One of British films most famous exports, Jean Simmons had such a successful career in Hollywood movies that you’d be forgiven for thinking she was American if you were only familiar with her later work.

Born in London, Jean became a student at Rank’s Company of Youth (nicknamed the Rank Charm School) which produced many notable alumni including Diana Dors, Patricia Dainton, Anthony Steel, Christopher Lee, and Barbara Murray, to name a few.

In 1950, Jean starred in British drama “Cage of Gold” with Herbert Lom & Sam Kydd. Made by Ealing Studios, and directed by Ealing stalwart Basil Dearden, “Cage of Gold” premiered at the Odeon Marble Arch in London on the 21st of September 1950.

Other film credits include “Give Us The Moon” with Margaret Lockwood & Irene Handl; “The Way to the Stars” with Michael Redgrave, Stanley Holloway, & Basil Radford; “Caesar & Cleopatra” with Vivien Leigh, Cecil Parker, & John Laurie; “Great Expectations” with Valerie Hobson & Alec Guinness;”Hungry Hill” with Margaret Lockwood, Dennis Price, & Eddie Byrne; “Black Narcissus”; “Uncle Silas” in which Jean received top billing for the first time in 1947; an Oscar-nominated performance in “Hamlet” with Laurence Olivier & Christopher Lee; “The Blue Lagoon” with Donald Houston & Noel Purcell; “So Long at the Fair” with Dirk Bogarde, Honor Blackman, & Zena Marshall; “Trio” with Bill Travers; “The Robe” with Richard Burton; “Désirée” with Elizabeth Sellars; “Footsteps in the Fog” with William Hartnell; a Golden Globe-winning performance in “Guys & Dolls” with Marlon Brando; “Spartacus” with Tony Curtis; “Life at the Top” with Laurence Harvey; “Rough Night in Jericho” with Dean Martin; “Dominique” with Cliff Robertson; and her final film “Shadows in the Sun” with Jamie Dornan.