Biography for
Kim Novak (I) More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

13 February 1933, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Birth Name

Marilyn Pauline Novak

Nickname

The Lavender Girl

Height

5' 6" (1.68 m)

Mini Biography

Kim Novak was born in Chicago, Illinois on February 13, 1933 with the birth name of Marilyn Pauline Novak. She was the daughter of a former teacher turned transit clerk and his wife, also a former teacher. Throughout elementary and high school, Kim did not get along well with teachers. She even admitted that she didn't like being told what to do and when to do it. Her first job, after high school, was modeling teen fashions for a local department store. Kim, later, won a scholarship in a modeling school and continued to model part time. Kim later worked odd jobs as an elevator operator, sales clerk, and a dental assistant. The jobs never seemed to work out so she fell back on modeling, the one job she did well. After a stint on the road as a spokesperson for an appliance company, Kim decided to go to Los Angeles and try her luck at modeling there. Ultimately, her modeling landed her an appearance as an uncredited extra in The French Line (1953). Later a talent agent arranged for a screen test with Columbia Pictures and won a small six month contract. After taking some acting lesson, Kim appeared in her first film, Pushover (1954), which was a critical and financial failure. Later that year, Kim appeared in Phffft (1954) with Jack Lemmon and Judy Holliday. Her next role was as "Kay Greylek" in 5 Against the House (1955), followed by the Otto Preminger film The Man with the Golden Arm (1955). Kim's next film, Picnic (1955), became her best film to date and was her breakthrough to stardom. Kim did a superb job of acting in the film as did her costars. In 1957, Kim played "Linda English" in the hit movie Pal Joey (1957) with Frank Sinatra and Rita Hayworth. The film did very well at the box-office, but was condemned by the critics. Kim really didn't seem that interested in the role. She even said she couldn't stand people such as her character. In 1958, Kim appeared in Vertigo (1958), directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The film was one in which a retired detective, played by James Stewart, follows a suicidal blonde half his age (Kim). He later finds out that Kim was only masquerading as that person, and is actually a brunette shopgirl who set him up as part of a murder scheme. The film was a flop upon release, but is now considered a classic. Her next film was Bell Book and Candle (1958) which was only a modest success.

By the early 1960s, Kim's star was beginning to fade, even though she was still only in her 20s. She was being overpowered by the rise of new stars or stars that were remodeling their status within the film community. With a few more nondescript films between 1960 and 1964, she landed the role of "Mildred Rogers" in the remake of Of Human Bondage (1964). The film debuted to good reviews. In 1965, Kim married Richard Johnson whom she met while filming The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders (1965). They divorced a year later, but remain friends. Kim stepped away from the cameras for a while, returning in 1968 to star in The Legend of Lylah Clare (1968). It was a resounding flop, perhaps the worst of her career. After that, Kim basically didn't see herself as having a career, even though she was only 35. After appearing in the flop The Great Bank Robbery (1969), Kim was away for another four years until returning in 1973. That year she appeared in a segment of the British anthology horror film Tales That Witness Madness (1973), and was seen in a television movie called The Third Girl from the Left (1973) (TV), playing a Las Vegas showgirl. She starred in another television film, Satan's Triangle (1975) (TV), and had a small role in The White Buffalo (1977), a western. In 1978 she co-starred with David Bowie in Just a Gigolo (1978), which flopped. She did gain some attention for her role in the mystery/thriller The Mirror Crack'd (1980), but it did nothing for her career. For the rest of the eighties, Kim was out of movies and only had a few television gigs. In 1983 she appeared in the ensemble TV movie Malibu (1983) (TV). She was wasted in a cameo role in one episode of the short-lived "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" (1985) redux.

From 1986 to 1987, Kim played "Kit Marlowe" in 19 episodes of the TV series "Falcon Crest" (1981). In 1990 she had a leading role in the little-seen movie The Children (1990), where she starred opposite Ben Kingsley. Kim's last film to date was 1991's Liebestraum (1991), in which she played a terminally ill woman with a past. The film was a major disappointment in every aspect. Since then, she has rejected many offers to appear in films and on TV.

Since 1976, Kim has been married to Robert Malloy (born 1940), a veterinarian. She now lives on a ranch in Oregon and is an accomplished artist who expresses herself in oil paintings and sculptures. Kim and her husband raise lamas and horses, and frequently ski and go canoeing.

Kim began writing an autobiography in 2000, but it was lost when her house caught on fire, destroying the computer that contained her only draft. She later said that the fire was a sign that she shouldn't be writing an autobiography. In a rare 2007 interview, the still-stunning former actress said she would consider returning to acting "if the right thing came along". However, as of 2012, her last film remains Liebestraum (1991).

IMDb Mini Biography By: Denny Jackson

Spouse

Dr. Robert Malloy	(12 March 1976 - present)
Richard Johnson	(15 March 1965 - 23 April 1966) (divorced)

Trivia

Raises horses and llamas in Oregon and California

Went on a personal strike in 1957 protesting her current salary of $1,250 per week.

Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#92). [1995]

On July 24 2000, she watched her memento-filled house in Eagle Point, Oregon, go up in flames. A deputy fire marshal said that the blaze was probably the result of a tree that fell across an electrical power line. Included in the loss were scripts to some of her movies (Vertigo (1958) and Picnic (1955)), as well as her computer, which contained her long-gestating autobiography. Spared, however, were her menagerie of animals, including horses and llamas, as well as the star's husband of 24 years, veterinarian Bob Malloy. She later said that the fire was a sign that she shouldn't be writing an autobiography.

