A Birthday Tribute to Janet Leigh

I've always enjoyed sharing a birthdate with actress Janet Leigh, who was born on this date in Merced, California, in 1927.

Leigh was cast in MGM's post Civil War film THE ROMANCE OF ROSY RIDGE (1947) shortly after her photograph was spotted by Norma Shearer at a ski resort. She's seen here in a publicity still for the movie:

Leigh was a natural and her career took off; between her film debut and the end of 1949 alone, she'd made nine more films! My personal favorites include LITTLE WOMEN (1949) and HOLIDAY AFFAIR (1949), which both see a lot of play here around Christmastime, and SCARAMOUCHE (1952). She's seen here in a publicity photo for LITTLE WOMEN:

A selection of additional favorite publicity photos:

Leigh married Tony Curtis in 1951 and for a time they were one of Hollywood's golden glamour couples; they became the parents of future actresses Kelly and Jamie Lee.

Their several films together included THE BLACK SHIELD OF FALWORTH (1953)...

...and THE VIKINGS (1960):

Alas, their real-life love story didn't last and in 1962 Leigh and Curtis parted ways. Janet married Robert Brandt as soon as her divorce from Curtis was final, and their marriage lasted over four decades, until her passing in 2004. Leigh's ashes are interred at Westwood Village Memorial Park.

To learn more about Janet Leigh, read her 1984 autobiography THERE REALLY WAS A HOLLYWOOD and her 1995 book PSYCHO: BEHIND THE SCENES OF A CLASSIC THRILLER, cowritten with Christopher Nickens.

Janet Leigh films reviewed at Laura's Miscellaneous Musings: THE ROMANCE OF ROSY RIDGE (1947), IF WINTER COMES (1947), THE DOCTOR AND THE GIRL (1949), SCARAMOUCHE (1952), JUST THIS ONCE (1952), CONFIDENTIALLY CONNIE (1953), THE NAKED SPUR (1953) (also here), ROGUE COP (1954), MY SISTER EILEEN (1955), PETE KELLY'S BLUES (1955), and TOUCH OF EVIL (1958).

Updated with additional review links: ACT OF VIOLENCE (1948) (also here), WORDS AND MUSIC (1948), HOLIDAY AFFAIR (1949), THE RED DANUBE (1949), STRICTLY DISHONORABLE (1951), JET PILOT (1957), and THE PERFECT FURLOUGH (1958).

Previously: TCM Star of the Month: Janet Leigh (October 2014).

Related post: HITCHCOCK (2012).