Victoria Dawn Addams (21 September 1930 – 7 May 1985) was a British actress, particularly in Hollywood motion pictures of the 1950s and on British television in the 1960s and 1970s. She became a princess in 1954 (until 1971).
Early years
Addams's mother died when she was young.
Career
Addams' face and physique attracted the attention of talent agents. In December 1950, she signed a seven-year contract with
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...
studios. Her film career began with a role in ''
Night into Morning'' (1951), and her subsequent MGM films included ''
Singin' in the Rain
''Singin' in the Rain'' is a 1952 American musical romantic comedy film directed and choreographed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, starring Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds, and featuring Jean Hagen, Millard Mitchell, Rita Moreno a ...
'' (1952), ''
Plymouth Adventure'' (1952), ''
Young Bess'' (1953) and the female lead opposite
Peter Lawford
Peter Sydney Ernest Lawford (né Aylen; 7 September 1923 – 24 December 1984) was an English-American actor.Obituary ''Variety Obituaries, Variety'', 26 December 1984.
He was a member of the "Rat Pack" and the brother-in-law of US president Jo ...
in ''
The Hour of 13'' (1952). She played
David Niven
James David Graham Niven (; 1 March 1910 – 29 July 1983) was an English actor, soldier, raconteur, memoirist and novelist. Niven was known as a handsome and debonair leading man in Classic Hollywood films. His accolades include an Academ ...
's daughter in ''
The Moon Is Blue'' (1953). She also embarked on a
USO
The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed F ...
tour the same year to help entertain troops in
Korea
Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...
. She worked steadily in films during the remainder of the 1950s, including a heavily publicised role as
Richard Carlson's model girlfriend in the science fiction film ''
Riders to the Stars'' (1954) and the female lead opposite actor-director-filmmaker legend
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is considered o ...
in his final comedy to star himself, ''
A King in New York
''A King in New York'' is a 1957 British comedy film directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin in his last leading role. The film presents a satirical view of certain aspects of American politics and society. It was produced in Europe after Cha ...
'' (1957). During the 1960s and 1970s, she appeared mainly in British TV shows and French films.
She was a semi-regular on the instructional series ''En France'' (1962) and the leading lady in several episodes of ''
The Saint'' (1962–69), which starred
Roger Moore
Sir Roger George Moore (14 October 192723 May 2017) was an English actor. He was the actor to portray Ian Fleming's fictional secret agent James Bond (literary character), James Bond in the Eon Productions/MGM Studios film series, playing the ...
as
Simon Templar
The Saint is the nickname of the fictional character Simon Templar, featured in a List of works by Leslie Charteris, series of novels and short stories by Leslie Charteris published between 1928 and 1963. After that date other authors collaborat ...
. Among her last film credits were two British horror films, ''
The Vampire Lovers
''The Vampire Lovers'' is a 1970 British Gothic film, Gothic horror film directed by Roy Ward Baker and starring Ingrid Pitt, Peter Cushing, George Cole (actor), George Cole, Kate O'Mara, Madeline Smith, Dawn Addams, Douglas Wilmer and Jon Fin ...
'' (1970) and ''
The Vault of Horror'' (1973), and she was also a regular in the British sitcom ''
Father, Dear Father
''Father, Dear Father'' is a British television sitcom produced by Thames Television for ITV from 1968 to 1973 starring Patrick Cargill. It was subsequently made into a spin-off film of the same title released in 1973.
An Australian sequel s ...
'' (1971–1973). One of her last television roles was in the science fiction serial ''
Star Maidens'' (1977). Addams retired in the early 1980s, dividing her remaining years between Europe and the United States.
On 1 May 2024 the book, Dawn Addams - My Life As Chaplin's Leading Lady - Filming Charles Chaplin's A King in New York - By John Francis Lane. Introduction and Afterword by James Pepper, was published by James Pepper Rare Books, Inc., Santa Barbara, California.
Personal life
She married Don Vittorio Emanuele Massimo, Prince of
Roccasecca
Roccasecca is a town and ''comune'' in the Province of Frosinone, in the Lazio region of central Italy. It is the birthplace of Thomas Aquinas.
History
The history of Roccasecca is tightly bound to its strategic position, a "dry '' rocca''" at ...
, in 1954;
[ the wedding was the subject of a cover story in '']Life
Life, also known as biota, refers to matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes. It is defined descriptively by the capacity for homeostasis, Structure#Biological, organisation, met ...
'' magazine.
Death
Addams died in 1985 in a London hospital at age 54 from lung cancer.
Filmography
Film
Television
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Addams, Dawn
1930 births
1985 deaths
English film actresses
English television actresses
Deaths from lung cancer in England
Actresses from Suffolk
People from Felixstowe
20th-century English actresses
Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
20th-century English businesspeople
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players
Actors from Suffolk Coastal