Simone Silva
Encyclopedia
Simone Silva was an Egyptian-born French film actress who appeared in a handful of British B-movies during the 1950s. Silva, who was once quoted as saying she would "do anything" to get in the newspapers, was known however less for her acting than for her voluptuous figure and shameless publicity-seeking activities. She briefly made global headlines following a notorious incident at the 1954 Cannes Film Festival
where she posed topless with Robert Mitchum
for photographers, causing a sensation when the photographs were flashed around the world.
to French-Italian parents in 1928, Silva moved to England in 1946 after marrying an Englishman (divorced 1953), believing that England would provide opportunities for her to be noticed by American talent scouts and give her a better chance to achieve her ultimate goal of making a career in the U.S.
From the early 1950s until her last days Silva made a living by posing as a photographic pin-up model for the cheesecake magazines of the era. She broke into British films in 1951 with a small uncredited not-speaked part in Lady Godiva Rides Again
as a beauty pageant contestant. This was followed by two more anonymous bit part
roles before she landed a slightly more substantial part in the adventure film South of Algiers
(1953). She was fifth-billed in crime drama Escape by Night
, then appeared among a lengthy female cast list in the women's prison drama The Weak and the Wicked
(1954). Her first and only top-billing came as a femme-fatale opposite Lloyd Bridges
in the Hammer Films
programmer Third Party Risk
.
when it was learned that she had entered the country on a tourist visa and had not applied for a work permit, although she had been offered a contract by an independent filmmaker, Al Petker, and was picking up a salary. In June 1954, the District Immigration Director for Los Angeles refused her retrospective application for a work permit, ordering her to leave the U.S. within 60 days, and observing that: "She did not make a sufficient showing to conclude if she was a person of unusual ability and talent, or professional attainment." The decision was appealed on Silva's behalf by Petker, and she was granted a temporary work permit pending the appeal being heard. However relations with Petker quickly soured, and by November 1954 Silva was hospitalised with severe vomiting, claiming that worry was the root cause of her illness. Silva accused Petker of failing to pay her salary, while he countered that he had suspended her for gaining a significant amount of weight.
Silva's application to become a permanent U.S. resident was heard in Los Angeles on 3 December 1954, and was denied. She was again given the right of appeal. In February 1955, Silva was again in court when she filed suit against a nightclub in Palm Beach, Florida
, alleging that they had offered her a contract for seven weeks' work but had reneged at the end of the first week. Silva's final appeal for U.S. residency was heard on 4 May 1955, and was turned down. She was told to leave the country by 7 June, or face deportation back to England. Silva could not be located on 7 June and it was reported that she had not been seen by her lawyer in Los Angeles for two weeks. It was concluded that she had made her way back to England under her own steam, without notifying the relevant parties.
in 1956. She briefly tried her hand at stage acting, with little critical success – a performance in Glasgow in June 1956 was described as "too brash, too strident". Her last credit was two episodes of television adventure serial The Gay Cavalier
in early 1957. Silva attempted again to garner some publicity by hinting to journalists that she was planning another audacious stunt for the 1957 Cannes Film Festival, but what she had in mind, if anything, is unknown as nothing materialised.
Silva was found dead in her London apartment on 30 November 1957, aged 29. An autopsy gave the cause of death as a stroke
. Silva's struggles with her weight had been ongoing, and friends believed that her lengthy period of excessively rigorous crash-dieting had been a likely contributory factor in her premature death.
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
where she posed topless with Robert Mitchum
Robert Mitchum
Robert Charles Durman Mitchum was an American film actor, author, composer and singer and is #23 on the American Film Institute's list of the greatest male American screen legends of all time...
for photographers, causing a sensation when the photographs were flashed around the world.
Early career
Born in CairoCairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
to French-Italian parents in 1928, Silva moved to England in 1946 after marrying an Englishman (divorced 1953), believing that England would provide opportunities for her to be noticed by American talent scouts and give her a better chance to achieve her ultimate goal of making a career in the U.S.
From the early 1950s until her last days Silva made a living by posing as a photographic pin-up model for the cheesecake magazines of the era. She broke into British films in 1951 with a small uncredited not-speaked part in Lady Godiva Rides Again
Lady Godiva Rides Again
Lady Godiva Rides Again is a 1951 British comedy film starring Diana Dors, about a small-town English girl who wins a beauty contest and heads for greater fame. It features Joan Collins in her movie debut as an uncredited beauty contestant...
as a beauty pageant contestant. This was followed by two more anonymous bit part
Bit part
A bit part is a supporting acting role with at least one line of dialogue . In British television, bit parts are referred to as under sixes...
roles before she landed a slightly more substantial part in the adventure film South of Algiers
South of Algiers
South of Algiers is a 1953 British adventure film, directed by Jack Lee and starring Van Heflin, Wanda Hendrix and Eric Portman...
