Vertigo star Kim Novak to receive Golden Lion lifetime achievement award at Venice Film Festival

Hollywood golden era star Kim Novak, known for her roles in Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo and films like Picnic and Man with the Golden Arm, has been awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, to be held from August 27 to September 6.

Who is Kim Novak?

Kim, who is 92, is counted among the last of the great glamorous movie stars of the golden era, who was the no. 1 box office star in the world in ’58, ’59' and ’60. Her best known role internationally is in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1958 hit Vertigo, which saw her in a double role opposite James Stewart.

Kim’s other movies that are counted among classics are Picnic (1955,) The Man with the Golden Arm (1955), Pal Joey (1957) and Bell, Book and Candle (1958). The decision to honour Kim was made by the Board of Directors of La Biennale, upon recommendation of the Artistic Director of the Festival, Alberto Barbera, according to a press release on the festival’s official website.

In a statement, Kim said she is “deeply, deeply touched” to receive the prestigious Golden Lion Award from the “enormously respected” film festival. “To be recognised for my body of work at this time in my life is a dream come true. I will treasure every moment I spend in Venice. It will fill my heart with joy,” she said.

Alberto Barbera called Kim one of the most beloved icons of an entire era of Hollywood films. “She never refrained from criticizing the studio system, choosing her roles, who she let into her private life and even her name... Independent and nonconformist, she created her own production company and went on strike to renegotiate a salary that was much lower than that of her male co-stars,” he said.

(Edited by Prattusa Mallik)