When Beauty Reigns Eternal: Grace Kelly
WHEN BEAUTY REIGNS ETERNAL: GRACE KELLY -- She was always beautiful, wasn't she? Here at Studio of Style, we have always likened actress-turned-Her Serene Highness Grace Kelly to a rose -- yes, a rose. Beauty and simplicity are found together so abundantly in nature, of course, but in that crazy world of Hollywood the two rarely come together, for Tinseltown more often than not craves artifice, hyperbole and all things sensational to grab the money-paying public's attention. But that was never the case for Kelly. It seemed that from the get-go, this was a gal who never let her beauty overshadow her love for acting -- for in her simplicity of style, manners and the economy of her acting gestures one could easily see her true beauty. And that is something no amount of makeup or fast-talking agent could ever instill into a star! Today, August 14, Variety announced that actor Tim Roth would play Monaco's Prince Rainier III opposite Nicole Kidman's Grace Kelly in the upcoming film Grace of Monaco -- with production scheduled to start in France this fall. Interesting and thoughtful choice, Kidman. But back to the rose! With every moment of its existence, a rose is forever beautiful. From the tight bud, hiding the promise of its color and perfume within those entwined petals -- to the moment of opening and issuing forth a display of color and fragrance -- to the gentle tumbling of each delicate petal, there is joy to be had at every stage for those who know how to observe and appreciate this most noble of all flowers. Such was the appreciation for Kelly. To see her in the early photo shown above, dressed in nothing but a simple jacket with its knit collar and cuffs, minimal makeup and her naturally wavy tresses, one can see the rose bud awaiting its full bloom which would mesmerize admirers during and long after her reign in Hollywood and Monaco alike. "I don't want to dress up a picture with just my face," Kelly once said -- and those who understood the true nature of her beauty respected that, such as acclaimed Hollywood directors John Ford (Mogambo) and Alfred Hitchcock who used her talents and charm to their best ever over the course of three iconic films: Dial M for Murder; Rear Window; and To Catch a Thief (love that one, for sure!!). "I've worked with many fine actresses," recalled debonair heartthrob actor Cary Grant, "but in my opinion the best actress I ever worked with was Grace Kelly. Grace was the most extraordinary actress ever." And Grant should know! A smallish, but tranquil rose garden (4,000 bushes and 150 varieties) in Monaco overlooking the sea honors the memory of Kelly -- and there is a hybrid tea rose "Princesse de Monaco" named in her honor as well, bred by Marie-Louise Meilland of France (it's cream with pink edges with a mild fruity fragrance). So the next time you see a rose, we hope you will think of that beautiful confection that once graced the silver screen of our hearts: Grace Kelly.
