born Dec. 24, 1922, Grabtown, N.C., U.S.
died Jan. 25, 1990, London, Eng.
U.S. film actress.
Born to a tenant farmer, she appeared in minor film parts until her role in The Killers (1946) made her a star. She played temptresses and seductive heroines in films such as One Touch of Venus (1948), Show Boat (1951), The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952), and The Barefoot Contessa (1954). A sensuous, dark-haired beauty, she was praised for her powerful and touching performances in films such as Mogambo (1953), On the Beach (1959), and The Night of the Iguana (1964).