‘I loved acting, which was never about money, the fame. It was about a search for meaning. It was painful.’
Kim Novak was born Marilyn Pauline Novak in Illinois in 1933 to a family of Czech origin. While Kim was in grammar school, she won a scholarship to the famous Chicago Art Institute. After Kim graduated from high school, she began to model teen fashions for a local department store and later received a scholarship at a modeling academy. A few years later Kim moved to Los Angeles where she continued to work as a model.
Kim Novak first appeared on screen in “The French Line”(1954) starring Jane Russell and Gilbert Roland although she received no screen credit for the role. This was seen by a Columbia Pictures talent agent who were looking for someone to replace Rita Hayworth and invited her to a screen test which she passed. Columbia then signed Kim Novak to a six-month contract. Columbia insisted that Novak stop being called Marilyn Novak as they didn’t want to be accused of cashing in on Marilyn Monroe’s popularity.
Kim Novak made her screen debut in “Pushover” in 1954 opposite Fred MacMurray and Philip Carey and the fans and critics were instantly drawn to her beauty. The same year Novak starred in “Phffft” opposite Judy Holliday, Jack Lemmon, and Jack Carson which received good reviews. In 1955, Novak won a Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer and for World Film Favorite for her role in “Picnic” opposite William Holden. Kim starred in two films with Frank Sinatra, “The Man with the Golden Arm” and “Pal Joey” which also starred Rita Hayworth which were both very successful.
In 1958, Novak starred in Hitchcock’s classic thriller “Vertigo” opposite James Stewart which became the most admired role of her career. Following “Vertigo”, Novak reteamed with James Stewart and Jack Lemmon in the 1958 film, “Bell, Book and Candle” although it failed to do well at the box office. Novak continued to act during the 1960’s appearing in films such as “Of Human Bondage”(1964) although she turned down several dramatic roles such as “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and “The Sandpiper”. After playing the title role in “The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders” in 1965 opposite Richard Johnson and Angela Lansbury, Kim Novak took a break from acting and Hollywood.
Kim Novak made her comeback in 1968 in Robert Aldrich’s “The Legend of Lylah Clare” opposite Oscar winners Peter Finch and Ernest Borgnine although it failed miserably. After making “The Great Bank Robbery” in 1969, it would be another four years before Novak would appear in another film. In 1980, she appeared in the Agatha Christie mystery “The Mirror Crack’d” opposite Angela Lansbury, Tony Curtis, Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor. Kim Novak’s last appearance on the big screen was in “Liebestraum” in 1991 although her scenes were eventually cut due to battles with the director. Over the years, Kim Novak made occasional appearances on television such as in the made-for-TV movie “The Third Girl From the Left” in 1973 and “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” in 1985.
Offscreen, Kim Novak was married twice: to English actor Richard Johnson and veterinarian Dr. Robert Malloy and had affairs with several other men including Sammy Davis, Jr. In addition to acting, Novak is also a successful artist who expresses herself in watercolor and oil paintings, sculpture, stained glass design and photography and also writes poetry.
Kim Novak was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and in 2002 was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by Eastman Kodak. In 1995, Novak was ranked 92nd among the 100 sexiest stars in film history by Empire Magazine.
