Valerie French(1928-1990)

Hazel-eyed English leading lady of the 1950s who started as an ingénue at the Windsor Repertory Theatre after having had an earlier career working for the BBC drama department. A social sophisticate and 'girl about town', she was crowned 'Miss Galaxy' and went to Hollywood in 1954 with high hopes for fame and fortune. She unsuccessfully auditioned for the female lead in Bhowani Junction (1956) (which went to Ava Gardner) but the following year was signed as a Columbia starlet and cast as the female lead in the Glenn Ford western Jubal (1956). She appeared with Lee J. Cobb in The Garment Jungle (1957), plus two other westerns (Decision at Sundown (1957)) and The Hard Man (1957)) as well as the abysmal science fiction C-grader The 27th Day (1957). Thereafter, Valerie alternated between television work in the U.S. and the stage, both on and off-Broadway, making headlines in 1969 when appearing nude in "The Mother Lover" at the Booth Theater (though with her back to the audience). Her other Broadway credits included "Inadmissible Evidence" (1965) and "A Taste of Honey (1981)". She was married to actor/writer/producer Michael Pertwee and actor Thayer David.