For a scene in Picnic (1955) in which she had to cry, she asked director Joshua Logan to pinch her black and blue off screen, telling him, "I can only cry when I'm hurt."

Turned down the female lead in Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), The Hustler (1961) and Animal House (1978) among others because she was focusing her time on personal activities.

As a starlet with Columbia Pictures, she resisted pressure to change her name to "Kit Marlowe". Years later, the name was used for the character she played on the television series "Falcon Crest" (1981). (She did agree to change her first name from Marilyn to Kim, as the public associated her given name with Marilyn Monroe).

In "Popular" (1999), the main girl's bathroom in the high school is called "The Novak" which holds all the pictures of the homecoming queens. The name is inspired by when movie stars would donate money to schools (often an alma mater). The writers found out that Kim Novak donated money to a school in the Santa Monica area (where the school/show is set), so they named this room after her.

Is portrayed by Terri Lynn in Rita Hayworth: The Love Goddess (1983) (TV)

She arrived in Hollywood as The Lavendar Girl. When she became a star at Columbia Pictures, the studio had her blonde hair tinted with lavender highlights.

In Italy, most of her films were dubbed by Rosetta Calavetta. At the beginning of her career, she was also dubbed by Dhia Cristiani. Lidia Simoneschi and Rita Savagnone also lent their voice to Novak at some point, in The Man with the Golden Arm (1955) and Kiss Me, Stupid (1964) respectively.

Was the original choice to play "Marion Wormer" in Animal House (1978).

Visited Sammy Davis Jr. in hospital shortly before his death.

Ex-stepmother of Sorel Johnson.

1953 Deb Star.

Her parents are Joseph A. Novak and Blanche Kral. Her sister is Arlene Novak.

Despite being divorced from him, she is still friends with her first husband, Richard Johnson, to whom she was married for one year.

Met her husband, Dr. Robert Malloy, in 1974 when he came to treat her sick horse. They married two years later in an outdoor ceremony at their home near the Big Sur in California. She has two stepchildren by him.

Was seriously injured in a horse-riding accident in 2006 and broke her ribs, punctured a lung and had nerve damage. She made a full recovery within a year.

In an interview with Stephen Rebello in the July 2005 issue of Movieline's Hollywood Life, Novak admitted that she had been "unprofessional" in her conduct with director Mike Figgis on how to portray her character in the film Liebestraum (1991).

A Hungarian music band was named after her.

Stepmother of Rebecca Malloy (b. 1966) and Lisa Malloy (b. 1973).

During 1973-1974 she was in a relationship with actor Michael Brandon.

When she was a kid, she had a scholarship to the Art Institute of Chicago.

Diagnosed with breast cancer and undergoing cancer treatment [October 19, 2010].

Was engaged to Richard Quine but they did not marry.

Personal Quotes

The head of publicity of the Hollywood studio where I was first under contract told me, "You're a piece of meat, that's all". It wasn't very nice but I had to take it. When I made my first screen test, the director explained to everyone, "Don't listen to her, just look".

Storms come down, houses are wiped out, people drown, but every last little palm is there after the storm. Man is always saying, "I will overwhelm". Why can't he bend like the little palms? And rise again. Isn't that better than being washed away?

For every answer, I like to bring up a question. Maybe I'm related to Alfred Hitchcock or maybe I got to know him too well, but I think life should be that way.

Harry Cohn did not make me. But I also feel that I probably didn't make me, either. I think it was a combination. I think that's what made it work.

[Alfred Hitchcock], contrary to what I'd heard about him, allowed me very much to have my own interpretation and everything.

I always felt Jimmy [James Stewart] was trapped in Hollywood. He felt it himself. He loved aviation so much and he wanted to be able to do more of that. He somehow just got stuck here.

I didn't want to start relying on what someone else thought was right. It was easier to go away all together.

I don't feel that I was a Hollywood-created star.

I don't think you want to give all the answers, but I think every answer you do give should bring up another question, and not all questions should be answered.

I had a lot of resentment for a while toward Kim Novak. But I don't mind her anymore. She's okay. We've become friends. I even asked her before this trip for some beauty tips.

I had never had a director who was particular about the costumes, the way they were designed, the specific colors.

I knew Rita Hayworth only enough to know that she was just a tender, sensitive, beautiful human being. A lovely person. Very gentle. She would never stand up for her rights.

I live way out in the country, so there's not a lot of people around to remind me. And my friends don't think of me as 'Kim Novak' anymore anyway. It's like they forgot, too. And so it's nice.

I loved acting, which was never about money, the fame. It was about a search for meaning. It was painful.

I think it will be helpful to people because I know the expectations that are put on you as a sex symbol, and how Marilyn Monroe suffered and so on, and I was able to get free of that.

I was always opinionated.

Why I loved working with [Alfred Hitchcock] was that he allowed me that creativity and input.

Well, I'm Czech, but Polish, Czech, no matter, it's my name

The thing I loved about Alfred Hitchcock is that he left a lot of open ends there, a lot of clues that didn't really add up the way you think they would, and sometimes, not at all.

My security comes from my senses, my sensing the direction I should go and suddenly I felt out of tune, out of step with what other people wanted or what other people expected of me.

If you're wanting glamorous or really beautiful or really sexy, well then, I wasn't really the one, but I could do all of that. You could just get really lost in that kind of image.

[on strategy] If you want to live on the edge of life, you need to be flexible.

Salary

Picnic (1955)	$100 a week
Jeanne Eagels (1957)	$13,000
Boys' Night Out (1962)	$500,000 + 20% of the gross