That Iconic Kiss That Defined an Era
In the classic film From Here to Eternity, Deborah Kerr and Burt Lancaster delivered one of the most unforgettable moments in cinema history—a passionate kiss as a wave crashed over them. This scene wasn't just about romance; it was a turning point for Deborah's career. “Nobody ever kissed me the way you do,” she breathlessly told him on screen. By 1953, audiences had come to expect Deborah in virtuous roles, but playing Karen, an Army wife caught in an extramarital affair, was a bold and daring choice for the actress. It was a role that showcased her versatility and depth as an artist.
From Virtuous Roles to Versatile Performances
Deborah Kerr was more than just a pretty face; she was an actress who knew her craft inside and out. "I knew I could be sexy," she once said, reflecting on her career. To prepare for her role in From Here to Eternity, she transformed herself, dyeing her hair blonde and learning an American accent. Her career spanned five decades, earning her six Best Actress Oscar nominations. She played a wide array of characters, from nuns to more adventurous roles. One of her favorites was Ida Carmody, a tired Australian sheepshearer’s wife longing for a real home in The Sundowners. "She adored the character of Ida Carmody," her daughter Francesca Shrapnel shares with Closer. "It’s such a tender and thoughtful performance."
A Dream Deferred and a Career in Motion
Deborah Kerr's journey to Hollywood was not without its twists and turns. Born in Glasgow, she dreamed of becoming a ballerina as a child. However, fate had other plans when she grew too tall for the dance world. Instead, she turned to acting, a decision that would change her life forever. She arrived in Hollywood in the 1940s and quickly found her place at MGM Studios, describing it as "belonging to a rather exclusive club." Her experiences there were nothing short of magical, and she cherished every moment.
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A Private Life in the Spotlight
While Deborah loved her work, she never sought the spotlight for fame. "I’m sure Hollywood was a thrilling change from gray postwar London," her daughter Francesca recalls, "but she was actually quite shy and a private person." Her first marriage to British war hero Anthony Bartley, the father of her two daughters, ended after 14 years. However, she found lasting love with novelist Peter Viertel, known for White Hunter, Black Heart. In 1960, the year they married, they purchased a home in the Swiss mountains, where they spent many magical summers and winters together. "We spent many magical summers and winters [there]," her grandson Lex Shrapnel reminisces with Closer.
Legacy and Reflection
Lex, who stars in Infiniti, streaming on Canal+, always thought his grandmother was elegant, but it wasn't until he saw a poster for From Here to Eternity in a college acquaintance's dorm that he realized just how famous she was. "I had to point out to my friend that it was my gran," he recalls. By the 1970s, Deborah had grown disillusioned with the graphic sex and violence in films, shifting her focus to theater. She was firm in her stance against celebrity culture, vowing never to write a tell-all book. "It’s all the same—rags-to-riches or I-slept-with-so-and-so. Damned if I’m going to say that," she said. "All successful people these days seem to be neurotic."
Deborah Kerr was one of the last dignified stars of Hollywood's golden age. In 1994, she finally received the long-awaited recognition she deserved when the Academy honored her body of work with an Oscar. "Thank you," she said, deeply moved by the standing ovation she received at the ceremony. "There should be more words for thank you, shouldn’t there?"
Before her death at the age of 86, just 19 days before her beloved husband Peter, Deborah watched as a new generation rediscovered her film An Affair to Remember after Meg Ryan's character wept over it in Sleepless in Seattle. "I’m almost hysterical at the thought of making people cry with joy 30-odd years after Cary [Grant] and I did our stuff," she said, adding that she understood why women love old-fashioned romance. "It makes them realize that the world has lost something delightful."
