On November 12, 1929, Grace Patricia Kelly was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to wealthy parents. Her girlhood was uneventful for the most part, but one of the things she desired was to become an actress which she had decided on at an early age. After her high school graduation in 1947, Grace struck out on her own, heading to New York's bright lights to try her luck there. Grace worked some as a model and made her debut on Broadway in 1949. She also made a brief foray into the infant medium of television. Not content with the work in New York, Grace moved to Southern California for the more prestigious part of acting -- motion pictures. In 1951, she appeared in her first film entitled
Fourteen Hours (1951)
when she was 22. It was a small part, but a start nonetheless. The following year she landed the role of Amy Kane in
High Noon (1952)
, a western starring
Gary Cooper
and
Lloyd Bridges
which turned out to be very popular. In 1953, Grace appeared in only one film, but it was another popular one. The film was
Mogambo (1953)
where Grace played Linda Nordley. The film was a jungle drama in which fellow cast members,
Clark Gable
and
Ava Gardner
turned in masterful performances. It was also one of the best films ever released by MGM. Although she got noticed with High Noon, her work with director
Alfred Hitchcock
, which began with
Dial M for Murder (1954)
made her a star. Her standout performance in
이창 (1954)
brought her to prominence. As Lisa Fremont, she was cast opposite
James Stewart
, who played a crippled photographer who witnesses a murder in the next apartment from his wheelchair. Grace stayed busy in 1954 appearing in five films. Grace would forever be immortalized by winning the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Georgie Elgin opposite
Bing Crosby
in
The Country Girl (1954)
. In 1955, Grace once again teamed with Hitchcock in
To Catch a Thief (1955)
co-starring
Cary Grant
. In 1956, she played Tracy Lord in the musical comedy
High Society (1956)
which also starred
Frank Sinatra
and
Bing Crosby
. The whimsical tale ended with her re-marrying her former husband, played by Crosby. The film was well received. It also turned out to be her final acting performance. Grace had recently met and married Prince Rainier of the little principality of Monaco. By becoming a princess, she gave up her career. For the rest of her life, she was to remain in the news with her marriage and her three children. On September 14, 1982, Grace was killed in an automobile accident in her adoptive home country. She was just 52 years old.