Kamala Devi (actress)
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===Geronimo: The big break === | ===Geronimo: The big break === | ||
Revision as of 05:12, 31 January 2014
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Kamala Devi was the first Indian actress to play the female romantic lead in a non-Indian film—and apart from Freida Pinto the only one so far to have played a non-Indian character in the female romantic lead. Geronimo (1962) was a major Hollywood film, in which she portrayed Teela, an American (‘Red’) Indian princess. Though other Indian actresses followed, they mostly played Indian characters, e.g. Simi Garewal in Conrad Rooks’ Siddharth (1972). Aishwarya Rai Bachchan played the European detective Sonia in The Pink Panther 2 (2009) and was the main female lead of the film, but not the female romantic lead.
Hello! ededfbd interesting ededfbd site! I'm really like it! Very, very ededfbd good!
Very nice site!
Contents |
Geronimo: The big break
Geronimo, a Western, was Kamala Devi’s breakthrough into international stardom. Though it was her fourth film, the film’s credits read ‘and introducing Kamala Devi.’
“I play an Indian school teacher,” Kamala Devi said about her role in a 1962 interview to Photoplay . “But that doesn't mean I am going to be typed. I turned down several contracts because I fear I would be pushed into roles I didn't want. I believe I can play any part- and it's variety I want. Another thing I want to avoid is being called a second someone. I know it must be nice for Claudia Cardinale to be called a second Brigitte Bardot but if I was her I would rather get along without that kind of tag. The important thing in show business is to be different-and, if nothing else, I hope I am that!”
Career after Geronimo
In international films Kamala Devi almost invariably played non-Indian characters. Because of her features she would mostly act as an East European, a Hispanic or even an African.
She was Glana Lupescu in The Rogues (1964); Tezra in The Brass Bottle (1964); Sandra in Arrest and Trial (1964); Deirdre Purbhani in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1965); Felicitas in I Spy (1966); Laurette Lansing in Branded (1965–1966) and Broken Sabre (1966); M'Koru in Cowboy in Africa (1967); and Sallah in The Rat Patrol (1967).
Personal Life
In January 1961 Kamala, by then in Hollywood, was ‘seen around’ with actor Jeffrey Stone, a.k.a. John Fontaine Stone, who had just been divorced from Corinne Calvet/ Dibos and who had been expected to marry Michele Triola ‘when he was free.’ (glamourgirlsofthesilverscreen) Such sightings led to some gossip about a quadrangule.
Kamala Devi settled in the USA and, in 1963, married Chuck Connors, the male lead of Geronimo and many other films that she acted in. This, as imdb points out, made her the stepmother of Mike Connors, Jeff Connors, Steve Connors and Kevin Connors.Chuck Connors and she divorced in 1972.
She married Wallace Guberman on April 28th, 1978; the marriage ended in a divorce on May 5th, 1983 (5 years) (omnilexica)
Wallace Guberman was a Canadian Jewish businessman (born 1921) twelve or thirteen years Devi’s senior. In 1958 he opened Canada’s first Original Pancake House on Pembina Highway, Winnipeg. By the time he met Devi the restaurant had turned into a small chain. When he died (in 2004 in Los Angeles) his obituary pointedly referred to ‘his first wife Eleanor, who held a special place in his heart’ (and whom he had divorced). There was no mention of Devi.
(Additional details may kindly be posted on facebook
