Suzanna Leigh Explained

Suzanna Leigh
Birthname:Sandra Eileen Anne Smith
Birth Date:26 July 1945
Birth Place:Reading, Berkshire, England
Death Place:Winter Garden, Florida, U.S.
Occupation:Actress
Years Active:1956–2016
Partner:Tim Hue-Williams (1972–1982)[1]
Children:1

Suzanna Leigh (born Sandra Eileen Anne Smith; 26 July 1945 – 11 December 2017) was a British actress, known for her film and television roles in the 1960s and 1970s.[2]

Early life and education

Born Sandra Eileen Anne Smith on 26 July 1945, Leigh grew up in Berkshire, England,[3] and later went to convent schools outside London. She began working in films while still a child, appearing as an extra in several British productions. She changed her name to Suzanna Leigh after entering film, whilst under the tutelage of her godmother, Vivien Leigh[4]

Career

Leigh's film roles include the love interest of Elvis Presley in Paradise, Hawaiian Style (1966), a stewardess in the comedy Boeing Boeing (1965), and the heroine in a couple of Hammer films - The Lost Continent (1968) and Lust for a Vampire (1971).

She starred in the cult British horror films The Deadly Bees (1966) and The Fiend (1972). In 1974 she starred as Amber in Son of Dracula. In 2015, she was a featured player in the film Grace of the Father. She wrote a 2000 autobiography, Paradise, Suzanna Style.

Death

Leigh was diagnosed with stage-four liver cancer in September 2016 and died in December 2017 in Winter Garden, Florida.[5] [6]

Filmography

Film
YearTitleRoleNotes
1956The Silken Affair Minor Role Uncredited
1957Man from Tangier Uncredited
1958Tom Thumb Extra in 'Dancing Shoes' sequence Uncredited
1960Oscar Wilde Minor Role Uncredited
1961Bomb in the High Street Jackie
1965The Pleasure Girls Dee
1965Boeing Boeing Vicky Hawkins British United
1966Paradise, Hawaiian Style Judy Hudson (Friday)
1966The Deadly Bees Vicki Robbins
1967Deadlier Than the Male Grace
1968The Lost Continent Unity Webster
1968Subterfuge Donetta
1970Docteur Caraïbes Laura
1971Lust for a Vampire Janet Playfair
1972The Fiend Paddy Lynch
1973Son of Dracula Amber
2015Grace of the Father Judith Hudson (final film role)
Television
YearTitleRoleNotes
1963It Happened Like This Amanda Morris 1 episode
1964The Saint Lilla McAndrew 1 episode
1966The Wednesday Play Elaine 1 episode
1966Trois étoiles en Touraine TV movie
1969Journey to the Unknown Vickie 1 episode
1970ITV Playhouse Ingrid 1 episode
1971Amicalement Vôtre! Emily Major 1 episode
1973Docteur Caraïbes Laura 4 episodes
1978The Chiffy Kids Miss Armitage 1 episode

Writings

External links

Notes and References

  1. https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/interview-suzanna-leigh--elvis-and-me-now-theres-a-story-1069204.html Profile
  2. Web site: Suzanna Leigh. https://web.archive.org/web/20160310194416/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b9fa06880. dead. 10 March 2016. BFI. 22 December 2016.
  3. News: Suzanna Leigh - Biography. https://web.archive.org/web/20140812213344/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/41684/Suzanna-Leigh/biography. dead. 12 August 2014. Movies & TV Dept.. The New York Times. Sandra Brennan. 2014. 11 August 2014.
  4. Web site: Suzanna Leigh Obituary. 2017.
  5. Web site: Natalia Leigh. Natalia Leigh. 12 December 2017.
  6. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/suzanna-leigh-dead-elvis-presley-star-paradise-hawaiian-style-was-72-1066695 Suzanna Leigh, Elvis Presley's Co-Star in 'Paradise, Hawaiian Style,' Dies at 72
  7. Book: Paradise. 9781439209684. 2000. Leigh. Suzanna. CreateSpace .