Jean Kent on Marilyn, Olivier

‘The Prince and the Showgirl’: Jean Kent as Maisie Springfield, at right

Jean Kent has spoken to Richard Kay of the Daily Mail about her bittersweet memories of working with Marilyn on The Prince and the Showgirl.

“I can understand the enduring fascination with Marilyn, but, to be frank, I really couldn’t bear to discuss my own experience of working with her. She was, by that point, an extremely troubled girl…

I had only two brief scenes with her, but I think poor Larry must have aged at least 15 years during the making of that film. And Richard Wattis, who had a lot of scenes with her, took to drink because takes had to be done so many times…

If you passed her in the street, you would never have thought: ‘There goes the world’s number one sex symbol.’ But then she went into  make-up and some strange metamorphosis occurred, and the Marilyn all the world knew emerged onto the set.”

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