User Reviews

Kim Novak a big star in the 1950's and 1960's was subject of a great interview by TCM's Robert Osborne. Scenes of some of Ms. Novak's famous films such as Vertigo, The Man With The Golden Arm, Picnic, etc were shown with Ms. Novak giving commentary. Filmed in 2013 Ms. Novak looked wonderful at age 79 discussing her working with Rita Hayworth, Frank Sinatra, Josh Logan, Alfred Hitchcock and Otto Preminger among others.

A comment that struck me was Kim Novak signaling out Lee Remick as a star she admired and wished to emulate on choosing roles! Remick shot to fame in A Face In The Crowd and in Preminger's Anatomy Of A Murder replacing Lana Turner, and most notoriously replacing Marilyn Monroe in the ill fated Something's Got To Give which MM was re signed.To my knowledge Lee Remick's best role was Days Of Wine And Roses which Novak refused ( Remick also replaced Novak in A Severed Head, a flop). What did Novak mean by using Ms Remick- a lesser star than Ms. Novak- as an example.

Ms. Novak long retired did comment on her bitter relationship with Director Mike Figgies on Liebestraum which ended her great career.

I wish Interviewers would ask Novak about working with the biggest star of her era Elizabeth Taylor in The Mirror Crack'd and her leading men such as Rock Hudson, Jack Lemmon, James Garner, Charles Bronson and great actors such as Frederic March, Kirk Douglas, and Peter Finch. Also were there stars Kim Novak wished she worked with for example Cary Grant in a romantic film seemed natural or a drama with Steve McQueen?

l liked the Osborne-Novak interview on TCM.

Kim Novak: Live from the TCM Classic Film Festival (2013)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Robert Osborne sits down with Kim Novak at the TCM Film Festival where they discuss a large number of topics including her early life, the issues with her father's mental illness, her desire to be loved as well as her movies. For the most part I thought this was a very fascinating interview with Novak who isn't always very open. She certainly doesn't give too many interviews so I was amazed to see how willing she was to discuss just about everything and especially during some more dramatic moments where she eventually breaks down crying. The documentary covers quite a bit of group with VERTIGO getting the spotlight as one would understand. It's interesting to hear her thoughts about the making of the movie as well as her feelings about James Stewart who she did two movies with. She also discusses working with Frank Sinatra and how different he was when they made PAL JOEY together. Other movies covered include PUSHOVER, PICNIC, THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM, BELL BOOK AND CANDLE and the issues that happened on LIEBESTRAUM and why it pretty much made her quit acting. Fans of Novak are certainly going to love hearing her discuss her career but I think a lot of people will respect how blunt and honest she is.