Shirley Anne Field

I think you're being a tad unfair there.

I think her looks helped through the 50s and early 60s, not just for sex-appeal, but also she had a kind of working class girl next door quality that suited those gritty realism films of the time. But she had/has a fair bit going for her as a pretty decent actress as well. Not sure she was ever going to be a top hollywood leading lady, as I think her look was very British and her personality has a lot of realism in it, no doubt due to her real history, but it's a shame - apart from Alfie - she couldn't consolidate the highspots of The Entertainer and Saturday Night Sunday Morning as there were lots of interesting British films in the 60s she might have been able to have a go at.

I haven't seen The War Lover yet - though mean to - but after that and Kings of the Sun her career lost its way movie-wise apart from a role in Alfie for a decade. I don't know, maybe the kitchen sink stuff was where she should have stayed.

Her personal story is a moving one too.

She actually appeared in a lot of interesting movies at that time when she came to fame. There's the 'cult' and rather dodgy ones like Beat Girl and also a wonderful little film called Lunch Hour which is well worth seeking out where she carries the whole thing along with Robert Stephens. Things like Beat Girl and The Damned are also great fun.

To be fair to Kings of the Sun, despite its ludicrous aspects, it is an ambitious and interesting film with a great look, great music and wonderful battle at the end. And of course Yul Brynner is magnificent. Seen it twice recently. First time I loved it and thought she was great, second time I did think her character was a bit statuesque, though she looks lovely. But then again, despite the trailer, this is not a conventional epic at all: sandwiched between the beginning and end battles there is a lot of talking, moody shadow effects and conflicting emotion. Quite stagey. I guess they had to try to sell it as a sword and sandal thing but it's more stagey and ambitious than that. Really, i think her 'subdued' performance is probably about right, as her character is no sex-bomb but a realistic, honourable woman of the people is the angle.

I think she could probably have done more interesting things after the early 60s and was never going to be a major glamour queen as she had too much girl next door realism in her, but that's showbiz! Maybe they tried to sell her in that way and it didn't work?