(1953). She was fifth-billed in crime drama Escape by Night
Escape by Night (1953 film)
Escape by Night is a 1953 British crime film directed and written by John Gilling.-Plot:Gino Rossi is an Italian crime boss on the run who hides in a theater with a British journalist who wants to extract his life story.-Cast:...
, then appeared among a lengthy female cast list in the women's prison drama The Weak and the Wicked
The Weak and the Wicked
The Weak and the Wicked is a 1954 British drama film directed by J. Lee Thompson based on the book by his wife, Joan Henry, starring Glynis Johns and Diana Dors....
(1954). Her first and only top-billing came as a femme-fatale opposite Lloyd Bridges
Lloyd Bridges
Lloyd Vernet Bridges, Jr. was an American actor who starred in a number of television series and appeared in more than 150 feature films. Bridges is best known for his role of Mike Nelson in Sea Hunt, the most-popular syndicated American TV series in 1958...
in the Hammer Films
Hammer Film Productions
Hammer Film Productions is a film production company based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1934, the company is best known for a series of Gothic "Hammer Horror" films made from the mid-1950s until the 1970s. Hammer also produced science fiction, thrillers, film noir and comedies and in later...
programmer Third Party Risk
Third Party Risk
Third Party Risk is a 1954 British thriller film, directed by Daniel Birt and starring Lloyd Bridges, Simone Silva and Finlay Currie...
.
Cannes incident
In March 1954 Silva travelled to Cannes for the seventh Film Festival in an attempt to get herself noticed. She succeeded, and the festival organisers awarded her the honorary title of "Miss Festival 1954". She was asked to pose for press photographs with Robert Mitchum on a beach of one the French Riviera's Lérins Islands, near Cannes. The photocall turned into the story of the festival when Silva removed her top and posed cupping her naked breasts in her hands, while Mitchum played along. Such was the scramble to get the best shots that several photographers were injured in the melée, with two reportedly suffering broken limbs. The press loved it and the photographs were published around the world. However the festival committee were horrified that what they considered a vulgar and tacky publicity stunt had completely overshadowed the serious business of the fortnight, and Silva was asked to leave the festival.U.S. disappointment
Immediately after the Cannes furore, Silva travelled to the U.S., hoping to cash in on her new-found notoriety. However she soon ran into trouble with the Immigration and Naturalization ServiceImmigration and Naturalization Service
The United States Immigration and Naturalization Service , now referred to as Legacy INS, ceased to exist under that name on March 1, 2003, when most of its functions were transferred from the Department of Justice to three new components within the newly created Department of Homeland Security, as...
when it was learned that she had entered the country on a tourist visa and had not applied for a work permit, although she had been offered a contract by an independent filmmaker, Al Petker, and was picking up a salary. In June 1954, the District Immigration Director for Los Angeles refused her retrospective application for a work permit, ordering her to leave the U.S. within 60 days, and observing that: "She did not make a sufficient showing to conclude if she was a person of unusual ability and talent, or professional attainment." The decision was appealed on Silva's behalf by Petker, and she was granted a temporary work permit pending the appeal being heard. However relations with Petker quickly soured, and by November 1954 Silva was hospitalised with severe vomiting, claiming that worry was the root cause of her illness. Silva accused Petker of failing to pay her salary, while he countered that he had suspended her for gaining a significant amount of weight.
Silva's application to become a permanent U.S. resident was heard in Los Angeles on 3 December 1954, and was denied. She was again given the right of appeal. In February 1955, Silva was again in court when she filed suit against a nightclub in Palm Beach, Florida
Palm Beach, Florida
The Town of Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The Intracoastal Waterway separates it from the neighboring cities of West Palm Beach and Lake Worth...
, alleging that they had offered her a contract for seven weeks' work but had reneged at the end of the first week. Silva's final appeal for U.S. residency was heard on 4 May 1955, and was turned down. She was told to leave the country by 7 June, or face deportation back to England. Silva could not be located on 7 June and it was reported that she had not been seen by her lawyer in Los Angeles for two weeks. It was concluded that she had made her way back to England under her own steam, without notifying the relevant parties.
