Hitchcock heroine Kim Novak to be honoured with Venice Golden Lion

The Venice Film Festival has announced it will honour legendary Vertigo prima Kim Novak pinch a Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement. 

Novak, 92, was nan world’s apical container agency prima during nan precocious ‘50s and early ‘60s acknowledgment to classics specified arsenic Joshua Logan’s Picnic (1955), Otto Preminger’s The Man pinch nan Golden Arm (1955), and Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo (1958) successful which she played the dual domiciled of suicidal blonde Madeleine Elster and brunette shop woman Judy Barton. 

In 2012, Vertigo was named nan “greatest movie of each time” by nan British Film Institute's Sight and Sound, dethroning Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane - which held nan number 1 spot for 50 years. The movie came successful 2nd spot successful nan 2022 version of nan poll.

Other memorable roles included her activity successful Kiss Me, Stupid by Billy Wilder (1964), Bell, Book and Candle by Richard Quine (1958) and Strangers When We Meet, besides directed by Quine (1960). 

Festival organizers said coming that they will besides big nan world premiere of Alexandre Philippe’s documentary Kim Novak’s Vertigo, which was made successful collaboration pinch nan actress. 

Alberto Barbera, nan festival’s creator director, said that nan award, “celebrates a prima who was emancipated, a rebel astatine nan bosom of Hollywood who illuminated nan dreams of movie lovers earlier retiring to her ranch successful Oregon to dedicate herself to coating and to her horses.”

“Inadvertently becoming a surface legend, Kim Novak was 1 of nan astir beloved icons of an full era of Hollywood films, from her auspicious debut during nan mid-1950s until her premature and voluntary exile from nan gilded cage of Los Angeles a short while later,” added Barbera. 

“She ne'er refrained from criticizing nan workplace system, choosing her roles, who she fto into her backstage life and moreover her name. Forced to renounce her fixed name, Marilyn Pauline, because it was associated pinch Monroe, she fought to conserve her past name, agreeing, successful exchange, to dye her hairsbreadth that shadiness of platinum blonde which group her apart. Independent and nonconformist, she created her ain accumulation institution and went connected onslaught to renegotiate a net that was overmuch little than that of her antheral co-stars.”

Novak near her Hollywood profession down connected her ain position successful 1966 and turned to coating instead. She has occasionally granted interviews astir important movie anniversaries.

After presenting astatine nan 2014 Oscars, galore online - including Donald Trump - insulted her appearance. “Kim should writer her integrative surgeon!” wrote Trump connected X.

Novak responded pinch an unfastened missive writing: “I will nary longer clasp myself backmost from speaking retired against bullies."

"In my opinion, a personification has a correct to look arsenic bully arsenic they can, and I consciousness amended erstwhile I look better," she wrote successful a Facebook post, adding: "We request to guidelines up to them (bullies) successful a patient measurement by speaking out, moving retired and acting out. I americium speaking retired now because I don't want to harbour unhealthy feelings wrong maine anymore." 

Of this latest honour, Novak said she is “deeply touched” to person nan award.

“To beryllium recognized for my assemblage of activity astatine this clip successful my life is simply a dream travel true,” Novak said. “I will wealth each infinitesimal I walk successful Venice. It will capable my bosom pinch joy.”

This year’s Venice Film Festival will also honour iconoclastic German head Werner Herzog pinch a life accomplishment award. 

The 82nd Venice Film Festival runs from 27 August done 6 September. The afloat slate of films selected won’t beryllium announced until precocious July.