British – American actress and singer Jean Simmons started her career in films during the Second World War. She appeared in super-hit classics British films like ‘Great Expectations’ (1947), ‘Black Narcissus’ (1947) and ‘Hamlet’ (1948). She later moved to Hollywood and appeared in the movie ‘Androcles and the Lion’ (1952). Due to differences with American business magnate and director, Howard Hughes, she lost out on her role in ‘Roman Holiday’ to Audrey Hepburn. She was even forces into appearing in the flop comedy ‘She Couldn’t Say No’ (1954). Simmons later came back with big hits like ‘The Big Country’ (1958), ‘The Grass is Greener’ (1960) and ‘Divorce American Style’ (1967).
Simmons received positive reviews for her role as Adm Nora Satie in the television series ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ (1991). She also appeared in the series ‘The Odd Couple’ (1972), ‘Murder She Wrote’ (1989), ‘American Playhouse’ (1990) and ‘American Masters’ (2000).
The Big Country is a Western drama film which revolves around James McKay, who visits the American West to be with Patricia, his fiancée. However, he finds himself caught up in the middle of two warring families.
Arrogant Thracian slave Spartacus, who is trained in a gladiatorial school, rises in arms against his captors following repeated humiliations and incites a violent revolt involving thousands of slaves. As the group travels south to board ships to other lands, two opposing senators attempt to use the slave revolt to seize control of the decadent Roman Republic.
A conman joins hands with a beautiful revivalist to preach about religion. He continues the pretense until one of his ex-lovers shows up to pick a bone with him.
Black Narcissus is drama film which revolves around a group of nuns, led by Sister Clodath. They struggle to build a school and a hospital but the climate of the region makes their work extremely difficult.
Philip is an orphan who lives with his older sister and her husband who is a blacksmith. He falls for Estella, a beautiful and cruel teenage girl. However, after some time, he is unable to meet her anymore as she leaves for France, and Philip begins his apprenticeship as a blacksmith. His life takes an interesting turn when a mysterious benefactor offers to transform him into a gentleman.
Based on the famous play by William Shakespeare, this Oscar winning British film tells the story of Prince Hamlet, who is seeking revenge against Claudius, the man responsible for the death of his father. Although he loses his loved ones, he is adamant, and wants revenge at any cost.
A gambler in New York is challenged to take a female missionary to Havana. However, they fall for each other on the way.
Marcellus, a tribune serving in the Roman Military, is ordered to crucify Jesus Christ. However, after the event, he is haunted by nightmares, and tormented by his guilty conscience. Therefore, he decides to set out on a journey, hoping that he can learn more about Jesus of Nazareth.
A former British spy who is employed at the Fenton country estate aids Fenton’s niece escape from the police after the latter is unjustly accused of murdering a local gamekeeper.
The story centers on a California winemaking dynasty, struggling to survive during Prohibition. At the centre is Elizabeth Rambeau, who arrives at her grandfather’s winery in Napa Valley to find that he has arranged her marriage to another vineyard owner, belonging to a separate branch of the family. However, her cousin John has other ideas.
Set during the WWII in New Zealand, the movie is inspired by a story authored by James A. Michener for Return to Paradise. The movie follows four sisters – Anne, Barbara, Delia and Evelyn – and their romance with US soldiers. Meanwhile Jack Harding, a marine, is assigned to find out the genuineness of the potential matrimonial alliances between the American soldiers and New Zealand women.
Teenager Ruth Gordon Jones wants to drop out of school and move to New York City to pursue a career as a theater actress. However, her father, a former sailor working a menial job, who was once forced to leave school to seek work, wants her to become an instructor and marry handsome Harvard student Fred Whitmarsh.
Joe Lampton's ideal suburban family life takes a turn when he learns of his wife's affair which brings his drive to succeed to a screeching halt. In the hope to rediscover his former ambitious self, Joe moves to London with an attractive TV host.
A bored homemaker walks out of her husband of sixteen years in order to escape her dull and unhappy marriage and travels to Bahamas. There she meets a gigolo, who betrays her when he learns that she is not wealthy. Slowly, she realizes that she cannot buy happiness in this way and returns to find a job and new education opportunity.
A middle-aged mailman longs for peace and serenity, but he doesn’t find it due to his nagging wife. Eventually, he tries to turn into a tree, thinking that life would be much better that way.
An ex-lawman, Alex Flood, has taken an illegal hold over the town of Jericho, but widow Molly Lang fights to keep her stagecoach line out of his clutches. Her new employee, former deputy US marshal Dolan, tries to stay away realizing the futility of fighting Flood and his thugs. But when Flood’s men attack Molly, Dolan fights the goons and confronts Flood.
Entrusted with the care of his friend’s teenage daughter, a professional gambler sends his ward to an exclusive boarding school, from where she returns as a gorgeous lady, complicating his feelings about her. Aware of her distaste for gambling, he also hides his business from her; but there are others who are too willing to reveal it.
Mister Buddwing, an Oscar nominated film based on Evan Hunter’s eponymous novel, tells the story of a man in search of his forgotten identity. Unable to remember who he is, the protagonist wanders through the streets of Manhattan, calling himself Buddwing, meeting many women he thinks he knows. Will he be able to regain his memory?.
Based on the well-known play of the same name by George Bernard Shaw, this film tells the story of a slave in Ancient Rome who escapes his bonds and flees to the wilderness.
The arrival of an actress brings the happily married life of a playwright on the rocks. The film follows the famous couple's story through a series of flashbacks as their friends and acquaintances recollect incidents and rumours from the past.
This 1954 drama film tells the story of a wealthy heiress who returns to a remote town in Arkansas to reward the people for their generosity, which saved her life years ago when she was young. To do this, she starts to distribute cash anonymously, till she is interrupted by a local doctor.
Finn is a young graduate student who is going to get married to her fiancé Sam shortly. She visits her grandmother’s place, where she hears stories of romance and sorrow from her elders, as they are making a quilt.
A small plane carrying a deputy sheriff Frank Munson and a handcuffed prisoner named Ed, crashes due to a storm, in the California wilderness. Frank and Ed soon find an isolated farm, where they take shelter, but soon Ed tries to escape from Frank, as Frank intends to kill him, rather than take him to the police.
This horror-thriller film tells the story of a millionaire who feels that his wife committed suicide due to him. He eventually also starts believing that her spirit is starting to haunt him.
Soon after young milliner Sophie Hatter befriends the wizard Howl, she is cursed by the Witch of the Waste into a ninety-year-old woman. In her quest to end the curse, she finds Howl's moving castle with help from a living scarecrow, befriends fire demon Calcifer who powers the castle, and alters the course of war between two kingdoms.
Aliens have conquered the earth, forcing the surviving humans to take shelter in areas protected by energy shields. However, time is running out and in desperation General Hein is determined to use space cannon to destroy the aliens. Knowing that it might also damage the earth, a team of scientists proposes a more peaceful means to battle the enemy, but the General is not convinced.
Jean Simmons Awards
| Guys and Dolls | Best Actress - Comedy or Musical | 1956 |
| The Thorn Birds | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or a Special | 1983 |
