Sybil Wren (Character) - 1957
No Score Yet 71% Simon and Laura Laura Foster (Character) - 1955
No Score Yet 38% Quentin Durward Isabelle (Character) - 1955
No Score Yet 80% The Constant Husband Monica Hathaway (Character) - 1955
86% 44% Doctor in the House Isobel Minster (Character) - 1954
No Score Yet No Score Yet Abdullah's Harem Ronnie (Character) - 1954
No Score Yet No Score Yet Abdulla the Great Ronnie (Character) - 1954
No Score Yet No Score Yet Fast and Loose Carol Hankin (Character) - 1954
88% 75% Genevieve Rosalind Peters (Character) - 1953
No Score Yet 33% Shadow Man Barbara Gale (Character) - 1953
No Score Yet No Score Yet It Started in Paradise Unknown (Character) - 1953
No Score Yet No Score Yet Wings of Danger Alexia LaRoche (Character) - 1952
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Square Ring Eve Lewis (Character) - 1952
No Score Yet No Score Yet Curtain Up Sandra Beverley (Character) - 1952
No Score Yet 80% Happy Go Lovely Secretary (Character) - 1951
No Score Yet No Score Yet Lady Godiva Rides Again Sylvia (Character) - 1951
No Score Yet No Score Yet Dance Hall Doreen (Character) - 1950
No Score Yet No Score Yet London Town Patsy (Character) - 1946