Sue Lyon
Sue Lyon | |
|---|---|
 Sue Lyon in Tony Rome, 1967 | |
| Born | Suellyn Lyon July 10, 1946 Davenport, Iowa, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1959–1981 |
| Spouses |
|
| Children | Nona Harrison (b. 1972)[1] |
Sue Lyon (born July 10, 1946) is an American actress best known for her performances in Lolita (1962), for which she earned a Golden Globe Award, as well as The Night of the Iguana (1964), The Flim-Flam Man (1967) and Evel Knievel (1971).[2]
Life and career
Suellyn Lyon was born on July 10, 1946, in Davenport, Iowa. When she was 14 years old, she was cast in the role of Dolores "Lolita" Haze, the sexually charged adolescent and the object of an older man's obsessions in Stanley Kubrick's 1962 film Lolita.[3] She was chosen for the role partly because her curvy figure suggested that of an older adolescent. Based on Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita, Kubrick's film, though a toned-down version of the book (Lolita is only 12 at the beginning of the novel and 17 at the end) was, nonetheless, one of the most controversial films of its day.
Lyon was only 15 when the film premiered in June 1962.[4] She became an instant celebrity and won a Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer – Female. Despite her inexperience, she was praised for holding her own in scenes with the three top-billed stars of the film - James Mason, Shelley Winters, and Peter Sellers. Lyon recorded two songs for the film, which were released on an MGM 45 rpm record. The song "Lolita Ya Ya" (Riddle–Harris) appeared on side A, and "Turn Off the Moon" (Stillman-Harris) appeared on side B.
In 1963 Lyon was again cast as a seductive teen in John Huston's The Night of the Iguana (1964), competing for the affections of Richard Burton's disgraced preacher against the likes of Deborah Kerr and Ava Gardner. Again, controversy surrounded her because of a provocative scene in the film in which Lyon is shown emerging from the Pacific Ocean clad in a revealing bathing suit. Burton is seen walking next to her as they set foot on a small beach in Mexico.
In 1965 she played a mission worker in China in director John Ford's last feature film, 7 Women. Lyon played the female lead in the 1967 comedy The Flim-Flam Man and had a supporting role in 1967's Tony Rome which starred Frank Sinatra. She played the wife of daredevil Evel Knievel in the 1971 film Evel Knievel.[5]
By the 1970s she was relegated to mainly secondary roles. In her final film role to date, she played a news reporter in the 1980 cult favorite Alligator.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | Lolita | Dolores "Lolita" Haze | Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer |
| 1964 | The Night of the Iguana | Charlotte Goodall | |
| 1966 | 7 Women | Emma Clark | |
| 1967 | The Flim-Flam Man | Bonnie Lee Packard | |
| Tony Rome | Diana Pines | ||
| 1969 | Arsenic and Old Lace | Elaine Harper | TV film |
| 1970 | But I Don't Want to Get Married! | Laura | TV film |
| 1971 | Four Rode Out | Myra Polsen | |
| Evel Knievel | Linda | ||
| 1973 | Murder in a Blue World | Ana Vernia | |
| 1973 | Tarot | Angela | |
| 1976 | Smash-Up on Interstate 5 | Burnsey | TV film |
| 1977 | Crash! | Kim Denne | |
| End of the World | Sylvia Boran | ||
| Don't Push, I'll Charge When I'm Ready | Wendy Sutherland | TV film, made in 1969 | |
| 1978 | Towing | Lynn | |
| The Astral Factor | Darlene DeLong | ||
| 1980 | Alligator | NBC Newswoman |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Letter to Loretta | Laurie | 1 episode ("Alien Love") as Suellyn Lyon |
| 1969–1974 | Love, American Style | Barbara Eric Julie |
2 episodes ("Love and the Extra Job/Love and the Flying Finletters/Love and the Golden Worm/Love and the Itchy Condition/Love and the Patrolperson", "Love and the Medium/Love and the Bed/Love and the High School Flop-Out") |
| 1970 | The Virginian | Belinda Ballard | 1 episode ("Experiment at New Life") |
| 1971 | Men at Law | 1 episode ("Marathon") | |
| Night Gallery | Betsy | 1 episode ("The Boy Who Predicted Earthquakes/Miss Lovecraft Sent Me/The Hand of Borgus Weems/Phantom of What Opera?") | |
| 1978 | Police Story | Caroline | 1 episode ("River of Promises") |
| Fantasy Island | Jill Nolan | 1 episode ("Reunion/Anniversary") |
References
- ^ http://www.glamourgirlsofthesilverscreen.com/show/655/Sue+Lyon/index.html
- ^ Erickson, Hal. "Sue Lyon". Allmovie. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
- ^ "Schoolgirl Gets Lead in 'Lolita'", The New York Times, Sep 28, 1960, p. 33.
- ^ Bosley Crowther review, New York Times June 14,1962 [1]
- ^ Evel Knievel : Press Kit, Cast, Crew, Synopsis, Movie Posters
External links
- 1946 births
- Living people
- 20th-century American actresses
- Actresses from Iowa
- American child actresses
- American expatriates in Spain
- American female pop singers
- American film actresses
- American television actresses
- MGM Records artists
- New Star of the Year (Actress) Golden Globe winners
- Actors from Davenport, Iowa