Return to England and death
After her return to England, Silva found it difficult to resurrect her fledgling film career. She made only one more screen appearance, in a small role in low-budget crime picture The Gelignite GangThe Gelignite Gang
The Gelignite Gang is a 1956 crime film directed by Terence Fisher. It stars Wayne Morris and Sandra Dorne.-Cast:* Wayne Morris as Jimmy Baxter* Sandra Dorne as Sally Morton* Patrick Holt as John Rutherford* Eric Pohlmann as Mr. Popoulus...
in 1956. She briefly tried her hand at stage acting, with little critical success – a performance in Glasgow in June 1956 was described as "too brash, too strident". Her last credit was two episodes of television adventure serial The Gay Cavalier
The Gay Cavalier
The Gay Cavalier was a 1957 British television adventure series set during the English Civil War and starring Christian Marquand as a fictionalised Captain Claude Duval...
in early 1957. Silva attempted again to garner some publicity by hinting to journalists that she was planning another audacious stunt for the 1957 Cannes Film Festival, but what she had in mind, if anything, is unknown as nothing materialised.
Silva was found dead in her London apartment on 30 November 1957, aged 29. An autopsy gave the cause of death as a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
. Silva's struggles with her weight had been ongoing, and friends believed that her lengthy period of excessively rigorous crash-dieting had been a likely contributory factor in her premature death.
Filmography (original titles)
- Le Tampon du Capiston (1950)
- Boniface somnambuleBoniface somnambuleBoniface somnambule, is a French comedy film from 1951, directed by Maurice Labro, written by Gérard Carlier, starring Fernandel and Louis de Funès...
(1951) - Lady Godiva Rides AgainLady Godiva Rides AgainLady Godiva Rides Again is a 1951 British comedy film starring Diana Dors, about a small-town English girl who wins a beauty contest and heads for greater fame. It features Joan Collins in her movie debut as an uncredited beauty contestant...
(1951) - The Secret PeopleThe Secret People (film)The Secret People is a 1952 British drama film directed by Thorold Dickinson and starring Valentina Cortese, Audrey Hepburn and Serge Reggiani. Hepburn's appearance was her first major starring role in a film . In this suspenseful film, Hepburn plays a ballerina, making use of her extensive training...
(1952) - Bachelor in Paris (1952)
- South of AlgiersSouth of AlgiersSouth of Algiers is a 1953 British adventure film, directed by Jack Lee and starring Van Heflin, Wanda Hendrix and Eric Portman...
(1953) - Desperate MomentDesperate MomentDesperate Moment is a 1953 British thriller film directed by Compton Bennett and starring Dirk Bogarde, Mai Zetterling and Philip Friend.-Plot:...
(1953) - Turn the Key SoftlyTurn the Key SoftlyTurn the Key Softly is a 1953 British drama film, directed by Jack Lee and starring Yvonne Mitchell, Joan Collins, Kathleen Harrison and Terence Morgan...
(1953) - Street of ShadowsStreet of ShadowsStreet of Shadows is a 1937 French drama film directed by Georg Wilhelm Pabst. An English-language version was made under the title Under Secret Orders.-Cast:* Pierre Blanchar - Grégor Courdane* Dita Parlo - Mademoiselle Docteur...
(1953) - Escape by NightEscape by Night (1953 film)Escape by Night is a 1953 British crime film directed and written by John Gilling.-Plot:Gino Rossi is an Italian crime boss on the run who hides in a theater with a British journalist who wants to extract his life story.-Cast:...
(1953) - The Weak and the WickedThe Weak and the WickedThe Weak and the Wicked is a 1954 British drama film directed by J. Lee Thompson based on the book by his wife, Joan Henry, starring Glynis Johns and Diana Dors....
(1954) - Duel in The JungleDuel in the JungleDuel in the Jungle is a 1954 British adventure film directed by George Marshall and starring Dana Andrews, Jeanne Crain and David Farrar. Its plot involves an American insurance investigator who is sent to Rhodesia in Southern Africa to investigate the suspicous death of a major diamond...
(1954) - Third Party RiskThird Party RiskThird Party Risk is a 1954 British thriller film, directed by Daniel Birt and starring Lloyd Bridges, Simone Silva and Finlay Currie...
(1954) - The Gelignite GangThe Gelignite GangThe Gelignite Gang is a 1956 crime film directed by Terence Fisher. It stars Wayne Morris and Sandra Dorne.-Cast:* Wayne Morris as Jimmy Baxter* Sandra Dorne as Sally Morton* Patrick Holt as John Rutherford* Eric Pohlmann as Mr. Popoulus...
(1956)
External links
- Simone Silva filmography at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...