Janet Leigh—A Biography

This book reveals and reflects upon Janet Leigh's life and extraordinary career and also extensively analyzes all of her films and television appearances, and the like. For the first decade of her career Leigh's screen persona was restricted almost exclusively to Hollywood's most conventional image of the "nice girl." She was cast opposite some of the industry's biggest names including Robert Mitchum in Holiday Affair, Stewart Granger in Scaramouche, James Stewart in The Naked Spur, and Charlton Heston in Orson Welles' masterpiece Touch of Evil. Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho supplied her most memorable role: Marion Crane, who is murdered before the picture is half over. The part earned Leigh an Academy Award nomination. Two years later, she starred opposite Frank Sinatra in John Frankenheimer's The Manchurian Candidate. From 1951 to 1962, Leigh was married to favorite co-star Tony Curtis; the iconic couple of 50's Hollywood starred together in five films. They had two daughters, Kelly and Jamie Lee Curtis, both of whom followed in their parents' professional footsteps.

Michelangelo Capua is the author of several McFarland biographies of Hollywood film stars. He lives in London.