How a modeling magazine photo launched a Hollywood career
In short: In 1960, director Otto Preminger was hunting for a fresh face to play a Danish-Jewish refugee. After scanning hundreds of candidates across Europe, he found his star not in an audition room, but in a simple magazine photograph.
The discovery of Valerie Jill Haworth was a matter of chance. While scouting for the film Exodus, Preminger happened upon a photograph of the then-15-year-old Haworth in a magazine for the Corona Theatre School. This accidental find led to a five-year contract and a move from England to the United States, where she lived in New York City under Preminger's strict supervision to avoid the 'starlet' lifestyle of Los Angeles.
Haworth's early career was marked by high-profile roles and intense professional experiences. She appeared in films like The Brides of Dracula (1960) and shared the cover of LIFE magazine with Sal Mineo in December 1960. Her time in Hollywood was not without hardship; while filming Rawhide, a set accident involving a runaway horse buggy left her with a back injury, and a grueling six-hour shoot in a manmade pond eventually led to a two-month battle with pneumonia.
Beyond the screen, Haworth left a permanent mark on musical theater. While filming the horror movie It!, she met director Hal Prince. When asked if she could sing, she famously replied, 'Louder than Merman.' This confidence led her to originate the iconic role of Sally Bowles in the 1966 Broadway production of Cabaret, a performance she maintained for nearly two and a half years.
Her personal life was equally intertwined with Hollywood history. She shared a brief engagement with Sal Mineo and navigated complex relationships with industry figures, including a summer romance with producer Aaron Spelling in 1965. Haworth passed away in Manhattan in 2011 at the age of 65.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Jill Haworth
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