British actress, who became a major star in Hollywood after moving
there in the early 1950s. Born in Cricklewood, north London, Simmons made her debut at the age
of 14 as Margaret Lockwood's sister in Give
Us the Moon (1944). Following a brief but effective appearance as a
singer in The
Way to the Stars (1945), she made a considerable impact as the young
destructive Estella in David Lean's Great Expectations (1946) before Estella grew up and became Valerie Hobson. Michael
Powell put her into slightly embarrassing make-up to play an Indian
seductress in Black
Narcissus (1947), but at least he recognised the power of her sexuality,
just as Laurence Olivier recognised
the power of her vulnerability when he cast her as Ophelia in his Hamlet (1948), a role for which she won an Oscar nomination and a Best Actress
award at Venice.
She starred in The
Blue Lagoon (1949), one of J. Arthur
Rank's many attempts to break into the American market, and appeared
with Dirk Bogarde in So Long at the Fair
(1950). But Hollywood beckoned and Howard Hughes bought out her contract from the Rank Organisation. A succession of roles made her famous and respected; Angel Face (1953), The Rob (1953), Guys and Dolls (1955),
The Big Country (1958), Spartacus (1960) and Elmer Gantry (1960). She
returned to Britain to play Susan Lampton in the not very distinguished
Life at the Top (1965).
