The eternal image of how Diana Dors is remembered….
On May 4 1984, the first homegrown, British sex symbol – Diana Dors – died. She was just 52, and the cause of death was ovarian cancer. As Dors also was quite well-known in Norway, the news of her passing reached us pretty fast, and a lot of Norwegian fans were shocked to hear she was gone at such a young age. Today, exactly 30 years to the day of her death, I will post this small tribute to this legendary British actress and sometime singer…..
A young Diana in 1952
Personally, I was too young to have seen Dors at her sex symbol height, but to me she was a very likable actress who showed up in a lot of movies during the 1970s, usually in meaty supporting parts in the endless line of British horror flicks and risqué comedies produced there during that decade.
Later on (when we got a video player in our house!) I saw a lot of her movies from the 40s, 50s and 60s as well, made back when her roles were bigger, and she was always a treat to see. Being the UK’s answer to all the busty, American blondes, Dors was of course regarded in the same light as Marilyn Monroe, Mamie Van Doren, Cleo Moore, Joi Lansing and all the other blonde bombshells. However, Diana Dors always seemed to be much more down to earth, and with a sense of humour about her own sex godess image, sure she was sexy, but always with tounge-in-cheek! And to top it off; when she got good material, she was one hell of an actress too. Her 1957 Movie “Yield To The Night” is often cited as her best work, and if you’ve never seen Diana Dors on film – treat yourself to this one! Great movie, great acting.
Perhaps her finest film, this 1957 production shows just how good she could be!
Dors was a celebrity of the highest rank in the UK, and in addition to all her films (ca. 80, made between 1947 and 1984), she was also doing cabarets, dinner Club work, TV series, and she was an ever popular chat show guest due to her natural charm and quick remarks.
Diana – the singer! Her album “Swingin’ Dors” (1960) is a great collection of classic pop songs
As with all celebrities, Diana Dors also was subject to a lot of rumours and gossip about her private life, her husbands, her private adult parties and her sex life. All of this caused such a stir, that it is sometimes hard to see that Dors made a great contribution to the world of film, and that she deserves to be remembered for her film work instead of her private life.
The British Bombshell meets an American one; Diana and Jayne Mansfield in 1967
Even today, Dors is fondly remembered by a lot of movie goers around the world. Some might think of her as of one the blonde sex symbols of the 1950s, some might think of her as the fine actress that she was.
There is a great website about Diana, where you can see a lot of photos, a complete list of her films and TV work and much more. Check it out:
“Here’s looking at you…” A beautiful photo of Dors from ca. 1970
Today, the day of the 30th anniversary of her passing, I am sure a lot of Diana’s fans around the globe will think of her, and maybe watch a movie or two in honor of her memory. She did dramas, comedies, thrillers, horror movies and even a western (“Hannie Caulder“, 1970), so there is a lot to choose from. No matter what kind of film you end up with, Dors is always a treat to watch, and she has the kind of magnetic personality that makes it impossible not to notice her when she’s on-screen…. And that’s why we are still watching!
A photo from the early 1980’s. Diana still looked great, even shortly before here untimely death
stianeriksen 